Venus-like interaction of the solar wind with Mars

• Published in: Geophysical research letters 1999-09, Vol.26 (17), p.2685-2688
• Main Authors: Cloutier, P. A., Law, C. C., Crider, D. H., Walker, P. W., Chen, Y., Acuña, M. H., Connerney, J. E. P., Lin, R. P., Anderson, K. A., Mitchell, D. L., Carlson, C. W., McFadden, J., Brain, D. A., Rème, H., Mazelle, C., Sauvaud, J. A., d'Uston, C., Vignes, D., Bauer, S. J., Ness, N. F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astronomy; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Interplanetary comparisons; Magnetic anomalies; Magnetic fields; Mars; Mars Global Surveyor; Planetary, asteroid, and satellite characteristics and properties; Reflectometers; Solar system; Solar wind; Spacecraft; Wind power generation
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1029/1999GL900591

The magnetometer and electron reflectometer experiment (MAG/ER) on the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft has obtained magnetic field and electron data which indicates that the solar wind interaction with Mars is primarily an ionospheric‐atmospheric interaction similar to that at Venus. However, the global‐scale electric currents and resulting magnetic fields due to the interaction at Mars are locally interrupted or perturbed over distance scales of several hundred kilometers by the effects of paleomagnetic fields due to crustal remanence. In this paper we compare the Mars‐solar wind interaction with the Venus‐solar wind interaction by selecting MGS orbits which do not show significant magnetic perturbations due to crustal magnetic anomalies, and demonstrate that a number of phenomena characteristic of the Venus‐solar wind interaction are also observable at Mars.