SPRG Seminars
February 21, 2012:
"The Martian nightside ionosphere: particle precipitation and its consequences"
Robert Lillis, Space Science Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley
The night side ionosphere of Mars is known to be highly variable: essentially nonexistent in certain geographic regions, while at times nearly as strong as the photoionization-produced dayside ionosphere in others. Particle precipitation, ionospheric chemistry, thermospheric winds and dynamic coupling of the inhomogeneous rotating planet-fixed crustal field with the draped interplanetary magnetic field, lead to a rich and still poorly understood electrodynamic environment. I intend to give an overview of our knowledge of the Martian night side ionosphere, talk specifically about some recent work done here at SSL and preview how the upcoming MAVEN mission will improve our understanding of this enigmatic environment.