Search Publications
The solar cycle 25 multi-spacecraft solar energetic particle event catalog of the SERPENTINE project
Hayes, L. A.; Vainio, R.; Mitchell, J. G. +26 more
Context. The solar energetic particle analysis platform for the inner heliosphere (SERPENTINE) project, funded through the H2020-SPACE-2020 call of the European Union's Horizon 2020 framework program, employs measurements of the new inner heliospheric spacecraft fleet to address several outstanding questions on the origin of solar energetic partic…
Structure and dynamics of the Hermean magnetosphere revealed by electron observations from the Mercury electron analyzer after the first three Mercury flybys of BepiColombo
André, N.; Fedorov, A.; Sauvaud, J. -A. +16 more
Context. The Mercury electron analyzer (MEA) obtained new electron observations during the first three Mercury flybys by BepiColombo on October 1, 2021 (MFB1), June 23 , 2022 (MFB2), and June 19, 2023 (MFB3). BepiColombo entered the dusk side magnetotail from the flank magnetosheath in the northern hemisphere, crossed the Mercury solar orbital equ…
Solar wind entry into Mercury's magnetosphere: Simulation results for the second swingby of BepiColombo
Narita, Y.; Motschmann, U.; Exner, W. +7 more
Context. We use a global 3D hybrid plasma model to investigate the interaction between Mercury's magnetosphere and the solar wind for the second BepiColombo swingby, evaluate magnetospheric regions, and study the typical energy profile of protons.
Aims: The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of solar wind entry and anal…
Whistler-mode waves in the tail of Mercury's magnetosphere: A numerical study
Henri, Pierre; Lavorenti, Federico; Califano, Francesco +1 more
Context. Mercury presents a highly dynamic, small magnetosphere in which magnetic reconnection plays a fundamental role. Aim. We aim to model the global characteristics of magnetic reconnection in the Hermean environment. In particular, we focus on waves observed during the third BepiColombo flyby. Method. In this work, we used two fully kinetic t…
Electron moments derived from the Mercury Electron Analyzer during the cruise phase of BepiColombo
André, N.; Fedorov, A.; Sauvaud, J. -A. +20 more
Aims: We derive electron density and temperature from observations obtained by the Mercury Electron Analyzer on board Mio during the cruise phase of BepiColombo while the spacecraft is in a stacked configuration.
Methods: In order to remove the secondary electron emission contribution, we first fit the core electron population of the sol…
The 17 April 2021 widespread solar energetic particle event
Holmström, M.; Grande, M.; Palmerio, E. +46 more
Context. A complex and long-lasting solar eruption on 17 April 2021 produced a widespread solar energetic particle (SEP) event that was observed by five longitudinally well-separated observers in the inner heliosphere that covered distances to the Sun from 0.42 to 1 au: BepiColombo, Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, STEREO A, and near-Earth space…
Electron density revealing the boundaries of Mercury's magnetosphere via serendipitous measurements by SORBET during BepiColombo first and second Mercury swing-bys
Pantellini, F.; Issautier, K.; Kasaba, Y. +3 more
Aims: We aim to establish the boundaries of Mercury's magnetosphere through a comparison of the drops and rises of the electron density revealed by PWI/SORBET, during BepiColombo's first and second swing-bys of Mercury carried out on 1 October 2021 and 23 June 2022, with global 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations.
Methods: SORBET was swit…
An advanced thermal roughness model for airless planetary bodies. Implications for global variations of lunar hydration and mineralogical mapping of Mercury with the MERTIS spectrometer
Hiesinger, Harald; Helbert, Jörn; Wöhler, Christian +1 more
We present a combined reflectance and thermal radiance model for airless planetary bodies. The Hapke model provides the reflected component. The developed thermal model is the first to consistently use rough fractal surfaces, self-scattering, self-heating, and disk-resolved bolometric albedo for entire planets. We validated the model with disk-res…
High-energy particle enhancements in the solar wind upstream Mercury during the first BepiColombo flyby: SERENA/PICAM and MPO-MAG observations
Kallio, E.; Barabash, S.; Livi, S. +27 more
Context. The first BepiColombo Mercury flyby offered the unique opportunity to simultaneously characterize the plasma and the magnetic field properties of the solar wind in the vicinity of the innermost planet of the Solar System (0.4 AU).
Aims: In this study, we use plasma observations by SERENA/PICAM and magnetic field measurements by MPO-M…
Magnetic holes between Earth and Mercury: BepiColombo cruise phase
Glassmeier, K. -H.; Karlsson, T.; Nakamura, R. +14 more
Context. Magnetic holes are ubiquitous structures in the solar wind and in planetary magnetosheaths. They consist of a strong depression of the magnetic field strength, most likely in pressure balance through increased plasma pressure, which is convected with the plasma flow. These structures are created through a plasma temperature anisotropy, wh…