Title

Mercury'S Exosphere: Observations During Messenger'S First Mercury Flyby

Abstract

During MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby, the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer measured Mercury's exospheric emissions, including those from the antisunward sodium tail, calcium and sodium close to the planet, and hydrogen at high altitudes on the dayside. Spatial variations indicate that multiple source and loss processes generate and maintain the exosphere. Energetic processes connected to the solar wind and magnetospheric interaction with the planet likely played an important role in determining the distributions of exospheric species during the flyby.

Publication Date

7-4-2008

Publication Title

Science

Volume

321

Issue

5885

Number of Pages

92-94

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1159467

Socpus ID

46849103152 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/46849103152

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