Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2003
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003agufm.p52b..05l&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2003, abstract #P52B-05
Physics
0343 Planetary Atmospheres (5405, 5407, 5409, 5704, 5705, 5707), 5405 Atmospheres: Composition And Chemistry, 5409 Atmospheres: Structure And Dynamics, 5440 Magnetic Fields And Magnetism, 5443 Magnetospheres (2756)
Scientific paper
The Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer (MAG/ER) experiment aboard Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) samples the local electron population's distribution in energy and pitch angle (angle between electron velocity and local magneticfield direction) at the mapping orbit altitude of ~400km. We develop a single-particle model of the electrons' interaction with the neutral atmosphere and motion along open field-lines connecting the solar wind to remnant crustal magnetization. Electron reflection from magnetic gradients and absorption due to inelastic collisons with atmospheric neutrals results in characteristic pitch angle (PA) distributions for open field lines. By assuming the validity of spherical harmonic expansions (Cain, Arkani-hamed) in the strongest field regions of Mars (such as Terra Sirenum), we trace the electron paths and fit these PA distributions to our model to constrain the scale height and base density of the neutral atmosphere in the interaction region, which is between 160 and 320km altitude. We analyse ~2 martian years of MGS mapping Orbit Data and present the first measurements of Mars' exospheric neutral density. We track density variations over season, latitude and solar cycle and compare with predictions from Mars Thermosphere Global Circulation Model (MTGCM) simulations and with MGS acceleromater data. Our results will help to constrain the upper boundaries of GCMs and assist orbital decay calculations for low-orbiting spacecraft, such as the 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Acuña Mario Humberto
Lillis Robert J.
Lin Robert P.
Mitchell David Leroy
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