Martian Electron Temperatures in the Sub Solar Region.

Observations from Viking, and MAVEN have shown that the observed ionospheric electron temperatures are systematically higher than those predicted by many models. Because electron temperature is a balance between heating, cooling, and heat transport, we systematically compare the magnitude of electron heating from photoelectrons, electron cooling and heat transport, as a function of altitude within 30 degrees of the sub solar point. MAVEN observations of electron temperature and density, EUV irradiance, neutral and ion composition are used to evaluate terms in the heat equation following the framework of Matta et al. (Icarus, 2014, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2013.09.006). Our analysis is restricted to inbound orbits where the magnetic field is within 30 degrees of horizontal. MAVEN sampled the sub solar region in May 2015 and again in May 2017, in near northern spring equinoctial conditions. Solar activity was higher and the spacecraft sampled altitudes down to 120 km in 2015, compared to 160 km in 2017. We find that between 160 and 200 km the Maven electron temperatures are in thermal equilibrium, in the sub solar region, on field lines inclined less than 30 degrees to the horizontal. Above 200km the data suggest that heating from other sources, such as wave heating are significant. Below 160 km some of the discrepancy comes from measurement limitations. This is because the MAVEN instrument cannot resolve the lowest electron temperatures, and because some cooling rates scale as the difference between the electron and neutral temperatures.