HR: 1340h
AN: P23A-1087    [Abstracts]
TI: Geo-Effective Solar Flare Events In December 2006: Space Weather Effect on Mars and Venus Oxygen Loss to Space
AU: * Futaana, Y
EM: futaana@irf.se
AF: Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 812, Kiruna, 98128, Sweden
AU: Barabash, S
EM: stas@irf.se
AF: Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 812, Kiruna, 98128, Sweden
AU: Yamauchi, M
EM: yama@irf.se
AF: Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 812, Kiruna, 98128, Sweden
AU: Lundin, R
EM: rickard@irf.se
AF: Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 812, Kiruna, 98128, Sweden
AU: McKenna-Lawlor, S
EM: stil@nuim.ie
AF: Space Technology Ireland, National University of Ireland, Co. Kildare, Maynooth, Maynooth, Ireland
AB: In Dec. 2006, single sunspot region produced a series of proton solar flares, up to X9.0 level on 5 Dec 2006 10:35 UT. One unique feature of this X9.0 flare is that MeV particles originated from this proton flare were observed at Venus and Mars by Venus Express (VEX) and Mars Express (MEX), which are respectively located away from Earth by nearly +160° and -160° as viewed from the Sun. On 5 Dec 2006, the plasma instruments ASPERA-3 and ASPERA-4 on board MEX and VEX have detected a large enhancement in their respective background count level, which is a typical signature of intensive MeV particle flux. The timing of these enhancements were consistent with the estimated field-aligned travel time along the Parker spiral from the site of X9.0 flare to Venus and Mars. The Mars Express data indicate a one-order enhancement in the heavy ion outflow from the Martian atmosphere during the SEP period. This is the first observation of the increase of escaping flux at Mars during a violent solar activity. This suggests that the solar EUV flux levels also significantly affect the atmospheric loss from unmagnetized planets.
DE: 2164 Solar wind plasma
DE: 6025 Interactions with solar wind plasma and fields
DE: 6225 Mars
DE: 7846 Plasma energization
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting