Authors: Ana I Peruza1(GMU,CUA), Gangkai Poh2(CUA,NASA GSFC), Zhenguang Huang3(University of Michigan), Nishtha Sachdeva4(University of Michigan), Ryan Dewey5(University of Michigan), Weijie Sun6(University of Michigan), Bart van der Holst7(University of Michigan), James Slavin8(University of Michigan), Dina DiBraccio9(NASA GSFC), Xianzhe Jia10(University of Michigan)

One of MESSENGER’s primary science goals was to study the space environment of Mercury. Earlier MESSENGER studies have provided conclusive evidence that space plasma phenomena occurring within Mercury’s structurally complex and highly dynamic magnetosphere are strongly driven by the solar wind. However, since MESSENGER is a single spacecraft mission, we have no knowledge of the upstream solar wind conditions when the MESSENGER spacecraft is inside Mercury’s magnetosphere. As such, the use of predictions of solar wind parameters from a numerical model of the solar wind is essential in enhancing our understanding of the plasma processes that the spacecraft observes when inside Mercury’s magnetosphere. In this project, our goal is to compare the solar wind data collected by the MESSENGER spacecraft with simulated outputs from a physics-based solar wind model called the Alfvén Wave Solar Atmosphere Model (AWSoM) developed at the University of Michigan. Through the MESSENGER’s data, the model results would be used to augment the MESSENGER’s observations when the spacecraft was within Mercury’s magnetosphere. Out of the twelve realizations, three were chosen from the AWSoM model to compare the MESSENGER’s data over one Carrington rotation during the year 2012 due to having the best agreement with the spacecraft data. Analysis of the Gong, Adapt-Gong, and MESSENGER’s solar wind data indicates a strong agreement between the MESSENGER’s IMF measurements and AWSoM magnetic field output. The validation of the AWSoM model at Mercury over further years can benefit the upcoming Bepi-Colombo mission by providing more accurate solar wind predictions, especially during six Mercury flybys between now and orbit insertion in late 2025.