The space environment of Mercury at the times of the second and third MESSENGER flybys

0381399 - ÚFA 2013 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Baker, D. N. - Odstrčil, D. - Anderson, B.J. - Arge, C. N. - Benna, M. - Gloeckler, G. - Korth, H. - Mayer, L. R. - Raines, J.M. - Schriver, D. - Slavin, J.A. - Solomon, S.C. - Trávníček, Pavel M. - Zurbuchen, T.H.
The space environment of Mercury at the times of the second and third MESSENGER flybys.
Planetary and Space Science. Roč. 59, č. 15 (2011), s. 2066-2074. ISSN 0032-0633. E-ISSN 1873-5088
Grant - others:NASA(US) NASW-00002; NASA(US) NAS5-97271
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517
Keywords : Mercury * Solar wind * Interplanetary magnetic field * Magnetospheres * MESSENGER
Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics
Impact factor: 2.224, year: 2011
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032063311000481

The second and third flybys of Mercury by the MESSENGER spacecraft occurred, respectively, on 6 October 2008 and on 29 September 2009. In order to provide contextual information about the solar wind properties and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) near the planet at those times, we have used an empirical modeling technique combined with a numerical physics-based solar wind model. The Wang–Sheeley–Arge (WSA) method uses solar photospheric magnetic field observations (from Earth-based instruments) in order to estimate the inner heliospheric radial flow speed and radial magnetic field out to 21.5 solar radii from the Sun. This information is then used as input to the global numerical magnetohydrodynamic model, ENLIL, which calculates solar wind velocity, density, temperature, and magnetic field strength and polarity throughout the inner heliosphere. WSA-ENLIL calculations are presented for the several-week period encompassing the second and third flybys. This information, in conjunction with available MESSENGER data, aid in understanding the Mercury flyby observations and provide a basis for global magnetospheric modeling. We find that during both flybys, the solar wind conditions were very quiescent and would have provided only modest dynamic driving forces for Mercury's magnetospheric system.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0211879