MAVEN observations of partially developed Kelvin‐Helmholtz vortices at Mars

Suranga Ruhunusiri; J. S Halekas; J. P McFadden; J. E. P Connerney; J. R Espley; Y Harada; R Livi; K Seki; C Mazelle; D Brain; T Hara; G. A DiBraccio; D. E Larson; D. L Mitchell; B. M Jakosky; H Hasegawa

doi:10.1002/2016GL068926

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MAVEN observations of partially developed Kelvin‐Helmholtz vortices at Mars

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MAVEN observations of partially developed Kelvin‐Helmholtz vortices at Mars

Suranga Ruhunusiri, J. S Halekas, J. P McFadden, J. E. P Connerney, J. R Espley, Y Harada, R Livi, K Seki, C Mazelle, D Brain, …

Geophysical research letters, Vol.43(10), pp.4763-4773

05/28/2016

DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068926

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Abstract

We present preliminary results and interpretations for Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) observations of magnetosheath-ionospheric boundary oscillations at Mars. Using centrifugal force arguments, we first predict that a signature of fully rolled up Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices at Mars is sheath ions that have a bulk motion toward the Sun. The sheath ions adjacent to a vortex should also accelerate to speeds higher than the mean sheath velocity. We also predict that while the ionospheric ions that are in the vortex accelerate antisunward, they never attain speeds exceeding that of the sheath ions, in stark contrast to KH vortices that arise at the Earth's magnetopause. We observe accelerated sheath and ionospheric ions, but we do not observe sheath ions that have a bulk motion toward the Sun. Thus, we interpret these observations as KH vortices that have not fully rolled up.

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Title: Subtitle: MAVEN observations of partially developed Kelvin‐Helmholtz vortices at Mars
Creators: Suranga Ruhunusiri - University of Iowa
J. S Halekas - University of Iowa
J. P McFadden - University of California, Berkeley
J. E. P Connerney - Goddard Space Flight Center
J. R Espley - Goddard Space Flight Center
Y Harada - University of California, Berkeley
R Livi - University of California, Berkeley
K Seki - Nagoya University
C Mazelle - Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CNRST)
D Brain - University of Colorado Boulder
T Hara - University of California, Berkeley
G. A DiBraccio - Goddard Space Flight Center
D. E Larson - University of California, Berkeley
D. L Mitchell - University of California, Berkeley
B. M Jakosky - University of Colorado Boulder
H Hasegawa - Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.43(10), pp.4763-4773
DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068926
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100000104, name: NASA; DOI: 10.13039/501100002830, name: CNES; name: NASA Postdoctoral Program
Language: English
Date published: 05/28/2016
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984199959702771

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