2019/07/20 by C. Krishnaprasad, Smitha V. Thampi, Anil Bhardwaj
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Atmosphere of Mars #Exosphere #Interplanetary magnetic field #Interplanetary spaceflight #Ionosphere #Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasma #Mars Exploration Program #Martian #Planetary Science and Exploration #Solar energetic particles #Solar wind #astro-ph.EP #physics.geo-ph #physics.plasm-ph #physics.space-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1029/2019ja026750
published as JGR: Space Physics, 124 (2019)
openalex publication_date 2019/07/20 · openalex created_date 2019/07/30 · arxiv created 2019/08/02 · arxiv updated 2019/08/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Abstract The response of Martian ionosphere to the passage of corotating interaction region (CIR) of June 2015 is studied using observations from several instruments aboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. An intense CIR arrived at Mars on 22 June 2015, during which the upstream solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field conditions were monitored by the Solar Wind Ion Analyzer (SWIA), Solar Wind Electron Analyzer (SWEA), Solar Energetic Particle (SEP), and Magnetometer (MAG) instruments aboard MAVEN. The CIR event was characterized by enhancements in solar wind density, velocity, and dynamic pressure, and increased and fluctuating interplanetary magnetic field and was associated with enhanced fluxes of Solar Energetic Particles. The Langmuir Probe and Waves (LPW) instrument onboard MAVEN provided the ionospheric observations such as electron density and electron temperature during this period. The dayside ionosphere is significantly compressed only near the peak of solar wind dynamic pressure enhancement (∼14 nPa). In contrast, on the nightside, the electron density remains depleted for a longer period of time. The electron temperatures are also enhanced during the period of electron depletion on the nightside. The Suprathermal and Thermal Ion Composition (STATIC) measurements show enhanced fluxes of suprathermal heavy ions in the Martian exosphere during CIR period, and evidences for enhanced tailward flow of these pickup ions. The analysis suggests that the nightside ionosphere is primarily controlled by the precipitating Solar Energetic Particles and pickup ions transported across the Martian terminator and depletes significantly when the heavy ion flux in the exosphere enhances.