23–26 Feb 2021
Zoom Passcode: 990417
America/Chicago timezone

Martian Crustal Field Modifications in the Dayside Ionosphere

24 Feb 2021, 18:15
10m
Zoom Link: https://kansas.zoom.us/j/92389769214 (Zoom Passcode: 990417)

Zoom Link: https://kansas.zoom.us/j/92389769214

Zoom Passcode: 990417

Zoom Link: https://kansas.zoom.us/j/92389769214 Zoom Passcode: 990417 Zoom Meeting ID: 923 8976 9214

Speaker

Antonio Renzaglia (University of Kansas - Dept of Physics and Astronomy)

Description

Crustal magnetic fields were first discovered at Mars by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission (Acuña et al., 1998). Since then, there have been several crustal field models and maps produced, as well as many missions to Mars to better study the crustal fields. The crustal fields are thought to influence ion loss from the planet, so having a precise understanding of the structure of these fields is vital. The Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) explorer is yet another mission to the red planet, and its magnetometer (MAG) instrument has been returning interesting data on both induced and crustal fields. Induced magnetic fields are the result of the solar wind interaction with the Martian ionosphere, in areas where crustal fields are less strong. Sometimes, a current sheet is formed when these 2 types of fields are found in close proximity to one another. Cravens et al. (2020) and Harada et al. (2017) considered cases in which magnetic reconnection took place in these current sheets. But what was not explored in these papers is that the currents in the boundary will not just affect the external induced field regions, but will affect the crustal field regions as well. In this talk, we discuss this "extended" interaction and consider what can be learned from the perturbation of the crustal magnetic field in the dayside ionosphere.

Type of contribution Oral contribution (10 minutes)

Primary author

Antonio Renzaglia (University of Kansas - Dept of Physics and Astronomy)

Co-authors

Dr Thomas Cravens (University of Kansas - Dept of Physics and Astronomy) Dr Oliver Hamil (Univeristy of Kansas - Dept of Physics and Astronomy)

Presentation materials