Solar Cycle and Seasonal Variability of the Martian Thermosphere-Ionosphere and Associated Impacts upon Atmospheric Escape 2009-01-2396
A growing body of evidence supports an ancient Mars having a milder, wetter climate, suggesting that its atmosphere was once more substantial than it is today. The fate of the lost atmosphere and water is a major unanswered question. Is the “lost” water sequestered in the crust at all latitudes, or did much of it escape to space? While available measurements and theoretical studies suggest that a number of atmospheric escape processes are at work today, little is known about their efficacy, including temporal variations driven by the solar cycle and Mars seasons. Selected 3-D simulations are presented and illustrate the coupling between the thermosphere-ionosphere system and the exosphere leading to predictions of the oxygen corona and hot oxygen escape (a major component of atmospheric loss for present day Mars).
Citation: Bougher, S., Valeille, A., Combi, M., and Tenishev, V., "Solar Cycle and Seasonal Variability of the Martian Thermosphere-Ionosphere and Associated Impacts upon Atmospheric Escape," SAE Int. J. Aerosp. 4(1):227-237, 2011, https://doi.org/10.4271/2009-01-2396. Download Citation
Author(s):
S. W. Bougher, A. Valeille, M. R. Combi, V. Tenishev
Affiliated:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Pages: 11
Event:
International Conference On Environmental Systems
ISSN:
1946-3855
e-ISSN:
1946-3901
Also in:
SAE International Journal of Aerospace-V120-1, SAE International Journal of Aerospace-V120-1EJ
Related Topics:
Sun and solar
Water
Weather and climate
Oxygen
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