Space Science Reviews

Wood, Brian

doi: 10.1007/s11214-006-9006-0pmid: N/A

Exposure to the solar wind can have significant long term consequences for planetary atmospheres, especially for planets such as Mars that are not protected by global magnetospheres. Estimating the effects of solar wind exposure requires knowledge of the history of the solar wind. Much of what we know about the Sun’s past behavior is based on inferences from observations of young solar-like stars. Stellar analogs of the weak solar wind cannot be detected directly, but the interaction regions between these winds and the interstellar medium have been detected and used to estimate wind properties. I here review these observations, with emphasis on what they suggest about the history of the solar wind.

Dubinin, E.; Fränz, M.; Woch, J.; Roussos, E.; Barabash, S.; Lundin, R.; Winningham, J.; Frahm, R.; Acuña, M.

doi: 10.1007/s11214-006-9039-4pmid: N/A

A total of about of 400 orbits during the first year of the ASPERA-3 operation onboard the Mars Express spacecraft were analyzed to obtain a statistical pattern of the main plasma domains in the Martian space environment. The environment is controlled by the direct interaction between the solar wind and the planetary exosphere/ionosphere which results in the formation of the magnetospheric cavity. Ionospheric plasma was traced by the characteristic “spectral lines” of photoelectrons that make it possible to detect an ionospheric component even far from the planet. Plasma of solar wind and planetary origin was distinguished by the ion mass spectrometry. Several different regions, namely, boundary layer/mantle, plasma sheet, region with ionospheric photoelectrons, ray-like structures near the wake boundary were identified. Upstream parameters like solar wind ram pressure and the direction of the interplanetary electric field were inferred as proxy from the Mars Global Surveyor magnetic field data at a reference point of the magnetic pile up region in the northern dayside hemisphere. It is shown that morphology and dynamics of the main plasma domains and their boundaries are governed by these factors as well as by local crustal magnetizations which add complexity and variability to the plasma and magnetic field environment.

Futaana, Y.; Barabash, S.; Grigoriev, A.; Winningham, D.; Frahm, R.; Yamauchi, M.; Lundin, R.

doi: 10.1007/s11214-006-9026-9pmid: N/A

As a part of the global plasma environment study of Mars and its response to the solar wind, we have analyzed a peculiar case of the subsolar energetic neutral atom (ENA) jet observed on June 7, 2004 by the Neutral Particle Detector (NPD) on board the Mars Express satellite. The “subsolar ENA jet” is generated by the interaction between the solar wind and the Martian exosphere, and is one of the most intense sources of ENA flux observed in the vicinity of Mars. On June 7, 2004 (orbit 485 of Mars Express), the NPD observed a very intense subsolar ENA jet, which then abruptly decreased within ∼10 sec followed by quasi-periodic (∼1 min) flux variations. Simultaneously, the plasma sensors detected a solar wind structure, which was most likely an interplanetary shock surface. The abrupt decrease of the ENA flux and the quasi-periodic flux variations can be understood in the framework of the global response of the Martian plasma obstacle to the interplanetary shock. The generation region of the subsolar ENA jet was pushed towards the planet by the interplanetary shock; and therefore, Mars Express went out of the ENA jet region. Associated global vibrations of the Martian plasma obstacle may have been the cause of the quasi-periodic flux variations of the ENA flux at the spacecraft location.

Nilsson, H.; Carlsson, E.; Gunell, H.; Futaana, Y.; Barabash, S.; Lundin, R.; Fedorov, A.; Soobiah, Y.; Coates, A.; Fränz, M.; Roussos, E.

doi: 10.1007/s11214-006-9030-0pmid: N/A

Using data from the Mars Express Ion Mass Analyzer (IMA) we investigate the distribution of ion beams of planetary origin and search for an influence from Mars crustal magnetic anomalies. We have concentrated on ion beams observed inside the induced magnetosphere boundary (magnetic pile-up boundary). Some north-south asymmetry is seen in the data, but no longitudinal structure resembling that of the crustal anomalies. Comparing the occurrence rate of ion beams with magnetic field strength at 400 km altitude below the spacecraft (using statistical Mars Global Surveyor results) shows a decrease of the occurrence rate for modest (< 40 nT) magnetic fields. Higher magnetic field regions (above 40 nT at 400 km) are sampled so seldom that the statistics are poor but the data is consistent with some ion outflow events being closely associated with the stronger anomalies. This ion flow does not significantly affect the overall distribution of ion beams around Mars.

