Title: Plasma Temperatures at Mars

Author List: Majd Matta, Marina Galand, Luke Moore, Michael Mendillo, Paul Withers

Abstract:
Ion and electron temperatures in the ionosphere of Mars affect plasma densities. These quantities vary with altitude and time of day. Modeling resutls are used to interpret existing measurements and to support anticipated MAVEN measurements. A 1D fluid model of the Martian ionosphere has been coupled to a kinetic supra-thermal electron transport model in order to self-consistently calculate ion and electron densities and temperatures. The models include diurnal variations, revealing hundreds of Kelvin changes in dayside electron and ion temperatures at fixed altitude. The models treat each ion species separately, revealing hundreds of Kelvin differences between H+ and O2+ temperatures. Consistent with previous studies using single-ion plasma, solar EUV heating alone is insufficient to heat the thermal electrons and ion species to observed temperatures, indicating the presence of additional heating sources.

Presentation Type: Dissertation (12 min talk + 3 min Q&A)