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MESSENGER Observations of Reconnection in Mercury’s Magnetotail Under Strong IMF Forcing
dc.contributor.authorZhong, Jun
dc.contributor.authorLee, Lou-Chuang
dc.contributor.authorSlavin, James A.
dc.contributor.authorZhang, Hui
dc.contributor.authorWei, Yong
dc.date.accessioned2023-03-03T21:11:03Z
dc.date.available2024-03-03 16:11:01en
dc.date.available2023-03-03T21:11:03Z
dc.date.issued2023-02
dc.identifier.citationZhong, Jun; Lee, Lou-Chuang ; Slavin, James A.; Zhang, Hui; Wei, Yong (2023). "MESSENGER Observations of Reconnection in Mercury’s Magnetotail Under Strong IMF Forcing." Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 128(2): n/a-n/a.
dc.identifier.issn2169-9380
dc.identifier.issn2169-9402
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/175942
dc.description.abstractThe MESSENGER spacecraft typically crossed Mercury’s magnetotail current sheet relatively close to the planet, that is, less than 2.5 RM (planet radius; 2,440 km). Magnetometer measurements are used to detect active reconnection events by identifying the quadrupole Hall magnetic field signatures that form about X-lines. Statistical analyses of the 51 active reconnection events detected in this manner indicate that they occur most frequently on the duskside and typically at a mean altitude greater than 1.5 RM. In contrast, the dawnside events occur at altitudes of ∼1 RM. In addition, a higher recurrence rate of flux ropes formed in the Hall region was observed on the dawnside. Applying the Kan-Lee solar wind-magnetosphere coupling function confirmed that these near-tail reconnection events at Mercury are observed under strong forcing by the interplanetary magnetic field. We further propose that the reconnection-driven nightside magnetosphere-planet interaction is characterized by a pronounced dawn-dusk asymmetry and may significantly influence the near-Mercury space environment.Key PointsFirst statistical survey of near-tail reconnection events under strong interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) forcing at MercuryMore reconnection events were observed on the duskside and they were located farther down the tail than on the dawnsideMultiple flux rope events formed in Hall region were observed most frequently on the dawnside
dc.publisherAmerican Geophysical Union
dc.publisherWiley Periodicals, Inc.
dc.subject.othermagnetic reconnection
dc.subject.othermagnetotail
dc.subject.othermagnetosphere
dc.subject.otherMercury
dc.subject.otherdawn-dusk asymmetry
dc.titleMESSENGER Observations of Reconnection in Mercury’s Magnetotail Under Strong IMF Forcing
dc.typeArticle
dc.rights.robotsIndexNoFollow
dc.subject.hlbsecondlevelAstronomy and Astrophysics
dc.subject.hlbtoplevelScience
dc.description.peerreviewedPeer Reviewed
dc.description.bitstreamurlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/175942/1/jgra57639.pdf
dc.description.bitstreamurlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/175942/2/jgra57639_am.pdf
dc.identifier.doi10.1029/2022JA031134
dc.identifier.sourceJournal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
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dc.owningcollnameInterdisciplinary and Peer-Reviewed


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