Engineering topics

Killen, Rosemary M.

Publications and source records attributed to Killen, Rosemary M..

49 records · Page 3

NASA NTRS2010

Mercury's Complex Exosphere: Results from MESSENGER's Third Flyby

During MESSENGER's third flyby of Mercury, the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer detected emission from ionized calcium concentrated 1 to 2 Mercury radii tailward of the planet. This measurement provides evidence for tailward magnetospheric convection of photoions produced inside the magnetosphere. Observations of neutral sodium, calcium, and magnesium above the planet's north and south poles reveal attitude distributions that are distinct for each species. A two-component sodium distribution and markedly different magnesium distributions above the two poles are direct indications that multiple processes control the distribution of even single species in Mercury's exosphere,

Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2010

MESSENGER Observations of Large Flux Transfer Events at Mercury

Six flux transfer events (FTEs) were encountered during MESSENGER's first two flybys of Mercury (M1 and M2). For M1 the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) was predominantly northward and four FTEs with durations of 1 to 6 s were observed in the magnetosheath following southward IMF turnings. The IMF was steadily southward during M2, and an FTE 4 s in duration was observed just inside the dawn magnetopause followed approx. 32 s later by a 7 s FTE in the magnetosheath. Flux rope models were fit to the magnetic field data to determine FTE dimensions and flux content. The largest FTE observed by MESSENGER had a diameter of approx. 1 R(sub M) (where R(sub M) is Mercury s radius), and its open magnetic field increased the fraction of the surface exposed to the solar wind by 10 - 20 percent and contributed up to approx. 30 kV to the cross-magnetospheric electric potential.

Slavin, James A.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Monte Carlo Modeling of Sodium in Mercury's Exosphere During the First Two MESSENGER Flybys

We present a Monte Carlo model of the distribution of neutral sodium in Mercury's exosphere and tail using data from the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft during the first two flybys of the planet in January and September 2008. We show that the dominant source mechanism for ejecting sodium from the surface is photon-stimulated desorption (PSD) and that the desorption rate is limited by the diffusion rate of sodium from the interior of grains in the regolith to the topmost few monolayers where PSD is effective. In the absence of ion precipitation, we find that the sodium source rate is limited to approximately 10(exp 6) - 10(exp 7) per square centimeter per second, depending on the sticking efficiency of exospheric sodium that returns to the surface. The diffusion rate must be at least a factor of 5 higher in regions of ion precipitation to explain the MASCS observations during the second MESSENGER f1yby. We estimate that impact vaporization of micrometeoroids may provide up to 15% of the total sodium source rate in the regions observed. Although sputtering by precipitating ions was found not to be a significant source of sodium during the MESSENGER flybys, ion precipitation is responsible for increasing the source rate at high latitudes through ion-enhanced diffusion.

Burger, Matthew H.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Observations of Metallic Species in Mercury's Exosphere

From observations of the metallic species sodium (Na), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg) in Mercury's exosphere, we derive implications for source and loss processes. All metallic species observed exhibit a distribution and/or line width characteristic of high to extreme temperature - tens of thousands of degrees K. The temperatures of refractory species, including magnesium and calcium, indicate that the source process for the atoms observed in the tail and near-planet exosphere are consistent with ion sputtering and/or impact vaporization of a molecule with subsequent dissociation into the atomic form. The extended Mg tail is consistent with a surface abundance of 5-8% Mg by number, if 30% of impact-vaporized Mg remains as MgO and half of the impact vapor condenses. Globally, ion sputtering is not a major source of Mg, but locally the sputtered source can be larger than the impact vapor source. We conclude that the Na and K in Mercury's exosphere can be derived from a regolith composition similar to that of Luna 16 soil (or Apollo 17 orange glass), in which the abundance by number is 0.0027 (0.0028) for Na and 0.0006 (0.0045) for K.

