Solar Wind Erosion of Mars Ionosphere
Location
Yosemite National Park
Start Date
2-13-2014 6:00 PM
End Date
2-13-2014 6:15 PM
Description
Mars is a small body in the solar wind with no intrinsic magnetic field but strong crustal magnetic fields. This results in, that for some aspects, the solar wind interaction behaves more as a comet while, in other aspects, as an interaction with a planet that has a magnetosphere. At Earth the solar wind coupling to the ionosphere is a multi process path while at Mars the solar wind can almost directly couple to the ionosphere. With the strong asymmetry between the magnetic field topology in North and South, Mars allow us to evaluate how important the magnetic field is for atmospheric loss. Mars is an excellent object where the importance of an existing magnetosphere can be evaluated. In this presentation the hemispheric loss of ionospheric ions are studied. Evidence that the crustal field topology can provide a direct path for the ions from the ionosphere into the plasma sheath through the magnetosphere will be presented and discussed. This ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling is also controlled by the replenish rate of the ionospheric ions.
Solar Wind Erosion of Mars Ionosphere
Yosemite National Park
Mars is a small body in the solar wind with no intrinsic magnetic field but strong crustal magnetic fields. This results in, that for some aspects, the solar wind interaction behaves more as a comet while, in other aspects, as an interaction with a planet that has a magnetosphere. At Earth the solar wind coupling to the ionosphere is a multi process path while at Mars the solar wind can almost directly couple to the ionosphere. With the strong asymmetry between the magnetic field topology in North and South, Mars allow us to evaluate how important the magnetic field is for atmospheric loss. Mars is an excellent object where the importance of an existing magnetosphere can be evaluated. In this presentation the hemispheric loss of ionospheric ions are studied. Evidence that the crustal field topology can provide a direct path for the ions from the ionosphere into the plasma sheath through the magnetosphere will be presented and discussed. This ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling is also controlled by the replenish rate of the ionospheric ions.