Deep Entry of Low‐Energy Ions Into Mercury’s Magnetosphere: BepiColombo Mio’s Third Flyby Observations. Harada, Y., Saito, Y., Hadid, L. Z., Delcourt, D., Aizawa, S., Rojo, M., André, N., Persson, M., Fraenz, M., Yokota, S., Fedorov, A., Miyake, W., Penou, E., Barthe, A., Sauvaud, J., Katra, B., Matsuda, S., & Murakami, G. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 129(8):e2024JA032751, August, 2024.
Deep Entry of Low‐Energy Ions Into Mercury’s Magnetosphere: BepiColombo Mio’s Third Flyby Observations [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
Abstract Although solar wind‐driven convection is expected to dominate magnetospheric circulation at Mercury, its exact pattern remains poorly characterized by observations. Here we present BepiColombo Mio observations during the third Mercury flyby indicative of convection‐driven transport of low‐energy dense ions into the deep magnetosphere. During the flyby, Mio observed an energy‐dispersed ion population from the duskside magnetopause to the deep region of the midnight magnetosphere. A comparison of the observations with backward test particle simulations suggests that the observed energy dispersion structure can be explained in terms of energy‐selective transport by convection from the duskside tail magnetopause. We also discuss the properties and origins of more energetic ions observed in the more dipole‐like field regions of the magnetosphere in comparison to previously reported populations of the plasma sheet horn and ring current ions. Additionally, forward test particle simulations predict that most of the observed ions on the nightside will precipitate onto relatively low‐latitude regions of the nightside surface of Mercury for a typical convection case. The presented observations and simulation results reveal the critical role of magnetospheric convection in determining the structure of Mercury's magnetospheric plasma. The upstream driver dependence of magnetospheric convection and its effects on other magnetospheric processes and plasma‐surface interactions should be further investigated by in‐orbit BepiColombo observations. , Key Points BepiColombo Mio observed low‐energy dense ions deep within Mercury's magnetosphere during the third Mercury flyby Backward test particle simulations suggest that low‐energy ions are transported by convection from the duskside tail magnetopause Forward test particle simulations imply convection‐driven ion precipitation onto the nightside low‐latitude surface of Mercury
@article{harada_deep_2024,
	title = {Deep {Entry} of {Low}‐{Energy} {Ions} {Into} {Mercury}’s {Magnetosphere}: {BepiColombo} {Mio}’s {Third} {Flyby} {Observations}},
	volume = {129},
	issn = {2169-9380, 2169-9402},
	shorttitle = {Deep {Entry} of {Low}‐{Energy} {Ions} {Into} {Mercury}’s {Magnetosphere}},
	url = {https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JA032751},
	doi = {10.1029/2024JA032751},
	abstract = {Abstract 
            Although solar wind‐driven convection is expected to dominate magnetospheric circulation at Mercury, its exact pattern remains poorly characterized by observations. Here we present BepiColombo Mio observations during the third Mercury flyby indicative of convection‐driven transport of low‐energy dense ions into the deep magnetosphere. During the flyby, Mio observed an energy‐dispersed ion population from the duskside magnetopause to the deep region of the midnight magnetosphere. A comparison of the observations with backward test particle simulations suggests that the observed energy dispersion structure can be explained in terms of energy‐selective transport by convection from the duskside tail magnetopause. We also discuss the properties and origins of more energetic ions observed in the more dipole‐like field regions of the magnetosphere in comparison to previously reported populations of the plasma sheet horn and ring current ions. Additionally, forward test particle simulations predict that most of the observed ions on the nightside will precipitate onto relatively low‐latitude regions of the nightside surface of Mercury for a typical convection case. The presented observations and simulation results reveal the critical role of magnetospheric convection in determining the structure of Mercury's magnetospheric plasma. The upstream driver dependence of magnetospheric convection and its effects on other magnetospheric processes and plasma‐surface interactions should be further investigated by in‐orbit BepiColombo observations. 
          ,  
            Key Points 
             
               
                 
                  BepiColombo Mio observed low‐energy dense ions deep within Mercury's magnetosphere during the third Mercury flyby 
                 
                 
                  Backward test particle simulations suggest that low‐energy ions are transported by convection from the duskside tail magnetopause 
                 
                 
                  Forward test particle simulations imply convection‐driven ion precipitation onto the nightside low‐latitude surface of Mercury},
	language = {en},
	number = {8},
	urldate = {2024-08-29},
	journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics},
	author = {Harada, Yuki and Saito, Yoshifumi and Hadid, Lina Z. and Delcourt, Dominique and Aizawa, Sae and Rojo, Mathias and André, Nicolas and Persson, Moa and Fraenz, Markus and Yokota, Shoichiro and Fedorov, Andréi and Miyake, Wataru and Penou, Emmanuel and Barthe, Alain and Sauvaud, Jean‐André and Katra, Bruno and Matsuda, Shoya and Murakami, Go},
	month = aug,
	year = {2024},
	pages = {e2024JA032751},
}

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