Academic Journal
Short large-amplitude magnetic structures (SLAMS) at Mercury observed by MESSENGER
| Title: | Short large-amplitude magnetic structures (SLAMS) at Mercury observed by MESSENGER |
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| Authors: | T. Karlsson, F. Plaschke, A. N. Glass, J. M. Raines |
| Source: | Annales Geophysicae, Vol 42, Pp 117-130 (2024) |
| Publisher Information: | Copernicus Publications, 2024. |
| Publication Year: | 2024 |
| Collection: | LCC:Science LCC:Physics LCC:Geophysics. Cosmic physics |
| Subject Terms: | Science, Physics, QC1-999, Geophysics. Cosmic physics, QC801-809 |
| More Details: | We present the first observations of short large-amplitude magnetic structures (denoted SLAMS) at Mercury. We have investigated approximately 4 years of MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) data to identify SLAMS in the Mercury foreshock. Defining SLAMS as magnetic field compressional structures, with an increase in magnetic field strength of at least twice the background magnetic field strength, when MESSENGER is located in the solar wind, we find 435 SLAMS. The SLAMS are found either in regions of a general ultra-low frequency (ULF) wave field, at the boundary of such a ULF wave field, or in a few cases isolated from the wave field. We present statistics on several properties of the SLAMS, such as temporal scale size, amplitude, and the presence of whistler-like wave emissions. We find that SLAMS are mostly found during periods of low interplanetary magnetic field strength, indicating that they are more common for higher solar wind Alfvénic Mach number (MA). We use the Tao solar wind model to estimate solar wind parameters to verify that MA is indeed larger during SLAMS observations than otherwise. Finally, we also investigate how SLAMS observations are related to foreshock geometry. |
| Document Type: | article |
| File Description: | electronic resource |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |
| Relation: | https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/42/117/2024/angeo-42-117-2024.pdf; https://doaj.org/toc/0992-7689; https://doaj.org/toc/1432-0576 |
| DOI: | 10.5194/angeo-42-117-2024 |
| Access URL: | https://doaj.org/article/801fc29090ac4c2a8a6ab94af8ffccd4 |
| Accession Number: | edsdoj.801fc29090ac4c2a8a6ab94af8ffccd4 |
| Database: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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| ISSN: | 09927689 14320576 |
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| DOI: | 10.5194/angeo-42-117-2024 |
| Published in: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Language: | English |