Mars ionosphere variability
Abstract
The ionosphere of Mars is an integral part of the atmosphere that links the lower atmosphere with the solar wind. Understanding the ionospheric response to internal and external forcing is essential to determining the whole atmosphere variability, as the ionospheric and atmospheric systems are strongly coupled. This proceeding focus on two main aspects of this variability, one from inside the planet and another one from outside. Starting from internal sources, it focuses on how lower atmosphere cycles, such as the seasonal carbon dioxide cycle, have a seasonal influence on the upper atmosphere, especially notable at Northern hemisphere spring when the Northern polar cap sublimates. Then, moving to external sources, it focuses on the effect of electron precipitation from a large space weather event in the Martian atmosphere. This event is important because it created lower-ionosphere absorption layers at ∼60-80 km on both the day and night-sides that strongly affect instrument performances for several days. This work is based on observations from Mars Express, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) missions, as well as on numerical ionospheric modelling.
- Publication:
-
SF2A-2019: Proceedings of the Annual meeting of the French Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019sf2a.conf..371S
- Keywords:
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- Mars;
- ionosphere;
- variability;
- space weather;
- atmospheric cycles