Detection of Field-Aligned Current Signatures in Martian Auroral Regions

Details Detection of Field-Aligned Current Signatures in Martian Auroral Regions Detection of Field-Aligned Current Signatures in Martian Auroral Regions

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsm41b1869f&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SM41B-1869

Physics

[2721] Magnetospheric Physics / Field-Aligned Currents And Current Systems, [2756] Magnetospheric Physics / Planetary Magnetospheres, [2780] Magnetospheric Physics / Solar Wind Interactions With Unmagnetized Bodies, [6225] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Mars

Scientific paper

We present the results of a manual survey of magnetic field data from the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft for magnetic field perturbations, which can be signatures of magnetic currents. We analyzed approximately three years of magnetic field data recorded at ˜400 km altitudes above the entire Martian surface. We identified over 5,000 perturbations and determined the locations and intensities of each. Perturbations tend to occur in regions of strong crustal magnetic field, in cusps between regions of closed magnetic field. Perturbation intensities averaged ˜15nT and ranged up to 50nT. Perturbations were almost always in the horizontal magnetic field component, in regions of radial crustal field. In addition, perturbations seemed to be more common and stronger farther from the center of magnetic field cusps. These observed features are consistent with the perturbations resulting from field-aligned currents in cusps, near the boundary between open and closed field lines. Field-aligned currents are associated with aurora on Earth, suggesting that the perturbations may be a signature of auroral processes operating on Mars. Ultraviolet auroral emissions have been previously reported in the cusps of Martian crustal fields, and auroral-like electrons have also been measured in these regions. The observations presented here may help to determine which mechanisms are responsible for Martian aurora and how often they operate.

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