Journal article
Global Aurora on Mars during the September 2017 Space Weather Event
Geophysical research letters, Vol.45(15), pp.7391-7398
2018
DOI: 10.1029/2018GL077772
Abstract
We report the detection of bright aurora spanning Mars’ nightside during the space weather event occurring in September 2017. The phenomenon was similar to diffuse aurora detected previously at Mars, but 25 times brighter and detectable over the entire visible nightside. The observations were made with the Imaging UltraViolet Spectrograph (IUVS), a remote sensing instrument on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft orbiting Mars. Images show that the emission was brightest around the limb of the planet, with a fairly uniform faint glow against the disk itself. Spectra identified four molecular emissions associated with aurora, and limb scans show the emission originated from an altitude of ~60 km in the atmosphere. Both are consistent with very high energy particle precipitation. The auroral brightening peaked around 13 September, when the flux of solar energetic electrons and protons both peaked. During the declining phase of the event, faint but statistically significant auroral emissions briefly appeared against the disk of the planet in the form of narrow wisps and small patches. These features are approximately aligned with predicted open field lines in the region of strong crustal magnetic fields in Mars’ southern hemisphere.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Global Aurora on Mars during the September 2017 Space Weather Event
- Creators
- Nicholas Schneider - University of Colorado BoulderSonal Jain - University of Colorado BoulderJustin Deighan - University of Colorado BoulderNASR Camella-Rosa - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsDavid Brain - University of Colorado BoulderDavin Larson - University of California, BerkeleyRobert Lillis - University of California, BerkeleyAli Rahmati - University of California, BerkeleyJasper Halekas - University of IowaChristina O Lee - University of California, BerkeleyMichael Chaffin - University of Colorado BoulderArnaud Stiepen - University of LiègeMatteo Crismani - University of Colorado BoulderJ Evans - Computational PhysicsMichael H Stevens - United States Naval Research LaboratoryDaniel Lo - University of ArizonaWilliam E Mcclintock - University of Colorado BoulderA Stewart - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsRoger V Yelle - University of ArizonaJohn Clarke - Boston UniversityGregory Holsclaw - University of Colorado BoulderFranck Lefèvre - LATMOS/IPSL Guyancourt FranceFranck Montmessin - LATMOS/IPSL Guyancourt FranceBruce Jakosky - University of Colorado Boulder
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Geophysical research letters, Vol.45(15), pp.7391-7398
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union
- DOI
- 10.1029/2018GL077772
- ISSN
- 0094-8276
- eISSN
- 1944-8007
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000104, name: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, award: Mars Scout Program
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2018
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984199683302771
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