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Early MAVEN Deep Dip campaign reveals thermosphere and ionosphere variability
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Early MAVEN Deep Dip campaign reveals thermosphere and ionosphere variability

Stephen Bougher, Bruce Jakosky, Jasper Halekas, Joseph Grebowsky, Janet Luhmann, Paul Mahaffy, Jack Connerney, F. Eparvier, Robert Ergun, Davin Larson, …
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Vol.350(6261), pp.aad0459-aad0459
11/06/2015
DOI: 10.1126/science.aad0459
PMID: 26542579
url
https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/physics/1129View
Open Access

Abstract

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission, during the second of its Deep Dip campaigns, made comprehensive measurements of martian thermosphere and ionosphere composition, structure, and variability at altitudes down to ~130 kilometers in the subsolar region. This altitude range contains the diffusively separated upper atmosphere just above the well-mixed atmosphere, the layer of peak extreme ultraviolet heating and primary reservoir for atmospheric escape. In situ measurements of the upper atmosphere reveal previously unmeasured populations of neutral and charged particles, the homopause altitude at approximately 130 kilometers, and an unexpected level of variability both on an orbit-to-orbit basis and within individual orbits. These observations help constrain volatile escape processes controlled by thermosphere and ionosphere structure and variability.
Astrophysics Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Ocean, Atmosphere Sciences of the Universe Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

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