Other
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p44a..03p&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P44A-03
Other
[5405] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Atmospheres, [5443] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Magnetospheres, [5470] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Surface Materials And Properties, [6235] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Mercury
Scientific paper
Analysis and interpretation of observations from the MESSENGER spacecraft in orbit about Mercury require a "solar wind forcing" index to provide appropriate inputs for magnetospheric modeling and to enable investigations that depend on the heliospheric environment of Mercury. We have utilized the WSA-ENLIL solar wind modeling tool in order to calculate the values of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength (B), flow velocity (V), density (N), ram pressure (N V2), total pressure (2Nkt + B2/(2μ)), cross-magnetosphere electric field (VxB), Mach number, and other derived quantities of relevance for solar wind-magnetosphere interactions. In addition to these quantities, the WSA-ENLIL tools can predict the IMF connectivity with interplanetary shocks that are becoming increasingly prevalent during the present period of renewed solar activity. We have taken this model output and compared upstream MESSENGER IMF and solar wind measurements to see how well the ENLIL model results compare. The comparison in this first step sometimes is good and at other times suggests need for feedback and refinement of the WSA-ENLIL modeling initiation conditions near the Sun. We also use the relatively high-time-resolution B-field data from MESSENGER to help estimate the strength of the product of the solar wind speed and southward IMF strength (Bs) at Mercury. This product VBs is the electric field that drives magnetospheric processes and can be compared with such phenomena as the occurrence of energetic particle bursts within the Mercury magnetosphere. This index can also be used to drive the global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and kinetic magnetosphere models that are being used to explore magnetospheric dynamics at Mercury. Moreover, this modeling is such that near-real time products can be produced in order to help assess magnetospheric behavior for MESSENGER or other mission analysis and/or ground-based observational campaigns. We believe that this solar wind forcing tool is a crucial step toward bringing heliospheric science expertise to bear on planetary exploration programs.
Baker Daniel N.
Benna Marcus
Korth Haje
McClintock William E.
Odstrcil Dusan
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