Determining Optimal Parameters for Mercury’s Magnetospheric Current Systems from MESSENGER Observations

We use a paraboloid model of Mercury’s magnetosphere and magnetometer data from the MESSEN-GER spacecraft obtained in April 2011 to determine the optimal parameters of Mercury’s magnetospheric current systems, in the sense that they yield the smallest discrepancy (less than 10 nT) between model predictions and measurements. The obtained model data are compared with experimental data and the KT17 model of Mercury’s magnetospheric magnetic field.