Pressure balance in the Martian ionosphere - Solar Wind interaction

Abstract

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and its interaction with the solar wind is a quite interesting subject to study. While it is a rocky planet it does not have an intrinsic magnetic field, but an ionosphere, created by the photoionization of a relatively thin atmosphere. In addition there are magnetic patches on its surface, remnants of an ancient fossilized magnetic field. All these factors make the study of its interaction with the solar wind quite intriguing. In this work we tried to extract information about the electron population and the magnetic field intensity around the planet, but also about the corresponding pressures to those magnitudes: electron thermal and magnetic pressure respectively. Also, we tried to determine the position of the magnetic pileup boundary (MPB) and compare it to the theoretical one, and lastly, we search for any possible structures along the MPB -- both above and below it -- by analyzing the ratio of the above mentioned pressures.We used data collected by Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface andIonosphereSounding (MARSIS), in a period of almost 9 years, December 2005 to May 2014.

Results

• Final report

Ratio of thermal to magnetic pressure in the Martian ionosphere found in this project.