Interactions between Mercury's surface and its dynamic space environment

该项目将有许多研究方向，包括：水星周围的高能粒子群：我们将重点关注信使号在与先前粒子诱导的x射线荧光观测磁共轭的区域进行的粒子和磁场测量，以了解导致x射线发射的粒子群。相关的实验室方案将包括利用MIXS地面真相设施，对地面汞表面类似物的x射线和粒子诱导x射线荧光进行表征。这样的分析是BepiColombo任务的重要前提，以确保MIXS仪器的最大科学回报。使用MESSENGER数据的水星磁层内的ULF波群：这些波的阻尼是由它们与绝缘的行星表面和高导电性的行星核心的相互作用决定的，在这里我们将首次关注它们的使用，作为地壳电学性质的诊断。

The project will have a number of research strands including:The energetic particle populations surrounding Mercury: We will focus on particle and magnetic field measurements taken by MESSENGER in regions magnetically conjugate to previous observations of particleinduced X-ray fluorescence, in order to understand the particle populations responsible for the X-ray emissions.An associated laboratory programme will include the characterisation of X-ray and particle-induced X-rayfluorescence from ground based Mercury surface analogues, using the MIXS ground truth facility. Such analysis is a vital precursor to the BepiColombo mission to ensure maximum science return from the MIXS instrumentThe ULF wave population within Mercury's magnetosphere using MESSENGER data: The damping of thesewaves is determined by their interaction with the insulating planetary surface and highly conducting planetary core, and here we will focus on their use, for the first time, as a diagnostic of crustal electrical properties.