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withers

HR: 1340h
AN: SA13A-1880 Poster
TI: Variability in the M1 Layer of the Martian Ionosphere
AU: *Fallows, K
EM: kfallows@bu.edu
AF: Astronomy Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
AU: Withers, P
EM: withers@bu.edu
AF: Astronomy Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
AU: Girazian, Z R
EM: zrjg@bu.edu
AF: Astronomy Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
AB: A simple representative model of the ionosphere of Mars is fit to the complete set of electron density profiles from the Mars Global Surveyor radio occultation experiment database. Both the primary (M2) and secondary (M1) peaks in electron density are represented as the sum of two Chapman layers. While this model is not intended to reflect the physical processes present at all altitudes, it proves to be a useful method to determine several characteristics of the electron density profile, including the width, height, and maximum electron density of each layer. Here we report an analysis of these derived characteristics for the M1 layer. While the altitude of the M2 layer is known to increase with increasing solar zenith angle (SZA), the altitude of the M1 layer does not change significantly with SZA. The peak electron density of the M1 layer is observed to increase with decreasing SZA. The M1 layer appears to increase in width as its peak electron density increases, though the opposite trend is observed in the M2 layer.
DE: [5435] PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLID SURFACE PLANETS / Ionospheres
SC: SPA-Aeronomy (SA)
MN: 2011 Fall Meeting