Structure of the Martian Wake
Abstract
The first results from the ion mass analyzer IMA of the ASPREA-3 instrument on-board of the Mars Express spacecraft show that the martian wake consists of two different ion regimes. In the first regime ions of planetary origin form the layer adjacent to the magnetic pile-up boundary. These ions are accelerated to relatively high energies and exhibit a gradual decreasing of energy down to the planetary tail. The second plasma regime is observed in the planetary shadow. The heavy ion are accelerated to the energy of the solar wind protons. Obviously the acceleration mechanism is different for the different plasma regimes. Study of two plasma regimes in the frame referred to interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) direction (we used MGS magnetometer data to obtain the IMF orientation) clearly shows their spatial anisotropy. The monoenergetic plasma in the planetary shadow is observed only in the narrow angular sector around the positive direction of the interplanetary electric field.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004AGUFMSA13A1118F
- Keywords:
-
- 6225 Mars;
- 2152 Pickup ions;
- 2756 Planetary magnetospheres (5443;
- 5737;
- 6030);
- 2780 Solar wind interactions with unmagnetized bodies