Journal article
New Observations of an Extended Hall Interaction Region Downstream of Lunar Crustal Magnetic Fields
The Astrophysical journal, Vol.999(2), 155
03/10/2026
DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae3950
Abstract
The lunar surface exhibits small-scale crustal magnetic fields that can give rise to various interactions when subjected to the incident solar wind plasma. These lunar crustal magnetic fields exhibit scale lengths that are much smaller than the typical convected ion gyroradius within the solar wind, leading to an effective demagnetization of the ions. Thus, these lunar crustal magnetic fields provide a natural environment within which Hall electric fields and various current structures may be generated. This study reports observations from THEMIS–ARTEMIS during a periselene of 14 km to the lunar surface and examines the plasma environment within the vicinity of various crustal magnetic fields. The reported observations suggest a Hall interaction region that extends downstream of prominent regions of crustal magnetization. Within these extended interaction regions we report a Hall electric field of 2–3 mV m −1 and oriented upward and sunward, as well as a northward current carried by southward ExB drifting electrons. Lastly, Hall electric fields were observed above the lunar crustal magnetic fields oriented downward and antisunward, as well as parallel currents directed toward the lunar surface, and were consistently observed when the magnetic footpoint was within the cusp region.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- New Observations of an Extended Hall Interaction Region Downstream of Lunar Crustal Magnetic Fields
- Creators
- Rhyan Sawyer - University of IowaJasper Halekas - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Astrophysical journal, Vol.999(2), 155
- DOI
- 10.3847/1538-4357/ae3950
- ISSN
- 0004-637X
- eISSN
- 1538-4357
- Publisher
- IOP
- Grant note
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): NAS5-02099 NASA divided by Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI): 80NSSC20M0022
Research at the University of Iowa was funded by NASA through NASA contract NAS5-02099 and the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (80NSSC20M0022). We acknowledge NASA contract NAS5-02099 and V. Angelopoulos for use of data from the THEMIS Mission. Specifically: J. W. Bonnell and F. S. Mozer for use of EFI data, C. W. Carlson and J. P. McFadden for use of ESA data, and K. H. Glassmeier, U. Auster, and W. Baumjohann for the use of FGM data provided under the lead of the Technical University of Braunschweig and with financial support through the German Ministry for Economy and Technology and the German Center for Aviation and Space (DLR) under contract 50 OC 0302.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/10/2026
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9985141988502771
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