Solar wind energy transfer to planetary magnetospheres and ionospheres is controlled by magnetic reconnection, a process that determines the degree of connectivity between the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and a planet's magnetic field. During MESSENGER's second flyby of Mercury, a steady southward IMF was observed and the magnetopause was threaded by a strong magnetic field, indicating a reconnection rate ~10 times that typical at Earth. Moreover, a large flux transfer event was observed in the magnetosheath, and a plasmoid and multiple traveling compression regions were observed in Mercury's magnetotail, all products of reconnection. These observations indicate that Mercury's magnetosphere is much more responsive to IMF direction and dominated by the effects of reconnection than that of Earth or the other magnetized planets.

[1] Multiple dipolarization fronts were observed by THEMIS spacecraft in the near-Earth magnetotail during a substorm. The dipolarization fronts were located at the leading edge of earthward propagating plasma bubbles. Major energetic electron flux enhancements were observed at the dipolarization fronts, which were also associated with large wave fluctuations extending from below the lower hybrid frequency to above the electron cyclotron frequency. Intense electric field wave packets, primarily contributed by the Hall electric field and lower hybrid drift (LHD) wave, were observed right at the front, which was a thin current layer with size of the order of the ion inertial length. The LHD wave was believed to be generated by a diamagnetic current in the presence of density and temperature gradients. Electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves were detected slightly after the front. The ECH waves were probably generated by the positive slope of the electron perpendicular velocity distribution. Both of these waves are suggested to be able to heat electrons. The observation of these waves at the dipolarization front could be important for the understanding of electron energization during substorm injection, as well as the mechanism of current disruption.

MESSENGER's Third Set of Messages MESSENGER, the spacecraft en route to insertion into orbit about Mercury in March 2011, completed its third flyby of the planet on 29 September 2009. Prockter et al. (p. 668 , published online 15 July) present imaging data acquired during this flyby, showing that volcanism on Mercury has extended to much more recent times than previously assumed. The temporal extent of volcanic activity and, in particular, the timing of most recent activity had been missing ingredients in the understanding of Mercury's global thermal evolution. Slavin et al. (p. 665 , published online 15 July) report on magnetic field measurements made during the 29 September flyby, when Mercury's magnetosphere underwent extremely strong coupling with the solar wind. The planet's tail magnetic field increased and then decreased by factors of 2 to 3.5 during periods lasting 2 to 3 minutes. These observations suggest that magnetic open flux loads the magnetosphere, which is subsequently unloaded by substorms—magnetic disturbances during which energy is rapidly released in the magnetotail. At Earth, changes in tail magnetic field intensity during the loading/unloading cycle are much smaller and occur on much longer time scales. Vervack et al. (p. 672 , published online 15 July) used the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer onboard MESSENGER to make measurements of Mercury's neutral and ion exospheres. Differences in the altitude profiles of magnesium, calcium, and sodium over the north and south poles of Mercury indicate that multiple processes are at play to create and maintain the exosphere.