Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2001
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001agufm.p42a0537m&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2001, abstract #P42A-0537
Physics
5435 Ionospheres (2459), 5440 Magnetic Fields And Magnetism, 5443 Magnetospheres (2756), 6225 Mars
Scientific paper
Mars' magnetic field is dominated by remanent magnetization of the crust, which is distributed non-uniformly over the surface. In the northern hemisphere, crustal magnetic fields are so weak that the solar wind interacts directly with the atmosphere and ionosphere in a manner similar to Venus and active comets. However, in the most strongly magnetized region of the southern hemisphere, the crustal field is strong and coherent enough to stand off the solar wind up to altitudes of ~800 km, forming localized "magnetospheres," which are elongated in the east-west direction following the pattern of magnetization. The MGS Electron Reflectometer can probe the topology of these magnetospheres by measuring the energy spectra and pitch angle distributions of electrons travelling along the crustal field lines. Ionospheric plasma is trapped on closed magnetic field lines that are anchored to the crust. Where the crustal field has a nearly radial orientation, there is a tendency for the field lines to reconnect with the solar wind magnetic field, forming cusps that provide a conduit for ionospheric plasma to escape and for solar wind plasma to precipitate onto the atmosphere.
Acuña Mario Humberto
Cloutier Paul A.
Connerney Jack
Lin Robert P.
Mitchell David Leroy
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