Killen, Rosemary M.↗

NASA NTRS2010

MESSENGER Observations of Large Flux Transfer Events at Mercury

Six flux transfer events (FTEs) were encountered during MESSENGER's first two flybys of Mercury (MI and M2). For MI the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) was predominantly northward and four FTEs with durations of 1 to 6 s were observed in the magnetosheath following southward 1M F turnings. The IMF was steadily southward during M2, and an FTE 4 s in duration was observed just inside the dawn magnetopause followed approx.32 s later by a 7-s FTE in the magnetosheath. Flux rope models were fit to the magnetic field data to detem11ne PTE dimensions and flux content The largest FTE observed by MESSENGER had a diameter of approx. 1 R(sub M) (where R(sub M) is Mercury's radius), and its open magnetic field increased the fraction of the surface exposed to the solar wind by 10 - 20 percent and contributed up to approx.30 kV to the cross-magnetospheric electric potential.

Slavin, James A.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Mercury's Atmosphere and Magnetosphere: MESSENGER Third Flyby Observations

MESSENGER's third flyby of Mercury en route to orbit insertion about the innermost planet took place on 29 September 2009. The earlier 14 January and 6 October 2008 encounters revealed that Mercury's magnetic field is highly dipolar and stable over the 35 years since its discovery by Mariner 10; that a structured, temporally variable exosphere extends to great altitudes on the dayside and forms a long tail in the anti-sunward direction; a cloud of planetary ions encompasses the magnetosphere from the dayside bow shock to the downstream magnetosheath and magnetotail; and that the magnetosphere undergoes extremely intense magnetic reconnect ion in response to variations in the interplanetary magnetic field. Here we report on new results derived from observations from MESSENGER's Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS), Magnetometer (MAG), and Energetic Particle and Plasma Spectrometer (EPPS) taken during the third flyby.

Slavin, James A.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Sources of Sodium in the Lunar Exosphere: Modeling Using Ground-Based Observations of Sodium Emission and Spacecraft Data of the Plasma

Observations of the equatorial lunar sodium emission are examined to quantify the effect of precipitating ions on source rates for the Moon's exospheric volatile species. Using a model of exospheric sodium transport under lunar gravity forces, the measured emission intensity is normalized to a constant lunar phase angle to minimize the effect of different viewing geometries. Daily averages of the solar Lyman alpha flux and ion flux are used as the input variables for photon-stimulated desorption (PSD) and ion sputtering, respectively, while impact vaporization due to the micrometeoritic influx is assumed constant. Additionally, a proxy term proportional to both the Lyman alpha and to the ion flux is introduced to assess the importance of ion-enhanced diffusion and/or chemical sputtering. The combination of particle transport and constrained regression models demonstrates that, assuming sputtering yields that are typical of protons incident on lunar soils, the primary effect of ion impact on the surface of the Moon is not direct sputtering but rather an enhancement of the PSD efficiency. It is inferred that the ion-induced effects must double the PSD efficiency for flux typical of the solar wind at 1 AU. The enhancement in relative efficiency of PSD due to the bombardment of the lunar surface by the plasma sheet ions during passages through the Earth's magnetotail is shown to be approximately two times higher than when it is due to solar wind ions. This leads to the conclusion that the priming of the surface is more efficiently carried out by the energetic plasma sheet ions.

Sarantos, Menelaos↗

NASA NTRS2009

Mercury's Exosphere During MESSENGER's Second Flyby: Detection of Magnesium and Distinct Distributions of Neutral Species

During MESSENGER's second Mercury flyby, the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer observed emission from Mercury's neutral exosphere. These observations include the first detection of emission from magnesium. Differing spatial distributions for sodium, calcium, and magnesium were revealed by observations beginning in Mercury's tail region, approximately 8 Mercury radii anti-sunward of the planet, continuing past the nightside, and ending near the dawn terminator. Analysis of these observations, supplemented by observations during the first Mercury flyby as well as those by other MESSENGER instruments, suggests that the distinct spatial distributions arise from a combination of differences in source, transfer, and loss processes.

