Neutral atom imaging at Mercury
Neutral atom imaging at Mercury
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DOI：
10.1016/j.pss.2005.02.009
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发表时间：
2006-02-01
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
De Angelis, E
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Mura, A;Orsini, S;De Angelis, E
本研究讨论了Hermean环境中中性原子检测和成像的可行性。特别是，我们认为这些高能中性原子（ENA）的排放直接关系到太阳风进入水星的磁层。事实上，这种环境的特点是磁场很弱;因此，如果与地球相比，尖点区域非常大，预计那里会有强烈的质子通量。我们的研究包括H+在空间，能量和俯仰角的分布模型，通过单粒子，蒙特-卡罗模拟模拟。在可能产生中性原子发射的过程中，我们把注意力集中在电荷交换和离子溅射上，原则上，它们能够产生定向的ENA通量。模拟中性原子图像的中性粒子分析仪-离子光谱仪（NPA-IS）SERENA实验的框架内进行了研究，建议搭载欧空局使命BepiColombo/MPO飞行。ELENA（发射低能中性原子）单位，这是本实验的一部分，将能够检测到这样的通量;仪器的细节和预测的计数率。(c)2005爱思唯尔有限公司保留所有权利。
The feasibility of neutral atom detection and imaging in the Hermean environment is discussed in this study. In particular, we consider those energetic neutral atoms (ENA) whose emission is directly related to solar wind entrance into Mercury's magnetosphere. In fact, this environment is characterised by a weak magnetic field; thus, cusp regions are extremely large if compared to the Earth's ones, and intense proton fluxes are expected there. Our study includes a model of H+ distribution in space, energy and pitch angle, simulated by means of a single-particle, Monte-Carlo simulation. Among processes that could generate neutral atom emission, we focus our attention on charge-exchange and ion sputtering, which, in principle, are able to produce directional ENA fluxes. Simulated neutral atom images are investigated in the frame of the neutral particle analyser-ion spectrometer (NPA-IS) SERENA experiment, proposed to fly on board the ESA mission BepiColombo/MPO. The ELENA (emitted low-energy neutral atoms) unit, which is part of this experiment, will be able to detect such fluxes; instrumental details and predicted count rates are given. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.