HR: 1340h
AN: SA13A-1112 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: The Solar Wind Interaction With Mars and its Implications for Atmospheric Loss
AU: * Cravens, T E
EM: cravens@ku.edu
AF: University of Kansas, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy , Lawrence, KS 66045 United States
AB: The evolution of a planetary atmosphere is determined by the balance between source processes and loss processes such as escape of atmospheric species from the top of the atmosphere. Escape mechanisms can include: (1) hydrodynamic escape, (2) Jeans, or thermal, escape, (3) photochemical escape, (4) escape via planetary ion pickup by the solar wind (or other external plasma flow), and (5) escape and loss via sputtering due energetic ion impact on an atmosphere. Several of these escape mechanisms are applicable to Mars. In particular, loss of atmospheric species associated with the solar wind interaction with this planet is known to be important. The solar wind interaction with Mars and how this interaction affects the atmospheric loss will be reviewed. How atmospheric loss mechanisms might vary over the lifetime of the solar system will also be discussed.
DE: 5407 Atmospheres--evolution
DE: 6025 Interactions with solar wind plasma and fields
DE: 6027 Ionospheres--evolution
DE: 6225 Mars
DE: 2152 Pickup ions
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting