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The Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) on the C/NOFS satellite comprises a suite of sensors controlled by one central electronics box. The primary measurement consists of a vector DC and AC electric field detector which extends spherical sensors with embedded pre-amps at the ends of six, 9.5-m booms forming three orthogonal detectors with baselines of 20 m tip-to-tip each. The primary VEFI measurement is the DC electric field at 16 vectors/sec with an accuracy of 0.5 mV/m. The electric field receiver also measures the broad spectra of irregularities associated with equatorial spread-F and related ionospheric processes that create the scintillations responsible for the communication and navigation outages for which the C/NOFS mission is designed to understand and predict. The AC electric field measurements range from ELF to HF frequencies.VEFI includes a flux-gate magnetometer providing DC measurements at 1 vector/sec and AC-coupled measurements at 16 vector/sec, as well as a fast, fixed-bias Langmuir probe that serves as the input signal to trigger the VEFI burst memory collection of high time resolution wave data when plasma density depletions are encountered in the low latitude nighttime ionosphere. A bi-directional optical lightning detector designed by the University of Washington (UW) provides continuous average lightning counts at different irradiance levels as well as high time resolution optical lightning emissions captured in the burst memory. The VEFI central electronics box receives inputs from all of the sensors and includes a configurable burst memory with 1–8 channels at sample rates as high as 32 ks/s per channel. The VEFI instrument is thus one experiment with many sensors. All of the instruments were designed, built, and tested at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center with the exception of the lightning detector which was designed at UW. The entire VEFI instrument was delivered on budget in less than 2 years.VEFI included a number of technical advances and innovative features described in this article. These include: (1) Two independent sets of 3-axis, orthogonal electric field double probes; (2) Motor-driven, pre-formed cylinder booms housing signal wires that feed pre-amps within tip-mounted spherical sensors; (3) Extended shadow equalizers (2.5 times the sphere diameter) to mitigate photoelectron shadow mismatch for sun angles along the boom directions, particularly important at sunrise/sunset for a low inclination satellite; (4) DC-coupled electric field channels with “boosted” or pre-emphasized amplitude response at ELF frequencies; (5) Miniature multi-channel spectrum analyzers using hybrid technology; (6) Dual-channel optical lightning detector with on-board comparators and counters for 7 irradiance levels with high-time-resolution data capture; (7) Spherical Langmuir probe with Titanium Nitride-coated sensor element and guard; (8) Selectable data rates including 200 kbps (fast), 20 kbps (nominal), and 2 kbps (low for real-time TDRSS communication); and (9) Highly configurable burst memory with selectable channels, sample rates and number, duration, and precursor length of bursts, chosen based on best triggering algorithm “score”.This paper describes the various sensors that constitute the VEFI experiment suite and discusses their operation during the C/NOFS mission. Examples of data are included to illustrate the performance of the different sensors in space.

The accurate measurement of the magnetic field along the orbits of the four Cluster spacecraft is a primary objective of the mission. The magnetic field is a key constituent of the plasma in and around the magnetosphere, and it plays an active role in all physical processes that define the structure and dynamics of magnetospheric phenomena on all scales. With the four-point measurements on Cluster, it has become possible to study the three-dimensional aspects of space plasma phenomena on scales commeasurable with the size of the spacecraft constellation, and to distinguish temporal and spatial dependences of small-scale processes. We present an overview of the instrumentation used to measure the magnetic field on the four Cluster spacecraft and an overview the performance of the operational modes used in flight. We also report on the results of the preliminary in-orbit calibration of the magnetometers; these results show that all components of the magnetic field are measured with an accuracy approaching 0.1 nT. Further data analysis is expected to bring an even more accurate determination of the calibration parameters. Several examples of the capabilities of the investigation are presented from the commissioning phase of the mission, and from the different regions visited by the spacecraft to date: the tail current sheet, the dusk side magnetopause and magnetosheath, the bow shock and the cusp. We also describe the data processing flow and the implementation of data distribution to other Cluster investigations and to the scientific community in general.Key words. Interplanetary physics (instruments and techniques) – magnetospheric physics (magnetospheric configuration and dynamics) – space plasma physics (shock waves)

The Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) investigation on the NASA Radiation Belt Storm Probes (now named the Van Allen Probes) mission provides key wave and very low frequency magnetic field measurements to understand radiation belt acceleration, loss, and transport. The key science objectives and the contribution that EMFISIS makes to providing measurements as well as theory and modeling are described. The key components of the instruments suite, both electronics and sensors, including key functional parameters, calibration, and performance, demonstrate that EMFISIS provides the needed measurements for the science of the RBSP mission. The EMFISIS operational modes and data products, along with online availability and data tools provide the radiation belt science community with one the most complete sets of data ever collected.

More than 490 elliptical aerobraking and science phasing orbits made by Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) in 1997 and 1998 provide unprecedented coverage of the solar wind in the vicinity of the orbits of the martian moons Phobos and Deimos. We have performed a comprehensive survey of magnetic field perturbations in the solar wind to search for possible signatures of solar wind interaction with dust or gas escaping from the moons. A total of 1246 solar wind disturbance events were identified and their distribution was examined relative to Phobos, the Phobos orbit, and the Deimos orbit. We find that the spatial distribution of solar wind perturbations does not increase near or downstream of Phobos, Phobos’ orbit, or Deimos’ orbit, which would have been expected if there is significant outgassing or dust escape from the martian moons. Of the 1246 magnetic field perturbation events found in the MGS data set, 11 events were found within 2000 km of the Phobos orbit, while three events were found within 2000 km of the Deimos orbit. These events were analyzed in detail and found to likely have other causes than outgassing/dust escape from the martian moons. Thus we conclude that the amount of gas/dust escaping the martian moons is not significant enough to induce detectable magnetic field perturbations in the solar wind. In essence we have not found any clear evidence in the MGS magnetic field data for outgassing or dust escape from the martian moons.

Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) is a subsurface and topside ionosphere radar sounder aboard the European Space Agency spacecraft Mars Express, in orbit at Mars since 25 December 2003, and in operation since 17 June 2005. The ionospheric sounding mode of MARSIS is capable of detecting the reflection of the sounding wave from the martian surface. This ability has been used in previous work to show that the surface reflection is absorbed and disappears during periods when high fluxes of energetic particles are incident on the ionosphere of Mars. These absorption events are believed to be the result of increased collisional damping of the sounding wave, caused by increased electron density below the spacecraft, in turn caused by impact ionization from the impinging particles. In this work we identify two absorption events that were isolated during periods when the surface reflection is consistently visible and when Mars is nearly at opposition. The visibility of the surface reflection is viewed in conjunction with particle and photon measurements taken at both Mars and Earth. Both absorption events are found to coincide with Earth passing through solar wind speed and ion flux signatures indicative of a corotating interaction region (CIR). The two events are separated by an interval of approximately 27 days, corresponding to one solar rotation. The first of the two events coincides with abruptly enhanced particle fluxes seen in situ at Mars. Simultaneous with the particle enhancement there are an abrupt decrease in the intensity of electron oscillations, typically seen by the Mars Express particle instrument ASPERA-3 between the magnetic pileup boundary and the martian bow shock, and a sharp drop in the solar wind pressure, seen in the proxy quantity based on MGS magnetometer observations. The decrease in oscillation intensity is therefore the probable effect of a relaxation of the martian bow shock. The second absorption event does not show a particle enhancement and complete ASPERA-3 data during that time are unavailable. Other absorption events are the apparent result of solar X-ray and XUV enhancements. We conclude that surface reflection absorption events are sometimes caused by enhanced ionospheric ionization from high energy particles accelerated by the shocks associated with a CIR. A full statistical analysis of CIRs in relation to observed absorption events in conjunction with a quantitative analysis of the deposition of ionization during space weather events is needed for a complete understanding of this phenomenon. If such analyses can be carried out, radar sensing of the martian ionosphere might be useful as a space weather probe.

