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Coupling between Mercury and its nightside magnetosphere: Crossâ tail current sheet asymmetry and substorm current wedge formation
dc.contributor.authorPoh, Gangkai
dc.contributor.authorSlavin, James A.
dc.contributor.authorJia, Xianzhe
dc.contributor.authorRaines, Jim M.
dc.contributor.authorImber, Suzanne M.
dc.contributor.authorSun, Wei‐jie
dc.contributor.authorGershman, Daniel J.
dc.contributor.authorDiBraccio, Gina A.
dc.contributor.authorGenestreti, Kevin J.
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Andy W.
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-23T17:31:10Z
dc.date.available2018-10-02T19:49:01Zen
dc.date.issued2017-08
dc.identifier.citationPoh, Gangkai; Slavin, James A.; Jia, Xianzhe; Raines, Jim M.; Imber, Suzanne M.; Sun, Wei‐jie ; Gershman, Daniel J.; DiBraccio, Gina A.; Genestreti, Kevin J.; Smith, Andy W. (2017). "Coupling between Mercury and its nightside magnetosphere: Crossâ tail current sheet asymmetry and substorm current wedge formation." Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 122(8): 8419-8433.
dc.identifier.issn2169-9380
dc.identifier.issn2169-9402
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/138879
dc.description.abstractWe analyzed MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) magnetic field and plasma measurements taken during 319 crossings of Mercury’s crossâ tail current sheet. We found that the measured BZ in the current sheet is higher on the dawnside than the duskside by a factor of â 3 and the asymmetry decreases with downtail distance. This result is consistent with expectations based upon MHD stress balance. The magnetic fields threading the more stretched current sheet in the duskside have a higher plasma beta than those on the dawnside, where they are less stretched. This asymmetric behavior is confirmed by mean current sheet thickness being greatest on the dawnside. We propose that heavy planetary ion (e.g., Na+) enhancements in the duskside current sheet provides the most likely explanation for the dawnâ dusk current sheet asymmetries. We also report the direct measurement of Mercury’s substorm current wedge (SCW) formation and estimate the total current due to pileup of magnetic flux to be â 11 kA. The conductance at the foot of the field lines required to close the SCW current is found to be â 1.2 S, which is similar to earlier results derived from modeling of Mercury’s Region 1 fieldâ aligned currents. Hence, Mercury’s regolith is sufficiently conductive for the current to flow radially then across the surface of Mercury’s highly conductive iron core. Mercury appears to be closely coupled to its nightside magnetosphere by mass loading of upward flowing heavy planetary ions and electrodynamically by fieldâ aligned currents that transfer momentum and energy to the nightside auroral oval crust and interior. Heavy planetary ion enhancements in Mercury’s duskside current sheet provide explanation for crossâ tail asymmetries found in this study. The total current due to the pileup of magnetic flux and conductance required to close the SCW current is found to be â 11 kA and 1.2 S. Mercury is coupled to magnetotail by mass loading of heavy ions and fieldâ aligned currents driven by reconnectionâ related fast plasma flow.Key PointsHeavy planetary ion enhancements in Mercury’s duskside current sheet provide explanation for crossâ tail asymmetries found in this studyThe total current due to the pileup of magnetic flux and conductance required to close the SCW current is found to be almost equal to 11 kA and 1.2 SMercury is coupled to magnetotail by mass loading of heavy ions and fieldâ aligned currents driven by reconnectionâ related fast plasma flow
dc.publisherWiley Periodicals, Inc.
dc.subject.othermagnetotail
dc.subject.othersubstorm current wedge
dc.subject.otherasymmetry
dc.subject.othercrossâ tail current sheet
dc.subject.otherMercury
dc.titleCoupling between Mercury and its nightside magnetosphere: Crossâ tail current sheet asymmetry and substorm current wedge formation
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.rights.robotsIndexNoFollow
dc.subject.hlbsecondlevelAstronomy and Astrophysics
dc.subject.hlbtoplevelScience
dc.description.peerreviewedPeer Reviewed
dc.description.bitstreamurlhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138879/1/jgra53698.pdf
dc.description.bitstreamurlhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138879/2/jgra53698_am.pdf
dc.identifier.doi10.1002/2017JA024266
dc.identifier.sourceJournal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
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dc.owningcollnameInterdisciplinary and Peer-Reviewed


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