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

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorPoppe, A. R.
dc.contributor.authorCollinson, G. A.
dc.contributor.authorBenna, Mehdi
dc.contributor.authorStone, S. W.
dc.contributor.authorPlane, J.
dc.contributor.authorFowler, C. M.
dc.contributor.authorXu, S.
dc.date.accessioned2025-07-09T17:55:02Z
dc.date.issued2025-06-16
dc.description.abstractMetallic 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+.
dc.description.sponsorshipA.R.P. and G.A.C. acknowledge NASA’s Mars Data Analysis Program, grant #80NSSC24K0924. A.R.P. thanks D. Mitchell and R. J. Lillis for support in accessing and interpreting MAVEN data, and K. G. Hanley for discussions on ion temperatures in the martian ionosphere. J.M.C.P. acknowledges funding from the UK STFC, grant ST/T000279/1.
dc.description.urihttps://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/227985/
dc.format.extent21 pages
dc.genrejournal articles
dc.genrepostprints
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/m2q0n9-fybn
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/39252
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Faculty Collection
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Center for Space Sciences and Technology (CSST) / Center for Research and Exploration in Space Sciences & Technology II (CRSST II)
dc.rightsThis 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.
dc.rightsPublic Domain
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
dc.titleMAVEN Observations of Metallic Fe 1 + Distributions in the Martian Ionosphere
dc.typeText
dcterms.creatorhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2770-4820

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Poppe_MAVEN_NGIMS_metallic_ions_v4_revisions.pdf
Size:
2.23 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

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