Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA) at Mars: Properties of the Hydrogen Atoms Produced Upstream of the Martian Bow Shock and Implications for an ENA Sounding Technique

Details Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA) at Mars: Properties of the Hydrogen Atoms Produced Upstream of the Martian Bow Shock and Implications for an ENA Sounding Technique Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA) at Mars: Properties of the Hydrogen Atoms Produced Upstream of the Martian Bow Shock and Implications for an ENA Sounding Technique

Dec 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005agufmsh43a1148k&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2005, abstract #SH43A-1148

Physics

2459 Planetary Ionospheres (5435, 5729, 6026), 2780 Solar Wind Interactions With Unmagnetized Bodies, 5421 Interactions With Particles And Fields, 5440 Magnetic Fields And Magnetism, 6929 Ionospheric Physics (1240, 2400)

Scientific paper

The solar wind upstream of the Martian bow shock is a region where a few percent of the solar wind protons charge exchange with the hydrogen exosphere and form energetic neutral hydrogen atoms, H-ENAs. Part of these solar wind H-ENAs hit the Martian upper atmosphere causing atmospheric effects and back scattered solar wind hydrogen atoms. We have studied the interaction of the fast solar wind hydrogen atoms with the Martian atmosphere by a three dimensional Monte Carlo simulation. Both H-ENAs scattered and non-scattered with the Martian atmosphere/exosphere were studied. The colliding H-ENAs were found to scatter both to the dayside and nightside. On the dayside they contribute to the so-called H-ENA albedo. On the nightside the heated and scattered hydrogen atoms were found also in the Martian wake. The density, the energy distribution function and the direction of the velocity of H-ENAs on the nightside are presented. Detailed study of the direction and the energy of the scattered and the non-scattered H-ENAs suggests that these particles provide information both of the upstream parameters and the Martian atmosphere. The results represent a novel new "ENA sounding" technique in which energetic neutral atoms are used to derive information of the properties of planetary exosphere and atmosphere in a similar manner that the solar wind photons are used to derive atmospheric densities by measuring the scattered UV light. The preliminary profiles in solar occultation experiments suggest that the ENA sounding is a method to study the interaction between the planetary atmosphere and solar wind, to monitor the atmospheric profiles, and likely to study magnetic field configurations in the upper atmosphere.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA) at Mars: Properties of the Hydrogen Atoms Produced Upstream of the Martian Bow Shock and Implications for an ENA Sounding Technique does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA) at Mars: Properties of the Hydrogen Atoms Produced Upstream of the Martian Bow Shock and Implications for an ENA Sounding Technique, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA) at Mars: Properties of the Hydrogen Atoms Produced Upstream of the Martian Bow Shock and Implications for an ENA Sounding Technique will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-758634