The magnetic field strength of Mercury at the planet’s surface is approximately 1% that of Earth’s surface field. This comparatively low field strength presents a number of challenges, both theoretically to understand how it is generated and observationally to distinguish the internal field from that due to the solar wind interaction. Conversely, the small field also means that Mercury offers an important opportunity to advance our understanding both of planetary magnetic field generation and magnetosphere-solar wind interactions. The observations from the Mariner 10 magnetometer in 1974 and 1975, and the MESSENGER Magnetometer and plasma instruments during the probe’s first two flybys of Mercury on 14 January and 6 October 2008, provide the basis for our current knowledge of the internal field. The external field arising from the interaction of the magnetosphere with the solar wind is more prominent near Mercury than for any other magnetized planet in the Solar System, and particular attention is therefore paid to indications in the observations of deficiencies in our understanding of the external field. The second MESSENGER flyby occurred over the opposite hemisphere from the other flybys, and these newest data constrain the tilt of the planetary moment from the planet’s spin axis to be less than 5°. Considered as a dipole field, the moment is in the range 240 to 270 nT-R M 3 , where R M is Mercury’s radius. Multipole solutions for the planetary field yield a smaller dipole term, 180 to 220 nT-R M 3 , and higher-order terms that together yield an equatorial surface field from 250 to 290 nT. From the spatial distribution of the fit residuals, the equatorial data are seen to reflect a weaker northward field and a strongly radial field, neither of which can be explained by a centered-dipole matched to the field measured near the pole by Mariner 10. This disparity is a major factor controlling the higher-order terms in the multipole solutions. The residuals are not largest close to the planet, and when considered in magnetospheric coordinates the residuals indicate the presence of a cross-tail current extending to within 0.5R M altitude on the nightside. A near-tail current with a density of 0.1 μA/m2 could account for the low field intensities recorded near the equator. In addition, the MESSENGER flybys include the first plasma observations from Mercury and demonstrate that solar wind plasma is present at low altitudes, below 500 km. Although we can be confident in the dipole-only moment estimates, the data in hand remain subject to ambiguities for distinguishing internal from external contributions. The anticipated observations from orbit at Mercury, first from MESSENGER beginning in March 2011 and later from the dual-spacecraft BepiColombo mission, will be essential to elucidate the higher-order structure in the magnetic field of Mercury that will reveal the telltale signatures of the physics responsible for its generation.

MESSENGER from Mercury The spacecraft MESSENGER passed by Mercury in October 2008, in what was the second of three fly-bys before it settles into the planet's orbit in 2011. Another spacecraft visited Mercury in the mid-1970s, which mapped 45% of the planet's surface. Now, after MESSENGER, only 10% of Mercury's surface remains to be imaged up close. Denevi et al. (p. 613 ) use this near-global data to look at the mechanisms that shaped Mercury's crust, which likely formed by eruption of magmas of different compositions over a long period of time. Like the Moon, Mercury's surface is dotted with impact craters. Watters et al. (p. 618 ) describe a well-preserved impact basin, Rembrandt, which is second in size to the largest known basin, Caloris. Unlike Caloris, Rembrandt is not completely filled by material of volcanic origin, preserving clues to its formation and evolution. It displays unique patterns of tectonic deformation, some of which result from Mercury's contraction as its interior cooled over time. Mercury's exosphere and magnetosphere were also observed (see the Perspective by Glassmeier ). Magnetic reconnection is a process whereby the interplanetary magnetic field lines join the magnetospheric field lines and transfer energy from the solar wind into the magnetosphere. Slavin et al. (p. 606 ) report observations of intense magnetic reconnection 10 times as intense as that of Earth. McClintock et al. (p. 610 ) describe simultaneous, high-resolution measurements of Mg, Ca, and Na in Mercury's exosphere, which may shed light on the processes that create and maintain the exosphere.

Intense magnetic anomalies over Martian surface suggest preservation of large volumes of very old crust (>3 Gyr) that formed in the presence of a global magnetic field. The global distribution of the magnetic intensities observed above the Martian crust suggests a division into three zones. Zone 1 is where the magnetic signature is negligible or of relatively low intensity at Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) satellite mapping altitude (400 km). Zone 2 is the region of intermediate crustal magnetic amplitudes and zone 3 is where the highest magnetic intensities are measured. Crater demagnetization near zone 3 reveals the presence of rocks with both high magnetic intensity and coercivity. Magnetic analyses of terrestrial rocks show that compositional banding in orogenic zones significantly enhances both magnetic coercivity and thermal remanent magnetization (TRM) efficiency. Such enhancement offers a novel explanation for the anomalously large intensities inferred of magnetic sources on Mars. We propose that both large magnetic coercivity and intensity near the South Pole is indicative of the presence of a large degree of deformation. Associated compositional zoning creates conditions for large scale magnetic anisotropy allowing magnetic minerals to acquire magnetization more efficiently, thereby causing the distinct magnetic signatures in zone 3, expressed by intense magnetic anomalies. We use a simple model to verify the magnetic enhancement. We hypothesize that magnetically enhanced zone would reside over the down welling plume at the time of magnetization acquisition.

The biggest halo coronal mass ejection (CME) since the Halloween storm in 2003, which occurred on 2006 December 13, is studied in terms of its solar source and heliospheric consequences. The CME is accompanied by an X3.4 flare, EUV dimmings and coronal waves. It generated significant space weather effects such as an interplanetary shock, radio bursts, major solar energetic particle (SEP) events, and a magnetic cloud (MC) detected by a fleet of spacecraft including STEREO, ACE, Wind and Ulysses. Reconstruction of the MC with the Grad-Shafranov (GS) method yields an axis orientation oblique to the flare ribbons. Observations of the SEP intensities and anisotropies show that the particles can be trapped, deflected and reaccelerated by the large-scale transient structures. The CME-driven shock is observed at both the Earth and Ulysses when they are separated by 74$^{\circ}$ in latitude and 117$^{\circ}$ in longitude, the largest shock extent ever detected. The ejecta seems missed at Ulysses. The shock arrival time at Ulysses is well predicted by an MHD model which can propagate the 1 AU data outward. The CME/shock is tracked remarkably well from the Sun all the way to Ulysses by coronagraph images, type II frequency drift, in situ measurements and the MHD model. These results reveal a technique which combines MHD propagation of the solar wind and type II emissions to predict the shock arrival time at the Earth, a significant advance for space weather forecasting especially when in situ data are available from the Solar Orbiter and Sentinels., 26 pages, 10 figures. 2008, ApJ, in press

Observations by MESSENGER show that Mercury's magnetosphere is immersed in a comet-like cloud of planetary ions. The most abundant, Na + , is broadly distributed but exhibits flux maxima in the magnetosheath, where the local plasma flow speed is high, and near the spacecraft's closest approach, where atmospheric density should peak. The magnetic field showed reconnection signatures in the form of flux transfer events, azimuthal rotations consistent with Kelvin-Helmholtz waves along the magnetopause, and extensive ultralow-frequency wave activity. Two outbound current sheet boundaries were observed, across which the magnetic field decreased in a manner suggestive of a double magnetopause. The separation of these current layers, comparable to the gyro-radius of a Na + pickup ion entering the magnetosphere after being accelerated in the magnetosheath, may indicate a planetary ion boundary layer.

