LASP Magnetosphere Seminars

Abstract

Mars has a conductive ionosphere, which means the solar wind must be diverted around the planet. Closest to the planet, heavy ions from the planet are dominant, and outside the ionosphere-to-solar-wind transition (IST), the solar wind plasma dominates. The atmosphere of Mars is thin, with an exosphere reaching out several Martian radii (RM). The solar wind is supersonic most of the time and becomes subsonic upstream of IST, where it is diverted around the planet. The cross-section of the Martian system through which the solar wind interacts is a few solar wind proton gyro radii wide. The scale of the system results in global changes in the solar wind propagates quickly throughout the system. Furthermore, with an atmosphere overlapping with the solar wind, the dominant forces at a transition, such as IST, change on scales from minutes to days. This presentation will demonstrate different phases of two transitions, indicating changes in the dominant forces: the IST and the Martian bowshock.