| 1. |
- Blomberg, Lars G., et al.
(författare)
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MEFISTO - An electric field instrument for BepiColombo/MMO
- 2006
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Ingår i: Advances in Space Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0273-1177 .- 1879-1948. ; 38:4, s. 672-679
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- MEFISTO, together with the companion instrument WPT, are planning the first-ever in situ measurements of the electric field in the magnetosphere of planet Mercury. The instruments have been selected by JAXA for inclusion in the BepiColombo/MMO payload, as part of the Plasma Wave Investigation coordinated by Kyoto University. The magnetosphere of Mercury was discovered by Mariner 10 in 1974 and will be studied further by Messenger starting in 2011. However, neither spacecraft did or will measure the electric field. Electric fields are crucial in the dynamics of a magnetosphere and for the energy and plasma transport between different regions within the magnetosphere as well as between the magnetosphere and the surrounding regions. The MEFISTO instrument will be capable of measuring electric fields from DC to 3 MHz, and will thus also allow diagnostics of waves at all frequencies of relevance to the Hermean magnetosphere. MEFISTO is a double-probe electric field instrument. The double-probe technique has strong heritage and is well proven on missions such as Viking, Polar, and Cluster. For BepiColombo, a newly developed deployment mechanism is planned which reduces the mass by a factor of about 5 compared to conventional mechanisms for 15 in long booms. We describe the basic characteristics of the instrument and briefly discuss the new developments made to tailor the instrument to flight in Mercury orbit.
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| 2. |
- Carr, C., et al.
(författare)
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RPC : The rosetta plasma consortium
- 2007
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Ingår i: Space Science Reviews. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0038-6308 .- 1572-9672. ; 128:1-4, s. 629-647
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Rosetta Plasma Consortium (RPC) will make in-situ measurements of the plasma enviromnent of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The consortium will provide the complementary data sets necessary for an understanding of the plasma processes in the inner coma, and the structure and evolution of the coma with the increasing cometary activity. Five sensors have been selected to achieve this: the Ion and Electron Sensor (IES), the Ion Composition Analyser (ICA), the Langmuir Probe (LAP), the Mutual Impedance Probe (MIP) and the Magnetometer (MAG). The sensors interface to the spacecraft through the Plasma Interface Unit (PIU). The consortium approach allows for scientific, technical and operational coordination, and makes Optimum use of the available mass and power resources.
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| 3. |
- Kasaba, Y., et al.
(författare)
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The Plasma Wave Investigation (PWI) onboard the BepiColombo/MMO : First measurement of electric fields, electromagnetic waves, and radio waves around Mercury
- 2010
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Ingår i: Planetary and Space Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0032-0633 .- 1873-5088. ; 58:1-2, s. 238-278
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The BepiColombo Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) spacecraft includes the plasma and radio wave observation system called Plasma Wave Investigation (PWI). Since the receivers for electric field, plasma waves, and radio waves are not installed in any of the preceding spacecraft to Mercury, the PWI will provide the first opportunity for conducting in-situ and remote-sensing observations of electric fields, plasma waves, and radio waves in the Hermean magnetosphere and exosphere. These observations are valuable in studying structure, dynamics, and energy exchange processes in the unique magnetosphere of Mercury. They are characterized by the key words of the non-MHD environment and the peculiar interaction between the relatively large planet without ionosphere and the solar wind with high dynamic pressure. The PWI consists of three sets of receivers (EWO, SORBET, and AM(2)P), connected to two sets of electric field sensors (MEFISTO and WPT) and two kinds of magnetic field sensors (LF-SC and DB-SC). The PWI will observe both waveforms and frequency spectra in the frequency range from DC to 10 MHz for the electric field and from 0.3 Hz to 640kHz for the magnetic field. From 2008, we will start the development of the engineering model, which is conceptually consistent with the flight model design. The present paper discusses the significance and objectives of plasma/radio wave observations in the Hermean magnetosphere, and describes the PWI sensors, receivers and their performance as well as the onboard data processing.
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| 4. |
- Langlais, B., et al.
(författare)
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Mars environment and magnetic orbiter model payload
- 2009
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Ingår i: Experimental astronomy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 23:3, s. 761-783
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mars Environment and Magnetic Orbiter was proposed as an answer to the Cosmic Vision Call of Opportunity as a M-class mission. The MEMO mission is designed to study the strong interconnections between the planetary interior, atmosphere and solar conditions essential to understand planetary evolution, the appearance of life and its sustainability. MEMO provides a high-resolution, complete, mapping of the magnetic field (below an altitude of about 250 km), with an yet unachieved full global coverage. This is combined with an in situ characterization of the high atmosphere and remote sensing of the middle and lower atmospheres, with an unmatched accuracy. These measurements are completed by an improved detection of the gravity field signatures associated with carbon dioxide cycle and to the tidal deformation. In addition the solar wind, solar EUV/UV and energetic particle fluxes are simultaneously and continuously monitored. The challenging scientific objectives of the MEMO mission proposal are fulfilled with the appropriate scientific instruments and orbit strategy. MEMO is composed of a main platform, placed on a elliptical (130 x 1,000 km), non polar (77A degrees inclination) orbit, and of an independent, higher apoapsis (10,000 km) and low periapsis (300 km) micro-satellite. These orbital parameters are designed so that the scientific return of MEMO is maximized, in terms of measurement altitude, local time, season and geographical coverage. MEMO carry several suites of instruments, made of an 'exospheric-upper atmosphere' package, a 'magnetic field' package, and a 'low-middle atmosphere' package. Nominal mission duration is one Martian year.
