Formation of lunar swirls

R. A. Bamford, E.P. Alves, F. Cruz, B. J. Kellett, R. A. Fonseca, L.O Silva, R.M.G.M. Trines, J.S. Halekas, G. Kramer, E. Harnett, R.A. Cairns, R. Bingham

Research output: Working paperOther working paper

53 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this paper we show a plausible mechanism that could lead to the formation of the Dark Lanes in Lunar Swirls We present the results of a fully self-consistent 2 and 3 dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of mini-magnetospheres that form above the lunar surface and show that they are consistent with the formation of `lunar swirls' such as the archetypal formation Reiner Gamma. The simulations show how the microphysics of the deflection/shielding of plasma operates from a kinetic-scale cavity
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationIthaca, New York
Number of pages14
Publication statusPublished - 23 May 2015

Keywords

  • lunar swirls
  • dark lanes
  • electromagnetic shielding

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