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- Title
Exploring the Solar Wind‐Planetary Interaction at Mars: Implication for Magnetic Reconnection.
- Authors
Bowers, Charles F.; DiBraccio, Gina A.; Slavin, James A.; Gruesbeck, Jacob R.; Weber, Tristan; Xu, Shaosui; Romanelli, Norberto; Harada, Yuki
- Abstract
The Martian crustal magnetic anomalies present a varied, asymmetric obstacle to the imposing draped interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and solar wind plasma. Magnetic reconnection, a ubiquitous plasma phenomenon responsible for transferring energy and changing magnetic field topology, has been observed throughout the Martian magnetosphere. More specifically, reconnection can occur as a result of the interaction between crustal fields and the IMF, however, the global implications and changes to the overall magnetospheric structure of Mars have yet to be fully understood. Here, we present an analysis to determine these global implications by investigating external conditions that favor reconnection with the underlying crustal anomalies at Mars. To do so, we plot a map of the crustal anomalies' strength and orientation compiled from magnetic field data collected throughout the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. Then, we create "shear maps" which calculate and plot the angle of shear between the crustal fields and a chosen external field orientation. From there we define a "shear index" to quantify the susceptibility of a region to undergo reconnection based on a given overlaid, external field orientation and the resulting shear map for that region. We demonstrate that the shear analysis technique augments analysis of local reconnection events and suggests southward IMF conditions should favor dayside magnetic reconnection on a more global scale at Mars. Key Points: This study assesses the conditions that favor high‐shear magnetic reconnection between an external magnetic field and the crustal magnetic anomalies at MarsSouthward external fields are most likely to result in magnetic reconnection with the moderate‐to‐strong crustal fields globallyThis suggests large‐scale reconnection‐related phenomena such as the twisted magnetotail are organized by global preference for southward external field conditions
- Subjects
MAGNETIC reconnection; INTERPLANETARY magnetic fields; MARTIAN atmosphere; MAGNETIC fields; MAGNETIC anomalies; STELLAR initial mass function; LANDSLIDES
- Publication
Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics, 2023, Vol 128, Issue 2, p1
- ISSN
2169-9380
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2022JA030989