Details are presented of an improved technique to use atmospheric absorption of magnetically reflecting solar wind electrons to constrain neutral mass densities in the nightside martian upper thermosphere. The helical motion of electrons on converging magnetic field lines, through an extended neutral atmosphere, is modeled to enable prediction of loss cone pitch angle distributions measured by the Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer (MAG/ER) experiment on Mars Global Surveyor at 400 km altitude. Over the small fraction of Mars' southern hemisphere (∼2.5%) where the permanent crustal magnetic fields are both open to the solar wind and sufficiently strong as to dominate the variable induced martian magnetotail field, spherical harmonic expansions of the crustal fields are used to prescribe the magnetic field along the electron's path, allowing least-squares fitting of measured loss cones, in order to solve for parameters describing the vertical neutral atmospheric mass density profile from 160 to 230 km. Results are presented of mass densities in the southern hemisphere at 2 a.m. LST at the mean altitude of greatest sensitivity, 180 km, continuously over four martian years. Seasonal variability in densities is largely explained by orbital and latitudinal changes in dayside insolation that impacts the nightside through the resulting thermospheric circulation. However, the physical processes behind repeatable rapid, late autumnal cooling at mid-latitudes and near-aphelion warming at equatorial latitudes is not fully clear. Southern winter polar warming is generally weak or nonexistent over several Mars years, in basic agreement with MGS and MRO accelerometer observations. The puzzling response of mid-latitude densities from 160° to 200° E to the 2001 global dust storm suggests unanticipated localized nightside upper thermospheric lateral and vertical circulation patterns may accompany such storms. The downturn of the 11-year cycle of solar EUV flux is likely responsible for lower aphelion densities in 2004 and 2006 (Mars years 27 and 28).

We apply improved kinetic modeling of electron transport in the martian thermosphere to fit pitch angle distributions measured by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer (MAG/ER), together with appropriate filtering, binning, averaging and error correction techniques, to create the most reliable ER global map to date of crustal magnetic field magnitude at 185 km altitude, with twice the spatial resolution and considerably higher sensitivity to crustal fields than global maps of magnetic field components produced with MAG data alone. This map compares favorably to sparsely sampled dayside MAG data taken at similar altitudes, insofar as a direct comparison is meaningful. Using this map, we present two case studies. The first compares the magnetic signatures of two highland volcanoes, concluding that the comparatively greater thermal demagnetization at Syrtis Major compared with Tyrrhena Patera is likely due to a higher ratio of intruded to extruded magmas. The second uses the map along with topographic data to compare the magnetic signatures and crater retention ages of the demagnetized Hellas impact basin and magnetized Ladon impact basin. From this comparison, we determine that the martian global dynamo magnetic field went from substantial to very weak or nonexistent in the absolute model age time interval 4.15 ± 0.05 to 4.07 ± 0.05 Ga ago.

The Lunar Prospector Electron Reflectometer has obtained the first global map of lunar crustal magnetic fields, revealing that the effects of basin-forming impacts dominate the large-scale distribution of remanent magnetic fields on the Moon. The weakest surface magnetic fields ( 40 nT) are diametrically opposite to these same basins. This pattern is present though less pronounced for several other post-Nectarian impact basins larger than 500 km in diameter. The reduced strength and clarity of the pattern for older basins may be attributed to: (1) demagnetization from many smaller impacts, which erases antipodal magnetic signatures over time, (2) superposition effects from other large impacts, and (3) variation in the strength of the ambient magnetizing field. The absence of fringing fields stronger than 1 nT around the perimeter of the Imbrium basin or associated with craters within the basin implies that any uniform magnetization of the impact melt must be weaker than ∼ 10 −6 G cm3 g−1. This limits the strength of any steady ambient magnetic field to no more than ∼0.1 Oe at the lunar surface while the basin cooled for tens of millions of years following the Imbrium impact 3.8 billion years ago.

The technique of electron reflectometry, a method for remote estimation of planetary magnetic fields, is expanded from its original use of mapping crustal magnetic fields at the Moon to achieving the same purpose at Mars, where the presence of a substantial atmosphere complicates matters considerably. The motion of solar wind electrons, incident on the martian atmosphere, is considered in detail, taking account of the following effects: the electrons' helical paths around the magnetic field lines to which they are bound, the magnetic mirror force they experience due to converging field lines in the vicinity of crustal magnetic anomalies, their acceleration/deceleration by electrostatic potentials, their interactions with thermal plasma, their drifts due to magnetic field line curvature and perpendicular electric fields and their scattering off, and loss of energy through a number of different processes to, atmospheric neutrals. A theoretical framework is thus developed for modeling electron pitch angle distributions expected when a spacecraft is on a magnetic field line which is connected to both the martian crust and the interplanetary magnetic field. This framework, along with measured pitch angle distributions from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer (MAG/ER) experiment, can be used to remotely measure crustal magnetic field magnitudes and atmospheric neutral densities at ∼180 km above the martian datum, as well as estimate average parallel electric fields between 200 and 400 km altitude. Detailed analysis and full results, concerning the crustal magnetic field and upper thermospheric density of Mars, are left to two companion papers.

The magnetometer on the STEREO mission is one of the sensors in the IMPACT instrument suite. A single, triaxial, wide-range, low-power and noise fluxgate magnetometer of traditional design—and reduced volume configuration—has been implemented in each spacecraft. The sensors are mounted on the IMPACT telescoping booms at a distance of ∼3 m from the spacecraft body to reduce magnetic contamination. The electronics have been designed as an integral part of the IMPACT Data Processing Unit, sharing a common power converter and data/command interfaces. The instruments cover the range ±65,536 nT in two intervals controlled by the IDPU (±512 nT; ±65,536 nT). This very wide range allows operation of the instruments during all phases of the mission, including Earth flybys as well as during spacecraft test and integration in the geomagnetic field. The primary STEREO/IMPACT science objectives addressed by the magnetometer are the study of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), its response to solar activity, and its relationship to solar wind structure. The instruments were powered on and the booms deployed on November 1, 2006, seven days after the spacecraft were launched, and are operating nominally. A magnetic cleanliness program was implemented to minimize variable spacecraft fields and to ensure that the static spacecraft-generated magnetic field does not interfere with the measurements.

This paper examines the variability of daily averages of the magnetic field strength B in the heliosheath and in the distant solar wind measured by Voyager 1 (V1) and Voyager 2 (V2), respectively, from 2005.0 to 2006.9. In the heliosheath, a spatial gradient of (0.0023 ± 0.0011) nT AU-1 is observed, which constrains models of the inner heliosheath. This gradent is small compared to the expected average gradient of B across the entire heliosheath. In the heliosheath the profile of B is generally filamentary with numerous jumps, but a large-amplitude sine wave with a period of ≈200 days was observed by V1 at the end of the interval. The fluctuations of daily averages of B observed by V1 and V2 have a Gaussian distribution and lognormal distribution, respectively. The autocorrelation of B(t) from day of year (DOY) 1-512 was an exponential function with an e-folding time of ≈3.7 ± 0.5 days for V1 and 2.5 ± 0.3 days for V2. On scales from 1-4 days, the autocorrelation function was a power law with exponent α = -0.440 ± 0.031 for V1 and α = -0.497 ± 0.002 for V2. The distribution of differences of successive daily averages of B for both V1 and V2 is the Tsallis distribution of nonextensive statistical mechanics with the nonextensivity parameter q = 1.55 ± 0.05. V2 (at ≈S26°) observed both positive and negative magnetic polarities throughout the interval from 2005.0 to 2006.9. There is evidence that V1 (at N34°) might be entering a region of negative magnetic polarity as the latitudinal extent of the heliospheric current sheet decreases during the declining phase of solar cycle 23.

