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We present results from a statistical analysis of Mercury's energetic electron (EE) events as observed by the gamma‐ray and neutron spectrometer instrument onboard the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft. The main objective of this study is to investigate possible anisotropic behavior of EE events using multiple data sets from MESSENGER instruments. We study the data from the neutron spectrometer (NS) and the gamma‐ray spectrometer anticoincidence shield (ACS) because they use the same type of borated plastic scintillator and, hence, they have very similar response functions, and their large surface areas make them more sensitive to low‐intensity EE events than MESSENGER's particle instrumentation. The combined analysis of NS and ACS data reveals two different classes of energetic electrons: “Standard” events and “ACS‐enhanced” events. Standard events, which comprise over 90% of all events, have signal sizes that are the same in both the ACS and NS. They are likely gyrating particles about Mercury's magnetic field following a 90° pitch angle distribution and are located in well‐defined latitude and altitude regions within Mercury's magnetosphere. ACS‐enhanced events, which comprise less than 10% of all events, have signal sizes in the ACS that are 10 to 100 times larger than those observed by the NS. They follow a beam‐like distribution and are observed both inside and outside Mercury's magnetosphere with a wider range of latitudes and altitudes than Standard events. The difference between the Standard and ACS‐enhanced event characteristics suggests distinct underyling acceleration mechanisms. A comprehensive survey of energetic electron (EE) events observed with the neutron spectrometer (NS) and the gamma‐ray spectrometer anticoincidence shield (ACS) is conductedThe majority of EE events detected in the NS are also detected in the ACS and appear to be composed of gyrating, drifting electronsACS‐only and ACS‐enhanced events exhibit a significantly different spatial and temporal characteristics compared with the other EE event classes

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft while in orbit about Mercury observed highly localized, ~3‐s‐long reductions in the dayside magnetospheric magnetic field, with amplitudes up to 90% of the ambient intensity. These magnetic field depressions are termed cusp filaments because they were observed from just poleward of the magnetospheric cusp to midlatitudes, i.e., ~55° to 85°N. We analyzed 345 high‐ and low‐altitude cusp filaments identified from MESSENGER magnetic field data to determine their physical properties. Minimum variance analysis indicates that most filaments resemble cylindrical flux tubes within which the magnetic field intensity decreases toward its central axis. If the filaments move over the spacecraft at an estimated magnetospheric convection speed of ~35 km/s, then they have a typical diameter of ~105 km or ~7 gyroradii for 1 keV H+ions in a 300 nT magnetic field. During these events, MESSENGER's Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer observed H+ions with magnetosheath‐like energies. MESSENGER observations during the spacecraft's final low‐altitude campaign revealed that these cusp filaments likely extend down to Mercury's surface. We calculated an occurrence‐rate‐normalized integrated particle precipitation rate onto the surface from all filaments of (2.70 ± 0.09) × 1025s−1. This precipitation rate is comparable to published estimates of the total precipitation rate in the larger‐scale cusp. Overall, the MESSENGER observations analyzed here suggest that cusp filaments are the magnetospheric extensions of the flux transfer events that form at the magnetopause as a result of localized magnetic reconnection. Cusp filaments form as plasma is injected down flux tubes at the magnetopause by localized reconnectionResults indicate that cusp filaments map to flux transfer events at the magnetopauseThis result has important implications for surface sputtering and space weathering in the cusp region at Mercury

Accurate knowledge of Mercury's magnetospheric magnetic field is required to understand the sources of the planet's internal field. We present the first model of Mercury's magnetospheric magnetic field confined within a magnetopause shape derived from Magnetometer observations by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft. The field of internal origin is approximated by a dipole of magnitude 190 nT RM3, where RMis Mercury's radius, offset northward by 479 km along the spin axis. External field sources include currents flowing on the magnetopause boundary and in the cross‐tail current sheet. The cross‐tail current is described by a disk‐shaped current near the planet and a sheet current at larger (≳ 5 RM) antisunward distances. The tail currents are constrained by minimizing the root‐mean‐square (RMS) residual between the model and the magnetic field observed within the magnetosphere. The magnetopause current contributions are derived by shielding the field of each module external to the magnetopause by minimizing the RMS normal component of the magnetic field at the magnetopause. The new model yields improvements over the previously developed paraboloid model in regions that are close to the magnetopause and the nightside magnetic equatorial plane. Magnetic field residuals remain that are distributed systematically over large areas and vary monotonically with magnetic activity. Further advances in empirical descriptions of Mercury's magnetospheric external field will need to account for the dependence of the tail and magnetopause currents on magnetic activity and additional sources within the magnetosphere associated with Birkeland currents and plasma distributions near the dayside magnetopause. First Mercury magnetic field model confined to observed magnetopauseModel includes internal dipole and field from magnetopause and tail currentsRemaining residuals due to unmodeled current systems

