Journal article
Magnetosonic waves in the Martian ionosphere driven by upstream proton cyclotron waves: Two-point observations by MAVEN and Mars Express
Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962), Vol.425, 116311
01/01/2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116311
Abstract
Recent observations from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) and Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft have suggested that pressure pulses originating from upstream proton cyclotron waves (PCWs) can “ring” the Martian magnetopause at the same frequency and drive magnetosonic waves in the upper ionosphere of Mars, thereby transporting energy from the solar wind into the ionosphere. However, the limitation of single-spacecraft measurements prevents simultaneous observations of the driver and response of this “ringing” process of the Martian magnetosphere. Here we utilize two-point measurements from MAVEN and MEX to characterize the ringing probability at which upstream PCWs drive compressional fluctuations in the ionospheric magnetic field. We develop an algorithm to identify PCW-driven magnetosonic waves in the upper ionosphere of Mars from the two-point magnetic field data. The derived ringing probability is higher on the dayside, outside strong crustal magnetic fields, and under high solar wind density conditions. We also show that the median power of dayside ionospheric magnetic field fluctuations is enhanced by a factor of ∼2 at corresponding frequencies in the presence of upstream PCWs compared to the median power in the absence of upstream PCWs. These results demonstrate the prevalence of energy deposits into the dayside Martian ionosphere from the solar wind mediated by the PCW-driven ringing of the magnetosphere. Future studies, possibly with new multi-point observations, should address the detailed processes of wave propagation and energy transport through the system and the long-term impact of this chain of processes on the planetary ion heating in the ionosphere and atmospheric loss from Mars.
•We utilize two-point measurements by Mars Express and MAVEN.•The probability of upstream waves driving ionospheric waves is derived.•The probability is higher on the dayside and outside strong crustal fields.•The probability is higher under high solar wind density conditions.•Ionospheric magnetic perturbations are 2x enhanced in the presence of upstream waves.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Magnetosonic waves in the Martian ionosphere driven by upstream proton cyclotron waves: Two-point observations by MAVEN and Mars Express
- Creators
- K. Imada - Kyoto UniversityY. Harada - Kyoto UniversityC.M. Fowler - West Virginia UniversityG. Collinson - Goddard Space Flight CenterJ.S. Halekas - Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USAS. Ruhunusiri - University of Colorado BoulderG.A. DiBraccio - Goddard Space Flight CenterN. Romanelli - Goddard Space Flight Center
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962), Vol.425, 116311
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116311
- ISSN
- 0019-1035
- eISSN
- 1090-2643
- Grant note
- JSPS KAKENHI, Japan: 22K14085, 22H01285, 22KK0045
The MAVEN data used in this study are publicly available through the Planetary Data System at https://pds-ppi.igpp.ucla.edu. The Mars Express MARSIS data used in this study are available at https://space. physics.uiowa.edu/plasma-wave/marsx/public-data.html, at https://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/mex/, and at https://archives.esac.esa.int/psa/ftp/MARS-EXPRESS/MARSIS/. The electron cyclotron period data used in this study are archived in a publicly available repository (Imada and Harada, 2024) . YH acknowledges support through JSPS KAKENHI, Japan Grant (22K14085, 22H01285, 22KK0045) .
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/01/2025
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984705605102771
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