Ion precipitation in planetary upper atmospheres: test particle simulations and implications for escape
Abstract
A 3-D Monte Carlo energetic particle transport model has been developed and successfully applied to ion precipitation into planetary upper atmospheres in our solar system (viz., Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn), and can be readily be extended using a full Lorentz motion formu-lation in the absence of strong dipole planetary magnetic fields. This model can be used with a variety of other models to assess the influence of hot ion precipitation on the thermosphere and exosphere of planetary atmospheres and the subsequent sputtering and escape. For instance in the case of Mars, a pick-up ion transport model already exists to allow for particle acceleration exerted by the convection electric field used in conjunction with existing model results from the Mars Thermosphere General Circulation Model (MTGCM) and the BATS-R-US global MHD model. The loss of exospheric neutrals through ionization, in which they become pick-up ions in the solar wind, can be calculated to examine the relative contribution of the various ionization processes. Solar wind protons as well as pick-up ions from a planetary exosphere routinely enter and alter their upper atmosphere. A study of the pick-up ion escape, sputtering, ion-ization, excitation, and energy deposition will be reviewed and discussed, resulting in a robust examination of the influence of energetic ion transport on planetary upper atmospheres.
- Publication:
-
38th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010cosp...38.1403P