First in situ observation of the Moon-originating ions in the Earth's Magnetosphere by MAP-PACE on SELENE (KAGUYA)

doi:doi:10.1029/2009GL040682

Abstract

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 36, L22106, 5 PP., 2009
doi:10.1029/2009GL040682

First in situ observation of the Moon-originating ions in the Earth's Magnetosphere by MAP-PACE on SELENE (KAGUYA)

Takaaki Tanaka

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan

Yoshifumi Saito

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan

Shoichiro Yokota

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan

Kazushi Asamura

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan

Masaki N. Nishino

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan

Hideo Tsunakawa

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan

Hidetoshi Shibuya

Department of Earth Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Masaki Matsushima

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan

Hisayoshi Shimizu

Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Futoshi Takahashi

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan

Masaki Fujimoto

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan

Toshifumi Mukai

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan

Toshio Terasawa

Department of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan

In contrast to many ground-based optical observations of the thin lunar alkali exosphere, in situ observations of the exospheric ions by satellite-borne plasma instruments have been quite rare. MAP-PACE-IMA onboard Japanese lunar orbiter SELENE (KAGUYA) succeeded in detecting Moon originating ions at 100 km altitude. Here we make the first report of the ion detection during intervals when the Moon was embedded in the Earth's magnetotail lobe. In the absence of plasma effects on the source process, ion species of H⁺, He⁺⁺, He⁺, C⁺, O⁺, Na⁺, K⁺ and Ar⁺ are definitively identified. The ion fluxes were higher when the solar zenith angle was smaller, which is consistent with the idea that the solar photon driven processes dominates in supplying exospheric components.

Received 24 August 2009; accepted 7 October 2009; published 25 November 2009.

Citation: Tanaka, T., et al. (2009), First in situ observation of the Moon-originating ions in the Earth's Magnetosphere by MAP-PACE on SELENE (KAGUYA), Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L22106, doi:10.1029/2009GL040682.

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