Journal article
Variations of the Martian plasma environment during the ICME passage on 8 March 2015: A time‐dependent MHD study
Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.122(2), pp.1714-1730
02/2017
DOI: 10.1002/2016JA023402
Abstract
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft observed a strong interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) impacting Mars on 8 March 2015. We use a time‐dependent global MHD model to investigate the response of the Martian ionosphere and induced magnetosphere to the large solar wind disturbance associated with the ICME. Taking observed upstream solar wind conditions from MAVEN as inputs to the MHD model, the variations of the Martian plasma environments are simulated realistically in a time period from 2.5 h prior to the arrival of the ICME shock to about 12 h after the impact. Detailed comparisons between the model results and the relevant MAVEN plasma measurements are presented, which clearly show that the time‐dependent multispecies single‐fluid MHD model is able to reproduce the main features observed by the spacecraft during the ICME passage. Model results suggest that the induced magnetosphere responds to solar wind variation on a very short time scale (approximately minutes). The variations of the plasma boundaries' distances from the planet along the subsolar line are examined in detail, which show a clear anticorrelation with the magnetosonic Mach number. Plasma properties in the ionosphere (especially the induced magnetic field) varied rapidly with solar wind changes. Model results also show that ion escape rates could be enhanced by an order of magnitude in response to the high solar wind dynamic pressure during the ICME event.
Key Points
A time‐dependent MHD model is used to quantify the impact of a strong ICME on Mars
Plasma environment varied rapidly in response to the solar wind disturbances
Ion escape rates were enhanced by more than an order of magnitude during the ICME event
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Variations of the Martian plasma environment during the ICME passage on 8 March 2015: A time‐dependent MHD study
- Creators
- Y. J Ma - University of California, Los AngelesC. T Russell - University of California, Los AngelesX Fang - University of Colorado BoulderC. F Dong - Princeton Plasma Physics LaboratoryA. F Nagy - University of MichiganG Toth - University of MichiganJ. S Halekas - University of IowaJ. E. P Connerney - Goddard Space Flight CenterJ. R Espley - Goddard Space Flight CenterP. R Mahaffy - Goddard Space Flight CenterM Benna - Goddard Space Flight CenterJ McFadden - University of California, BerkeleyD. L Mitchell - University of California, BerkeleyL Andersson - University of Colorado BoulderB. M Jakosky - Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.122(2), pp.1714-1730
- DOI
- 10.1002/2016JA023402
- ISSN
- 2169-9380
- eISSN
- 2169-9402
- Number of pages
- 17
- Grant note
- NASA (NNX13AO31G) NASA High‐End Computing (HEC) Program through the NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) Division at Ames Research Center NASA Living with a Star Jack Eddy Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 02/2017
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984199827002771
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