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The Three‐Dimensional Bow Shock of Mars as Observed by MAVEN
Author(s) -
Gruesbeck Jacob R.,
Espley Jared R.,
Connerney John E. P.,
DiBraccio Gina A.,
Soobiah Yasir I.,
Brain David,
Mazelle Christian,
Dann Julian,
Halekas Jasper,
Mitchell David L.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1029/2018ja025366
Subject(s) - mars exploration program , bow shock (aerodynamics) , solar wind , martian , atmosphere of mars , astrobiology , physics , geophysics , magnetosphere , shock (circulatory) , interplanetary magnetic field , interplanetary spaceflight , magnetopause , bow wave , aerospace engineering , geology , shock wave , magnetic field , mechanics , medicine , quantum mechanics , engineering
The Martian magnetosphere is a product of the interaction of Mars with the interplanetary magnetic field and the supersonic solar wind. The location of the bow shock has been previously modeled as conic sections using data from spacecraft such as Phobos 2, Mars Global Surveyor, and Mars Express. The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission spacecraft arrived in orbit about Mars in November 2014 resulting in thousands of crossings to date. We identify over 1,000 bow shock crossings. We model the bow shock as a three‐dimensional surface accommodating asymmetry caused by crustal magnetic fields. By separating MAVEN's bow shock encounters based on solar condition, we also investigate the variability of the surface. We find that the shock surface varies in shape and location in response to changes in the solar radiation, the solar wind Mach number, dynamic pressure of the solar wind, and the relative local time location of the strong crustal magnetic fields (i.e., whether they are on the dayside or on the nightside).