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Recovery Timescales of the Dayside Martian Magnetosphere to IMF Variability
Author(s) -
Romanelli N.,
DiBraccio G.,
Modolo R.,
Leblanc F.,
Espley J.,
Gruesbeck J.,
Halekas J.,
Mcfadden J.,
Jakosky B.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2019gl084151
Subject(s) - magnetosheath , magnetosphere , martian , solar wind , mars exploration program , atmosphere of mars , interplanetary magnetic field , geophysics , magnetopause , physics , plume , interplanetary spaceflight , atmospheric sciences , geology , astrobiology , magnetic field , meteorology , quantum mechanics
Abstract In this work we revisit an event observed by Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution MissioN in the solar wind where the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) rotates around the Mars‐Sun axis during ∼6 min. Based on a time‐dependent LATMOS Hybrid Simulation, we determine recovery timescales of the dayside Martian magnetosphere normalized by the IMF variability timescale. Particularly, we find that such recovery timescales range between 8 s and 11 min for an ∼90° IMF rotation that lasted 50 s (observed as part of the 6‐min time interval), depending on the considered magnetospheric region. We also find that the O + plume recovery timescales range between 40 and 120 s, taking greater values for further downstream distances (at least up to 1 R M downstream from the terminator plane). This range is on the order of the magnetosheath O + gyroperiod, showing the kinetic nature of the plume recovery process.