Schumann resonances at Mars: effects of the day-night asymmetry and the dust-loaded ionosphere

Sergio Toledo-Redondo (1) , Alfonso Salinas (2) , Jorge Portí (3) , Olivier Witasse (4) , Sandy Cardnell (4) , Jesus Fornieles (2) , Gregorio J. Molina-Cuberos (5) , Grégoire Déprez (6) , Franck Montmessin (6)

1 ESAC - European Space Astronomy Centre
2 EFM - Department of Electromagnetism and Matter Physics [Granada]
3 Departamento de Fisica Aplicada [Granada]
4 ESTEC - European Space Research and Technology Centre
5 Department of Electromagnetism and Electronics [Murcia]
6 PLANETO - LATMOS

Schumann resonances are standing waves that oscillate in the electromagnetic cavity formed between the conducting lower ionosphere and the surface of the planet. They have been measured in-situ only on Earth and Titan, although they are believed to exist on other planets like Mars. We report numerical simulations of the Martian electromagnetic cavity, accounting for the day - night asymmetry and different dust scenarios. It has been found that the resonances are more energetic on the nightside, the first resonance is expected to be 9 - 14 Hz depending on the dust activity, and to have low quality factors (Q≃2). This work serves as an input for the upcoming Exomars surface platform (launch 2020), who will attempt to measure them for the first time.

Keywords: dust storm; day-night asymmetry; Mars; Schumann resonance

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Astrophysics [astro-ph]; Earth and Planetary Astrophysics [astro-ph.EP]; Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Astrophysics [astro-ph]; Solar and Stellar Astrophysics [astro-ph.SR]

Sergio Toledo-Redondo, Alfonso Salinas, Jorge Portí, Olivier Witasse, Sandy Cardnell, et al.. Schumann resonances at Mars: effects of the day-night asymmetry and the dust-loaded ionosphere. Geophysical Research Letters, 2017, 44 (2), pp.648-656. ⟨10.1002/2016GL071635⟩. ⟨insu-01427750⟩