MAVEN Observations of Metallic Fe 1 + Distributions in the Martian Ionosphere

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Poppe_MAVEN_NGIMS_metallic_ions_v4_revisions.pdf (2.23 MB)

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https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/227985/

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http://hdl.handle.net/11603/39252

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UMBC Faculty Collection
UMBC Center for Space Sciences and Technology (CSST) / Center for Research and Exploration in Space Sciences & Technology II (CRSST II)

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Author/Creator ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2770-4820

Date

2025-06-16

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journal articles
postprints
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Citation of Original Publication

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This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
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Abstract

Metallic ions deposited in planetary atmospheres via meteoroid ablation are an in valuable tool for understanding electric fields, atmospheric winds, and minor ion transport. At Mars, metallic ion distributions are poorly understood. We analyze MAVEN/NGIMS Fe+ distributions in the Martian ionosphere over the period of 2015-2020 at altitudes ~120-200 km. The Fe+ vertical structure observed during individual low-altitude MAVEN Deep Dip campaigns is highly variable likely due to variations in the ion magnetization altitude and corresponding ion transport conditions. Deep Dip campaigns on or near the martian nightside show evidence for in-situ production of Fe+ ions via electron precipitation. On average, Fe+ ions are globally distributed in the martian ionosphere at al titudes >120 km with only slight decreases on the martian nightside and in the southern hemisphere. We find a similar, albeit less intense, decrease in the Fe+ densities in the northern hemisphere near perihelion as has been reported for Mg+.