Gerard Chanteur

Mars solar wind interaction: Formation of the Martian corona and atmospheric loss to space

escaping fluxes of pickup ions are derived from a 3-D hybrid model describing the interaction of the solar wind with our computed Martian oxygen exosphere. In this work it is shown that the role of the sputtering crucially depends on an accurate description of the Martian corona as well as of its interaction with the solar wind. The sputtering contribution to the total oxygen escape is smaller by one order of magnitude than the contribution due to the dissociative recombination. The neutral escape is dominant at both solar activities (1 � 10 25 s � 1 for low solar activity and 4 � 10 25 s � 1 for high solar activity), and the ion escape flux is estimated to be equal to 2 � 10 23 s � 1 at low solar activity and to 3.4 � 10 24 s � 1 at high solar activity. This work illustrates one more time the strong dependency of these loss rates on solar conditions. It underlines the difficulty of extrapolating the present measured loss rates to the past solar conditions without a better theoretical and observational knowledge of this dependency.

A global hybrid model for Titan's interaction with the Kronian plasma: Application to the Cassini Ta flyby

The interaction between the corotating magnetospheric plasma of Saturn and the exosphere of Titan is investigated by means of a three-dimensional and multispecies hybrid simulation model coupling charged and neutral species via three ionizing mechanisms: the absorption of extreme ultraviolet solar photons, the impacts of magnetospheric electrons, and the charge exchange reactions between ions and neutral atoms or molecules. The simulation model includes the low and energetic components of the magnetospheric plasma, the main exospheric neutral species (molecular hydrogen and nitrogen and methane), and the atmospheric slowing down of charged particles penetrating below the exobase. Ionization rates of the exospheric species are computed as consistently as possible for each of the three ionizing mechanisms by making use of the relevant local number densities and cross sections or ionization frequencies. This model is thus able to provide a priori estimates of the escaping fluxes of exospheric ionic species and to separate for the contributions of the different ionization sources. A simulation run has been made for the conditions encountered by spacecraft Cassini during flyby Ta of Titan on 26 October 2004. Results are presented to characterize the main features of the simulated plasma environment of Titan: the induced magnetic tail and the flow of magnetospheric plasma around Titan, as well as the wake and the acceleration of the planetary plasma. Considering the coarse spatial resolution of the present simulation, these features are in reasonable agreement with in situ plasma measurements made by spacecraft Cassini.

Plasma environment in the wake of Titan from hybrid simulation: A case study

On 26 December 2005, the Cassini spacecraft flew through Titans plasma wake and revealed a complex and dynamic region. Observations suggest a strong asymmetry which seems to be displaced from the ideal position of the wake. Two distinct plasma regions are identified with a significant difference on the electron number density and on the plasma composition. Simulation results using a three-dimensional and multi-species hybrid model, performed in conditions similar to those encountered during the flyby, are presented and compared to the observations. An acceptable agreement is shown between the model predictions and the observations. We suggest that the observed asymmetries, in terms of density and plasma composition, are mainly caused by the a combination of the asymmetry in the ion/electron production rate and the magnetic field morphology, where the first plasma region is connected to the dayside hemisphere of Titans ionosphere while the other is connected to the nightside hemisphere.

Plasma environment of Mars as observed by simultaneous MEX-ASPERA-3 and MEX-MARSIS observations

[1] Simultaneous in situ measurements carried out by the Analyzer of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) and Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) instruments on board the Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft for the first time provide us with the local parameters of cold ionospheric and hot solar wind plasma components in the different regions of the Martian magnetosphere and ionosphere. On the dayside, plasma of ionospheric and exospheric origin expands to large altitudes and gets in touch with the solar wind plasma. Formation of the magnetic field barrier which terminates the solar wind flow is governed by solar wind. The magnetic field rises up to the value which is just sufficient to balance the solar wind pressure while the position of the magnetospheric boundary varies insignificantly. Although, within the magnetic barrier, solar wind plasma is depleted, the total electron density increases owing to the enhanced contribution of planetary plasma. In some cases, a load caused by a planetaiy plasma becomes so strong that a pileup of the magnetic field occurs in a manner which forms a discontinuity (the magnetic pileup boundary). Generally, the structure of the magnetospheric boundary on the dayside varies considerably, and this variability is probably controlled by the magnetic field orientation. Inside the magnetospheric boundaiy, the electron density continues to increase and forms the photoelectron boundary which sometimes almost coincides with the magnetospheric boundary. The magnetic field strength also increases in this region, implying that the planetary plasma driven into the bulk motion transports the magnetic field inward. A cold and denser ionospheric plasma at lower altitudes reveals a tailward cometary-like expansion. Large-amplitude oscillations in the number density of the ionospheric plasma are another typical feature. Crossings of plasma sheet at low altitudes in the terminator region are characterized by depletions in the density of the ionospheric component. In some cases, density depletions correlate with large vertical components of the crustal magnetic field. Such anticorrelation in the variations of the densities of the cold ionospheric and hot magnetosheath/plasma sheet plasmas is also rather typical for localized aurora-type events on the nightside.

