Journal article
Simulating Impacts of Electron Precipitation on Mars' Nightside Ionosphere With an Empirical Model
Journal of geophysical research. Planets, Vol.130(4), e2025JE008953
04/2025
DOI: 10.1029/2025JE008953
Abstract
With the aim of improving global simulations of the Martian ionosphere, we present an empirical model of 137 electron impact processes—including ionization, dissociation, and excitation—on the nightside of Mars, based on MAVEN in situ data collected between 2014 and 2019. The empirical model demonstrates the significant impact magnetic field conditions have on nightside ionization rates, with different magnetic topologies reversing trends previously seen in ionization dependence on magnetic field strength: closed field lines on the nightside show a decrease in ionization with stronger fields, while topologies where field lines connect to a source of plasma at one or both ends show an increase of ionization with stronger fields. This empirical model is coupled with magnetic fields from MHD simulations of the Martian magnetosphere, as input to the PCM‐Mars and M‐GITM thermosphere‐ionosphere models, to provide a source of ionization on the nightside. Finally, we present new simulations of the global ionosphere with ionization sources on both the dayside and, for the first time, the nightside.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Simulating Impacts of Electron Precipitation on Mars' Nightside Ionosphere With an Empirical Model
- Creators
- Melissa Marquette - University of California, BerkeleyRobert Lillis - University of California, BerkeleyDave Pawlowski - Eastern Michigan UniversityJean-Yves Chaufray - Laboratoire atmosphères, milieux, observations spatialesYing Ma - University of California, Los AngelesFrancisco González-galindo - Instituto de Astrofísica de AndalucíaDavid Mitchell - University of California, BerkeleyJasper Halekas - Department of Physics and Astronomy [Iowa City]Mehdi Benna - Goddard Space Flight CenterMeredith Elrod - Goddard Space Flight CenterJared Espley - Goddard Space Flight CenterJacob Gruesbeck - Goddard Space Flight CenterShannon Curry - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of geophysical research. Planets, Vol.130(4), e2025JE008953
- DOI
- 10.1029/2025JE008953
- ISSN
- 2169-9097
- eISSN
- 2169-9100
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Grant note
- MAVEN missionNASA Solar System Workings ProgramNASA SSWP Grant: 80NSSC20K1042 CNESFrench Programme National de Planetologie (PNP)Programme National Soleil-Terre (PNST)NASA: 80GSFC21M0002
M. Marquette and R. Lillis are supported by and would like to thank the MAVEN mission and the NASA Solar System Workings Program (Grant 80NSSC20K1042). D. Pawlowski is also supported in part by NASA SSWP Grant 80NSSC20K1042. J.-Y. Chaufray is supported by CNES and by the French Programme National de Planetologie (PNP) and the Programme National Soleil-Terre (PNST). Contributions to this work from M. Benna and M. Elrod are supported by NASA under award number 80GSFC21M0002.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/2025
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984804803802771
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