Data from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) Gamma‐Ray and Neutron Spectrometer have been used to detect and characterize energetic electron (EE) events in Mercury's magnetosphere. This instrument detects EE events indirectly via bremsstrahlung photons that are emitted when instrument and spacecraft materials stop electrons having energies of tens to hundreds of keV. From Neutron Spectrometer data taken between 18 March 2011 and 31 December 2013 we have identified 2711 EE events. EE event amplitudes versus energy are distributed as a power law and have a dynamic range of a factor of 400. The duration of the EE events ranges from tens of seconds to nearly 20 min. EE events may be classified as bursty (large variation with time over an event) or smooth (small variation). Almost all EE events are detected inside Mercury's magnetosphere on closed field lines. The precise occurrence times of EE events are stochastic, but the events are located in well‐defined regions with clear boundaries that persist in time and form what we call “quasi‐permanent structures.” Bursty events occur closer to dawn and at higher latitudes than smooth events, which are seen near noon‐to‐dusk local times at lower latitudes. A subset of EE events shows strong periodicities that range from hundreds of seconds to tens of milliseconds. The few‐minute periodicities are consistent with the Dungey cycle timescale for the magnetosphere and the occurrence of substorm events in Mercury's magnetotail region. Shorter periods may be related to phenomena such as north‐south bounce processes for the energetic electrons. Energetic electron events measured with MESSENGER's Gamma‐Ray and Neutron SpectrometerThe electron events form quasi‐permanent structures in Mercury's magnetosphereSome events show periodicities from hundreds of seconds to tens of milliseconds

Magnetic field observations acquired in orbit about Mercury by the MESSENGER spacecraft demonstrate the presence in the planet's northern hemisphere of Birkeland currents that flow to low altitudes. Currents of density 10–30 nA/m2flow downward at dawn and upward at dusk. Total currents are typically 20–40 kA and exceed 200 kA during disturbed conditions. The current density and total current are two orders of magnitude lower than at Earth. An electric potential of ~30 kV from dayside magnetopause magnetic reconnection implies a net electrical conductance of ~1 S. A spherical‐shell conductance model indicates closure of current radially through the low‐conductivity layers near the surface and by lateral flow from dawn to dusk through more conductive material at depth. Steady‐state Birkeland currents are present at MercuryThe currents are 100 times weaker than at Earth and of only Region 1 polarityThe currents close through the interior of the planet

We have analyzed measurements of planetary ions near Mercury made by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer (FIPS) over the first three Mercury years of orbital observations (25 March 2011 through 31 December 2011). We determined the composition and spatial distributions of the most abundant species in the regions sampled by the MESSENGER spacecraft during that period. In particular, we here focus on altitude dependence and relative abundances of species in a variety of spatial domains. We used observed density as a proxy for ambient plasma density, because of limitations to the FIPS field of view. We find that the average observed density is 3.9 × 10–2cm–3for He2+, 3.4 × 10–4cm–3for He+, 8.0 × 10–4cm–3for O+‐group ions, and 5.1 × 10–3cm–3for Na+‐group ions. Na+‐group ions are particularly enhanced over other planetary ions (He+and O+group) in the northern magnetospheric cusp (by a factor of ~2.0) and in the premidnight sector on the nightside (by a factor of ~1.6). Within 30° of the equator, the average densities of all planetary ions are depressed at the subsolar point relative to the dawn and dusk terminators. The effect is largest for Na+‐group ions, which are 49% lower in density at the subsolar point than at the terminators. This depression could be an effect of the FIPS energy threshold. The three planetary ion species considered show distinct dependences on altitude and local time. The Na+group has the smallest e‐folding height at all dayside local times, whereas He+has the largest. At the subsolar point, the e‐folding height for Na+‐group ions is 590 km, and that for the O+group and He+is 1100 km. On the nightside and within 750 km of the geographic equator, Na+‐group ions are enhanced in the premidnight sector. This enhancement is consistent with nonadiabatic motion and may be observational evidence that nonadiabatic effects are important in Mercury's magnetosphere. Na+-group ions are enhanced in northern cusp and pre‐midnight sectorPlanetary ion species show distinct dependences on altitude and local timeMay be first observation of non‐adiabatic effects in Mercury's magnetosphere