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| 5. |
- Trotignon, J. G., et al.
(författare)
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RPC-MIP : The mutual impedance probe of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium
- 2007
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Ingår i: Space Science Reviews. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0038-6308 .- 1572-9672. ; 128:1-4, s. 713-728
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The main objective of the Mutual Impedance Probe (MIP), part of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium (RPC), is to measure the electron density and temperature of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's coma, in particular inside the contact surface. Furthermore, MIP will determine the bulk velocity of the ionised outflowing atmosphere, define the spectral distribution of natural plasma waves, and monitor dust and gas activities around the nucleus. The MIP instrumentation consists of an electronics board for signal processing in the 7 kHz to 3.5 MHz range and a sensor unit of two receiving and two transmitting electrodes mounted on a 1-m long bar. In addition, the Langmuir probe of the RPC/LAP instrument that is at about 4 m from the MIP sensor can be used as a transmitter (in place of the MIP ones) and MIP as a receiver in order to have access to the density and temperature of plasmas at higher Debye lengths than those for which the MIP is originally designed.
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| 6. |
- Amata, E., et al.
(författare)
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Experimental study of nonlinear interaction of plasma flow with charged thin current sheets : 1. Boundary structure and motion
- 2006
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Ingår i: Nonlinear processes in geophysics. - 1023-5809 .- 1607-7946. ; 13:4, s. 365-376
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We study plasma transport at a thin magnetopause (MP), described hereafter as a thin current sheet (TCS), observed by Cluster at the southern cusp on 13 February 2001 around 20:01 UT. The Cluster observations generally agree with the predictions of the Gas Dynamic Convection Field (GDCF) model in the magnetosheath (MSH) up to the MSH boundary layer, where significant differences are seen. We find for the MP a normal roughly along the GSE x-axis, which implies a clear departure from the local average MP normal, a similar to 90 km thickness and an outward speed of 35 km/s. Two populations are identified in the MSH boundary layer: the first one roughly perpendicular to the MSH magnetic field, which we interpret as the "incident" MSH plasma, the second one mostly parallel to B. Just after the MP crossing a velocity jet is observed with a peak speed of 240 km/s, perpendicular to B, with M-A=3 and beta> 10 (peak value 23). The magnetic field clock angle rotates by 70 degrees across the MP. E-x is the main electric field component on both sides of the MP, displaying a bipolar signature, positive on the MSH side and negative on the opposite side, corresponding to a similar to 300 V electric potential jump across the TCS. The E x B velocity generally coincides with the perpendicular velocity measured by CIS; however, in the speed jet a difference between the two is observed, which suggests the need for an extra flow source. We propose that the MP TCS can act locally as an obstacle for low-energy ions (<350 eV), being transparent for ions with larger gyroradius. As a result, the penetration of plasma by finite gyroradius is considered as a possible source for the jet. The role of reconnection is briefly discussed. The electrodynamics of the TCS along with mass and momentum transfer across it are further discussed in the companion paper by Savin et al. (2006).
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| 7. |
- Matsumoto, H., et al.
(författare)
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Plasma/radio wave observations at mercury by the bepicolombo mmo spacecraft
- 2006
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Ingår i: Advances in Geosciences. - : World Scientific Publishing Co.. - 9789812707192 - 9789812569837 ; , s. 83-84
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The BepiColombo Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) spacecraft comprises the plasma and radio wave observation system called PlasmaWave Investigation (PWI). The PWI is designed and developed in collaboration between Japanese and European scientists. Since plasma/radio wave receivers were not installed in the former spacecraft, Mariner 10, which observed the planet Mercury, the PWI onboard the MMO spacecraft will provide the first plasma/radio wave data from Mercury orbit. It will give important information for studies of energy exchange processes in the unique magnetosphere of Mercury characterized by the interaction between the relatively large planet without ionosphere and the solar wind with high dynamic pressure. The PWI consists of three sets of receivers (EWO, SORBET, and AM2P), connected to two sets of electric field sensors (MEFISTO and WPT) and two kinds of magnetic field sensors (LF-SC and DB-SC). The PWI will observe both waveforms and frequency spectra in the frequency range from DC to 10MHz for the electric field.
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| 8. |
- Savin, S., et al.
