Nightside ionosphere of Mars: Radar soundings by the Mars Express spacecraft

Details Nightside ionosphere of Mars: Radar soundings by the Mars Express spacecraft Nightside ionosphere of Mars: Radar soundings by the Mars Express spacecraft

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010jgre..11512009n&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 115, Issue E12, CiteID E12009

Computer Science

Sound

4

Ionosphere: Planetary Ionospheres (5435, 5729, 6026), Ionosphere: Ionization Processes (7823), Ionosphere: Active Experiments

Scientific paper

We present results of a survey of the nightside ionosphere of Mars as observed by Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) on board the Mars Express spacecraft. The occurrence rate of the nightside ionosphere is studied as a function of solar zenith angle (SZA), magnetic field magnitude, and magnetic field inclination. It is shown that at locations with weak crustal magnetic fields the occurrence rate of the nightside ionosphere decreases with increasing SZA up to about 125°, suggesting that plasma transport from the dayside plays a crucial role in its formation. However, at locations with strong crustal magnetic fields, the dependence on SZA is no longer apparent and the inclination of magnetic field becomes a crucial parameter: the occurrence rate of the nightside ionosphere is more than 4 times larger at locations with nearly vertical magnetic fields as compared to the locations with nearly horizontal magnetic fields. This indicates that impact ionization by precipitating electrons is the main ionization source at these locations. Observed peak electron densities are less than 2 × 104 cm-3 in the vast majority of cases. Lower estimates of altitudes of peak electron densities are mostly between 100 and 150 km.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Nightside ionosphere of Mars: Radar soundings by the Mars Express spacecraft 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 Nightside ionosphere of Mars: Radar soundings by the Mars Express spacecraft, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Nightside ionosphere of Mars: Radar soundings by the Mars Express spacecraft will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1297380