The Magnetometer (MAG) on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission is a low-noise, tri-axial, fluxgate instrument with its sensor mounted on a 3.6-m-long boom. The boom was deployed on March 8, 2005. The primary MAG science objectives are to determine the structure of Mercury’s intrinsic magnetic field and infer its origin. Mariner 10 observations indicate a planetary moment in the range 170 to 350 nT R3 M (where RM is Mercury’s mean radius). The uncertainties in the dipole moment are associated with the Mariner 10 trajectory and variability of the measured field. By orbiting Mercury, MESSENGER will significantly improve the determination of dipole and higher-order moments. The latter are essential to understanding the thermal history of the planet. MAG has a coarse range, ±51,300 nT full scale (1.6-nT resolution), for pre-flight testing, and a fine range, ±1,530 nT full scale (0.047-nT resolution), for Mercury operation. A magnetic cleanliness program was followed to minimize variable and static spacecraft-generated fields at the sensor. Observations during and after boom deployment indicate that the fixed residual field is less than a few nT at the location of the sensor, and initial observations indicate that the variable field is below 0.05 nT at least above about 3 Hz. Analog signals from the three axes are low-pass filtered (10-Hz cut- off) and sampled simultaneously by three 20-bit analog-to-digital converters every 50 ms. To accommodate variable telemetry rates, MAG provides 11 output rates from 0.01 s“1 to 20 s-1. Continuous measurement of fluctuations is provided with a digital 1-10 Hz bandpass filter. This fluctuation level is used to trigger high-time-resolution sampling in eight-minute segments to record events of interest when continuous high-rate sampling is not possible. The MAG instrument will provide accurate characterization of the intrinsic planetary field, magnetospheric structure, and dynamics of Mercury’s solar wind interaction.

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission to Mercury offers our first opportunity to explore this planet’s miniature magnetosphere since the brief flybys of Mariner 10. Mercury’s magnetosphere is unique in many respects. The magnetosphere of Mercury is among the smallest in the solar system; its magnetic field typically stands off the solar wind only ~1000 to 2000 km above the surface. For this reason there are no closed drift paths for energetic particles and, hence, no radiation belts. Magnetic reconnection at the day side magnetopause may erode the subsolar magnetosphere, allowing solar wind ions to impact directly the regolith. Inductive currents in Mercury’s interior may act to modify the solar wind interaction by resisting changes due to solar wind pressure variations. Indeed, observations of these induction effects may be an important source of information on the state of Mercury’s interior. In addition, Mercury’s magnetosphere is the only one with its defining magnetic flux tubes rooted beneath the solid surface as opposed to an atmosphere with a conductive ionospheric layer. This lack of an ionosphere is probably the underlying reason for the brevity of the very intense, but short-lived, ~l-2 min, substorm-like energetic particle events observed by Mariner 10 during its first traversal of Mercury’s magnetic tail. Because of Mercury’s proximity to the sun, 0.3-0.5 AU, this magnetosphere experiences the most extreme driving forces in the solar system. All of these factors are expected to produce complicated interactions involving the exchange and recycling of neutrals and ions among the solar wind, magnetosphere, and regolith. The electrodynamics of Mercury’s magnetosphere are expected to be equally complex, with strong forcing by the solar wind, magnetic reconnection, and pick-up of planetary ions all playing roles in the generation of field-aligned electric currents. However, these field-aligned currents do not close in an ionosphere, but in some other manner. In addition to the insights into magnetospheric physics offered by study of the solar wind-Mercury system, quantitative specification of the “external” magnetic field generated by magnetospheric currents is necessary for accurate determination of the strength and multipolar decomposition of Mercury’s intrinsic magnetic field. MESSENGER’S highly capable instrumentation and broad orbital coverage will greatly advance our understanding of both the origin of Mercury’s magnetic field and the acceleration of charged particles in small magnetospheres. In this article, we review what is known about Mercury’s magnetosphere and describe the MESSENGER science team’s strategy for obtaining answers to the outstanding science questions surrounding the interaction of the solar wind with Mercury and its small, but dynamic, magnetosphere.

The IMPACT (In situ Measurements of Particles And CME Transients) investigation on the STEREO mission was designed and developed to provide multipoint solar wind and suprathermal electron, interplanetary magnetic field, and solar energetic particle information required to unravel the nature of coronal mass ejections and their heliospheric consequences. IMPACT consists of seven individual sensors which are packaged into a boom suite, and a SEP suite. This review summarizes the science objectives of IMPACT, the instruments that comprise the IMPACT investigation, the accommodation of IMPACT on the STEREO twin spacecraft, and the overall data products that will flow from the IMPACT measurements. Accompanying papers in this volume of Space Science Reviews highlight the individual sensor technical details and capabilities, STEREO project plans for the use of IMPACT data, and modeling activities for IMPACT (and other STEREO) data interpretation.

International audience; The MAVEN spacecraft launched in November 2013, arrived at Mars in September 2014, and completed commissioning and began its one-Earth-year primary science mission in November 2014. The orbiter’s science objectives are to explore the interactions of the Sun and the solar wind with the Mars magnetosphere and upper atmosphere, to determine the structure of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere and the processes controlling it, to determine the escape rates from the upper atmosphere to space at the present epoch, and to measure properties that allow us to extrapolate these escape rates into the past to determine the total loss of atmospheric gas to space through time. These results will allow us to determine the importance of loss to space in changing the Mars climate and atmosphere through time, thereby providing important boundary conditions on the history of the habitability of Mars. The MAVEN spacecraft contains eight science instruments (with nine sensors) that measure the energy and particle input from the Sun into the Mars upper atmosphere, the response of the upper atmosphere to that input, and the resulting escape of gas to space. In addition, it contains an Electra relay that will allow it to relay commands and data between spacecraft on the surface and Earth.

A total of about of 400 orbits during the first year of the ASPERA-3 operation onboard the Mars Express spacecraft were analyzed to obtain a statistical pattern of the main plasma domains in the Martian space environment. The environment is controlled by the direct interaction between the solar wind and the planetary exosphere/ionosphere which results in the formation of the magnetospheric cavity. Ionospheric plasma was traced by the characteristic “spectral lines” of photoelectrons that make it possible to detect an ionospheric component even far from the planet. Plasma of solar wind and planetary origin was distinguished by the ion mass spectrometry. Several different regions, namely, boundary layer/mantle, plasma sheet, region with ionospheric photoelectrons, ray-like structures near the wake boundary were identified. Upstream parameters like solar wind ram pressure and the direction of the interplanetary electric field were inferred as proxy from the Mars Global Surveyor magnetic field data at a reference point of the magnetic pile up region in the northern dayside hemisphere. It is shown that morphology and dynamics of the main plasma domains and their boundaries are governed by these factors as well as by local crustal magnetizations which add complexity and variability to the plasma and magnetic field environment.

