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Locations of Atmospheric Photoelectron Energy Peaks Within the Mars Environment

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Abstract

By identifying peaks in the photoelectron spectrum produced by photoionization of CO2 in the Martian atmosphere, we have conducted a pilot study to determine the locations of these photoelectrons in the space around Mars. The significant result of this study is that these photoelectrons populate a region around Mars bounded externally by the magnetic pileup boundary, and internally by the lowest altitude of our measurements (∼250 km) on the dayside and by a cylinder of approximately the planetary radius on the nightside. It is particularly noteworthy that the photoelectrons on the nightside are observed from the terminator plane tailward to a distance of ∼3 R M, the Mars Express apoapsis. The presence of the atmospherically generated photoelectrons on the nightside of Mars may be explained by direct magnetic field line connection between the nightside observation locations and the Martian dayside ionosphere. Thus the characteristic photoelectron peaks may be used as tracers of magnetic field lines for the study of the magnetic field configuration and particle transport in the Martian environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX, 78228, USA

    R. A. Frahm, J. R. Sharber, J. D. Winningham & S. J. Jeffers

  2. University of Bern, Physikalisches Institut, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland

    P. Wurz

  3. Space Physics Research Laboratory, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA

    M. W. Liemohn & J. U. Kozyra

  4. Finnish Meteorological Institute, Box 503, FIN-00101, Helsinki, Finland

    E. Kallio

  5. Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 812, S-98 128, Kiruna, Sweden

    M. Yamauchi, R. Lundin, S. Barabash, M. Holmström & H. Andersson

  6. Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, London, RH5 6NT, UK

    A. J. Coates & D. R. Linder

  7. Space Technology Ireland, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland

    S. Mckenna-Lawler

Authors
  1. R. A. Frahm
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  2. J. R. Sharber
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  3. J. D. Winningham
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  4. P. Wurz
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  5. M. W. Liemohn
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  6. E. Kallio
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  7. M. Yamauchi
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  8. R. Lundin
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  9. S. Barabash
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  10. A. J. Coates
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  11. D. R. Linder
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  12. J. U. Kozyra
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  13. M. Holmström
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  14. S. J. Jeffers
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  15. H. Andersson
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  16. S. Mckenna-Lawler
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. A. Frahm.

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Frahm, R.A., Sharber, J.R., Winningham, J.D. et al. Locations of Atmospheric Photoelectron Energy Peaks Within the Mars Environment. Space Sci Rev 126, 389–402 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-006-9119-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-006-9119-5

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