Longitudinal Characteristics of Martian E layer Electron density Profiles: MGS Observations
Abstract
Analysis of electron density profiles returned by radio science experiment aboard MGS provided a strong evidence for planetocentric longitude dependence of F1 layers of the Martian ionosphere (Bougher et al. 2001, 2004, Upadhayaya & Gupta 2018.). This feature is not seen in the E and F1 layer of the Earth's ionosphere, which too are photochemical. The earlier analysis of E layer was done examinning only a few electron density profiles. Now, with the availability of several MGS data sets containing a total of 5600 electron density profiles, we re-examine the longitude dependence of the observed peak parameters (viz. Height and density) as well as of other derived parameters, like the electron content and the atmospheric scale height of the E layer. We find that though there is a lot of variability, the distribution with longitude variations indicate the presence of crests/troughs, in the observed as well as in the derived parameters, broadly spread around 0, 70 and 140E longitudes. We then examine the characteristics of the electron density profiles located at these crests/ troughs and find a large difference between the two sets with the peak height and peak density showing large excursions. Further, the peak density, electron content and atmospheric scale height show significant relationship with the excursions in peak height.
- Publication:
-
43rd COSPAR Scientific Assembly. Held 28 January - 4 February
- Pub Date:
- January 2021
- Bibcode:
- 2021cosp...43E.781B