The spacecraft Voyager 1 crossed the termination shock on 2004 December 16 at a distance of 94 AU from the Sun, and it has been moving through the heliosheath toward the interstellar medium since then. The distributions of magnetic field strength B observed in the heliosheath are Gaussian over a wide range of scales, yet the measured profile appears to be filamentary with occasional large jumps in the magnetic field strength B(t). All of the probability distributions of changes in B, dBn ≡ B(t + τ) - B(t) on scales τ from 1 to 128 days, can be fit with the symmetric Tsallis distribution of nonextensive statistical mechanics. At scales ≥32 days, the distributions are Gaussian, but on scales from 1 through 16 days the probability distribution functions have non-Gaussian tails, suggesting that the inner heliosheath is not in statistical equilibrium on scales from 1 to 16 days.

Magnetic fields in the heliosheath were observed by Voyager 1 (V1) from 2004 DOY 352 to 2005 125, when V1 moved from 94.04 to 95.24 AU at 341N. The strongest fields (0.31 nT, observed on 2005 DOY 8-9, occurred in a narrow peak containing very large amplitude fluctuations. This peak was associated with a cusplike minimum in the flux of ions >0.5 MeV. The largest structure observed in the interval was a unipolar magnetic sector, which V1 entered on 2004 DOY 360 and exited on 2005 DOY 110. In the sector, the distribution functions of each of the three components of hour averages of B relative to their mean values were Gaussian; the widths of these distributions were all comparable, indicating that the fluctuations in B were nearly isotropic. The distribution of hour averages of the magnetic field strength B was also Gaussian in the sector. A high-resolution sample of turbulence in the sector shows that the fluctuations in both the magnitude and each of the components of the 48 s averages of B also have Gaussian distributions. The turbulence on this scale is compressible and isotropic relative to the mean B. This sample of the turbulence contains ordered features, including magnetic holes. The leading sector boundary occurred within an 18 hr interval on 2004 DOY 360. The trailing sector boundary occurred within a ≈14 hr interval on 2005 DOY 110-111, beginning with a very narrow (≈20 minutes) "D-sheet" (consistent with magnetic reconnection). Both sector boundaries were associated with large variations in B, including magnetic holes and waves. There was a large, abrupt decrease in B from 0.14 to 0.05 nT across the trailing sector boundary, and a region with low values of B (≈0.05 nT) moved past V1 for more than 15 days following the sector boundary.

A great many Martian bow shock and magnetic pile-up boundary crossings have been identified in the Phobos 2 and Mars Global Surveyor, MGS, data. From these observations the positions and shapes of the bow shock and magnetic pile-up boundary, MPB, have been derived and modelled, using curve-fitting techniques. The models thus derived separately from the Phobos 2 and MGS data sets do not differ drastically, despite the different time and space data coverages. The purpose of the paper is therefore to show the results obtained from the mixing of the Phobos 2 and MGS data bases and to compare the derived bow shock and MPB models with the ones obtained previously. The underlying objective was to see whether it was possible to determine improved bow shock and MPB models or not. The answer is definitely yes, and particularly for the MPB, thanks to the complementary nature of the observations. The boundaries crossed close to the subsolar direction or mostly far downstream by Phobos 2 indeed allow a better coverage of the Martian space environment to be considered. Nevertheless, in order to reduce the domination of the overabundant MGS data set and/or the crossings that are close to Mars (x>−4 RM, i.e. x>−13 562 km) weighting factors have been introduced.

Thermally acquired remanent magnetization is important for the estimation of the past magnetic field present at the time of cooling. Rocks that cool slowly commonly contain magnetic grains of millimeter scale. This study investigated 1-mm-sized magnetic minerals of iron, iron–nickel, magnetite, and hematite and concluded that the thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) acquired by these grains did not accurately record the ambient magnetic fields less than 1 μT. Instead, the TRM of these grains fluctuated around a constant value. Consequently, the magnetic grain ability to record the ambient field accurately is reduced. Above the critical field, TRM acquisition is governed by an empirical law and is proportional to saturation magnetization ( M s ). The efficiency of TRM is inversely proportional to the mineral's saturation magnetization M s and is related to the number of domains in the magnetic grains. The absolute field for which we have an onset of TRM sensitivity is inversely proportional to the size of the magnetic grain. These results have implications for previous reports of random directions in meteorites during alternating field demagnetization, or thermal demagnetization of TRM. Extraterrestrial magnetic fields in our solar system are weaker than the geomagnetic field by several orders of magnitude. Extraterrestrial rocks commonly contain large iron-based magnetic minerals as a common part of their composition, and therefore ignoring this behavior of multidomain grains can result in erroneous paleofield estimates.

The observations of the magnetometer/electron reflectometer (MAG/ER) investigation onboard the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) have greatly contributed to improve our understanding of the interaction of the solar wind with Mars. These observations established conclusively that a global dynamo-generated magnetic field does not exist at Mars, and that the interaction with solar wind is of the atmospheric type. This article reviews the most important results obtained from MGS MAG/ER on the study of two major features in the Mars solar wind interaction. The first feature is the occurrence of large-amplitude, highly coherent waves at the proton cyclotron frequency in the region upstream from the Martian bow shock. The second feature is the magnetic pileup boundary (MPB), a well-defined plasma boundary inside of which the planetary exospheric ions outnumber the solar wind ions. The study of these two elements is crucial to characterize the properties of the Martian exosphere. In addition, the occurrence of an MPB at comets and Venus reveals common processes to all these unmagnetized atmospheric bodies in spite of their different physical nature and characteristic scales.

Mars currently has no global magnetic field of internal origin but must have had one in the past, when the crust acquired intense magnetization, presumably by cooling in the presence of an Earth-like magnetic field (thermoremanent magnetization). A new map of the magnetic field of Mars, compiled by using measurements acquired at an ≈400-km mapping altitude by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, is presented here. The increased spatial resolution and sensitivity of this map provide new insight into the origin and evolution of the Mars crust. Variations in the crustal magnetic field appear in association with major faults, some previously identified in imagery and topography (Cerberus Rupes and Valles Marineris). Two parallel great faults are identified in Terra Meridiani by offset magnetic field contours. They appear similar to transform faults that occur in oceanic crust on Earth, and support the notion that the Mars crust formed during an early era of plate tectonics.

We examined interplanetary (IP) magnetic field disturbances recorded by the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous-Shoemaker spacecraft (NEAR) when it was above either the east or west solar limb as seen from Earth; we then identified the associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) detected above the limbs by the SOHO LASCO coronagraph. We found 10 cases in which a nonrecurring IP disturbance could be associated with a CME. Eight of the disturbances included a magnetic flux rope signature. Flux rope chirality and axis orientation were determined for each one and compared with chirality and axis orientation at the Sun, as inferred from flux rope signatures—filaments and sigmoids—that could be associated with the CMEs. In most cases, the chirality and orientation inferred from these preeruption flux rope signatures agreed well with the flux rope signatures at NEAR. These results suggest, in agreement with Plunkett and coworkers, that the flux ropes existed prior to eruption and that the flux ropes on the Sun become flux ropes in IP space. Comparisons of the CME speeds to the time-of-flight average speeds showed that flux ropes are less accelerated or decelerated by the solar wind than are the CME leading edges. These results imply that the faint features or loops that make up the CME leading edges are probably distinct from the flux ropes.

