Magnetic storms found on Mercury

Scientists have proven that geomagnetic disturbances occur on Mercury, the smallest planet in our solar system.

storms similar to those on Earth. They noted that this phenomenon also occurs on other planets, including outside the Solar System, and it does not depend on the size of the body, the magnetosphere, or the presence of the ionosphere.

The first of these works proved that on the planetthere is a ring current, which is a field of charged particles. The second proved the existence of geomagnetic storms caused by ring current. “These processes are very similar to those on Earth,” the researchers noted. “The main differences are in the size of the planet, and also in the fact that Mercury has a weak magnetic field and almost no atmosphere.”

Confirmation of geomagnetic storms on Mercuryobtained from a study made possible by a coincidence: a series of coronal mass ejections on the Sun on April 8-18, 2015 and the completion of the NASA Messenger space probe, which was launched in 2004 and crashed into the surface of the planet on April 30, 2015, when expected the end of his mission.

The coronal mass ejection that occurred on April 14turned out to be key for scientists. He compressed the ring current of Mercury from the side facing the Sun and increased its energy. A new analysis of data from the Messenger, which descended closer to the planet, showed "the presence of an intensification of the ring current, which is necessary to trigger magnetic storms," ​​the article notes.

A geomagnetic storm is a strong disturbance in the planet's magnetosphere caused by the transfer of energy from the solar wind. Such storms in the Earth's magnetosphere can disrupt radio communications.

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