Origin of Mercury's double magnetopause: 3D hybrid simulation study with A.I.K.E.F.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://ir.lib.ncu.edu.tw/handle/987654321/100715

Title:	Origin of Mercury's double magnetopause: 3D hybrid simulation study with A.I.K.E.F.
Authors:	葉永烜;Müller, Joachim;Simon, Sven;Wang, Yung-Ching;Motschmann, Uwe;Heyner, Daniel;Schüle, Josef;Ip, Wing-Huen;Kleindienst, Gero;Pringle, Gavin J.
Contributors:	理學院天文研究所
Keywords:	Astronomy;Computer simulation;Current sheets;Diamagnetism;Earth, ocean, space;Exact sciences and technology;Magnetic fields;Magnetopause;Magnetospheres;Mercury;Mercury (planet);Planetary magnetospheres;Solar system;Solar wind
Date:	2012-03-01
Issue Date:	2026-04-21 14:11:39 (UTC+8)
Publisher:	Academic Press Inc.;Amsterdam: Elsevier Inc
Abstract:	摘要： ► We succeeded to model Mercury’s double-magnetopause. ► Results are in excellent agreement with plasma observation made by the MESSENGER-spacecraft. ► The double-magnetopause may even exist in the absence of planetary ions. ► The inner current layer turns out to be a diamagnetic current system. ► This current is sustained by protons that are mirrored between north and south pole. During the first and second Mercury flyby the MESSENGER spacecraft detected a dawn side double-current sheet inside the Hermean magnetosphere that was labeled the “double magnetopause” (Slavin, J.A. et al. [2008]. Science 321, 85). This double current sheet confines a region of decreased magnetic field that is referred to as Mercury’s “dayside boundary layer” (Anderson, M., Slavin, J., Horth, H. [2011]. Planet. Space Sci.). Up to the present day the double current sheet, the boundary layer and the key processes leading to their formation are not well understood. In order to advance the understanding of this region we have carried out self-consistent plasma simulations of the Hermean magnetosphere by means of the hybrid simulation code A.I.K.E.F. (Müller, J., Simon, S., Motschmann, U., Schüle, J., Glassmeier, K., Pringle, G.J. [2011]. Comput. Phys. Commun. 182, 946–966). Magnetic field and plasma results are in excellent agreement with the MESSENGER observations. In contrast to former speculations our results prove this double current sheet may exist in a pure solar wind hydrogen plasma, i.e. in the absence of any exospheric ions like sodium. Both currents are similar in orientation but the outer is stronger in intensity. While the outer current sheet can be considered the “classical” magnetopause, the inner current sheet between the magnetopause and Mercury’s surface reveals to be sustained by a diamagnetic current that originates from proton pressure gradients at Mercury’s inner magnetosphere. The pressure gradients in turn exist due to protons that are trapped on closed magnetic field lines and mirrored between north and south pole. Both, the dayside and nightside diamagnetic decreases that have been observed during the MESSENGER mission show to be direct consequences of this diamagnetic current that we label Mercury’s “boundary-layer-current“. 出版者： Amsterdam: Elsevier Inc 出版日期： 2012-03-01 出處： Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962), 2012-03, Vol.218 (1), p.666-687 資源來源： Elsevier ScienceDirect Journals 版權： 2012 Elsevier Inc. 版權： 2015 INIST-CNRS 識別號： ISSN: 0019-1035 識別號： ISSN: 1090-2643 識別號： EISSN: 1090-2643 識別號： DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2011.12.028 識別號： CODEN: ICRSA5
Appears in Collections:	[Graduate Institute of Astronomy] journal & Dissertation

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