Statistical Analysis of Mercury’s Magnetic Cusp and its Dependence on Solar Wind Conditions

The relationship between Mercury’s magnetic cusp and variations in the solar wind has been investigated in several prior studies. Building on this foundation, we developed an integrated approach that combines two independent detection algorithms: one that identifies cusp signatures using magnetic field data—based on magnetic anisotropy and angular variations relative to the KTH reference model (without the cusp)—and another that analyzes particle data, utilizing a method established by Jim Rains. A key aspect of this work is the comparison of these two independent detection methods to gain deeper insights into cusp behavior. Using this combined approach, we conducted a statistical analysis that reveals how the structure and occurrence of Mercury’s magnetic cusp vary under different solar wind conditions.