The Contribution of Flux Transfer Events to Mercury's Dungey Cycle

Fear, R. C.; Coxon, J. C.; Jackman, C. M.

doi:10.1029/2019gl085399

Cited by 6 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Therefore, the results from Figure 12 strongly suggest that the MXR is the primary magnetic reconnection process in Mercury's dayside magnetopause during the FTE shower periods, which is significantly different from the reconnection model in the magnetospheres of Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn (see Table 2 for detail). We note that Fear et al (2019) argue that the post-flux rope flux (see Figure 9) can be several times the flux content inside the flux rope in some cases. Although Fear et al (2019) conclude that the magnetic flux related to FTE-type flux ropes contributes most of the flux transport, it is the SXR process that transports the majority of the magnetic flux in their study.…”

Section: Fte Loading Spacingmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…It needs to note that Fear et al [2019] argue that the post-flux rope flux (see Figure 9) can be several times the flux content inside the flux rope in some cases. Although Fear et al [2019] reach the conclusion that FTE-type flux rope related magnetic flux contribute most of the flux transport, it is the SXR transport majority of the magnetic flux in their study.…”

Section: Transport Of Flux From Dayside To Nightsidementioning

confidence: 99%

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Review of Mercury’s dynamic magnetosphere: Post-MESSENGER era and comparative magnetospheres

Sun

Dewey

Aizawa

et al. 2021

Sci. China Earth Sci.

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This review paper summarizes the research of Mercury’s magnetosphere in the Post-MESSENGER era and compares its dynamics to those in other planetary magnetospheres, especially to those in Earth’s magnetosphere. This review starts by introducing the planet Mercury, including its interplanetary environment, magnetosphere, exosphere, and conducting core. The frequent and intense magnetic reconnection on the dayside magnetopause, which is represented by the flux transfer event “shower”, is reviewed on how they depend on magnetosheath plasma β and magnetic shear angle across the magnetopause, following by how it contributes to the flux circulation and magnetosphere-surface-exosphere coupling. In the next, Mercury’s magnetosphere under extreme solar events, including the core induction and the reconnection erosion on the dayside magnetosphere, the responses of the nightside magnetosphere, are reviewed. Then, the dawn-dusk properties of the plasma sheet, including the features of the ions, the structure of the current sheet, and the dynamics of magnetic reconnection, are summarized. The last topic is devoted to the particle energization in Mercury’s magnetosphere, which includes the energization of the Kelvin-Helmholtz waves on the magnetopause boundaries, reconnection-generated magnetic structures, and the cross-tail electric field. In each chapter, the last section discusses the open questions related to each topic, which can be considered by the simulations and the future spacecraft mission. We end this paper by summarizing the future BepiColombo opportunities, which is a joint mission of ESA and JAXA and is en route to Mercury.

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Section: Fte Loading Spacingmentioning

confidence: 74%

Section: Transport Of Flux From Dayside To Nightsidementioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Mercury’s dynamic magnetosphere: Post-MESSENGER era and comparative magnetospheres

Sun

Dewey

Aizawa

et al. 2021

Sci. China Earth Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…This result also implies that the less well studied, post-FR open flux, shown in Figure 4, contributes only a minor part of the total flux circulation, i.e., less than 15-40%. However, Fear et al (2019) recently argued that magnetic flux outside of the FR core of the FTE could transfer several times the flux content of FRs, though they did conclude that the total flux carried by the FTE, i.e., the FR core and the post-FR magnetic flux, is the dominant supply for Mercury's Dungey cycle. Further, it should be noted that we have assumed the amplitude of the flux loading-unloading cycle at Mercury to be 1.07 MWb, which is the upper limit of 0.69 ± 0.38 MWb obtained by Imber and Slavin (2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flux Transfer Event Showers at Mercury: Dependence on Plasma β and Magnetic Shear and Their Contribution to the Dungey Cycle

Sun

Slavin

Smith

et al. 2020

Geophysical Research Letters

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Mercury's flux transfer event (FTE) showers are dayside magnetopause crossings accompanied by large numbers (≥10) of magnetic flux ropes (FRs). These shower events are common, occurring during 52% (1,953/3,748) of the analyzed crossings. Shower events are observed with magnetic shear angles (θ) from 0°to 180°across the magnetopause and magnetosheath plasma β from 0.1 to 10 but are most prevalent for high θ and low plasma β. Individual FR duration correlates positively, while spacing correlates negatively, with θ and plasma β. FR flux content and core magnetic field intensity correlate negatively with plasma β, but they do not correlate with θ. During shower intervals, FRs carry 60% to 85% of the magnetic flux required to supply Mercury's Dungey cycle. The FTE showers and the large amount of magnetic flux carried by the FTE-type FRs appear quite different from observations at Earth and other planetary magnetospheres visited thus far. Plain Language Summary Any planet with an interior dynamo will interact with the outward streaming stellar wind and likely form a magnetosphere. The magnetopause is a boundary between the shocked solar wind and planetary magnetic field, which can prevent most of the solar wind from directly entering into the magnetosphere. The multiple X-line reconnection that frequently occurs in the magnetopause creates helical magnetic fields that are termed magnetic flux ropes (FRs) about which open and interplanetary magnetic fields drape. FTE-type FRs generally have magnetic field lines with one end embedded in the solar wind and the other end connected to the planet through the magnetospheric cusp. The investigation of FTEs in Mercury's magnetosphere is of particular interest because they often occur in large numbers with extremely small temporal spacing, i.e., FTE showers, that are not seen elsewhere. We find that the properties of the FTE-type flux ropes in these showers depend upon plasma β in the magnetosheath and the magnetic shear angle across the magnetopause. The magnetic flux carried by these flux ropes dominates magnetic flux transfer between Mercury's dayside and nightside magnetosphere. These new results may contribute significantly to our understanding of solar wind-magnetosphere-exosphere coupling at Mercury.

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“…Fear et al., 2017; Lockwood et al., 1995; Milan et al., 2000). At Mercury, it is expected that FTEs transport enough flux to drive Mercury's Dungey cycle (Fear et al., 2019). Therefore, FTEs at Saturn do not account for any significant amount of open flux transferred at Saturn's magnetosphere, and that this process is largely negligible at this Giant Magnetosphere.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flux Transfer Events at a Reconnection‐Suppressed Magnetopause: Cassini Observations at Saturn

et al. 2021

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The Contribution of Flux Transfer Events to Mercury's Dungey Cycle

Cited by 6 publications

References 36 publications

Review of Mercury’s dynamic magnetosphere: Post-MESSENGER era and comparative magnetospheres

Review of Mercury’s dynamic magnetosphere: Post-MESSENGER era and comparative magnetospheres

Flux Transfer Event Showers at Mercury: Dependence on Plasma β and Magnetic Shear and Their Contribution to the Dungey Cycle

Flux Transfer Events at a Reconnection‐Suppressed Magnetopause: Cassini Observations at Saturn

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