A short discussion is provided on the hypothesis of strange quark dust of low specific charge in the terrestrial magnetosphere. We suggest by means of rough estimates the possible existence of a strangelet belt in the magnetosphere. PACS: xx.xx.Let1let2, xx.xx.Let1let2

The Earth’s magnetic field creates a cavity in interplanetary space, called the magnetosphere. Physical processes in this region of space determine how mass and energy from the solar wind reach the ionosphere, the partially ionized upper atmosphere. Magnetosphere and ionosphere are strongly coupled. Together, they modulate the impacts of solar activity on man and technology. This paper presents...

Chul H. Lee and Hyun Kyu Lee Department of Physics, Hanyang University, Seoul, 133-791, KOREA Abstract A fully general relativistic description of the pulsar magnetosphere is provided. To be more concrete, a study of the pulsar magnetosphere is performed in the context of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) employing the so-called Grad-Shafranov approach. Not surprisingly, the resul...

MEFISTO, together with the companion instrument WPT, are planning the first-ever in situ measurements of the electric field in the magnetosphere of planet Mercury. The instruments have been selected by JAXA for inclusion in the BepiColombo/MMO payload, as part of the Plasma Wave Investigation coordinated by Kyoto University. The magnetosphere of Mercury was discovered by Mariner 10 in 1974 and ...

Using the recently developed PPMLR-MHD code, we present 3D global simulation of the interaction of the interplanetary (IP) shock with the magnetosphere with emphasis on the the effect of shock orientation. We investigate its impact on the sudden commencement (SC) of geomagnetic storms and the magnetospheric responses. Generally speaking, a highly oblique shock causes asymmetric compression of t...

The sawtooth mode of convection of Earth's magnetosphere is a 2- to 4-hour planetary-scale oscillation powered by the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere (SW-M-I) interaction. Using global simulations of geospace, we have shown that ionospheric O(+) outflows can generate sawtooth oscillations. As the outflowing ions fill the inner magnetosphere, their pressure distends the nightside magnetic fi...

It is proposed that there exists a class of pulsars, called weak pulsars, for which the large-scale magnetosphere, and hence the gamma-ray emission, are independent of the detailed pattern of plasma production. The weak pulsar magnetosphere and its gamma-ray emission are uniquely determined by just three parameters: spin, dipole, and the spin-dipole angle. We calculate this supposedly unique pu...

Titan is the only Moon in the Solar System with a significant permanent atmosphere. Within this nitrogen-methane atmosphere, an ionosphere forms. Titan has no significant magnetic dipole moment, and is usually located inside Saturn's magnetosphere. Atmospheric particles are ionized both by sunlight and by particles from Saturn's magnetosphere, mainly electrons, which reach the top of the atmosp...

Mercury’s comparatively weak intrinsic magnetic field and its close proximity to the Sun lead to a magnetosphere that undergoes more direct space-weathering interactions than other planets. A unique aspect of Mercury’s interaction system arises from the large ratio of the scale of the planet to the scale of the magnetosphere and the presence of a large-size core composed of highly conducting ma...

The Cassini spacecraft has been in orbit around Saturn since 30 June 2004, yielding a wealth of data about the Saturn system. This review focuses on the atmosphere and magnetosphere and briefly outlines the state of our knowledge after the Cassini prime mission. The mission has addressed a host of fundamental questions: What processes control the physics, chemistry, and dynamics of the atmosphe...