D. J. Andrews

Magnetospheric period oscillations at Saturn: Comparison of equatorial and high‐latitude magnetic field periods with north and south Saturn kilometric radiation periods

It has recently been shown using Cassini radio data that Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) emissions from the Northern and Southern hemispheres of Saturn are modulated at distinctly different periods, similar to 10.6 h in the north and similar to 10.8 h in the south, during the southern summer conditions that prevailed during the interval from 2004 to near-equinox in mid-2009. Here we examine Cassini magnetospheric magnetic field data over the same interval and show that two corresponding systems of magnetic field oscillations that have the same overall periods, as the corresponding SKR modulations, to within similar to 0.01% are also present. Specifically, we show that the rotating quasi-dipolar field perturbations on southern open field lines and the rotating quasi-uniform field in the inner region of closed field lines have the same period as the southern SKR modulations, although with some intervals of slow long-term phase drift of unknown origin, while the rotating quasi-dipolar field perturbations on northern open field lines have the same period as the northern SKR modulations. We also show that while the equatorial quasi-uniform field and effective southern transverse dipole are directed down tail and toward dawn at southern SKR maxima, as found in previous studies, the corresponding northern transverse dipole is directed approximately opposite, pointing sunward and also slightly toward dawn at northern SKR maxima. We discuss these findings in terms of the presence of two independent high-latitude field-aligned current systems that rotate with different periods in the two hemispheres.

MAVEN observations of the response of Mars to an interplanetary coronal mass ejection

Coupling between the lower and upper atmosphere, combined with loss of gas from the upper atmosphere to space, likely contributed to the thin, cold, dry atmosphere of modern Mars. To help understand ongoing ion loss to space, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft made comprehensive measurements of the Mars upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and interactions with the Sun and solar wind during an interplanetary coronal mass ejection impact in March 2015. Responses include changes in the bow shock and magnetosheath, formation of widespread diffuse aurora, and enhancement of pick-up ions. Observations and models both show an enhancement in escape rate of ions to space during the event. Ion loss during solar events early in Mars history may have been a major contributor to the long-term evolution of the Mars atmosphere.

Planetary period oscillations in Saturn's magnetosphere: Evolution of magnetic oscillation properties from southern summer to post-equinox

We investigate the evolution of the properties of planetary period magnetic field oscillations observed by the Cassini spacecraft in Saturns magnetosphere over the interval from late 2004 to early 2011, spanning equinox in mid-2009. Oscillations within the inner quasi-dipolar region (L <= 12) consist of two components of close but distinct periods, corresponding essentially to the periods of the northern and southern Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) modulations. These give rise to modulations of the combined amplitude and phase at the beat period of the two oscillations, from which the individual oscillation amplitudes and phases (and hence periods) can be determined. Phases are also determined from northern and southern polar oscillation data when available. Results indicate that the southern-period amplitude declines modestly over this interval, while the northern-period amplitude approximately doubles to become comparable with the southern-period oscillations during the equinox interval, producing clear effects in pass-to-pass oscillation properties. It is also shown that the periods of the two oscillations strongly converge over the equinox interval, such that the beat period increases significantly from similar to 20 to more than 100 days, but that they do not coalesce or cross during the interval investigated, contrary to recent reports of the behavior of the SKR periods. Examination of polar oscillation data for similar beat phase effects yields a null result within a similar to 10% upper limit on the relative amplitude of northern-period oscillations in the south and vice versa. This result strongly suggests a polar origin for the two oscillation periods.

Early MAVEN Deep Dip campaign reveals thermosphere and ionosphere variability

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission, during the second of its Deep Dip campaigns, made comprehensive measurements of martian thermosphere and ionosphere composition, structure, and variability at altitudes down to ~130 kilometers in the subsolar region. This altitude range contains the diffusively separated upper atmosphere just above the well-mixed atmosphere, the layer of peak extreme ultraviolet heating and primary reservoir for atmospheric escape. In situ measurements of the upper atmosphere reveal previously unmeasured populations of neutral and charged particles, the homopause altitude at approximately 130 kilometers, and an unexpected level of variability both on an orbit-to-orbit basis and within individual orbits. These observations help constrain volatile escape processes controlled by thermosphere and ionosphere structure and variability.

Oblique reflections in the Mars Express MARSIS data set: Stable density structures in the Martian ionosphere

The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) onboard the European Space Agencys Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft routinely detects evidence of localized plasma density structures in the Martian dayside ionosphere. Such structures, likely taking the form of spatially extended elevations in the plasma density at a given altitude, give rise to oblique reflections in the Active Ionospheric Sounder data. These structures are likely related to the highly varied Martian crustal magnetic field. In this study we use the polar orbit of MEX to investigate the repeatability of the ionospheric structures producing these anomalous reflections, examining data taken in sequences of multiple orbits which pass over the same regions of the Martian surface under similar solar illuminations, within intervals lasting tens of days. Presenting three such examples, or case studies, we show for the first time that these oblique reflections are often incredibly stable, indicating that the underlying ionospheric structures are reliably reformed in the same locations and with qualitatively similar parameters. The visibility, or lack thereof, of a given oblique reflection on a single orbit can generally be attributed to variations in the crustal field within the ionosphere along the spacecraft trajectory. We show that, within these examples, oblique reflections are generally detected whenever the spacecraft passes over regions of intense near-radial crustal magnetic fields (i.e., with a “cusp-like” configuration). The apparent stability of these structures is an important feature that must be accounted for in models of their origin.

