Studies of Martian ionospheric conductivities undertaken using Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Express data

The Martian ionosphere is permeated by an extremely variable magnetic field that is a combination of the interplanetary magnetic field and the palaeomagnetic fields that emanate from magnetized portions of the planet’s crust. This spatially and temporally varying magnetic field directly affects the ion and electron gyrofrequencies. In turn, the magnetic field and gyrofrequencies, together with the collision frequencies and the electron density, contribute to the parallel, Pedersen and Hall conductivities that characterize the current flow in the ionosphere. We present initial findings of an investigation of these conductivities conducted using data obtained by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) and Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft.