a Alfvén Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10044, Stockholm, Sweden
b William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75083, USA
Abstract:
Mercury has a small but intriguing magnetosphere. In this brief review, we discuss some similarities and differences between Mercury’s and Earth’s magnetospheres. In particular, we discuss how electric and magnetic field measurements can be used as a diagnostic tool to improve our understanding of the dynamics of Mercury’s magnetosphere. These points are of interest to the upcoming ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury.