Journal article
Multifluid MHD study of the solar wind interaction with Mars' upper atmosphere during the 2015 March 8th ICME event
Geophysical research letters, Vol.42(21), pp.9103-9112
11/16/2015
DOI: 10.1002/2015GL065944
Abstract
We study the solar wind interaction with the Martian upper atmosphere during the 8 March 2015 interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) by using a global multifluid MHD model. Comparison of the simulation results with observations from Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft shows good agreement. The total ion escape rate is increased by an order of magnitude, from 2.05 x 10(24) s(-1) (pre-ICME phase) to 2.25 x 10(25) s(-1) (ICME sheath phase), during this time period. Two major ion escape channels are illustrated: accelerated pickup ion loss through the dayside plume and ionospheric ion loss through the nightside plasma wake region. Interestingly, the tailward ion loss is significantly increased at the ejecta phase. Both bow shock and magnetic pileup boundary (BS and MPB) locations are decreased from (1.2R(M), 1.57R(M)) at the pre-ICME phase to (1.16R(M), 1.47R(M)), respectively, during the sheath phase along the dayside Mars-Sun line. Furthermore, both simulation and observational results indicate that there is no significant variation in the Martian ionosphere (at altitudes less than or similar to 200 km, i.e., the photochemical region) during this event.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Multifluid MHD study of the solar wind interaction with Mars' upper atmosphere during the 2015 March 8th ICME event
- Creators
- Chuanfei Dong - University of Michigan–Ann ArborYingjuan Ma - Planetary Science InstituteStephen W. Bougher - University of Michigan–Ann ArborGabor Toth - University of Michigan–Ann ArborAndrew F. Nagy - University of Michigan–Ann ArborJasper S. Halekas - University of IowaYaxue Dong - University of Colorado BoulderShannon M. Curry - University of California, BerkeleyJanet G. Luhmann - University of California, BerkeleyDavid Brain - University of Colorado BoulderJack E. P. Connerney - NASA, Goddard Space Flight Ctr, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USAJared Espley - Goddard Space Flight CenterPaul Mahaffy - Goddard Space Flight CenterMehdi Benna - Goddard Space Flight CenterJames P. McFadden - University of California, BerkeleyDavid L. Mitchell - Univ Calif Berkeley, Space Sci Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720 USAGina A. DiBraccio - Goddard Space Flight CenterRobert J. Lillis - University of California, BerkeleyBruce M. Jakosky - University of Colorado BoulderJoseph M. Grebowsky - Goddard Space Flight Center
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Geophysical research letters, Vol.42(21), pp.9103-9112
- Publisher
- Amer Geophysical Union
- DOI
- 10.1002/2015GL065944
- ISSN
- 0094-8276
- eISSN
- 1944-8007
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- NNX13AO56H / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 11/16/2015
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984429022302771
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