A Comet Engulfs Mars: MAVEN Observations of Comet Siding Spring's Influence on the Martian Magnetosphere

Jared R. Espley; Gina A. Dibraccio; John E. P. Connerney; David Brain; Jacob Gruesbeck; Yasir Soobiah; Jasper S. Halekas; Michael Combi; Janet Luhmann; Yingjuan Ma

doi:10.1002/2015GL066300

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A Comet Engulfs Mars: MAVEN Observations of Comet Siding Spring's Influence on the Martian Magnetosphere

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A Comet Engulfs Mars: MAVEN Observations of Comet Siding Spring's Influence on the Martian Magnetosphere

Jared R. Espley, Gina A. Dibraccio, John E. P. Connerney, David Brain, Jacob Gruesbeck, Yasir Soobiah, Jasper S. Halekas, Michael Combi, Janet Luhmann and Yingjuan Ma

Geophysical research letters, Vol.42(21), pp.8810-8818

11/16/2015

DOI: 10.1002/2015GL066300

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Abstract

The nucleus of comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) passed within 141,000 km of Mars on 19 October 2014. Thus, the cometary coma and the plasma it produces washed over Mars for several hours producing significant effects in the Martian magnetosphere and upper atmosphere. We present observations from Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN's (MAVEN's) particles and field's instruments that show the Martian magnetosphere was severely distorted during the comet's passage. We note four specific major effects: (1) a variable induced magnetospheric boundary, (2) a strong rotation of the magnetic field as the comet approached, (3) severely distorted and disordered ionospheric magnetic fields during the comet's closest approach, and (4) unusually strong magnetosheath turbulence lasting hours after the comet left. We argue that the comet produced effects comparable to that of a large solar storm (in terms of incident energy) and that our results are therefore important for future studies of atmospheric escape, MAVEN's primary science objective.

Solar Physics

Physics Of Elementary Particles And Fields

Details

Title: Subtitle: A Comet Engulfs Mars: MAVEN Observations of Comet Siding Spring's Influence on the Martian Magnetosphere
Creators: Jared R. Espley - Goddard Space Flight Center
Gina A. Dibraccio - Universities Space Research Association
John E. P. Connerney - Adnet Systems (United States)
David Brain - Colorado, University Boulder, CO, United States
Jacob Gruesbeck - University of Maryland, College Park
Yasir Soobiah - University of Maryland, College Park
Jasper S. Halekas - Colorado, University Boulder, CO, United States
Michael Combi - University of Michigan
Janet Luhmann - Colorado, University Boulder, CO, United States
Yingjuan Ma - University of California, Los Angeles
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.42(21), pp.8810-8818
DOI: 10.1002/2015GL066300
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100000104, name: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Language: English
Date published: 11/16/2015
Description audience: PUBLIC
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984428802802771

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