A Statistical Investigation of Factors Influencing the Magnetotail Twist at Mars
© 2022. The Authors. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
| Veröffentlicht in: | Geophysical research letters. - 1984. - 49(2022), 12 vom: 28. Juni, Seite e2022GL098007 |
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| Weitere Verfasser: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
| Format: | Online-Aufsatz |
| Sprache: | English |
| Veröffentlicht: |
2022
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| Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk: | Geophysical research letters |
| Schlagworte: | Journal Article Mars magnetic reconnection magnetosphere magnetotail |
| Zusammenfassung: | © 2022. The Authors. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA. The Martian magnetotail exhibits a highly twisted configuration, shifting in response to changes in polarity of the interplanetary magnetic field's (IMF) dawn-dusk (B Y) component. Here, we analyze ∼6000 MAVEN orbits to quantify the degree of magnetotail twisting (θ Twist) and assess variations as a function of (a) strong planetary crustal field location, (b) Mars season, and (c) downtail distance. The results demonstrate that θ Twist is larger for a duskward (+B Y) IMF orientation a majority of the time. This preference is likely due to the local orientation of crustal magnetic fields across the surface of Mars, where a +B Y IMF orientation presents ideal conditions for magnetic reconnection to occur. Additionally, we observe an increase in θ Twist with downtail distance, similar to Earth's magnetotail. These findings suggest that coupling between the IMF and moderate-to-weak crustal field regions may play a major role in determining the magnetospheric structure at Mars |
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| Beschreibung: | Date Revised 31.07.2022 published: Print-Electronic Citation Status PubMed-not-MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 0094-8276 |
| DOI: | 10.1029/2022GL098007 |