Mars-solar wind interaction: LatHyS, an improved parallel 3-D multispecies hybrid model

In order to better represent Mars-Solar wind interaction, we present an unprecedented model achieving spatial resolution down to 50 km, a so far unexplored resolution for global kinetic models of the Martian ionized environment. Such resolution approaches the ionospheric plasma scale height. In practice, the model is derived from a first version described in Modolo et al. [2005]. An important effort of parallelization has been conducted and is presented here. A better description of the ionosphere was also implemented including ionospheric chemistry, electrical conductivities and a drag force modelling the ion-neutral collisions in the ionosphere. This new version of the code, named LatHyS (Latmos Hybrid Simulation), is here used to characterize the impact of various spatial resolutions on simulation results. In addition, and following a global model challenge effort [Brain et al., 2010], we present the results of simulation run for three cases which allows addressing the effect of the supra-thermal corona and of the solar EUV activity on the magnetospheric plasma boundaries and on the global escape. Simulation results showed that global patterns are relatively similar for the different spatial resolution runs but finest grid runs provide a better representation of the ionosphere and display more details of the planetary plasma dynamic. Simulation results suggest that a significant fraction of escaping O+ ions is originated from below 1200 km altitude.

Capture of solar wind alpha‐particles by the Martian atmosphere

Integration along He++ test-particle trajectories in the self-consistent electromagnetic fields generated by three-dimensional hybrid simulations of the solar wind/Mars interaction is used to evaluate the removal of solar wind α-particles due to charge-exchange processes with neutral species of the Martian exosphere. The total removal rate of solar wind He++ ions, transformed into either singly ionised or neutral helium, is equal to 6.7 × 1023 s−1, which corresponds approximately to 30% of the flux of solar α-particles through the planetary cross-section. The deposition rate of helium neutral atoms, created by double electronic capture on exospheric oxygen, impacting the exobase, and penetrating below where it can be trapped, is about 1.5 × 1023 s−1. That means an important contribution of the solar wind source to the helium balance of the Martian atmosphere. The implantation of the solar helium into the Martian atmosphere shows an asymmetry related to the orientation of the motional electric field of the solar wind, −VSW × BIMF.

Upper ionosphere of Mars is not axially symmetrical

The measurements carried out by the ASPERA-3 and MARSIS experiments on board the Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft show that the upper Martian ionosphere (h ≥ 400 km) is strongly azimuthally asymmetrical. There are several factors, e.g., the crustal magnetization on Mars and the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) which can give rise to formation of ionospheric swells and valleys. It is shown that expansion of the ionospheric plasma along the magnetic field lines of crustal origin can produce bulges in the plasma density. The absense of a magnetometer on MEX makes the retrieval of an asymmetry caused by the IMF more difficult. However hybrid simulations give a hint that the ionosphere in the hemisphere (E−) to which the motional electric field is pointed occurs more inflated than the ionosphere in the opposite (E+) hemisphere.

Solar wind charge exchange X-ray emission from Mars Model and data comparison

Aims. We study the soft X-ray emission induced by charge exchange (CX) collisions between solar-wind, highly charged ions and neutral atoms of the Martian exosphere. Methods. A 3D multi species hybrid simulation model with improved spatial resolution (130 km) is used to describe the interaction between the solar wind and the Martian neutrals. We calculated velocity and density distributions of the solar wind plasma in the Martian environment with realistic planetary ions description, using spherically symmetric exospheric H and O profiles. Following that, a 3D test-particle model was developed to compute the X-ray emission produced by CX collisions between neutrals and solar wind minor ions. The model results are compared to XMM-Newton observations of Mars. Results. We calculate projected X-ray emission maps for the XMM-Newton observing conditions and demonstrate how the X-ray emission reflects the Martian electromagnetic structure in accordance with the observed X-ray images. Our maps confirm that X-ray images are a powerful tool for the study of solar wind - planetary interfaces. However, the simulation results reveal several quantitative discrepancies compared to the observations. Typical solar wind and neutral coronae conditions corresponding to the 2003 observation period of Mars cannot reproduce the high luminosity or the corresponding very extended halo observed with XMM-Newton. Potential explanations of these discrepancies are discussed.

Nonlinear Bidimensional evolution of ion beam driven electrostatic instabilities in the auroral region

A two-dimensional (in configuration space), three-dimensional (in velocity space) electrostatic explicit particle code is used to investigate the interaction between an ion beam flowing along the magnetic field and a highly magnetized plasma (ωce/ωpe = 2, 4, 8). The beam drift velocity Vdi is larger than Vte, the electron thermal velocity (Vdi/Vte = 1.2, 2.5), and much larger than the thermal velocities of the core and beam ions (Vdi/Vti core = 12, 25). Two instabilities are found to develop. First, the interaction between the ion beam and electrons leads to the rapid growth of parallel modes and to the fast diffusion of electrons along the magnetic field, predominantly in the ion beam direction. This ion-electron instability is rapidly quenched by electron heating. Second, and ion-ion instability develops, which involves oblique modes leading to a selective heating of ions in a direction oblique to B. It is shown that the heating via the electron-ion instability is a necessary step for the development of the ion-ion instability. Finally, it is shown that the nonlinear development of the ion-ion instability gives rise to purely perpendicular modes that are not linearly unstable.

Magnetic reconnection at mercury and impacts of solar wind ions on the surface of the planet from global hybrid simulations

Global and three-dimensional hybrid simulations of the ionized environment of Mercury are used to investigate the effect of the quadrupolar component of the intrinsic planetary field on magnetic reconnection with the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), on the entry of solar wind ions in the Hermean magnetosphere and eventually their impacts on the planetary gound.