| Preface | p. vii |
| List of Figures | p. xiii |
| List of Tables | p. xvi |
| Mercury From A Systems Perspective | p. 1 |
| Mercury in Context | p. 1 |
| Physical and Orbital Measurements | p. 1 |
| Difficulties and Anomalies Uncovered in Observing Mercury | p. 2 |
| A Planet as a System if Subsystems | p. 6 |
| Types of Systems | p. 6 |
| In the Beginning: Solar Nebula System for Planet Formation | p. 8 |
| Interior and Surface Formation: Sources, Sinks, Processes | p. 12 |
| Atmosphere Formation: Sources, Sinks, and Processes | p. 14 |
| Magnetsphere Formation: Sources, Sinks, and Processes | p. 15 |
| Summary | p. 17 |
| References | p. 17 |
| Some Questions for Discussion | p. 19 |
| Past and Planned Missions to Mercury | p. 20 |
| NASA's Successful Mariner 10 Mission to Mercury | p. 20 |
| The Mariner 10 Spacecraft | p. 22 |
| The Mariner 10 Scientific Payload | p. 24 |
| Overview of Mariner 10 Observations | p. 24 |
| Mariner 10 Mission Objectives | p. 26 |
| NASA's Ongoing MESSENGER Mission | p. 26 |
| The MESSENGER Spacecraft and Payload | p. 28 |
| The MESSENGER Mission Objectives | p. 30 |
| The ESA/ISAS Planned Bepi Colombo Mission | p. 30 |
| The Bepi Colombo Spacecraft and Payload | p. 32 |
| The Bepi Colombo Mission Objectives | p. 33 |
| Summary | p. 35 |
| References | p. 35 |
| Some Questions for Discussion | p. 36 |
| Mercury's Interior | p. 37 |
| Present understanding of Mercury's Interior | p. 37 |
| Bulk Properties | p. 37 |
| Magnetic Field and Core Formation | p. 38 |
| Structure of Mercury's Core | p. 40 |
| Shape, Gravity Field, and Internal Structure of Mercury | p. 44 |
| Search for a Liquid Core/Shell | p. 45 |
| Solar system Formation | p. 46 |
| Equilibrium Condensation Model | p. 46 |
| Mercury's High Bulk Abunsance of Iron | p. 49 |
| Direct Accretion of Reduced Components | p. 49 |
| The Selective Accretion Model | p. 50 |
| Post-Accretion Vaporization and Giant Impact Models | p. 51 |
| Infall of Cometary/Asteroid Materials | p. 53 |
| Discrimination between the Models | p. 53 |
| Summary | p. 55 |
| References | p. 56 |
| Some Questions for Discussion | p. 60 |
| Mercury's Surface | p. 61 |
| Present Understanding of Mercury's Surface | p. 61 |
| Physical Properties of the Surface and Regolith | p. 65 |
| Composition of Mercury's Surface and Regolith | p. 68 |
| Space Weathering as Regolith Modification Process | p. 76 |
| Nature and Composition of Major Terranes | p. 77 |
| Concise Summary of Mercury's Geological History | p. 81 |
| Impact activity and Chronology | p. 83 |
| Volcanism | p. 89 |
| Tectonic Activity | p. 91 |
| Polar Features | p. 96 |
| Summary | p. 99 |
| References | p. 100 |
| Some Questions for Discussion | p. 106 |
| Mercury's Exosphere | p. 107 |
| The Exosphere Concept | p. 107 |
| From Atmosphere to Exosphere | p. 107 |
| Mariner 10 Observations | p. 108 |
| Post-Mariner 10 Understanding Mercury's Atmosphere | p. 109 |
| Ground-based Observations of Sodium and Potassium | p. 111 |
| The Sodium Tail of Mercury | p. 115 |
| Discovery of Calcium in Mercury's Atmosphere | p. 115 |
| Mercury's Exosphere after Sodium and Potassium Detection | p. 116 |
| Current Understanding of Source and Loss Processes | p. 119 |
| Proposed Source and Loss Processes | p. 121 |
| Models of Mercury's Atmosphere | p. 124 |
| Summary of Constituent Source and Loss Mechanisms | p. 126 |
| Mercury's Exo-Ionosphere | p. 128 |
| Space Weathering as Atmosphere Modification Process | p. 128 |
| Summary | p. 132 |
| References | p. 132 |
| Some Questions for Discussion | p. 138 |
| Mercury's Magnetosphere | p. 139 |
| Pre-Mariner 10 Knowledge of Mercury's Magnetosphere | p. 139 |
| Mariner 10 Magnetosphere Detection | p. 139 |
| Mariner 10 Magnetosphere Measurements | p. 143 |
| Origin of Mercury's Magnetic Field | p. 148 |
| Mariner 10 Plasma Observations | p. 148 |
| Mariner 10 ULF Observations | p. 150 |
| Magnetosphere Structure | p. 152 |
| Magnetosphere Structure | p. 154 |
| Magnetosphere Dynamics | p. 157 |
| Substorm Activity | p. 163 |
| Field Aligned Currents | p. 164 |
| Detectable Magnetosphere/Exosphere Interactions | p. 169 |
| Magnetosphere/Surface Interactions | p. 174 |
| Recent Modeling of Mercury's Magnetosphere | p. 174 |
| Summary | p. 179 |
| References | p. 179 |
| Some Questions for Discussion | p. 184 |
| The Future of Mercury Exploration | p. 185 |
| Need for Further Investigation of Mercury's Interior | p. 185 |
| Ground-based Observations for Interior Exploration | p. 186 |
| Planned Missions and the Interior | p. 186 |
| The Future Exploration of Mercury's Interior | p. 187 |
| Need for Further Investigation of Mercury's Surface | p. 189 |
| Ground-based Observations for Surface Exploration | p. 189 |
| Planned Missions and the Surface | p. 190 |
| The Future Exploration of Mercury's Surface | p. 192 |
| Need for Further Investigation of Mercury's Exosphere | p. 194 |
| Ground-based Observations and the Exosphere | p. 194 |
| Planned Missions and the Exosphere | p. 195 |
| The Future Exploration of Mercury's Exosphere | p. 196 |
| Need for Further Investigation of Mercury's Magnetosphere | p. 197 |
| Ground-based Observations for Magnetosphere Exploration | p. 198 |
| Planned Missions and the Magnetosphere | p. 198 |
| The Future Exploration of Mercury's Magnetosphere | p. 199 |
| Conclusions: A New Approach | p. 201 |
| References | p. 208 |
| Some Questions for Discussion | p. 211 |
| Index | p. 213 |
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