Sources of ionospheric variability at Mars
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
During the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission's deep-dip #2 campaign of 17–22 April 2015, spacecraft instruments observed all of the physical parameters needed to assess the photo-chemical-equilibrium (PCE) explanation for ionospheric variability at a fixed altitude (135 km) near the peak of the Martian ionosphere. MAVEN measurements of electron density, electron temperature, neutral CO2 density, and solar irradiance were collected during 28 orbits. When inserted into the PCE equation, the measurements of varying PCE drivers correlated with the observed electron density variations to within instrumental uncertainty levels. The dominant source of this positive correlation was the variability of CO2 densities associated with the longitudinal wave-2 component of nonmigrating tides in the Martian thermosphere.
Date Issued
2017-09-19
Date Acceptance
2017-07-07
Citation
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 2017, 122 (9), pp.9670-9684
ISSN
2169-9380
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Start Page
9670
End Page
9684
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume
122
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
©2017. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. This is the accepted version of the following article, which has been published in final form athttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017JA024366/abstract
Sponsor
Imperial College Trust
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000413491700039&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
N/A
ST/N000692/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Astronomy & Astrophysics
PEAK ELECTRON-DENSITIES
SURVEYOR ACCELEROMETER DATA
MARTIAN IONOSPHERE
UPPER-ATMOSPHERE
MGS ACCELEROMETER
RADAR SOUNDINGS
SOLAR-CYCLE
MAVEN
TIDES
MODEL
Publication Status
Published