Open AccessStationary flux ropes at the southern terminator of Mars
Author(s) -
Beharrell M. J.,
Wild J. A.
Publication year - 2012
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 - 10.1029/2012ja017738
Subject(s) - mars exploration program , rope , martian , venus , flux (metallurgy) , atmosphere of mars , geophysics , magnetic flux , astrobiology , terminator (solar) , physics , geology , atmospheric sciences , magnetic field , ionosphere , materials science , structural engineering , quantum mechanics , engineering , metallurgy
Flux ropes have long been observed in the upper atmosphere of Venus and more recently at Mars. Here we present magnetic field measurements of flux ropes encountered at the southern terminator of Mars by Mars Global Surveyor and compare them to a flux rope model. This allows several parameters of each rope to be inferred. Remarkably similar flux ropes are met repeatedly at the southern terminator over a period of the Martian year, when strong crustal magnetic fields are upstream of their position, indicating that they are most likely stationary and attached to the upstream crustal fields. A mechanism is described that could produce the observed flux ropes.