Early in the history of planetary evolution portions of Martian crust became magnetized by dynamo-generated magnetic field. A lateral distribution of the secondary magnetic field generated by crustal remanent sources containing magnetic carriers of certain grain size and mineralogy is able to produce an ambient magnetic field of larger intensity than preexisting dynamo. This ambient field is capable of magnetizing portions of deeper crust that cools through its blocking temperatures in an absence of dynamo. We consider both magnetite (Fe3O4) and hematite (α-Fe2O3) as minerals contributing to the overall magnetization. Analysis of magnetization of magnetic minerals of various grain size and concentration reveals that magnetite grains less than 0.01 mm in size, and hematite grains larger than 0.01 mm in size can become effective magnetic source capable of magnetizing magnetic minerals contained in surrounding volume. Preexisting crustal remanence (for example ∼250 A/m relates to 25% of multi-domain hematite) can trigger a self-magnetizing process that can continue in the absence of magnetic dynamo and continue strengthening and/or weakening magnetic anomalies on Mars. Thickness of the primary magnetic layer and concentration of magnetic carriers allow specification of the temperature gradient required to trigger a self-magnetization process.

During the first 1.5 years of an ongoing successful mission, the Mars Global Surveyor Magnetometer and Electron Reflectometer (MAG/ER) has provided unprecedented information on different boundaries and regions of the Mars–solar wind interaction. This article discusses the magnetic structure and variability of two major plasma boundaries: the bow shock and the magnetic pileup boundary (MPB). MAG/ER observations conclude that the Martian bow shock is a fast bow shock, strongly affected by kinetic effects. The Martian bow shock position is highly variable on the daily basis, but it does not depend on the solar cycle phase. In addition, the bow shock position shows a slight asymmetry related to the convection electric field but no evidence for influence by crustal fields has been found. The MPB is a permanent, well-defined plasma boundary which is characterized by strong changes in the magnetic field and drastic changes in the dominant ion population. Studies on the magnetic structure of the MPB from MGS MAG/ER have led to the conclusion that this boundary is a well-defined current sheet whose normal vector agrees with the normal to the fit obtained from Mars Global Surveyor crossings. Similar boundaries have been observed around Venus and comets, suggesting that the MPB could be a common feature for all atmospheric unmagnetized bodies. At Mars, the MPB position varies on the daily basis and correlates with the bow shock position. On the other hand, the MPB position does not seem to be influenced by the solar cycle, although a small north–south asymmetry in its position suggests a weak influence by crustal magnetic fields.

The in situ measurements of particles and CME transients (IMPACT) investigation on the twin STEREO spacecraft focuses on the solar energetic particle, solar wind and suprathermal electron, and magnetic field measurements needed to address STEREO’s goals. IMPACT will provide regular, identical, in situ multipoint measurements bracketing Earth as each spacecraft separates from it at a rate of ∼22°/yr along Earth’s orbit. Combined with the PLASTIC and SWAVES investigations, IMPACT fills a critical role in the STEREO quest to connect SECCHI’s 3D coronal images to their interplanetary consequences.

The strongest crustal magnetic fields at Mars are located in certain regions in the Southern hemisphere and lead to the formation of large-scale mini-magnetospheres. In the Northern hemisphere, the crustal fields are rather weak and usually do not prevent direct interaction between the SW and an ionosphere/atmosphere. Exceptions occur in the isolated mini-magnetospheres formed by the crustal anomalies. Electron density profiles derived from radio occultation data obtained by the Radio Science Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) experiment have been compared with the crustal magnetic fields measured by the MGS Magnetometer/Electron reflectometer (MAG/ER) experiment. The effective scale-height of the electron density for two altitude ranges, 145–165 km and 165–185 km have been derived for each of the profiles studied. For the regions outside of the mini-magnetospheres the thermal pressure of the ionospheric plasma for the altitude range 145–185 km has been derived. The pressure balance in the high latitude ionosphere at Mars has been studied. In the Northern hemisphere average pressure at the altitude 160 km p 160 is practically independent of SZA. In the Northern hemisphere B 2 /8π can exceed p 160 in half the cases at altitudes 170–180 km, and magnetic forces can drive effective convection. In large scale mini-magnetospheres in the Southern hemisphere the ratio H 145–165 / H 165–185 on average, larger and more variable than in the Northern hemisphere. This suggests that plasma convection at altitudes above 165 km is effective. Within the Martian mini-magnetospheres plasma convection has to be primarily a drift of charged particles across the strong crustal magnetic fields and in this regard Martian mini-magnetospheres are similar to the terrestrial magnetosphere.

We describe a universal linear relationship between the acquisition magnetic field, B, and thermoremanent magnetization Mtr(Tr) measured at room temperature Tr. The efficiency e(Tr) of a remanent magnetization (REM) is the ratio of the natural remanent magnetization Mnr(Tr) to the saturation remanence Jsr(Tr). We report a power law relationship with exponent related to Js(Tr) and unit slope indicating a linear relationship. Thus loge(Tr )o fMtr(Tr) in equidimensional-shaped magnetic minerals of contrasting saturation magnetization Js(Tr) plots linearly with the logarithm of the applied magnetic field B along separate grain-size-independent straight lines with nearly unit slope and offsets related to Js(Tr). This empirical relationship is well suited for paleofield-intensity estimation, predicts strong magnetization of hematite and pyrrhotite in weak fields, and can be used as an assessment tool for observed remanence in planetary and meteoritic objects.

The MESSENGER mission to Mercury, to be launched in 2004, will provide an opportunity to characterize Mercury's internal magnetic field during an orbital phase lasting one Earth year. To test the ability to determine the planetary dipole and higher-order moments from measurements by the spacecraft's fluxgate magnetometer, we simulate the observations along the spacecraft trajectory and recover the internal field characteristics from the simulated observations. The magnetic field inside Mercury's magnetosphere is assumed to consist of an intrinsic multipole component and an external contribution due to magnetospheric current systems described by a modified Tsyganenko 96 model. Under the axis-centered-dipole approximation without correction for the external field the moment strength is overestimated by ∼4% for a simulated dipole moment of 300 nT R M 3 , and the error depends strongly on the magnitude of the simulated moment, rising as the moment decreases. Correcting for the external field contributions can reduce the error in the dipole term to a lower limit of ∼1–2% without a solar wind monitor. Dipole and quadrupole terms, although highly correlated, are then distinguishable at the level equivalent to an error in the position of an offset dipole of a few tens of kilometers. Knowledge of the external magnetic field is therefore the primary limiting factor in extracting reliable knowledge of the structure of Mercury's magnetic field from the MESSENGER observations.

Mars Global Surveyor is the sixth spacecraft to return measurements of the Martian bow shock. The earlier missions were Mariner 4 (1964), Mars 2 and 3 (1972), Mars 5 (1975) and Phobos 2 (1989) (see reviews by Gringauz, 1981; Slavin and Holzer, 1982; Russell, 1985; Vaisberg, 1992a,b; Zakharov, 1992). Previous investigations of planetary bow shocks have established that their position, shape and jump conditions are functions of the upstream flow parameters and the nature of the solar wind — planet interaction (Spreiter and Stahara, 1980; Slavin et al., 1983; Russell, 1985). At Mars, however, the exact nature of the solar wind interaction was elusive due to the lack of low altitude plasma and magnetic field measurements (e.g., Axford, 1991). In fact our knowledge of the nature of the interaction of Mars with the solar wind was incomplete until the arrival of MGS and the acquisition of close-in magnetic field data (Acuna et al., 1998). As detailed by a series of review papers in this monograph, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission has now shown that the Mars environment is very complex with strong, highly structured crustal magnetic remnants in the southern hemisphere, while the northern hemisphere experiences the direct impingement of solar wind plasma. This review paper first presents a survey of the observations on the Martian bow shock and the upstream phenomena in the light of results from all the missions to date. It also discusses the kinetic properties of the Martian bow shock compared to the predictions of simulations studies. Then it examines the current status of understanding of these phenomena, including the possible sources of upstream low-frequency waves and the interpretations of localized disturbances in the upstream solar wind around Mars. Finally, it briefly discusses the open issues and questions that require further study.

