Miniature Dungey-like cycle at Mars

Shaosui Xu; James P McFadden; David L Mitchell; Janet G Luhmann; Jasper S Halekas; Kathleen G Hanley; Christian X Mazelle; Jared R Espley; Shannon M Curry

doi:10.1038/s41467-026-75019-3

Back

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Miniature Dungey-like cycle at Mars

Shaosui Xu, James P McFadden, David L Mitchell, Janet G Luhmann, Jasper S Halekas, Kathleen G Hanley, Christian X Mazelle, Jared R Espley and Shannon M Curry

Nature communications, Vol.17(1), 6129

07/23/2026

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-75019-3

PMID: 42493503

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75019-3View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

With its non-uniform distribution of crustal magnetic fields, Mars exhibits complex and highly variable auroral patterns related to both planetary rotation and solar wind conditions. Using in situ electron, ion, and magnetic field data from the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission, we show that auroral processes associated with these small-scale crustal magnetic fields can be understood in terms of a miniature cycle of magnetic flux and plasma circulations that resemble a miniature version of what occurs at the Earth. However, at Earth, this Dungey cycle, named after its discoverer, operates in the presence of a global intrinsic dipole field with a strength approximately 100 times stronger and spatial scales roughly 20 times larger. From a universal perspective, the current finding adds an entry to the zoo of auroral concepts that enriches our understanding of the diversity of (exo)planetary plasma and our understanding of how planets interact with their space environments.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Miniature Dungey-like cycle at Mars
Creators: Shaosui Xu - University of California, Berkeley
James P McFadden - University of California, Berkeley
David L Mitchell - University of California, Berkeley
Janet G Luhmann - University of California, Berkeley
Jasper S Halekas - University of Iowa
Kathleen G Hanley - University of California, Berkeley
Christian X Mazelle - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Jared R Espley - Goddard Space Flight Center
Shannon M Curry - University of Colorado Boulder
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Nature communications, Vol.17(1), 6129
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-75019-3
PMID: 42493503
NLM abbreviation: Nat Commun
ISSN: 2041-1723
eISSN: 2041-1723
Publisher: Springer Nature
Grant note: not available / Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (National Centre for Space Research, France) NNH10CC04C / National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 80NSSC17K0455 / National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Language: English
Date published: 07/23/2026
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9985183557802771

Metrics

2 Record Views