On 18 March 2011, MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) became the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury, providing a new opportunity to study the outer boundary of the planet's magnetosphere—the magnetopause. Here we characterize Mercury's magnetopause using measurements collected by MESSENGER's Magnetometer and Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer. Analysis of measurements from two of MESSENGER's “hot seasons,” when the orbital periapsis is on Mercury's dayside and the magnetopause crossing takes place in the subsolar region, resulted in 43 events with well‐determined boundary normals. The typical duration of a magnetopause traversal was ~5 s. The average normal magnetic field component was ~20 nT, and the dimensionless reconnection rate, i.e., the ratio of the normal magnetic field component to the total field magnitude just inside the magnetopause, was 0.15 ± 0.02. This rate is a factor of ~3 larger than values found during the most extensive surveys at Earth. The ratio of the reconnection rate at Mercury to that of the Earth is comparable to the ratio of the solar wind Alfvén speeds at their respective orbits. We also find that the magnetopause reconnection rate at Mercury is independent of magnetic field shear angle, but it varies inversely with plasma β, the ratio of total thermal pressure to magnetic pressure, in the magnetosheath. These results suggest that reconnection at Mercury is not only more intense than at Earth but also that it occurs for nearly all orientations of the interplanetary magnetic field due to the low‐βnature of the solar wind in the inner heliosphere. Mercury's dayside magnetopause is constantly experiencing magnetic reconnection.Magnetopause reconnection rate increases as magnetosheath plasma beta decreases.Mercury's low beta environment enables reconnection for small shear angles.

This proposed interstellar precursor mission will penetrate into the nearby interstellar medium by achieving 1000 Astronomical Units from the Sun within the working lifetime (about 50 years) of those who started the mission. A variety of science goals and orbital mechanics constraints contribute to the formulation of a list of candidate stars for targeting the solar system escape trajectory direction. An approach is developed that will minimize both launch energy to Jupiter and a subsequent near-Sun, high-ISP, high-thrust maneuver in order to attain a high-speed escape from the solar system towards a target star. Detailed performance characteristics are given for selected reference trajectories.

The past four years have witnessed the culmination of the initial reconnaissance of the giant outer planets and their magnetospheres. This includes more mature modeling of dynamics of and processes in the magnetospheres of Jupiter and Saturn, the first detailed reports on the fields and particles environment of Uranus, and the initial reports concerning the magnetosphere of Neptune, first sampled directly by Voyager 2 in August, 1989. Of the major bodies of the outer solar system, only the asteroids and the Pluto/Charon system remain unvisited, although some attention was focused on the latter during this quadrennium. We review work on and our understanding of the magnetospheres of all of the outer planets during the previous four years.

Positive ion measurements in the magnetosphere of Uranus have been made by the Voyager 2 plasma science experiment. We present an overview of the entire data set and a detailed analysis of the observations from the inner magnetosphere which complements and extends results reported elsewhere. Densities and temperatures are obtained from an analysis which incorporates details of the instrumental response. These results are then used to calculate flux tube particle and energy content to support the hypothesis that the plasma transport is controlled by a solar wind‐driven magnetospheric convection system. Variations in the flux tube content suggest both a local source of plasma, produced from the neutral hydrogen corona of Uranus, and a nonlocal source, convected inward and heated by adiabatic compression. In each case a proton composition is inferred. Sharp boundaries in the high‐energy (approximately 1 keV) plasma population are interpreted in terms of the spatial extent of the magnetospheric convection, with significant shielding of the convection electric field. The convection theory is also used in a simulation of the low‐energy (approximately 10 eV) ion component using the neutral hydrogen source, resulting in distribution functions which qualitatively agree with the observations.