MAVEN observations on a hemispheric asymmetry of precipitating ions toward the Martian upper atmosphere according to the upstream solar wind electric field

Takuya Hara (1) , Janet G. Luhmann (1) , François Leblanc (2) , Shannon M. Curry (1) , Kanako Seki (3) , David A. Brain (4) , Jasper S. Halekas (5) , Yuki Harada (1) , James P. Mcfadden (1) , Roberto Livi (1) , Gina A. Dibraccio (6) , John E. P. Connerney (6) , Bruce M. Jakosky (4)

1 SSL - Space Sciences Laboratory [Berkeley]
2 HELIOS - LATMOS
3 Department of Earth and Planetary Science [Tokyo]
4 LASP - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics [Boulder]
5 Department of Physics and Astronomy [Iowa City]
6 GSFC - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

MAVEN observations show that the global spatial distribution of ions precipitating toward the Martian upper atmosphere has a highly asymmetric pattern relative to the upstream solar wind electric field. MAVEN observations indicate that precipitating planetary heavy ion fluxes measured in the downward solar wind electric field (−E) hemisphere are generally larger than those measured in the upward electric field (+E) hemisphere, as expected from modeling. The −E(+E) hemispheres are defined by the direction of solar wind electric field pointing towards (or away from) the planet. On the other hand, such an asymmetric precipitating pattern relative to the solar wind electric field is less clear around the terminator. Strong precipitating fluxes are sometimes found even in the +E field hemisphere under either strong upstream solar wind dynamic pressure or strong interplanetary magnetic field periods. The results imply that those intense precipitating ion fluxes are observed when the gyro radii of pickup ions are estimated to be relatively small compared with the planetary scale. Therefore, the upstream solar wind parameters are important factors in controlling the global spatial pattern and flux of ions precipitating into the Martian upper atmosphere.

Keywords: Mars; Hemispheric Asymmetry; Ion Precipitation; MAVEN; Solar Wind Dependence; Sputtering

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

Takuya Hara, Janet G. Luhmann, François Leblanc, Shannon M. Curry, Kanako Seki, et al.. MAVEN observations on a hemispheric asymmetry of precipitating ions toward the Martian upper atmosphere according to the upstream solar wind electric field. Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics, 2017, 122 (1), pp.1083-1101. ⟨10.1002/2016JA023348⟩. ⟨insu-01429786⟩