(författare)
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Experimental study of nonlinear interaction of plasma flow with charged thin current sheets : 2. Hall dynamics, mass and momentum transfer
- 2006
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Ingår i: Nonlinear processes in geophysics. - 1023-5809 .- 1607-7946. ; 13:4, s. 377-392
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Proceeding with the analysis of Amata et al. (2005), we suggest that the general feature for the local transport at a thin magnetopause (MP) consists of the penetration of ions from the magnetosheath with gyroradius larger than the MP width, and that, in crossing it, the transverse potential difference at the thin current sheet (TCS) is acquired by these ions, providing a field-particle energy exchange without parallel electric fields. It is suggested that a part of the surface charge is self-consistently produced by deflection of ions in the course of inertial drift in the nonuniform electric field at MP. Consideration of the partial moments of ions with different energies demonstrates that the protons having gyro-radii of roughly the same size or larger than the MP width carry fluxes normal to MP that are about 20% of the total flow in the plasma jet under MP. This is close to the excess of the ion transverse velocity over the cross-field drift speed in the plasma flow just inside MP (Amata et al., 2005), which conforms to the contribution of the finite-gyroradius inflow across MP. A linkage through the TCS between different plasmas results from the momentum conservation of the higher-energy ions. If the finite-gyroradius penetration occurs along the MP over similar to 1.5 R-E from the observation site, then it can completely account for the formation of the jet under the MP. To provide the downstream acceleration of the flow near the MP via the cross-field drift, the weak magnetic field is suggested to rotate from its nearly parallel direction to the unperturbed flow toward being almost perpendicular to the accelerated flow near the MP. We discuss a deceleration of the higher-energy ions in the MP normal direction due to the interaction with finite-scale electric field bursts in the magnetosheath flow frame, equivalent to collisions, providing a charge separation. These effective collisions, with a nonlinear frequency proxy of the order of the proton cyclotron one, in extended turbulent zones are a promising alternative in place of the usual parallel electric fields invoked in the macro-reconnection scenarios. Further cascading towards electron scales is supposed to be due to unstable parallel electron currents, which neutralize the potential differences, either resulted from the ion-burst interactions or from the inertial drift. The complicated MP shape suggests its systematic velocity departure from the local normal towards the average one, inferring domination for the MP movement of the non-local processes over the small-scale local ones. The measured Poynting vector indicates energy transmission from the MP into the upstream region with the waves triggering impulsive downstream flows, providing an input into the local flow balance and the outward movement of the MP. Equating the transverse electric field inside the MP TCS by the Hall term in the Ohm's law implies a separation of the different plasmas primarily by the Hall current, driven by the respective part of the TCS surface charge. The Hall dynamics of TCS can operate either without or as a part of a macro-reconnection with the magnetic field annihilation.
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| 9. |
- Trotignon, J. G., et al.
(författare)
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Active measurement of the thermal electron density and temperature on the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter of the BepiColombo mission
- 2006
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Ingår i: Advances in Space Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0273-1177 .- 1879-1948. ; 38:4, s. 686-692
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The thermal component of Mercury's electron population has never been measured. One scientific objective of the Plasma Wave Investigation consortium, PWI, is to determine the influence of the thermal plasma upon the formation and dynamics of the planetary magnetosphere, as a function of solar activity. The Active Measurement of Mercury's Plasma experiment, AM(2)p, has been proposed as part of PWI, to monitor the density and temperature of the thermal electron population, during the whole mission of the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter of BepiColombo. These two physical parameters will be deduced from the measurements of the self- and mutual-impedances of the MEFISTO (Mercury Electric Field In Situ Tool) double-sphere antenna, in a frequency range comprising the expected plasma frequency. The in situ measurement of the antenna impedance is also essential for calibrating the electric antenna which measures the natural waves; it will allow, in particular, the effective length of the antenna to be calculated as a function of frequency and plasma conditions. The purpose of this paper is to define the scientific objectives of AM(2)p, to explain the principle of the measurement, to describe the electronic device, and to show the ability of AM 2p to make reliable and accurate measurements of the thermal plasma density and temperature in the Hermean magnetosphere, as well as in the solar wind at heliocentric distances of 0.31-0.47 AU. The potential performance of this instrument has been evaluated using both an analytical approach and numerical simulations.
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| 10. |
- André, Mats, et al.
(författare)
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Magnetic reconnection and cold plasma at the magnetopause
- 2010
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 37:22, s. L22108-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on detailed observations by the four Cluster spacecraft of magnetic reconnection and a Flux Transfer Event (FTE) at the magnetopause. We detect cold (eV) plasma at the magnetopause with two independent methods. We show that the cold ions can be essential for the electric field normal to the current sheet in the separatrix region at the edge of the FTE and for the associated acceleration of ions from the magnetosphere into the reconnection jet. The cold ions have small enough gyroradii to drift inside the limited separatrix region and the normal electric field can be balanced by this drift, E approximate to -v x B. The separatrix region also includes cold accelerated electrons, as part of the reconnection current circuit.
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