Journal article
Search for Phobos and Deimos gas/dust tori using in situ observations from Mars Global Surveyor MAG/ER
Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962), Vol.206(1), pp.189-198
2010
DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2009.07.017
Abstract
More than 490 elliptical aerobraking and science phasing orbits made by Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) in 1997 and 1998 provide unprecedented coverage of the solar wind in the vicinity of the orbits of the martian moons Phobos and Deimos. We have performed a comprehensive survey of magnetic field perturbations in the solar wind to search for possible signatures of solar wind interaction with dust or gas escaping from the moons. A total of 1246 solar wind disturbance events were identified and their distribution was examined relative to Phobos, the Phobos orbit, and the Deimos orbit. We find that the spatial distribution of solar wind perturbations does not increase near or downstream of Phobos, Phobos’ orbit, or Deimos’ orbit, which would have been expected if there is significant outgassing or dust escape from the martian moons. Of the 1246 magnetic field perturbation events found in the MGS data set, 11 events were found within 2000
km of the Phobos orbit, while three events were found within 2000
km of the Deimos orbit. These events were analyzed in detail and found to likely have other causes than outgassing/dust escape from the martian moons. Thus we conclude that the amount of gas/dust escaping the martian moons is not significant enough to induce detectable magnetic field perturbations in the solar wind. In essence we have not found any clear evidence in the MGS magnetic field data for outgassing or dust escape from the martian moons.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Search for Phobos and Deimos gas/dust tori using in situ observations from Mars Global Surveyor MAG/ER
- Creators
- Marit Øieroset - University of California, BerkeleyDavid A Brain - University of California, BerkeleyErin Simpson - University of California, BerkeleyDavid L Mitchell - University of California, BerkeleyTai D Phan - University of California, BerkeleyJasper S Halekas - University of California, BerkeleyRobert P Lin - University of California, BerkeleyMario H Acuña - Goddard Space Flight Center
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962), Vol.206(1), pp.189-198
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.icarus.2009.07.017
- ISSN
- 0019-1035
- eISSN
- 1090-2643
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2010
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984199923202771
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