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Analysis of magnetic equatorial crossings measures dipole parameters in Mercury, suggesting improved understanding of its magnetic field.
Using data on Mercury’s magnetic equatorial plane crossings by the MESSENGER spacecraft, we refine the position of Mercury’s planetary dipole. Magnetic equatorial plane crossings provide precise dipole offsets for each orbit. Using data on the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) magnitude and direction during MESSENGER flybys, we determine the influence of the IMF on the equatorial plane crossing position and refine the previously determined dipole offset for orbits with insignificant IMF contributions.
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Lavrukhin et al. (2026) studied this question.
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