Early MAVEN Deep Dip campaign reveals thermosphere and ionosphere variability
Abstract
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission, during the second of its Deep Dip campaigns, made comprehensive measurements of martian thermosphere and ionosphere composition, structure, and variability at altitudes down to ~130 kilometers in the subsolar region. This altitude range contains the diffusively separated upper atmosphere just above the well-mixed atmosphere, the layer of peak extreme ultraviolet heating and primary reservoir for atmospheric escape. In situ measurements of the upper atmosphere reveal previously unmeasured populations of neutral and charged particles, the homopause altitude at approximately 130 kilometers, and an unexpected level of variability both on an orbit-to-orbit basis and within individual orbits. These observations help constrain volatile escape processes controlled by thermosphere and ionosphere structure and variability.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 06, 2015
- Source ID
- 10.1126/science.aad0459
Entities
People
- A. Eriksson
- A. I. F. Stewart
- A. Nagy
- A. Stiepen
- Ali Rahmati
- B. Jakosky
- C. Dong
- C. M. Fowler
- C. Mazelle
- C. O. Lee
- Christopher T. Russell
- D. Andrews
- D. Baird
- D. Brain
- D. Curtis
- D. J. Mitchell
- D. Larson
- D. Lo
- D. Toublanc
- Daniel N. Baker
- E. Thiemann
- F. Crary
- F. Eparvier
- F. Leblanc
- F. Lefevre
- F. Montmessin
- G. Collinson
- G. Delory
- G. Dibraccio
- G. Holsclaw
- H. Gröller
- J. Connerney
- J. Espley
- J. Grebowsky
- J. Halekas
- J. Luhmann
- J. M. Bell
- J. Mcfadden
- J.-a. Sauvaud
- J.-y. Chaufray
- Jane L. Fox
- John Clarke
- Justin Deighan
- K. Fortier
- K. Seki
- Knut Olsen
- L. Andersson
- M. Benna
- M. Combi
- M. Crismani
- M. Elrod
- M. Fillingim
- M. Mayyasi
- M. Morooka
- M. Steckiewicz
- M. Vogt
- Margaret A. Stevens
- Michael Chaffin
- N. Schneider
- P. Dunn
- P. Mahaffy
- P. Withers
- Phillip Chamberlin
- R. Dewey
- R. Ergun
- R. Jolitz
- R. Lillis
- R. Livi
- R. Modolo
- R. Tolson
- R. Yelle
- R. Zurek
- S Stone
- S. Bougher
- S. England
- S. Evans
- S. Guzewich
- S. Ruhunusiri
- S. Sakai
- Sanket Jain
- Shannon Curry
- T. Cravens
- T. Hara
- T. Mcenulty
- T. Woods
- Thorsten Weber
- V. Tenishev
- W. Mcclintock
- W. Peterson
- Xiaomei Fang
- Y. Harada
- Y. Lee
- Yanhao Dong
- Yong Ma
Organizations
- Boston University
- California Institute of Technology
- Nagoya University
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Center for Scientific Research
- National Institute of Aerospace
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics
- United States Naval Research Laboratory
- University of Arizona
- University of California
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of Colorado
- University of Iowa
- University of Kansas
- University of Michigan
- University of Toulouse
- Wright State University