Mars lacks a detectable magnetic field of global scale, but boasts a rich spectrum of magnetic fields at smaller spatial scales attributed to the spatial variation of remanent magnetism in the crust. On average the Mars crust is 10 times more intensely magnetized than that of the Earth. It appears likely that the Mars crust acquired its remanence in the first few hundred million years of evolution when an active dynamo sustained an intense global field. An early dynamo era, ending in the Noachian, or earliest period of Mars chronology, would likely be driven by thermal convection in an early, hot, fluid core. If crustal remanence was acquired later in Mars history, a dynamo driven by chemical convection associated with the solidification of an inner core is likely. Thermal evolution models cannot yet distinguish between these two possibilities. The magnetic record contains a wealth of information on the thermal evolution of Mars and the Mars dynamo, but we have just begun to decipher its message.

We examine the magnetic field in the martian magnetosheath due to solar wind draping. Mars Global Surveyor provided 3-D vector magnetic field measurements at a large range of altitudes, local times, and solar zenith angles as the spacecraft orbit evolved. We choose orbits with very clean signatures of draping to establish the nominal morphology of the magnetic field lines at local times of near-subsolar and near-terminator. Next, using a compilation of data from Mars Global Surveyor, we determine the average magnetic field morphology in the martian magnetosheath due to the solar wind interaction. The topology of the field is as expected from previous observations and predictions. The magnetic field magnitude peaks at low altitude and noon magnetic local time and decreases away from that point. The magnetic field has an inclination from the local horizontal of 5.6° on average in the dayside magnetosheath and 12.5° on the nightside. The inclination angle is closest to zero at noon magnetic local time and low altitude. It increases both upward and to later local times. The magnetic field in the induced magnetotail flares out from the Mars—Sun direction by 21°. Finally, we compare the observations to gasdynamic model predictions and find that the shocked solar wind flow in the martian magnetosheath can be treated as a gasdynamic flow with the magnetic pileup boundary as the inner boundary to the flow.

International audience; DYNAMO is a small multi-instrument payload aimed at characterizing current atmospheric escape, which is still poorly constrained, and improving gravity and magnetic field representations, in order to better understand the magnetic, geologic and thermal history of Mars. The internal structure and evolution of Mars is thought to have influenced climate evolution. The collapse of the primitive magnetosphere early in Mars history could have enhanced atmospheric escape and favored transition to the present arid climate. These objectives are achieved by using a low periapsis orbit. DYNAMO has been proposed in response to the AO released in February 2002 for instruments to be flown as a complementary payload onboard the CNES Orbiter to Mars (MO-07), foreseen to be launched in 2007 in the framework of the French PREMIER Mars exploration program. MO-07 orbital phase 2b (with an elliptical orbit of periapsis 170 km), and in a lesser extent 2a, offers an unprecedented opportunity to investigate by in situ probing the chemical and dynamical properties of the deep ionosphere, thermosphere, and the interaction between the atmosphere and the solar wind, and therefore the present atmospheric escape rate. Ultraviolet remote sensing is an essential complement to characterize high, tenuous, layers of the atmosphere. One Martian year of operation, with about 5,000 low passes, should allow DYNAMO to map in great detail the residual magnetic field, together with the gravity field. Additional data on the internal structure will be obtained by mapping the electric conductivity, sinergistically with the NETLANDER magnetic data. Three options have been recommended by the International Science and Technical Review Board (ISTRB), who met on July 1st and 2nd, 2002. One of them is centered on DYNAMO. The final choice, which should be made before the end of 2002, will depend on available funding resources at CNES.

The origin of the anisotropy in the shape of the Martian obstacle and bow shock is analyzed using Mars Global Surveyor observations. The influence of MHD or ion pick-up effects on Martian obstacle position was to be small found, however, localized Martian crustal magnetization increases the thickness of the downstream planetary magnetotail by 500–1000 km in agreement with earlier Phobos 2 observations. A new analytical model is presented for Martian obstacle shape variation for different solar wind ram pressure. Elongation of the Martian BS cross-section in the direction perpendicular to IMF was confirmed while the shift of this cross section in the + Y direction of Martian interplanetary medium reference frame was discovered. The shift of BS cross section in the direction of interplanetary electric field was not revealed thus not conforming the idea that mass-loading play some role in BS control.

A search for ULF waves associated with pickup ions was undertaken for Venus and for Mars. The Pioneer Venus Orbital Plasma Analyzer (OPA) measurements of ion energy per unit charge spectra provided signatures of the probable presence of pick-up ions. At the locations of these energetic ion signatures we derived power spectra and propagation characteristics of structures in the local magnetic field from measurements by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter Magnetometer. Some of these features are characteristic of effects previously identified in the ionosheath of Venus, analogous to wave activity properties in the Earth’s magnetosheath. However, for the first time examples have been found at Venus of ULF waves near the ion gyrofrequencies in the ionosheath and in the far magnetic tail. Both linear and elliptically polarized waves are found in the vicinity of ion pickup detections. The signatures of these features are presented using one orbit of Pioneer Venus Orbiter data. The same wave analysis techniques are applied to the magnetic field data measured on one characteristic orbit from the Mars Global Surveyor Magnetometer. This is used to demonstrate how a comparative analysis of the two planets can be useful.

The magnetic pileup boundary (MPB) is a sharp, thin, and permanent plasma boundary reported, up to now, at comets and Mars, and located between the bow shock and the ionospheric boundary. The MPB separates the magnetosheath, a region with high wave activity, from the magnetic pileup region, where the interplanetary magnetic field piles up regularly in front of the planetary obstacle. We use magnetic field and electron plasma measurements from the MAG/ER experiment onboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft to study two characteristic features of the MPB. The first feature is the sudden enhancement of the magnetic field line draping at the MPB. This new signature reveals that the MPB marks the entry into the veritable induced magnetosphere, where the magnetic field topology is more regular, in opposition to what is observed in the magnetosheath. Secondly, we study the properties and the occurrence of compressive, linearly polarized, low frequency waves, frequently observed on both sides of the boundary. An analysis of the correlation between the magnetic and the electron data reveals that on the upstream side the waves are mirror mode waves, while on the downstream side they are large amplitude, quasi-monochromatic fast magnetosonic waves. The presence of these features at other atmospheric, unmagnetized bodies can be used as indicators of the existence of a MPB.

