First Results from ARTEMIS, a New Two-Spacecraft Lunar Mission: Counter-Streaming Plasma Populations in the Lunar Wake

J. S Halekas; V Angelopoulos; D. G Sibeck; K. K Khurana; C. T Russell; G. T Delory; W. M Farrell; J. P McFadden; J. W Bonnell; D Larson; R. E Ergun; F Plaschke; K. H Glassmeier

doi:10.1007/s11214-010-9738-8

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First Results from ARTEMIS, a New Two-Spacecraft Lunar Mission: Counter-Streaming Plasma Populations in the Lunar Wake

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First Results from ARTEMIS, a New Two-Spacecraft Lunar Mission: Counter-Streaming Plasma Populations in the Lunar Wake

J. S Halekas, V Angelopoulos, D. G Sibeck, K. K Khurana, C. T Russell, G. T Delory, W. M Farrell, J. P McFadden, J. W Bonnell, D Larson, …

Space science reviews, Vol.165(1-4), pp.93-107

01/20/2011

DOI: 10.1007/s11214-010-9738-8

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Abstract

We present observations from the first passage through the lunar plasma wake by one of two spacecraft comprising ARTEMIS (Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of the Moon’s Interaction with the Sun), a new lunar mission that re-tasks two of five probes from the THEMIS magnetospheric mission. On Feb 13, 2010, ARTEMIS probe P1 passed through the wake at ∼3.5 lunar radii downstream from the Moon, in a region between those explored by Wind and the Lunar Prospector, Kaguya, Chandrayaan, and Chang’E missions. ARTEMIS observed interpenetrating proton, alpha particle, and electron populations refilling the wake along magnetic field lines from both flanks. The characteristics of these distributions match expectations from self-similar models of plasma expansion into vacuum, with an asymmetric character likely driven by a combination of a tilted interplanetary magnetic field and an anisotropic incident solar wind electron population. On this flyby, ARTEMIS provided unprecedented measurements of the interpenetrating beams of both electrons and ions naturally produced by the filtration and acceleration effects of electric fields set up during the refilling process. ARTEMIS also measured electrostatic oscillations closely correlated with counter-streaming electron beams in the wake, as previously hypothesized but never before directly measured. These observations demonstrate the capability of the comprehensively instrumented ARTEMIS spacecraft and the potential for new lunar science from this unique two spacecraft constellation.

Physics

Planetology

Aerospace Technology and Astronautics

Article

Astrophysics and Astroparticles

Physics and Astronomy

Space Exploration and Astronautics

Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics

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Title: Subtitle: First Results from ARTEMIS, a New Two-Spacecraft Lunar Mission: Counter-Streaming Plasma Populations in the Lunar Wake
Creators: J. S Halekas - University of California, Berkeley
V Angelopoulos - University of California, Los Angeles
D. G Sibeck - Goddard Space Flight Center
K. K Khurana - University of California, Los Angeles
C. T Russell - University of California, Los Angeles
G. T Delory - University of California, Berkeley
W. M Farrell - Ames Research Center
J. P McFadden - University of California, Berkeley
J. W Bonnell - University of California, Berkeley
D Larson - University of California, Berkeley
R. E Ergun - University of Colorado Boulder
F Plaschke - Technische Universität Braunschweig
K. H Glassmeier - Technische Universität Braunschweig
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Space science reviews, Vol.165(1-4), pp.93-107
DOI: 10.1007/s11214-010-9738-8
ISSN: 0038-6308
eISSN: 1572-9672
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Language: English
Date published: 01/20/2011
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984200040602771

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