The origin of molecular ions in the Martian magnetosphere

Details The origin of molecular ions in the Martian magnetosphere The origin of molecular ions in the Martian magnetosphere

Apr 1995

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995adspr..15...17m&link_type=abstract

Advances in Space Research (ISSN 0273-1177), vol. 15, no. 4, p. (4)17-(4)20

Computer Science

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Mars (Planet), Molecular Ions, Oxygen, Planetary Ionospheres, Planetary Magnetospheres, Plasma Composition, Solar Wind, Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen, Pioneer Venus Spacecraft, Radio Occultation, Satellite-Borne Instruments, Solar Cycles, Soviet Spacecraft

Scientific paper

Hot plasma measurements from the instrument Automatic Space Plasma Experiment with a Rotating Analyser (ASPERA) on the Soviet Phobos-2 spacecraft indicate a large density of molecular ions in the Martian magnetosphere and thus a high outflow of the molecular species. This is an unexpected result since it is generally believed that the molecular ions in the Martian ionosphere are in photochemical equilibrium and these remain undisturbed by the solar wind. On the basis of knowledge gained from the Radio occulation measurements on the Pioneer Venus during solar minimum, we demonstrate that the O2(+) profiles observed by the Viking landers at Mars have been grossly eroded by the solar wind. This erosion takes place down to an altitude of 160 km and thus contributes to the high outflow of the molecular species.

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