Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Jinsheng Li

Exploring Solar Wind-Magnetosphere-Planetary Surface Coupling at Mercury’s Magnetosphere with MESSENGER’s Measurements

Mercury, a planet located so far from the Earth, has long eluded the attention of many astrophysicists. Its proximity to the Sun poses difficulties for astronomical observations and spacecraft missions. Recently, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft mission demystified Mercury, allowing us to finally probe Mercury’s composition and structure. This research project will delve into the data collected by MESSENGER’s Magnetometer and the Energetic Particle and Plasma Spectrometer, focusing on periods with heightened solar activity, identified based on magnetic field and solar wind parameters.

 

Message To Sponsor

I am very grateful for your support on the final stretch of my URAP research project. Over the summer, I continued to study and visualize the data observed by the MESSENGER space probe, and had the chance to interact with the broader scientific community on space sciences. We observed insightful conclusions on the interaction between solar wind and Mercury's magnetosphere, and we are excited to deliver them soon. Thank you so much for your dedication to undergraduate education and research.