Control of the topside Martian ionosphere by crustal magnetic fields

We present observations from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) instrument onboard Mars Express of the thermal electron plasma density of the Martian ionosphere and investigate the extent to which it is influenced by the presence of Marss remnant crustal magnetic fields. We use locally measured electron densities, derived when MARSIS is operating in active ionospheric sounding (AIS) mode, covering an altitude range from ∼300 km to ∼1200 km. We compare these measured densities to an empirical model of the dayside ionospheric plasma density in this diffusive transport-dominated regime. We show that small spatial-scale departures from the averaged values are strongly correlated with the pattern of the crustal fields. Persistently elevated densities are seen in regions of relatively stronger crustal fields across the whole altitude range. Comparing these results with measurements of the (scalar) magnetic field also obtained by MARSIS/AIS, we characterize the dayside strength of the draped magnetic fields in the same regions. Finally, we provide a revised empirical model of the plasma density in the Martian ionosphere, including parameterizations for both the crustal field-dominated and draping-dominated regimes.

The first in situ electron temperature and density measurements of the Martian nightside ionosphere

The first in situ nightside electron density and temperature profiles at Mars are presented as functions of altitude and local time (LT) from the Langmuir Probe and Waves (LPW) instrument on board the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission spacecraft. LPW is able to measure densities as low as similar to 100 cm(-3), a factor of up to 10 or greater improvement over previous measurements. Above 200 km, near-vertical density profiles of a few hundred cubic centimeters were observed for almost all nightside LT, with the lowest densities and highest temperatures observed postmidnight. Density peaks of a few thousand cubic centimeters were observed below 200 km at all nightside LT. The lowest temperatures were observed below 180 km and approach the neutral atmospheric temperature. One-dimensional modeling demonstrates that precipitating electrons were able to sustain the observed nightside ionospheric densities below 200 km.

Cassini nightside observations of the oscillatory motion of Saturn's northern auroral oval

In recent years we have benefitted greatly from the first in-orbit multi-wavelength images of Saturns polar atmosphere from the Cassini spacecraft. Specifically, images obtained from the Cassini UltraViolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) provide an excellent view of the planets auroral emissions, which in turn give an account of the large-scale magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and dynamics within the system. However, obtaining near-simultaneous views of the auroral regions with in situ measurements of magnetic field and plasma populations at high latitudes is more difficult to routinely achieve. Here we present an unusual case, during Revolution 99 in January 2009, where UVIS observes the entire northern UV auroral oval during a 2 h interval while Cassini traverses the magnetic flux tubes connecting to the auroral regions near 21 LT, sampling the related magnetic field, particle, and radio and plasma wave signatures. The motion of the auroral oval evident from the UVIS images requires a careful interpretation of the associated latitudinally “oscillating” magnetic field and auroral field-aligned current signatures, whereas previous interpretations have assumed a static current system. Concurrent observations of the auroral hiss (typically generated in regions of downward directed field-aligned current) support this revised interpretation of an oscillating current system. The nature of the motion of the auroral oval evident in the UVIS image sequence, and the simultaneous measured motion of the field-aligned currents (and related plasma boundary) in this interval, is shown to be related to the northern hemisphere magnetosphere oscillation phase. This is in agreement with previous observations of the auroral oval oscillatory motion.

Solar wind interaction with comet 67P: Impacts of corotating interaction regions

We present observations from the Rosetta Plasma Consortium of the effects of stormy solar wind on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Four corotating interaction regions (CIRs), where the first event has possibly merged with a coronal mass ejection, are traced from Earth via Mars (using Mars Express and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission) to comet 67P from October to December 2014. When the comet is 3.1–2.7 AU from the Sun and the neutral outgassing rate ∼1025–1026 s−1, the CIRs significantly influence the cometary plasma environment at altitudes down to 10–30 km. The ionospheric low-energy (∼5 eV) plasma density increases significantly in all events, by a factor of >2 in events 1 and 2 but less in events 3 and 4. The spacecraft potential drops below −20 V upon impact when the flux of electrons increases. The increased density is likely caused by compression of the plasma environment, increased particle impact ionization, and possibly charge exchange processes and acceleration of mass-loaded plasma back to the comet ionosphere. During all events, the fluxes of suprathermal (∼10–100 eV) electrons increase significantly, suggesting that the heating mechanism of these electrons is coupled to the solar wind energy input. At impact the magnetic field strength in the coma increases by a factor of 2–5 as more interplanetary magnetic field piles up around the comet. During two CIR impact events, we observe possible plasma boundaries forming, or moving past Rosetta, as the strong solar wind compresses the cometary plasma environment. We also discuss the possibility of seeing some signatures of the ionospheric response to tail disconnection events.

Dust observations at orbital altitudes surrounding Mars.

Dust is common close to the martian surface, but no known process can lift appreciable concentrations of particles to altitudes above ~150 kilometers. We present observations of dust at altitudes ranging from 150 to above 1000 kilometers by the Langmuir Probe and Wave instrument on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft. Based on its distribution, we interpret this dust to be interplanetary in origin. A comparison with laboratory measurements indicates that the dust grain size ranges from 1 to 12 micrometers, assuming a typical grain velocity of ~18 kilometers per second. These direct observations of dust entering the martian atmosphere improve our understanding of the sources, sinks, and transport of interplanetary dust throughout the inner solar system and the associated impacts on Mars’s atmosphere.