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The Induced Magnetosphere of Mars: Asymmetrical Topology of the Magnetic Field Lines
Author(s) -
Dubinin E.,
Modolo R.,
Fraenz M.,
Päetzold M.,
Woch J.,
Chai L.,
Wei Y.,
Connerney J. E. P.,
Mcfadden J.,
DiBraccio G.,
Espley J.,
Grigorenko E.,
Zelenyi L.
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 - 10.1029/2019gl084387
Subject(s) - field line , physics , mars exploration program , interplanetary magnetic field , magnetosphere , magnetic field , electric field , ionosphere , vortex , plasma , mercury's magnetic field , geophysics , field (mathematics) , line of force , interplanetary spaceflight , computational physics , solar wind , mechanics , astrobiology , mathematics , quantum mechanics , pure mathematics
An asymmetrical pileup of the interplanetary magnetic field leads to an additional draping of the field lines in the opposite direction to the motional electric field. Such a draping and the associated magnetic field forces push the ionosphere plasma in the transverse direction opening a passage for an ion trail which contains dense and slowly moving plasma. We found that wrapping of the field lines around Mars starts in the hemisphere pointing in the direction of the motional electric field and propagates to the opposite hemisphere where the cross‐flow component of the draped interplanetary magnetic field changes sign in a broad area accompanied by the formation of loops of closed field lines. Reconnection near Mars accompanied by the generation of plasma vortices imposes serious constraints on the ion dynamics and their escape through the tail. The existence of all these features is confirmed by hybrid simulations.