The solar wind interaction with the asteroid 433 Eros is investigated using magnetometer data from the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft. From February 2000 to February 2001 NEAR-Shoemaker orbited Eros in nearly circular orbits having radii of 200, 100, 50 and 35 km. Since no signature of an intrinsic asteroidal magnetic field was detected at Eros, the obstacle to the solar wind flow is the size of the asteroid, 34×14 km2, smaller than ion scale lengths in the solar wind, so any electromagnetic solar wind interaction would be mediated by electron whistler waves. To search for interaction wake signatures the magnetic field data are organized by proximity to the expected location of a whistler wave wake. Distributions were constructed of average field magnitude and direction relative to the spacecraft-asteroid and sunward directions, fluctuation amplitudes parallel and transverse to the average field, and transverse fluctuation polarization. A weak (∼1%) enhancement in field intensity is suggested near the wake region but the signature is smaller than the statistical uncertainties of the observations. No signature of an average field orientation indicative of a bow wave is found. Fluctuations are primarily transverse consistent with Alfvenic turbulence, and display a small difference with proximity to the expected whistler wake region. However, the fluctuations are consistently slightly left handed, consistent with known properties of the IMF and opposite from expectations for whistler wave polarization. The results demonstrate that no whistler-mode interaction occurs in the absence of an asteroidal magnetic field.

The general characteristics and system level concepts for space-based magnetometers are presented to illustrate the instruments, principles, and tools involved in making accurate magnetic field measurements in space. Special consideration is given to the most important practical problems that need to be solved to ensure the accuracy of the measurements and their overall impact on system design and mission costs. Several types of instruments used to measure magnetic fields aboard spacecraft and their capabilities and limitations are described according to whether they measure scalar or vector fields. The very large dynamic range associated with magnetic fields of natural origin generally dictates the use of optimized designs for each particular space mission although some wide-range, multimission magnetometers have been developed and used. Earth-field magnetic mapping missions are the most demanding in terms of absolute accuracy and resolution, approaching

The Magnetometer experiment (MAG) onboard the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft detected no global scale magnetization and established a maximum magnetization of (2.1x10^(-6) Am^2 kg^(-1)) for asteroid 433 Eros. This is in sharp contrast with the estimated magnetization of other S-class asteroids (Gaspra ~ 2.4 x 10^(-2) Am^2 kg^(-1), Braille ~ 2.8 x 10^(-2) Am^2 kg^(-1) and is below published values for all types of ordinary chondrites. This includes the L/LL types considered to most closely match 433 Eros based on preliminary interpretations of NEAR remote geochemical experiments. The ordinary chondrite meteorite magnetization intensity data was reviewed in order to assess the reasonableness of an asteroid - meteorite match based on magnetic property measurements. NRM (natural remanent magnetization) intensities for the ordinary chondrite meteorites show at least a 2 order of magnitude range within each of the H,L,LL groups, all well above the 2.1 x10^(-6) Am^2 kg^(-1) level for 433 Eros. The REM values (ratio of the NRM to the SIRM (saturation remanent magnetization)) range over 3 orders of magnitude for all chondrite groups indicating no clear relationship between NRM and the amount of magnetic material. Levels of magnetic noise in chondrite meteorites can be as much as 70% or more of the NRM. Consequently published values of the NRM should be considered suspect unless careful evaluation of the noise sources is done. Goddard studies of per unit mass intensities in large (> 10,000gm) and small (down to

The planets Mars and Venus, because of their weak global magnetic fields, have small-scale magnetosheaths amenable to detailed analysis and model comparisons. In this paper we examine some of the similarities and contrasts between the Venus and Mars cases based on Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) magnetometer observations from the PVO prime mission, and Mars Global Surveyor magnetometer observations obtained during the MGS Science Phasing Orbits (March–September, 1998). The combination of a mass-loaded magnetohydrodynamic magnetosheath model and a data-based model of the Martian crustal fields is used to illustrate the differences produced by the presence of the Martian crustal fields. While Venus at solar maximum exhibits a nearly classical magnetosheath formed by the solar wind interaction with a practically impenetrable blunt body, Mars in late 1998 represents a complicated obstacle whose own magnetic fields compromise this simplicity within at least several hundred km of the nominal obstacle boundary inferred from the bow shock position. In particular, the results suggest the presence of a thick inner magnetosheath boundary layer when the strong southern hemisphere crustal fields are located on the sunward hemisphere.

The magnetometer investigation aboard the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft has obtained extensive magnetic field observations throughout the 433 Eros environment, from distances in excess of 100,000 km to those conducted after landing on 12 February 2001. We report the apparent absence of global scale magnetization at this asteroid ( H −1 ; natural remanent magnetization per kilogram −6 A·m 2 ·kg −1 ), orders of magnitude less than the intense magnetization attributed to S-class asteroids Gaspra and Braille. The extremely low magnetization state of 433 Eros places this object significantly below the levels generally associated with LL chondrites and undifferentiated primitive bodies, challenging our current understanding of the meteorite–asteroid connection.

Mercury holds answers to several critical questions regarding the formation and evolution of the terrestrial planets. These questions include the origin of Mercury's anomalously high ratio of metal to silicate and its implications for planetary accretion processes, the nature of Mercury's geological evolution and interior cooling history, the mechanism of global magnetic field generation, the state of Mercury's core, and the processes controlling volatile species in Mercury's polar deposits, exosphere, and magnetosphere. The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission has been designed to fly by and orbit Mercury to address all of these key questions. After launch by a Delta 2925H-9.5, two flybys of Venus, and two flybys of Mercury, orbit insertion is accomplished at the third Mercury encounter. The instrument payload includes a dual imaging system for wide and narrow fields-of-view, monochrome and color imaging, and stereo; X-ray and combined gamma-ray and neutron spectrometers for surface chemical mapping; a magnetometer; a laser altimeter; a combined ultraviolet–visible and visible-near-infrared spectrometer to survey both exospheric species and surface mineralogy; and an energetic particle and plasma spectrometer to sample charged species in the magnetosphere. During the flybys of Mercury, regions unexplored by Mariner 10 will be seen for the first time, and new data will be gathered on Mercury's exosphere, magnetosphere, and surface composition. During the orbital phase of the mission, one Earth year in duration, MESSENGER will complete global mapping and the detailed characterization of the exosphere, magnetosphere, surface, and interior.

The MErcury, Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission will send the first spacecraft to orbit the planet Mercury. A miniaturized set of seven instruments, along with the spacecraft telecommunications system, provide the means of achieving the scientific objectives that motivate the mission. The payload includes a combined wide- and narrow-angle imaging system; γ-ray, neutron, and X-ray spectrometers for remote geochemical sensing; a vector magnetometer; a laser altimeter; a combined ultraviolet-visible and visible-infrared spectrometer to detect atmospheric species and map mineralogical absorption features; and an energetic particle and plasma spectrometer to characterize ionized species in the magnetosphere.

The Bastille Day magnetic cloud in July 2000 occurred with NEAR in conjunction with the Earth at a radial distance of 1.76 AU and 1.9° from the Earth-Sun line. Propagation time from ACE at 0.99 AU to NEAR indicates the cloud did not decelerate significantly between the Earth and 1.76 AU. Using a non-force-free, kinematic flux rope model we find the rope contained 130 TWb of magnetic flux, was oriented with clock and cone angles of 50° and 83°, and had a radius of 0.25 AU at ACE. At NEAR its radius had expanded to 0.43 AU. Simultaneous modeling of ACE and NEAR data indicate the axial and poloidal magnetic fields vary as R−1.4 and R−1.2 where R is heliocentric distance. Magnetosheath thicknesses of 0.14 AU and 0.23 AU indicate the rope cross section is elongated normal to the cloud axis and the radial direction.