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Mercury: Magnetic field and interior

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Abstract

Between 1965 and 1975, our knowledge of Mercury and its physical characteristics improved dramatically. Radar studies of the planetary orbit and rotation rate and Mariner 10 spacecraft studies of its surface, atmosphere, magnetic field and plasma environment provided startling new results on what had been the least understood member of the terrestrial planets. With a highly cratered surface and a modest magnetic field, Mercury is a differentiated planet with fractionally the largest iron core of all.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, 20771, MD, USA

    Norman F. Ness

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  1. Norman F. Ness
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Ness, N.F. Mercury: Magnetic field and interior. Space Sci Rev 21, 527–553 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00240907

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00240907

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