Journal article
Observations of aurorae by SPICAM ultraviolet spectrograph on board Mars Express: Simultaneous ASPERA-3 and MARSIS measurements
Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.113(A8), pp.A08311-n/a
2008
DOI: 10.1029/2008JA013033
Abstract
We present a new set of observations of Martian aurorae obtained by Spectroscopy for the Investigation of the Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Mars (SPICAM) on board Mars Express (MEX). Using nadir viewing, several auroral events have been identified on the Martian nightside, all near regions of crustal magnetic fields. For most of these events, two to three consecutive events with variable intensities and separated by a few seconds to several tens of seconds have been observed, whereas simultaneous observations with Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) and Analyzer of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) have been possible. In this paper, we present the data set for these events and discuss the possible correlation between the measured UV emission by SPICAM, the measured downward and/or upward flux of electrons by ASPERA-3 and the total electron content recorded by MARSIS. Despite the limited coverage of SPICAM ultraviolet spectrograph (UVS) on the Martian nightside (essentially in regions of high crustal magnetic fields), there is however a very good correlation between the regions with the locally smallest probability to be on closed crustal magnetic field lines, as derived from Mars Global Surveyor/Electron Reflectometer (MGS/MAG-ER), and the position of an aurora event. This suggests that the crustal magnetic fields, when organized into cusp-like structure, can trigger the few aurorae identified by SPICAM UVS. It confirms also the good probability, in the cases where SPICAM UVS measured UV emissions, that the increase in the measured total electron content by MARSIS and the simultaneous measured precipitating electron flux by the ASPERA-3/Electron Spectrometer may be related to each other.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Observations of aurorae by SPICAM ultraviolet spectrograph on board Mars Express: Simultaneous ASPERA-3 and MARSIS measurements
- Creators
- François Leblanc - Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CNRST)Olivier Witasse - European Space Research and Technology CentreJean Lilensten - Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble Grenoble FranceR. A Frahm - Southwest Research InstituteAli Safaeinili - Jet Propulsion LaboratoryD Brain - University of California, BerkeleyJeremie Mouginot - Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble Grenoble FranceHans Nilsson - Swedish Institute of Space PhysicsY Futaana - Swedish Institute of Space PhysicsJasper S Halekas - University of California, BerkeleyM Holmström - Swedish Institute of Space PhysicsJean-Loup Bertaux - Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CNRST)J Winningham - Southwest Research InstituteWlodek Kofman - Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble Grenoble FranceR Lundin - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.113(A8), pp.A08311-n/a
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union/Wiley
- DOI
- 10.1029/2008JA013033
- ISSN
- 2169-9380
- eISSN
- 2169-9402
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2008
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984200030702771
Metrics
7 Record Views