McClintock, William E.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Reference Atmosphere for Mercury

We propose that Ar-40 measured in the lunar atmosphere and that in Mercury's atmosphere is due to current diffusion into connected pore space within the crust. Higher temperatures at Mercury, along with more rapid loss from the atmosphere will lead to a smaller column abundance of argon at Mercury than at the Moon, given the same crustal abundance of potassium. Because the noble gas abundance in the Hermean atmosphere represents current effusion, it is a direct measure of the crustal potassium abundance. Ar-40 in the atmospheres of the planets is a measure of potassium abundance in the interiors, since Ar-40 is a product of radiogenic decay of K-40 by electron capture with the subsequent emission of a 1.46 eV gamma-ray. Although the Ar-40 in the Earth's atmosphere is expected to have accumulated since the late bombardment, Ar-40 in the atmospheres of Mercury and the Moon is eroded quickly by photoionization and electron impact ionization. Thus, the argon content in the exospheres of the Moon and Mercury is representative of current effusion rather than accumulation over the lifetime of the planet.

Killen, Rosemary M.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Reference Atmosphere for Mercury

The objectives of this three year proposal are: (1) to calculate the likely diffusive flux of Ar and He from the interior of Mercury for representative crustal compositions; (2) compute a reasonable estimate of the fractional escape flux of photoions for the likely range of field conditions; and (3) to calculate the capture rate of solar wind ions into the atmosphere. The morphology of the magnetosphere in response to the solar wind and the IMF is the crucial boundary condition for the flux of ions to the surface. We have tackled problem (1) using a multipath diffusion code, and problems (2) and (3) using a combination of MHD and kinetic plasma dynamics.

Killen, Rosemary M.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Ground-Based IR Spectroscopy of Mercury for Composition

Remote sensing measurements of the Moon and Mercury in the thermal infrared have been plagued with problems due to atmospheric absorption and other effects. Controversial results have been discussed by Nash et al. and by Salisbury et al.. We have developed a technique to obtain thermal infrared spectra of Mercury together with solar and sky spectra in the 8-13 micrometer region suitable for determining the presence or absence of mineralogical features. High-resolution (0.05 cm(exp -1) between data points) spectra were obtained during daylight using the Fourier Transform Spectrograph (FTS) at the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope Facility at Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona. The reduced data were independent of any model of the transmission of the Earth's atmosphere and rest on a calibration using sky spectra along the same line-of-sight through the atmosphere as the actual Mercury raw spectrum. This method can be applied at all solar elongation angles including small elongation angles (5 deg or less). The basic sequence and the technique are robust.

Killen, Rosemary M.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Variation of Lunar Sodium During Passage of the Moon through the Earth's Magnetotail

We measured sodium emission above the lunar equator over a range of lunar altitudes from 100 to 4000 km. The measurements were repeated approximately every 24 hours from June 7 to 16, 1998, covering the period during which the Moon passed through the Earth's magnetotail. Sodium temperatures derived from the altitude dependence of emission intensity ranged from 1200 to 2900 K. This result supports the view that photodesorption is a primary source of sodium in the exosphere since the most probable temperature of sodium form this source is in this range. Passage of the Moon through the Earth's magnetotail (where solar wind is essentially absent) affected the sodium density, such that it was higher before the Moon entered the Earth's magnetotail than after the Moon left it. This suggests that the solar wind plays a role in production of lunar sodium. We propose that its function is to mobilize sodium and bring it to the surface, where photodesorption can eject it into the exosphere. A two-step process such as this could help to explain the latitude dependence of sodium density, which varies as the second or higher power of cosine latitude.

Potter, Andrew E.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Maintaining the Na atmosphere of Mercury

The possible sources of the Na atmosphere of Mercury are calculatively studied. The likely structure, composition, and temperature of the planet's upper crust is examined along with the probable flux of Na from depth by grain boundary diffusion and by Knudsen flow. The creation of fresh regolith is considered along with mechanisms for supplying Na from the surface to the exosphere. The implications of the calculations for the probable abundances in the regolith are discussed.

Killen, Rosemary M.↗