Abstract
As a part of the global plasma environment study of Mars and its response to the solar wind, we have analyzed a peculiar case of the subsolar energetic neutral atom (ENA) jet observed on June 7, 2004 by the Neutral Particle Detector (NPD) on board the Mars Express satellite. The “subsolar ENA jet” is generated by the interaction between the solar wind and the Martian exosphere, and is one of the most intense sources of ENA flux observed in the vicinity of Mars. On June 7, 2004 (orbit 485 of Mars Express), the NPD observed a very intense subsolar ENA jet, which then abruptly decreased within ∼10 sec followed by quasi-periodic (∼1 min) flux variations. Simultaneously, the plasma sensors detected a solar wind structure, which was most likely an interplanetary shock surface. The abrupt decrease of the ENA flux and the quasi-periodic flux variations can be understood in the framework of the global response of the Martian plasma obstacle to the interplanetary shock. The generation region of the subsolar ENA jet was pushed towards the planet by the interplanetary shock; and therefore, Mars Express went out of the ENA jet region. Associated global vibrations of the Martian plasma obstacle may have been the cause of the quasi-periodic flux variations of the ENA flux at the spacecraft location.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Acuña, M. H., Connerney, J. E. P., Wasilewski, P., Lin, R. P., Anderson, K. A., Carlson, C. W. et al.: 1998, Science 279, 1676–1680.
Acuña, M. H., Connerney, J. E. P., Ness, N. F., Lin, R. P., Mitchell, D., Carlson, C. W. et al.: 1999, Science 284, 790–793.
Araki, T.: 1994, in: M. J. Engebretson, K. Takahashi, and M. Scholer (eds.), Solar Wind Sources of Magnetospheric Ultra-Low-Frequency Waves, Geophysical Monograph, vol. 81, pp. 183–200.
Barabash, S., Norberg, O., Lundin, R., Olsen, S., Lundin, K., Brandt, P. C. et al.: 1998, in: R. F. Pfaff, J. E. Borovsky, and D. T. Young (eds.), Measurement Techniques in Space Plasmas, Field, AGU Geophysical Monograph 103, American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, pp. 257–262.
Barabash, S., Lundin, R., Andersson, H., Gimholt, J., Holmström, M., Norberg, O. et al.: 2004, in: A. Wilson, (ed.), Mars Express: The Scientific Payload, vol. SP-1240, ESA Special Publication, pp. 121–139.
Brinkfeldt, K., Gunell, H., Brandt, P., Barabash, S., Frahm, R. A., Winningham, J. D. et al.: 2006, Icarus 182(2), 439–447.
Crider, D. H., Acuña, M. H., Connerney, J. E. P., Vignes, D., Ness, N. F., Krymskii, A. M. et al.: 2002, Geophys. Res. Lett. 29(8), 1170, doi: 10.1029/2001GL013860.
Crider, D. H., Vignes, D., Krymskii, A. M., Breus, T. K., Ness, N. F., Mitchell, D. L. et al.: 2003, J. Geophys. Res. 108(A12), 1461, doi: 10.1029/2003JA009875.
Espley, J. R., Cloutier, P. A., Brain, D. A., Crider, D. H., and Acuña, M. H.: 2004, J. Geophys. Res. 109, A07213, doi: 10.1029/2003JA010193.
Feldman, W. C., Anderson, R. C., Bame, S. J., Gosling, J. T., Zwickl, R. D., and Smith, E. J.: 1983, J. Geophys. Res. 88, 9949–9958.
Fox, J. L., and Dalgarno, A.: 1979, J. Geophys. Res. 84(A12), 7315–7333.
Futaana, Y., Barabash, S., Grigoriev, A., Holmström, M., Kallio, E., C:son Brandt, P., et al.: 2006a, Icarus 182(2), 424–430.
Futaana, Y., Barabash, S., Grigoriev, A., Holmström, M., Kallio, E., C:son Brandt, P. et al.: 2006, Icarus 182(2), 413–423.
Gunell, H., Brinkfeldt, K., Holmström, M., Brandt, P., Barabash, S., Kallio, E. et al.: 2006, Icarus 182(2), 439–447.
Holmström, M., Barabash, S., and Kallio, E., 2002, J. Geophys. Res. 107(A10), 1277, doi: 10.1029/2001JA000325.
Kallio, E., and Barabash, S.: 2001, J. Geophys. Res. 106(A1), 165–177.
Kallio, E., Luhmann, J. G., and Barabash, S.: 1997, J. Geophys. Res. 102(A10), 22,183–22,197.
Kallio, E., Barabash, S., Brinkfeldt, K., Gunell, H., Holmström, M., Futaana, Y. et al.: 2006, Icarus 182(2), 448–463.
Lichtenegger, H., Lammer, H., and Stumptner, W.: 2002, 107(A10), 1279, doi: 10.1029/2001JA000322.
Lundin, R., Barabash, S., Andersson, H., Holmström, M., Grigoriev, A., Yamauchi, M. et al.: 2004, Science 305, 1933–1936.
Mitchell, D. G., Jaskulek, S. E., Schlemm, C. E., Keath, E. P., Thompson, R. E., Tossman, B. E. et al.: 2000, Space Sci. Rev. 91(1-2), 67–112.
Moore, T. E., Chornay, D. J., Collier, M. R., Herrero, F. A., Johnson, J., Johnson, M. A. et al.: 2000, Space Sci. Rev. 91(1–2), 155–195.
Nagy, A. F., Winterhalter, D., Sauer, K., Cravens, T. E., Brecht, S., Mazelle, C. et al.: 2004, Space Sci. Rev. 111, 33–114.
Peréz-de-Tejada, H.: 1987, J. Geophys. Res. 92, 4713–4718.
Pollock, C. J., Asamura, K., Baldonado, J., Balkey, M. M., Barker, P., Burch, J. L. et al.: 2000, Space Sci. Rev. 91(1–2), 113–154.
Roelof, E. C., Mitchell, D. G., and Williams, D. J.: 1985, J. Geophys. Res. 90, 10,991–11,008.
Sagdeev, R. Z., and Zakharov, A. V.: 1989, 341(6243), 581–585.
Thomsen, M. F.: 1985, in: B. T. Tsurutani, and R. G. Stone (eds.), Collisionless Shocks in the Heliosphere: Reviews of Current Research, American Geophysical Union, pp. 253–270.
Treumann, R. A., and Terasawa, T.: 2001, Space Sci. Rev. 99, 135–150.
Vaisberg, O. L.: 1992, in: J. G. Luhmann, M. Tatrallyay, and R. O. Pepin (eds.), Venus and Mars Atmospheres, Ionospheres, and Solar Wind Interactions, AGU Geophysical Monograph, vol. 66, pp. 311–326.
Vignes, D., Mazelle, C., Rème, H., Acuña, M. H., Connerney, J. E. P., Lin, R. P. et al.: 2000, Geophys. Res. Lett. 27(1), 49–52.
Vignes, D., Acuña, M. H., Connerney, J. E. P., Crider, D. H., Rème, H., and Mazelle, C.: 2002, Geophys. Res. Lett. 9, 1328, doi: 10.029/2001GL014513.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Futaana, Y., Barabash, S., Grigoriev, A. et al. Global Response of Martian Plasma Environment to an Interplanetary Structure: From Ena and Plasma Observations at Mars. Space Sci Rev 126, 315–332 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-006-9026-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-006-9026-9