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Direct evidence of substorm-related impulsive injections of electrons at Mercury

Author

Listed:
  • Sae Aizawa

    (IRAP, CNRS-UPS-CNES
    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
    University of Pisa)

  • Yuki Harada

    (Kyoto University)

  • Nicolas André

    (IRAP, CNRS-UPS-CNES)

  • Yoshifumi Saito

    (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

  • Stas Barabash

    (Swedish Institute of Space Physics)

  • Dominique Delcourt

    (CNRS-Observatoire de Paris-Sorbonne Université-Université Paris Saclay-Ecole polytechnique-Institut Polytechnique de Paris)

  • Jean-André Sauvaud

    (IRAP, CNRS-UPS-CNES)

  • Alain Barthe

    (IRAP, CNRS-UPS-CNES)

  • Andréi Fedorov

    (IRAP, CNRS-UPS-CNES)

  • Emmanuel Penou

    (IRAP, CNRS-UPS-CNES)

  • Shoichiro Yokota

    (Osaka University)

  • Wataru Miyake

    (Tokai University)

  • Moa Persson

    (IRAP, CNRS-UPS-CNES
    The University of Tokyo)

  • Quentin Nénon

    (IRAP, CNRS-UPS-CNES)

  • Mathias Rojo

    (IRAP, CNRS-UPS-CNES)

  • Yoshifumi Futaana

    (Swedish Institute of Space Physics)

  • Kazushi Asamura

    (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

  • Manabu Shimoyama

    (Swedish Institute of Space Physics)

  • Lina Z. Hadid

    (CNRS-Observatoire de Paris-Sorbonne Université-Université Paris Saclay-Ecole polytechnique-Institut Polytechnique de Paris)

  • Dominique Fontaine

    (CNRS-Observatoire de Paris-Sorbonne Université-Université Paris Saclay-Ecole polytechnique-Institut Polytechnique de Paris)

  • Bruno Katra

    (CNRS-Observatoire de Paris-Sorbonne Université-Université Paris Saclay-Ecole polytechnique-Institut Polytechnique de Paris)

  • Markus Fraenz

    (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research)

  • Norbert Krupp

    (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research)

  • Shoya Matsuda

    (Kanazawa University)

  • Go Murakami

    (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

Abstract

Mercury’s magnetosphere is known to involve fundamental processes releasing particles and energy like at Earth due to the solar wind interaction. The resulting cycle is however much faster and involves acceleration, transport, loss, and recycling of plasma. Direct experimental evidence for the roles of electrons during this cycle is however missing. Here we show that in-situ plasma observations obtained during BepiColombo’s first Mercury flyby reveal a compressed magnetosphere hosts of quasi-periodic fluctuations, including the original observation of dynamic phenomena in the post-midnight, southern magnetosphere. The energy-time dispersed electron enhancements support the occurrence of substorm-related, multiple, impulsive injections of electrons that ultimately precipitate onto its surface and induce X-ray fluorescence. These observations reveal that electron injections and subsequent energy-dependent drift now observed throughout Solar System is a universal mechanism that generates aurorae despite the differences in structure and dynamics of the planetary magnetospheres.

Suggested Citation

  • Sae Aizawa & Yuki Harada & Nicolas André & Yoshifumi Saito & Stas Barabash & Dominique Delcourt & Jean-André Sauvaud & Alain Barthe & Andréi Fedorov & Emmanuel Penou & Shoichiro Yokota & Wataru Miyake, 2023. "Direct evidence of substorm-related impulsive injections of electrons at Mercury," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-39565-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39565-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. S. Orsini & A. Milillo & H. Lichtenegger & A. Varsani & S. Barabash & S. Livi & E. Angelis & T. Alberti & G. Laky & H. Nilsson & M. Phillips & A. Aronica & E. Kallio & P. Wurz & A. Olivieri & C. Plain, 2022. "Inner southern magnetosphere observation of Mercury via SERENA ion sensors in BepiColombo mission," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
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