Mercury's helium exosphere

Details Mercury's helium exosphere Mercury's helium exosphere

Sep 1975

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1975jgr....80.3689h&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 80, Sept. 1, 1975, p. 3689-3692.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

2

Atmospheric Models, Exosphere, Helium Ions, Mercury (Planet), Planetary Atmospheres, Astronomical Models, Gas Density, Outgassing, Radial Distribution, Rarefied Gas Dynamics, Solar Wind, Steady State

Scientific paper

A model He exosphere of Mercury is developed whose source derives from accretion of the small fraction of solar-wind He(++) that is captured by the magnetosphere and absorbed at the planetary surface. The model is based on a lunar analogy whereby the surface is saturated with He. Surface and radial density distributions are derived, and the dayside concentration is determined by requiring that the limb intensity at 584 A equals the observed intensity. To maintain the He exosphere, it is found that only a fraction of the solar-wind He(++) flux intercepted by the magnetosphere need be captured. This corresponds to a total accretion rate of 6.8 by 10 to the 22nd power He(++) ions per sec at the surface, which also represents the upper limit to the total outgassing rate of He from the interior.

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