Wieser, Martin ; Barabash, Stas ; Futaana, Yoshifumi ; Holmström, Mats ; Bhardwaj, Anil ; Sridharan, R. ; Dhanya, M. B. ; Schaufelberger, Audrey ; Wurz, Peter ; Asamura, Kazushi (2010) First observation of a mini-magnetosphere above a lunar magnetic anomaly using energetic neutral atoms Geophysical Research Letters, 37 . L05103_1-L05103_4. ISSN 0094-8276
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Official URL: http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2010/2009GL041721...
Related URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2009GL041721
Abstract
The Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyzer (SARA) instrument on the Indian Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft has produced for the first time an image of a lunar magnetic anomaly in backscattered hydrogen atoms. The image shows that a partial void of the solar wind, a mini-magnetosphere, is formed above the strong magnetic anomaly near the Crisium antipode. The mini-magnetosphere is 360 km across at the surface and is surrounded by a 300-km-thick region of enhanced plasma flux that results from the solar wind flowing around the mini-magnetosphere. The mini-magnetosphere is visible only in hydrogen atoms with energy exceeding 150 eV. Fluxes with energies below 100 eV do not show corresponding spatial variations. While the high-energy atoms result from the backscattering process, the origin of the low-energy component is puzzling. These observations reveal a new class of objects, mini-magnetospheres, and demonstrate a new observational technique to study airless bodies, imaging in backscattered neutral atoms.
Item Type: | Article |
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Source: | Copyright of this article belongs to American Geophysical Union. |
Keywords: | Mini-magnetosphere; Moon; Energetic Neutral Atoms |
ID Code: | 64234 |
Deposited On: | 05 Oct 2011 11:59 |
Last Modified: | 18 May 2016 12:43 |
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