Origin of the Extended Mars Radar Blackout of September 2017
Beatriz Sánchez‐cano
1
Pierre‐louis Blelly
2
Mark Lester
1
Olivier Witasse
3
Marco Cartacci
4
Roberto Orosei
5
Hermann Opgenoorth
6, 1
Robert Lillis
7
François Leblanc
8
Stephen Milan
1
Philip Conroy
3
Nicolas Floury
3
John M.C. Plane
9
Andrea Cicchetti
4
Raffaella Noschese
4
Andrew J. Kopf
10
Beatriz Sánchez‐cano 1
Author
Pierre‐louis Blelly 2
Author
Mark Lester 1
Author
Olivier Witasse 3
Author
Marco Cartacci 4
Author
Roberto Orosei 5
Author
Hermann Opgenoorth 6, 1
Author
Robert J. Lillis 7
Mail :
Author
François Leblanc 8
Mail :
Author IdHAL : francois-leblanc69 ORCID : https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5548-3519
Stephen E. Milan 1
Author
Philip Conroy 3
Author
Nicolas Floury 3
Author
John M.C. Plane 9
Mail :
Author
Andrea Cicchetti 4
Author
Raffaella Noschese 4
Author
Andrew J. Kopf 10
Author
1
RSPP - Radio and Space Plasma Physics Group [Leicester] (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH,
Royaume-Uni - United Kingdom)
- University of Leicester (University Rd, Leicester LE1 7RH - United Kingdom)
2
IRAP - Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie (9 avenue Colonel Roche 31028 Toulouse - France)
- UT3 - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (118 route de Narbonne - 31062 Toulouse - France)
- Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (41 Allée Jules Guesde, 31000 Toulouse - France)
- OMP - Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 TOULOUSE - France)
- Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (41 Allée Jules Guesde, 31000 Toulouse - France)
- CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique : UMR5277 (France)
3
ESTEC - European Space Research and Technology Centre (Keplerlaan 1, 2201 Noordwijk - Netherlands)
- ESA - European Space Agency (France)
4
IAPS - Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF (Via del Fosso del Cavaliere, 100 00133 Rome - Italy)
- INAF - Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (Viale del Parco Mellini 84, 00136 Roma - Italy)
5
IRA - Istituto di Radioastronomia (Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna - Italy)
- INAF - Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (Viale del Parco Mellini 84, 00136 Roma - Italy)
6
Department of Physics [Umeå] (SE-90187 Umeå - Sweden)
- Umeå University (SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden - Sweden)
7
SSL - Space Sciences Laboratory [Berkeley] (7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 - United States)
- University of California [Berkeley] (Berkeley, CA - United States)
- University of California (United States)
8
HEPPI - LATMOS (France)
- LATMOS - Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (11 boulevard d'Alembert
Quartier des Garennes
78280 - Guyancourt - France)
- UVSQ - Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines : UMR8190 (55 avenue de Paris - 78035 Versailles cedex - France)
- INSU - CNRS - Institut national des sciences de l'Univers : UMR8190 (INSU-CNRS 3 rue Michel-Ange, 75794 Paris Cedex 16 - France)
- SU - Sorbonne Université : UMR8190 (21 rue de l’École de médecine - 75006 Paris - France)
- CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique : UMR8190 (France)
9
School of Chemistry [Leeds] (Faculty of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT - United Kingdom)
- University of Leeds (Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT - United Kingdom)
10
Department of Physics and Astronomy [Iowa City] (203 Van Allen Hall
Iowa City, IA 52242-1479 - United States)
- University of Iowa [Iowa City] (Iowa City, IA 52242 - United States)
Abstract : The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) onboard Mars Express, which operates between 0.1 and 5.5 MHz, suffered from a complete blackout for 10 days in September 2017 when observing on the nightside (a rare occurrence). Moreover, the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which operates at 20 MHz, also suffered a blackout for three days when operating on both dayside and nightside. We propose that these blackouts are caused by solar energetic particles of few tens of keV and above associated with an extreme space weather event between 10 and 22 September 2017, as recorded by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. Numerical simulations of energetic electron precipitation predict that a lower O2+ nighttime ionospheric layer of magnitude ~1010 m−3 peaking at ~90‐km altitude is produced. Consequently, such a layer would absorb radar signals at high frequencies and explain the blackouts. The peak absorption level is found to be at 70‐km altitude.
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Journal articles
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https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-02125889
Contributor : Catherine Cardon <>
Submitted on : Thursday, September 12, 2019 - 3:40:07 PM
Last modification on : Friday, January 10, 2020 - 9:09:53 PM
Document(s) archivé(s) le : Saturday, February 8, 2020 - 5:35:06 AM
Contributor : Catherine Cardon <>
Submitted on : Thursday, September 12, 2019 - 3:40:07 PM
Last modification on : Friday, January 10, 2020 - 9:09:53 PM
Document(s) archivé(s) le : Saturday, February 8, 2020 - 5:35:06 AM
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- HAL Id : insu-02125889, version 1
- DOI : 10.1029/2018JA026403
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INSU | UNIV-TLSE3 | UNIV-PARIS-SACLAY | SORBONNE-UNIVERSITE | OMP | CNRS | UVSQ | LATMOS | OMP-IRAP | SU-SCIENCES
Citation
Beatriz Sánchez‐cano, Pierre‐louis Blelly, Mark Lester, Olivier Witasse, Marco Cartacci, et al.. Origin of the Extended Mars Radar Blackout of September 2017. Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics, American Geophysical Union/Wiley, 2019, 124 (6), pp.4556-4568. ⟨10.1029/2018JA026403⟩. ⟨insu-02125889⟩
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