Discrete Aurora at Mars: Insights into the Role of Magnetic Reconnection

Johnston, Benjamin; Schneider, Nicholas; Jain, Sonal; Milby, Zachariah; Deighan, Justin; Bowers, Charles; DiBraccio, Gina; Gérard, Jean-Claude; Soret, Lauriane; Girazian, Zachary; Brain, David; Ruhunusiri, Suranga; Curry, Shanon

doi:10.1029/2023GL104198

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Discrete Aurora at Mars: Insights into the Role of Magnetic Reconnection

Johnston, Benjamin; Schneider, Nicholas; Jain, Sonal et al.

2023 • In Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets, 50

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https://hdl.handle.net/2268/309242

DOI
10.1029/2023GL104198

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Keywords :

Mars; aurora; MAVEN; IUVS; nadir; magnetic field

Abstract :

[en] Discrete aurora are sporadic emissions of light originating in Mars upper atmosphere. We report nadir imaging observations from MAVEN’s Imaging UltraViolet Spectrograph which identify the conditions which trigger electron precipitation causing these events. Prior studies have shown that discrete aurora events in the strong crustal magnetic field region in the southern hemisphere are the brightest and most repeatable compared to events occurring outside the region. Our new dataset offers a more complete and accurate characterization of aurora in this area. The region of strongest crustal fields is composed of two distinct magnetic regions, with magnetic fields in opposite directions; discrete aurora trigger in one region after dusk and in the other before dawn. Magnetic reconnection in these two adjacent regions with the draped interplanetary field may open the crustal fields in these regions during opposing local times. Particles precipitation can then cause discrete aurora at the observed times and locations.

Disciplines :

Space science, astronomy & astrophysics

Author, co-author :

Johnston, Benjamin

Schneider, Nicholas

Jain, Sonal

Milby, Zachariah

Deighan, Justin

Bowers, Charles

DiBraccio, Gina

Gérard, Jean-Claude ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophysique, géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Labo de physique atmosphérique et planétaire (LPAP)

Soret, Lauriane ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophysique, géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Labo de physique atmosphérique et planétaire (LPAP) ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Unités de recherche interfacultaires > Space sciences, Technologies and Astrophysics Research (STAR)

Girazian, Zachary

More authors (3 more)

Language :

English

Title :

Discrete Aurora at Mars: Insights into the Role of Magnetic Reconnection

Publication date :

2023

Journal title :

Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets

ISSN :

2169-9097

eISSN :

2169-9100

Publisher :

Wiley, Hoboken, United States - New Jersey

Volume :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2023GL104198

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since 28 November 2023

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