Observations of High Densities at Low Altitudes in the Nightside Ionosphere of Mars by the MAVEN Radio Occultation Science Experiment (ROSE)

被引:9
作者
Withers, P. [1 ,2 ]
Felici, M. [2 ]
Mendillo, M. [1 ,2 ]
Vogt, M. F. [2 ]
Barbinis, E. [3 ]
Kahan, D. [3 ]
Oudrhiri, K. [3 ]
Gray, C. [4 ]
Lee, C. O. [5 ]
Xu, S. [5 ]
Lester, M. [6 ]
Sanchez-Cano, B. [6 ]
Jakosky, B. M. [7 ]
Curry, S. [5 ]
机构
[1] Boston Univ, Dept Astron, 725 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 USA
[2] Boston Univ, Ctr Space Phys, Boston, MA 02215 USA
[3] NASA, Jet Prop Lab, Pasadena, CA USA
[4] New Mexico State Univ, Apache Point Observ, Las Cruces, NM 88003 USA
[5] Univ Calif Berkeley, Space Sci Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
[6] Univ Leicester, Sch Phys & Astron, Leicester, Leics, England
[7] Univ Colorado, Lab Atmospher & Space Phys, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
关键词
SOLAR-WIND; MARTIAN IONOSPHERE; PLANETARY-ATMOSPHERES; DIFFUSE AURORA; MAGNETIC-FIELD; ELECTRONS; VENUS; PRECIPITATION; MODEL; UNCERTAINTIES;
D O I
10.1029/2022JA030737
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
Unusually large peak electron density values of similar to 5 x 10(10) m(-3) are sporadically observed in the nightside ionosphere of Mars in regions of strong and open crustal magnetic field. However, the associated vertical structure of the ionosphere has not previously been observed. Here, we present three vertical electron density profiles from the nightside ionosphere of Mars that have comparably large values of peak electron density. They were acquired by the Radio Occultation Science Experiment on the MAVEN spacecraft on 23, 24, and 29 March 2021. In these profiles, the peak density is large (2-4 x 10(10) m(-3)), the peak altitude is low (60-90 km), and the plasma layer is broad (full width at half maximum greater than 100 km, Chapman layer lengthscale of similar to 30 km). Even if the peak altitude is at the upper end of this range, 90 km, the plasma density at 60 km would still be large, approximately 70% of the peak density. These findings hold even if the ionosphere was patchy, not spherically symmetric, during these observations. These three profiles were acquired at times when fluxes of energetic protons, but not electrons, were enhanced above background levels. The apparent association of large nightside electron density values with protons, rather than electrons, is contrary to previous findings.
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页数:18
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