Whistler wave mode generation via large amplitude steepened magnetic structures propagating through the Martian ionosphere

C. M. Fowler; K. G. Hanley; J. Halekas; C. E. Regan; J. McFadden; D. Mitchell; L. Andersson; D. Bark; Y. Harada; Y. Ma; C. Chaston; B. Sanchez-Cano; M. Lester; D. Brain; C. Mazelle; J. Espley; M. Benna; R. Jolitz; S. Curry

doi:10.3389/fspas.2025.1688155

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Whistler wave mode generation via large amplitude steepened magnetic structures propagating through the Martian ionosphere

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Whistler wave mode generation via large amplitude steepened magnetic structures propagating through the Martian ionosphere

C. M. Fowler, K. G. Hanley, J. Halekas, C. E. Regan, J. McFadden, D. Mitchell, L. Andersson, D. Bark, Y. Harada, Y. Ma, …

Frontiers in astronomy and space sciences, Vol.12, 1688155

05/22/2026

DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2025.1688155

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Abstract

In December 2023 an interplanetary coronal mass ejection impacted Mars and left the magnetosphere in a highly disturbed state that was observed by NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. One consequence of this space weather impact was the driving of large amplitude (∼50 nT) steepened magnetic structures that propagated into the dayside ionosphere. Here we focus on electromagnetic waves that were observed coincident with some of these magnetic structures. We demonstrate that these waves were the obliquely propagating whistler wave mode, confirmed by wavelet transform and minimum variance analyses. The waves were right hand quasi-circularly polarized with a frequency centered around 1 Hz, and demonstrated the typical dispersion features as a function of time and frequency that are associated with the whistler wave mode. The observations were consistent with the waves being generated by currents running along the steepened edges of the magnetic structures, in analogy to collisionless shocks. The whistler mode waves appeared to play an important role in the evolution of the magnetic structures, acting to smooth out the discontinuity between the up- and downstream sides of the steepened edges. While plasma conditions likely prevented the whistler mode waves from Landau damping with the ambient electrons at periapsis, such damping may have been possible at higher altitudes (600–800 km). This study further highlights the importance of understanding the impact of space weather within our solar system, demonstrating that such events can impact planetary magnetospheres and the ionospheres embedded within them.

Ionosphere

Mars

solar wind interaction

space weather

whistler wave

Details

Title: Subtitle: Whistler wave mode generation via large amplitude steepened magnetic structures propagating through the Martian ionosphere
Creators: C. M. Fowler - West Virginia University
K. G. Hanley - University of California, Berkeley
J. Halekas - University of Iowa
C. E. Regan - West Virginia University
J. McFadden - University of California, Berkeley
D. Mitchell - University of California, Berkeley
L. Andersson - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
D. Bark - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Y. Harada - Kyoto University
Y. Ma - University of California, Los Angeles
C. Chaston - University of California, Berkeley
B. Sanchez-Cano - University of Leicester
M. Lester - University of Leicester
D. Brain - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
C. Mazelle - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
J. Espley - Goddard Space Flight Center
M. Benna - Goddard Space Flight Center
R. Jolitz - University of California, Berkeley
S. Curry - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Frontiers in astronomy and space sciences, Vol.12, 1688155
DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2025.1688155
ISSN: 2296-987X
eISSN: 2296-987X
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A
Grant note: NASA funding for the MAVEN project through the Mars Exploration Program: NNH10CC04C STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship: ST/V004115/1 CM Fowler, BS-C Royal Society International Exchanges Scheme: 2022, IES/R3/223148 JSPS KAKENHI Grant: 25K00024, 25H00684, 25K01053, 22H01285, ST/W00089X/1 ESA: RFP/3-17233/21/ES/JD
The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. Work at WVU and SSL was supported by NASA funding for the MAVEN project through the Mars Exploration Program under grant number NNH10CC04C. B. Sanchez-Cano was supported through STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship ST/V004115/1. CM Fowler, BS-C and ML acknowledge support from the Royal Society International Exchanges Scheme 2022, IES/R3/223148. YH acknowledges support through JSPS KAKENHI Grant (25K00024, 25H00684, 25K01053, 22H01285), Mark ML acknowledges support through STFC grant ST/W00089X/1 and ESA contract RFP/3-17233/21/ES/JD.
Language: English
Date published: 05/22/2026
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9985166829502771

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