Nielsen, E.; Zou, H.; Gurnett, D.; Kirchner, D.; Morgan, D.; Huff, R.; Orosei, R.; Safaeinili, A.; Plaut, J.; Picardi, G.

doi: 10.1007/s11214-006-9113-ypmid: N/A

The Martian ionosphere has for the first time been probed by a low frequency topside radio wave sounder experiment (MARSIS) (Gurnett et al., 2005). The density profiles in the Martian ionosphere have for the first time been observed for solar zenith angles less than 48 degrees. The sounder spectrograms typically have a single trace of echoes, which are controlled by reflections from the ionosphere in the direction of nadir. With the local density at the spacecraft derived from the sounder measurements and using the lamination technique the spectrograms are inverted to electron density profiles. The measurements yield electron density profiles from the sub-solar region to past the terminator. The maximum density varies in time with the solar rotation period, indicating control of the densities by solar ionizing radiation. Electron density increases associated with solar flares were observed. The maximum electron density varies with solar zenith angle as predicted by theory. The altitude profile of electron densities between the maximum density and about 170m altitude is well approximated by a classic Chapman layer. The neutral scale height is close to 10 to 13 km. At altitudes above 180 km the densities deviate from and are larger than inferred by the Chapman layer. At altitudes above the exobase the density decrease was approximated by an exponential function with scale heights between 24 and 65 km. The densities in the top side ionosphere above the exobase tends to be larger than the densities extrapolated from the Chapman layer fitted to the measurements at lower altitudes, implying more efficient upward diffusion above the collision dominated photo equilibrium region.

Dennerl, Konrad

doi: 10.1007/s11214-006-9028-7pmid: N/A

X-rays from Mars were first detected in July 2001 with the satellite Chandra. The main source of this radiation was fluorescent scattering of solar X-rays in its upper atmosphere. In addition, the presence of an extended X-ray halo was indicated, probably resulting from charge exchange interactions between highly charged heavy ions in the solar wind and neutrals in the Martian exosphere. The statistical significance of the X-ray halo, however, was very low. In November 2003, Mars was observed again in X-rays, this time with the satellite XMM-Newton. This observation, characterized by a considerably higher sensitivity, confirmed the presence of the X-ray halo and proved that charge exchange is indeed the origin of the emission. This was the first definite detection of charge exchange induced X-ray emission from the exosphere of another planet. Previously, this kind of emission had been detected from comets (which are largely exospheres) and from the terrestrial exosphere. Because charge exchange interactions between atmospheric constituents and solar wind ions are considered as an important nonthermal escape mechanism, probably responsible for a significant loss of the Martian atmosphere, X-ray observations may lead to a better understanding of the present state of the Martian atmosphere and its evolution. X-ray images of the Martian exosphere in specific emission lines exhibited a highly anisotropic morphology, varying with individual ions and ionization states. With its capability to trace the X-ray emission out to at least 8 Mars radii, XMM-Newton can explore exospheric regions far beyond those that have been observationally explored to date. Thus, X-ray observations provide a novel method for studying processes in the Martian exosphere on a global scale.

Holmström, Mats

doi: 10.1007/s11214-006-9036-7pmid: N/A

Observations and simulations show that Mars' atmosphere has large seasonal variations. Total atmospheric density can have an order of magnitude latitudinal variation at exobase heights. By numerical simulations we show that these latitude variations in exobase parameters induce asymmetries in the hydrogen exosphere that propagate to large distances from the planet. We show that these asymmetries in the exosphere produce asymmetries in the fluxes of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) and soft X-rays produced by charge exchange between the solar wind and exospheric hydrogen. This could be an explanation for asymmetries that have been observed in ENA and X-ray fluxes at Mars.