Martian Atmospheric Loss Through Foreshock Transient Events

Alexandros C. Cooke-Politikos; Sergey Shuvalov; Yaxue Dong; Yi Qi; David A. Brain; Jasper S. Halekas

doi:10.1029/2025GL120618

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Martian Atmospheric Loss Through Foreshock Transient Events

Journal article

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Martian Atmospheric Loss Through Foreshock Transient Events

Alexandros C. Cooke-Politikos, Sergey Shuvalov, Yaxue Dong, Yi Qi, David A. Brain and Jasper S. Halekas

Geophysical research letters, Vol.53(4), e2025GL120618

02/28/2026

DOI: 10.1029/2025GL120618

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Abstract

At Mars, the MAVEN spacecraft has made observations of Hot Flow Anomalies (HFAs) in the foreshock. Due to the bow shock's proximity to the planet, it is theorized that HFAs contribute to atmospheric escape at Mars through the excavation of ionospheric ions. A case study investigates one HFA observation, with parameters suggesting a novel mechanism for planetary ion extraction. The event is further characterized by elevated number densities of O+ and O+ 2 ions observed prior to the current sheet crossing. Statistical study is conducted on a set of 91 events, facilitating the estimation of HFA frequency at Mars to be 1/day. The estimated ion escape of the event is approximately 9% of the typical ion escape rate under nominal conditions at Mars. Calculation of further events reveals escape rates between 1 and 9% of the nominal conditions. This represents a modest contribution to the overall escape, highlighting a potentially underexplored pathway.

atmospheric escape

foreshock transient

hot flow anomaly

Mars

MAVEN

Details

Title: Subtitle: Martian Atmospheric Loss Through Foreshock Transient Events
Creators: Alexandros C. Cooke-Politikos - University of Hartford
Sergey Shuvalov - University of Colorado Boulder
Yaxue Dong - University of Colorado Boulder
Yi Qi - University of Colorado Boulder
David A. Brain - University of Colorado Boulder
Jasper S. Halekas - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.53(4), e2025GL120618
DOI: 10.1029/2025GL120618
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Publisher: Wiley
Grant note: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100000104) NNH10CC04C / Mars Exploration Program 1950911 / National Science Foundation (100000001) NNH10CC04C / National Aeronautics and Space Administration (100000104) 1950911 / National Science Foundation (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100000001)
Language: English
Date published: 02/28/2026
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9985139317702771

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