HR: 0830h
AN: P21F-05 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: MHD Studies on the Electron Impact Ionization and Charge Exchange Effects of the Solar Wind Interaction with Mars
AU: * Ma, Y
EM: yingjuan@umich.edu
AF: Space Physics Research Laboratory, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
AU: Nagy, A F
EM: anagy@umich.edu
AF: Space Physics Research Laboratory, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
AU: Bougher, S
EM: bougher@umich.edu
AF: Space Physics Research Laboratory, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
AU: Sokolov, I V
EM: igorsok@umich.edu
AF: Space Physics Research Laboratory, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
AU: Hansen, K C
EM: kenhan@umich.edu
AF: Space Physics Research Laboratory, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
AB: We have improved our recently published 3D global MHD model of Mars(Ma et al., 2004) by incorporating the global variation of the neutral densities, using the appropriate Mars TGCM results. We also improved on the Chapman approximation used in our earlier model and now use appropriate optical depth values in calculating the ionization rates. In this paper we present results from this improved model and compare them with Viking and MGS observations. Finally in order to evaluate the importance of charge exchange and impact ionization on the interaction between the solar wind and Mars, we made calculations both including and neglecting these two processes and compare these results.
DE: 2780 Solar wind interactions with unmagnetized bodies
DE: 5405 Atmospheres--composition and chemistry
DE: 5409 Atmospheres--structure and dynamics
DE: 5443 Magnetospheres (2756)
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly