Title: Mars Global Surveyor observations of the Halloween 2003 solar superstorm's encounter with Mars

Author(s): Crider DH, Espley J, Brain DA, Mitchell DL, Connerney JEP, Acuna MH

Source: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS 110 (A9): Art. No. A09S21 AUG 25 2005

Document Type: Article

Language: English

Abstract: [1] Like at Earth, disturbances from solar storms affect the space environment as they encounter Mars. The effects of the 28 October 2003 solar superstorm were among the greatest observed by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft at Mars to date. The disturbance, defined by an increase in incident solar wind pressure, encountered Mars on 30 October 2003 and persisted for 43 hours. We present the effects of the passage of this high-pressure disturbance and compare the modified Martian space environment to more quiescent times. We find that the horizontal component of magnetic field is increased on the dayside. In addition, the solar wind interaction region is compressed during the disturbance. The solar wind flow has access to lower altitudes than typical, which likely increases mass loss from the Martian atmosphere. Regions of opened magnetic field lines can be closed at 400 km due to the compression of minimagnetospheres, thus altering locations where ionospheric plasma is protected from solar wind scavenging at 400 km altitude.

KeyWords Plus: MAGNETIC PILEUP BOUNDARY; WIND INTERACTION; OXYGEN-ATOMS; BOW SHOCK; VENUS; FIELD; PRESSURE

Addresses: Crider DH (reprint author), Catholic Univ Amer, Dept Phys, 106 Driftwood Dr, Gibsonville, NC 27249 USA
Catholic Univ Amer, Dept Phys, Gibsonville, NC 27249 USA
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Ctr, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA
Univ Calif Berkeley, Space Sci Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
Rice Univ, Houston, TX 77005 USA

E-mail Addresses: crider@cua.edu

Publisher: AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION, 2000 FLORIDA AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20009 USA

Subject Category: ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS

IDS Number: 960EP