Solar wind interaction with Mars' upper atmosphere: Results from 3-D studies using one-way coupling between the Multi-fluid MHD, the M-GITM and the AMPS models
Abstract
The study of the solar wind interaction with Mars upper atmosphere/ionosphere has triggered a great of interest in recent years. Among the large number of topics in this research area, the investigation of ion escape fluxes has become increasingly important due to its potential impact on the long-term evolution of Mars atmosphere (e.g., loss of water) over its history. In the present work, we adopt the 3-D Mars cold neutral atmosphere profiles (0~300 km) from the newly developed and validated Mars Global Ionosphere Thermosphere Model (M-GITM) and the 3-D hot oxygen profiles (100km~5RM) from the exosphere Monte Carlo model Adaptive Mesh Particle Simulator (AMPS). We apply these 3-D model outputs fields into the 3-D BATS-R-US Mars multi-fluid MHD model (100km~20RM) that can better simulate the interplay between Mars upper atmosphere and solar wind by considering the dynamics of individual ion species. The multi-fluid model solves separate continuity, momentum and energy equations for each ion species (H+, O+, O2+, CO2+). The M-GITM model together with the AMPS exosphere model take into account the effects of solar cycle and seasonal variations on both cold and hot neutral atmospheres, allowing us to investigate the corresponding effects on the Mars upper atmosphere ion escape by using a one-way coupling approach, i.e., both the M-GITM and AMPS model outputs are used as the inputs for the multi-fluid model and M-GITM is used as input into the AMPS exosphere model. The calculations are carried out for selected cases with different nominal solar wind, solar cycle and crustal field orientation conditions. This work has the potential to provide predictions of ion escape rates for comparison to future data to be returned by the MAVEN primary mission (2014-2016) and thereby improve our understanding of present day escape processes. Acknowledgments: The work presented here was supported by NASA grants NNH10CC04C, NNX09AL26G, NSF grant ATM-0535811.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUFM.P12A..01D
- Keywords:
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- 6225 PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS Mars;
- 0325 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE Evolution of the atmosphere;
- 2459 IONOSPHERE Planetary ionospheres;
- 6025 PLANETARY SCIENCES: COMETS AND SMALL BODIES Interactions with solar wind plasma and fields