Remote sensing of mercury sodium exospheric patterns in relation to particle precipitation and interplanetary magnetic field
Abstract The ground-based solar telescope THEMIS performed several observations of Mercury’s sodium exosphere in years 2011–2013, when the MESSENGER spacecraft was orbiting around the planet. Typical two-peak exospheric patterns were frequently identified. In previous studies, some specific cases of...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79022-w |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846101172867301376 |
|---|---|
| author | Stefano Orsini Valeria Mangano Anna Milillo Alessandro Mura Alessandro Aronica Elisabetta De Angelis Adrian Kazakov Stefano Massetti Martina Moroni Rosanna Rispoli Roberto Sordini Christina Plainaki Francois Leblanc |
| author_facet | Stefano Orsini Valeria Mangano Anna Milillo Alessandro Mura Alessandro Aronica Elisabetta De Angelis Adrian Kazakov Stefano Massetti Martina Moroni Rosanna Rispoli Roberto Sordini Christina Plainaki Francois Leblanc |
| author_sort | Stefano Orsini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The ground-based solar telescope THEMIS performed several observations of Mercury’s sodium exosphere in years 2011–2013, when the MESSENGER spacecraft was orbiting around the planet. Typical two-peak exospheric patterns were frequently identified. In previous studies, some specific cases of THEMIS Na two-peak observations were characterized and related to IMF conditions, during specific extreme cases, in the occasion of CME arrival. The present study aims to perform a statistical analysis of Na two-peak emissions in nominal IMF conditions at Mercury, as measured by MESSEGER. The comparison between parameters of Na two-peak exospheric patterns (relative distances and intensities) versus the IMF intensity and Z-component is analysed, demonstrating, in average conditions, the existance of a direct relationship between Na peaks distance/intensity and IMF intensity. Moreover, only when IMF is very low, the shear angle seems to detrmine the occurrence of dayside reconnection when IMF-Z is negative (similarly to the Earth’s case), whereas at higher IMF, it seems that reconnection may occur independently from shear angle. This study supports the idea that particle precipitation is a significant driver of the shaping of Na exosphere morphology, and that only when IMF intensity is particularly low, the dayside magnetospheric structure appears to be more similar to the Earth’s configuration. These results allow to better understand the way the planet reacts to IMF conditions, thus providing interesting clues for the incoming BepiColombo measurement objectives. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-529e4b7695e449d7bd666a8eaae3c294 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-529e4b7695e449d7bd666a8eaae3c2942024-12-29T12:25:27ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-12-0114111510.1038/s41598-024-79022-wRemote sensing of mercury sodium exospheric patterns in relation to particle precipitation and interplanetary magnetic fieldStefano Orsini0Valeria Mangano1Anna Milillo2Alessandro Mura3Alessandro Aronica4Elisabetta De Angelis5Adrian Kazakov6Stefano Massetti7Martina Moroni8Rosanna Rispoli9Roberto Sordini10Christina Plainaki11Francois Leblanc12INAF, IAPSINAF, IAPSINAF, IAPSINAF, IAPSINAF, IAPSINAF, IAPSINAF, IAPSINAF, IAPSINAF, IAPSINAF, IAPSINAF, IAPSASILATMOS-IPSL-CNRSAbstract The ground-based solar telescope THEMIS performed several observations of Mercury’s sodium exosphere in years 2011–2013, when the MESSENGER spacecraft was orbiting around the planet. Typical two-peak exospheric patterns were frequently identified. In previous studies, some specific cases of THEMIS Na two-peak observations were characterized and related to IMF conditions, during specific extreme cases, in the occasion of CME arrival. The present study aims to perform a statistical analysis of Na two-peak emissions in nominal IMF conditions at Mercury, as measured by MESSEGER. The comparison between parameters of Na two-peak exospheric patterns (relative distances and intensities) versus the IMF intensity and Z-component is analysed, demonstrating, in average conditions, the existance of a direct relationship between Na peaks distance/intensity and IMF intensity. Moreover, only when IMF is very low, the shear angle seems to detrmine the occurrence of dayside reconnection when IMF-Z is negative (similarly to the Earth’s case), whereas at higher IMF, it seems that reconnection may occur independently from shear angle. This study supports the idea that particle precipitation is a significant driver of the shaping of Na exosphere morphology, and that only when IMF intensity is particularly low, the dayside magnetospheric structure appears to be more similar to the Earth’s configuration. These results allow to better understand the way the planet reacts to IMF conditions, thus providing interesting clues for the incoming BepiColombo measurement objectives.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79022-w |
| spellingShingle | Stefano Orsini Valeria Mangano Anna Milillo Alessandro Mura Alessandro Aronica Elisabetta De Angelis Adrian Kazakov Stefano Massetti Martina Moroni Rosanna Rispoli Roberto Sordini Christina Plainaki Francois Leblanc Remote sensing of mercury sodium exospheric patterns in relation to particle precipitation and interplanetary magnetic field Scientific Reports |
| title | Remote sensing of mercury sodium exospheric patterns in relation to particle precipitation and interplanetary magnetic field |
| title_full | Remote sensing of mercury sodium exospheric patterns in relation to particle precipitation and interplanetary magnetic field |
| title_fullStr | Remote sensing of mercury sodium exospheric patterns in relation to particle precipitation and interplanetary magnetic field |
| title_full_unstemmed | Remote sensing of mercury sodium exospheric patterns in relation to particle precipitation and interplanetary magnetic field |
| title_short | Remote sensing of mercury sodium exospheric patterns in relation to particle precipitation and interplanetary magnetic field |
| title_sort | remote sensing of mercury sodium exospheric patterns in relation to particle precipitation and interplanetary magnetic field |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79022-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stefanoorsini remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT valeriamangano remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT annamilillo remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT alessandromura remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT alessandroaronica remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT elisabettadeangelis remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT adriankazakov remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT stefanomassetti remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT martinamoroni remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT rosannarispoli remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT robertosordini remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT christinaplainaki remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield AT francoisleblanc remotesensingofmercurysodiumexosphericpatternsinrelationtoparticleprecipitationandinterplanetarymagneticfield |