Flows, Fields, and Forces in the Mars-Solar Wind Interaction

Mars Global Surveyor Measurements of the Martian Solar Wind Interaction

The solar wind at Mars interacts with the extended atmosphere and small-scale crustal magnetic fields. This interaction shares elements with a variety of solar system bodies, and has direct bearing on studies of the long-term evolution of the Martian atmosphere, the structure of the upper atmosphere, and fundamental plasma processes. The magnetometer (MAG) and electron reflectometer (ER) on Mar...

Understanding the Solar Wind-Mars Interaction with Global Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling

The Solar Wind Interaction with Venus and Mars: Energetic Neutral Atom and X-ray Imaging

At the non-magnetized planets Venus and Mars, the solar wind comes in direct contact with the planets’ neutrals. This interaction produces energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) and X-rays. In this paper we review some of the different production mechanisms and present examples of simulated ENA and X-ray images. To extract as much information as possible about the ion and neutral distributions in the o...

Mars ionospheric response to solar wind variability

[1] At planets with induced magnetospheres, the coupling between the ionosphere, the weak draped magnetosphere, and the solar wind is very direct in comparison to Earth. The weak induced magnetosphere itself is created by the prevailing Solar wind conditions and therefore in its shape and strength dynamically depending on it. In early 2010, Mars was located behind Earth in the Solar wind; thus,...

The Venus Ionosphere and Solar Wind Interaction

The current state of knowledge of the chemistry, dynamics and energetics of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Venus is reviewed together with the nature of the solar wind-Venus interaction. Because of the weak, though perhaps not negligible, intrinsic magnetic field of Venus, the mutual effects between these regions are probably strong and unique in the solar system. The ability of the Pio...