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Projekt Druckansicht

Die Kopplung von Sonnenwind/lonosphäre/Thermosphäre am Mars: Kombinierte Datenanalyse von Mars Express und MAVEN Beobachtungen"

Antragstellerinnen / Antragsteller Privatdozent Dr. Martin Pätzold; Dr. Silvia Tellmann
Fachliche Zuordnung Astrophysik und Astronomie
Förderung Förderung von 2020 bis 2023
Projektkennung Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 433762250
 
Erstellungsjahr 2025

Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse

The variability in the Sun’s electromagnetic and energetic particle output has a significant impact on the state of the Martian thermosphere. Solar radiation is the primary driver of thermospheric photo-chemistry. UV and IR solar flux components (< 800 nm) are responsible for thermospheric heating, while EUV (5–95 nm) and soft solar X-rays (0.1–5 nm) provide energy for ionosphere formation through ionization and electron impact. The lack of a global magnetic field on Mars results in direct interaction between the solar wind and the planetary ionosphere/neutral atmosphere, creating a strong coupling between these regions. Planetary waves, tides, and gravity waves, which propagate upward from the lower atmosphere to the upper atmosphere, serve as another powerful source of momentum deposition in the upper mesosphere and thermosphere. A combination of Mars Express and MAVEN observations of the Sun-Mars interaction offers a unique opportunity to investigate the temporal and spatial response/regulation patterns of the coupled ionosphere-thermosphere system. The simultaneous measurement of solar variability (e.g., solar X-ray/EUV flux, solar wind conditions, and solar energetic particle flux) at Mars, coupled with detailed observations of atmospheric and ionospheric characteristics, provides a valuable opportunity to gain deep insights into the flow of solar energy throughout the strongly interconnected Martian atmospheric system. The structure of the ionosphere is strongly influenced by dust in the upper neutral atmosphere. Observations by MaRS reveal that the peak altitude of the main ionospheric layer (M2) rises by several kilometers due to the expansion of the neutral atmosphere at ionospheric altitudes caused by dust heating.

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