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MESSENGER observations of cusp plasma filaments at Mercury
dc.contributor.authorPoh, Gangkai
dc.contributor.authorSlavin, James A.
dc.contributor.authorJia, Xianzhe
dc.contributor.authorDiBraccio, Gina A.
dc.contributor.authorRaines, Jim M.
dc.contributor.authorImber, Suzanne M.
dc.contributor.authorGershman, Daniel J.
dc.contributor.authorSun, Wei‐jie
dc.contributor.authorAnderson, Brian J.
dc.contributor.authorKorth, Haje
dc.contributor.authorZurbuchen, Thomas H.
dc.contributor.authorMcNutt, Ralph L.
dc.contributor.authorSolomon, Sean C.
dc.date.accessioned2016-11-18T21:24:15Z
dc.date.available2017-11-01T15:31:30Zen
dc.date.issued2016-09
dc.identifier.citationPoh, Gangkai; Slavin, James A.; Jia, Xianzhe; DiBraccio, Gina A.; Raines, Jim M.; Imber, Suzanne M.; Gershman, Daniel J.; Sun, Wei‐jie ; Anderson, Brian J.; Korth, Haje; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.; McNutt, Ralph L.; Solomon, Sean C. (2016). "MESSENGER observations of cusp plasma filaments at Mercury." Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 121(9): 8260-8285.
dc.identifier.issn2169-9380
dc.identifier.issn2169-9402
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/134479
dc.description.abstractThe MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft while in orbit about Mercury observed highly localized, ~3â sâ long reductions in the dayside magnetospheric magnetic field, with amplitudes up to 90% of the ambient intensity. These magnetic field depressions are termed cusp filaments because they were observed from just poleward of the magnetospheric cusp to midlatitudes, i.e., ~55° to 85°N. We analyzed 345 highâ and lowâ altitude cusp filaments identified from MESSENGER magnetic field data to determine their physical properties. Minimum variance analysis indicates that most filaments resemble cylindrical flux tubes within which the magnetic field intensity decreases toward its central axis. If the filaments move over the spacecraft at an estimated magnetospheric convection speed of ~35â km/s, then they have a typical diameter of ~105â km or ~7â gyroradii for 1â keVâ H+ ions in a 300â nT magnetic field. During these events, MESSENGER’s Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer observed H+ ions with magnetosheathâ like energies. MESSENGER observations during the spacecraft’s final lowâ altitude campaign revealed that these cusp filaments likely extend down to Mercury’s surface. We calculated an occurrenceâ rateâ normalized integrated particle precipitation rate onto the surface from all filaments of (2.70â ±â 0.09)â à â 1025â sâ 1. This precipitation rate is comparable to published estimates of the total precipitation rate in the largerâ scale cusp. Overall, the MESSENGER observations analyzed here suggest that cusp filaments are the magnetospheric extensions of the flux transfer events that form at the magnetopause as a result of localized magnetic reconnection.Key PointsCusp filaments form as plasma is injected down flux tubes at the magnetopause by localized reconnectionResults indicate that cusp filaments map to flux transfer events at the magnetopauseThis result has important implications for surface sputtering and space weathering in the cusp region at Mercury
dc.publisherWiley Periodicals, Inc.
dc.publisherEuropean Space Agency
dc.subject.othercusp filaments
dc.subject.otherreconnection
dc.subject.otherMercury
dc.titleMESSENGER observations of cusp plasma filaments at Mercury
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.rights.robotsIndexNoFollow
dc.subject.hlbsecondlevelAstronomy and Astrophysics
dc.subject.hlbtoplevelScience
dc.description.peerreviewedPeer Reviewed
dc.description.bitstreamurlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134479/1/jgra52773.pdf
dc.description.bitstreamurlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134479/2/jgra52773_am.pdf
dc.identifier.doi10.1002/2016JA022552
dc.identifier.sourceJournal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
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dc.owningcollnameInterdisciplinary and Peer-Reviewed


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