Dynamics of electrons and heavy ions in Mercury's magnetosphere

Details Dynamics of electrons and heavy ions in Mercury's magnetosphere Dynamics of electrons and heavy ions in Mercury's magnetosphere

Sep 1987

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1987icar...71..441i&link_type=abstract

(The Planet Mercury Conference, Tucson, AZ, Aug. 6-9, 1986) Icarus (ISSN 0019-1035), vol. 71, Sept. 1987, p. 441-447.

Computer Science

35

Charged Particles, Current Sheets, Heavy Ions, Mercury (Planet), Planetary Magnetic Fields, Planetary Magnetospheres, Kinetic Energy, Mercury Surface, Metal Ions, Planetary Atmospheres, Solar Radiation, Steady State, Mercury (Planet), Dynamics, Electrons, Heavy Ions, Magnetosphre, Models, Acceleration, Convection, Charged Particles, Electric Fields, Surface, Magnetic Fields, Motion, Energy, Sputtering, Exosphere, Diagrams

Scientific paper

The possibility exists that plasma-surface interaction could be essential in forming a "metallic" magnetosphere at Mercury. It is thus of interest to examine some of the dynamical properties of the exospheric ions in the magnetospheric environment. The author considers the basic configuration of Mercury's magnetosphere as a scaled-down model of the Earth's magnetosphere. In particular, the global electrostatic potential distribution and particle drift pattern are reviewed from the point of view of comparative study of these two magnetospheric systems. The finite gyroradius effect on the trajectories of heavy ions is examined. A few examples are used to illustrate the potential importance of direct electric field acceleration of the Na+ ions on the loss and recirculation of the exospheric sodium and potassium atoms.

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