The interaction of the surface of Mercury with its exosphere and magnetosphere.

In particular the project will concentrate on analysing the recent NASA Messenger data on the exosphere, in order to understand its complex formation and interaction, and to see if it is possible to identify observational strategies for the MIXS instrument. It will also model the x-ray signatures of such interactions, with particular respect to energetic particle populations.
The work will be useful preparation for the ESA BepiColumbo meeting, for which MG is Co-PI on SIXS