Premium
MAVEN observations of the Mars upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and solar wind interactions
Author(s) -
Jakosky Bruce M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/2017ja024324
Subject(s) - atmosphere (unit) , mars exploration program , atmosphere of mars , astrobiology , solar wind , ionosphere , martian , space weather , magnetosphere , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , atmospheric escape , geology , physics , meteorology , geophysics , plasma , quantum mechanics
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission to Mars has been operating in orbit for more than a full Martian year. Observations are dramatically changing our view of the Mars upper atmosphere system, which includes the upper atmosphere, ionosphere, coupling to the lower atmosphere, magnetosphere, and interactions with the Sun and the solar wind. The data are allowing us to understand the processes controlling the present‐day structure of the upper atmosphere and the rates of escape of gas to space. These will tell us the role that escape to space has played in the evolution of the Mars atmosphere and climate.