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Flare X‐ray photochemistry of the E region ionosphere of Mars
Author(s) -
Haider S. A.,
Batista I. S.,
Abdu M.A.,
Santos A. M.,
Shah Siddhi Y.,
Thirupathaiah P.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/2016ja022435
Subject(s) - ionosphere , mars exploration program , flare , solar flare , photoionization , flux (metallurgy) , ionization , electron density , physics , ion , electron , atmospheric sciences , astrophysics , materials science , astronomy , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
Abstract Based on electron density profiles obtained from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) we report X‐ray flare responses in the E region ionosphere of Mars during six events that occurred on 28 March and 6 April 2001, 17 and 18 March and 21 April 2003, and 19 February 2005. We have developed a time‐dependent Analytical Yield Spectrum model to calculate a time series of photoionization rate, photoelectron impact ionization rate, photoelectron flux, ion density, electron density, and ionospheric electron content (IEC) of the E region for each flare day. The estimated production rate, flux, and densities increase by 1–2 orders of magnitude due to effect of these flares in the E region ionosphere of Mars. The estimated IEC are compared with the measured IEC. It is found that the normalized IEC of the simulated E layer increased by a factor of 5–10 at the flare time compared to a factor of 2 enhancements in the normalized IEC of the corresponding MGS profiles.