Abstract
AbstractIn order to study the acceleration of ions originating from the tenuous exosphere and surface of the Moon, we analyzed data from the ElectroStatic Analyzer (ESA) and Flux Gate Magnetometer (FGM) carried by the Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) spacecraft. Previous investigations have modeled the acceleration of lunar ions by the motional electric field of the surrounding plasma. However, in the terrestrial magnetotail, where the lunar ion density can equal or even exceed the ambient plasma density, other forces may play an important role in the tenuous plasma environment. Determining what forces govern lunar ion motion is important in understanding their interaction with the ambient plasma in the unique environment of the magnetotail. Based on a detailed analysis of two individual ARTEMIS observations, we find that magnetic pressure and magnetic tension forces may play an important role in accelerating the lunar ions.
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