HR: 0800h
AN: P41A-0200    [Abstracts]
TI: Sodium Exosphere of Planet Mercury: Particle Tracing
AU: * Paral, J
EM: jparal@ualberta.ca
AF: University of Alberta, 11322 - 89 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G7, Canada
AU: Travnicek, P
EM: trav@alenka.ufa.cas.cz
AF: Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Bocni II/1401, Prague, 14131, Czech Republic
AU: Kabin, K
EM: kabin@phys.ualberta.ca
AF: University of Alberta, 11322 - 89 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G7, Canada
AU: Rankin, R
EM: rankin@space.ualberta.ca
AF: University of Alberta, 11322 - 89 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G7, Canada
AB: We will present the results of particle tracing simulations of heavy ions in magnetosphere of Mercury. In our study we use electric and magnetic fields from self-consistent hybrid simulations of Hermean environment. We consider three major release processes, namely photon stimulated description, solar wind sputtering, and micro-meteoroid vaporization to study distribution of energy and other characteristics in space and time. The released neutral atoms are ionized through photoionization processes after the sputtering. Part of our work will be focused on the possible measurements during three initial flybys of the MESSENGER spacecraft scheduled for 2008 and 2009.
DE: 0328 Exosphere
DE: 2753 Numerical modeling
DE: 6235 Mercury
DE: 7800 SPACE PLASMA PHYSICS
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting