Study reveals surprising behavior of Mars’ induced magnetosphere

by Robert Schreiber

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Sep 19, 2024

Researchers at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) in Kiruna have discovered that the induced magnetosphere of Mars can break down under certain conditions. These findings were recently published in ‘Nature’, a prominent scientific journal.

Mars, lacking a natural internal magnetic field, forms an induced magnetosphere as its atmosphere interacts directly with the solar wind. This solar wind, composed of charged particles emitted by the Sun, carries an embedded magnetic field.

Using a combination of computer modeling and data from scientific instruments aboard the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft and NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft, the scientists observed this phenomenon. Both spacecraft are equipped with IRF’s Analyzer of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) and have been orbiting Mars for years.

“When the solar wind protons flow align with the magnetic field of the solar wind, the induced magnetosphere of Mars will degenerate. Such a degenerate magnetosphere will affect how much atmosphere is lost from Mars to space,” says the lead author Qi Zhang, PhD student at IRF and Umea University.

The ASPERA-3 instrument has been in operation for over 20 years, continuously measuring ion, electron, and neutral atom fluxes around Mars. Over this period, it has provided valuable insights into the ion outflow from the planet, contributing to numerous discoveries.

Research Report:Mars’s induced magnetosphere can degenerate.

Related Links

Swedish Institute of Space Physics

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