Open AccessHigh‐resolution multifluid simulations of the plasma environment near the Martian magnetic anomalies
Author(s) -
Harnett E. M.,
Winglee R. M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2006ja012001
Subject(s) - solstice , martian , ionosphere , solar wind , geophysics , geology , magnetic field , mars exploration program , altitude (triangle) , atmospheric sciences , plasma , southern hemisphere , dipole model of the earth's magnetic field , physics , interplanetary magnetic field , geodesy , astronomy , climatology , latitude , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics
Three‐dimensional high‐resolution (∼40 km), multifluid simulations of the solar wind interaction at Mars during the southern hemisphere summer solstice indicate that the region around the magnetic anomalies can be complex and highly structured. The anomalous magnetic field leads to the formation of multiple cusps and a void region where the ionosphere is eroded. Most importantly, the anomalous magnetic field changes the nature of the magnetic pileup layer (MPL) when compared to over unmagnetized regions. While the altitude of the MPL is approximately the same in both the northern and southern hemispheres for this orientation, plasma in the MPL near the magnetic anomalies is cooler, with less solar wind and more of ionospheric origin. The solar wind density is reduced by a factor of 3 in the southern MPL, in comparison to the northern MPL, while the ionospheric density is 10–600 times more dense in the southern MPL, depending on altitude, location, and species.