Abstract
The Martian ionosphere has for the first time been probed by a low frequency topside radio wave sounder experiment (MARSIS) (Gurnett et al., 2005). The density profiles in the Martian ionosphere have for the first time been observed for solar zenith angles less than 48 degrees. The sounder spectrograms typically have a single trace of echoes, which are controlled by reflections from the ionosphere in the direction of nadir. With the local density at the spacecraft derived from the sounder measurements and using the lamination technique the spectrograms are inverted to electron density profiles. The measurements yield electron density profiles from the sub-solar region to past the terminator. The maximum density varies in time with the solar rotation period, indicating control of the densities by solar ionizing radiation. Electron density increases associated with solar flares were observed. The maximum electron density varies with solar zenith angle as predicted by theory. The altitude profile of electron densities between the maximum density and about 170m altitude is well approximated by a classic Chapman layer. The neutral scale height is close to 10 to 13 km. At altitudes above 180 km the densities deviate from and are larger than inferred by the Chapman layer. At altitudes above the exobase the density decrease was approximated by an exponential function with scale heights between 24 and 65 km. The densities in the top side ionosphere above the exobase tends to be larger than the densities extrapolated from the Chapman layer fitted to the measurements at lower altitudes, implying more efficient upward diffusion above the collision dominated photo equilibrium region.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Acuna, M. H., Connerney, J. E. P., Ness, N. F., Lin, R. P., Mitchell, D., et al.: 1999, Science 284, 790.
Acuna, M. H., Connerney, J. E. P., Wasilevsky, P., Lin, R. P., Anderson, K. A., Carlson, C. W., et al.: 1998, Science 279, 1676.
Bornmann, P. L., Speich, D., Hirman, J., Mathison, L., Grubb, R., Garcia, H., et al.: 1996, Proc. SPIE 2812, 291.
Bougher, S. W., Engel, S., Hinson, D. P., and Forbes, J. M.: 2001, Geophys. Res. Lett. 28, 3091.
Budden, K. G.: 1966, Radio Waves in the Ionosphere, The University Press, Cambridge.
Chapman, S.: 1931, Proc. Phys. Soc. 43, 483.
Gurnett, D. A., Huff, R. L., Morgan, D. D., Persoon, A. M., Averkamp, T. F., Kirchner, D. L., et al.: 2006, COSPAR.
Gurnett, D. A., Kirchner, D. L., Huff, R. L., Morgan, D. D., Persoon, A. M., Averkamp, T. F., et al.: 2005, Science 310, 1929, 10.1126/science.1121868.
Hagg, E. L.: 1967, Can. J. Phys. 45, 27.
Hanson, W. B., Sanatani, S., and Zuccaro, D. R.: 1977, J. Geophys. Res. 82, 4351.
Hinson, D. P., Simpson, R. A., Twicke, J. D., Tyler, G. L., and Flasar, F. M.: 1999, J. Geophys. Res. 104, 26997.
Kenneth, D.: 1965, National Bureau of Standards Monograph 80.
Kliore, A. J.: 1992, In Venus and Mars: Atmospheres, Ionospheres, and Solar Wind Interactions, Geophysical Monograph 66, American Geophysical Union.
Luhmann, J. G., Tatrallyay, M., and Pepin, R. O.: 1992, in Luhmann, J. G., Tatrallyay, M., and Pepin, R. O. (eds.), Geophysical Monograph 66, American Geophysical Union.
Mendillo, M., Smith, S., Wroten, J., Rishbeth, H., and Hinson, D.: 2003, J. Geophys. Res. 108(A12), 1432, doi:10.1029/2003JA009961.
Mendillo, M., Withers, P., Hinson, D., Rishbeth, H., and Reinisch, B.: 2006, Science 311, 1135.
Nagy, A. F., Winterhalter, D., Sauer, K., Cravens, T. E., Brecht, S., Mazelle, C., et al.: 2004, Space Sci. Rev. 111, 33.
Nelms, G. L., Barrington, R. E., Belrose, J. S., Hartz, T. R., McDiarmid, I. B., and Brace, L. H.: 1966, Can. J. Phys. 44, 1419.
Ness, N. F., Acuna, M. H., Connerney, J. E. OP., Kliore, A. J., Breus, T. K., Krymskii, A. M., et al.: 2000, J. Geophys. Res. 105, 15991.
Nielsen, E., Morgan, D. D., Kirchner, D. L., Plaut, J., and Picardi, G.: 2006, Plan. Space Sci., in press.
Nielsen, E.: 2004, Space Sci. Rev. 111, 245.
Nielsen, E.: 1998, in Attema, E., Schwehm, G., and Wilson, A. (eds.), Proc. 32nd ESLAB Symp. ‘Remote Sensing Methodology for Earth Observation and Planetary Exploration’ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, ESA SP-423, ESA Publ. Div., Noordwijk, pp. 215–223.
Pätzold, M., Tellmann, S., Häusler, B., Hinson, D., Schaa, R., and Tyler, G. L.: 2005, Science 310, 837.
Picardi, G., Sorge, S., Seu, R., Fedele, G., Federico, C., and Orosei, R.: 1999, Mars advanced radar for subsurface and ionosphere sounding (MARSIS). Info-Com. Dept., Technical report N. MRS-001/005/99, version 2.0.
Rishbeth, H., and Garriott, O. K.: 1969, Introduction to Ionospheric Physics. International Physics Series, Volume 14, Academic Press.
Shinagawa, H.: 2000, Adv. Space Res. 26(10), 1599.
Shinagawa, H., and Cravens, T. E.: 1989, J. Geophys. Res. 94(A6), 6506.
Wang, J.-S., and Nielsen, E.: 2004, Ann. Geophysicae 22(1–5), SRef-ID: 1432-0576/ag/2004-22-1.
Warren, E. S.: 1963, Nature 197, 636.
Withers, P., and Mendillo, M.: 2005, Planet. Space Sci. 53, 1401.
Zhang, M. H. G., Luhmann, J. G., Kliore, A. J., and Kim, J.: 1990a, J. Geophys. Res. 95(B9), 14829.
Zhang, M. H. G., Luhmann, J. G., and Kliore, A. J.: 1990b, J. Geophys. Res. 95(A10), 17095.
Zou, H., and Nielsen, E.: 2004, Methods for obtaining electron density profiles from MARSIS ionograms and derivation of parameters characterizing the profiles. MPAe-W-485-04-01.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nielsen, E., Zou, H., Gurnett, D.A. et al. Observations of Vertical Reflections from the Topside Martian Ionosphere. Space Sci Rev 126, 373–388 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-006-9113-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-006-9113-y