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Ann. Geophys., 24, 3403-3410, 2006
www.ann-geophys.net/24/3403/2006/
© European Geosciences Union 2006
Simulated solar wind plasma interaction with the Martian exosphere: influence of the solar EUV flux on the bow shock and the magnetic pile-up boundary
R. Modolo1, G. M. Chanteur1, E. Dubinin2, and A. P. Matthews3
1CETP-IPSL, 10-12 avenue de l'Europe, 78140 Vélizy, France
2Max-Planck Institute for Solar System Research, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
3School of Pure and Applied Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
Abstract. The solar wind plasma interaction with the Martian exosphere is investigated
by means of 3-D multi-species hybrid simulations. The influence
of the solar EUV flux on the bow shock and the magnetic pile-up boundary is
examined by comparing two simulations describing the two extreme states of
the solar cycle. The hybrid formalism allows a kinetic description of each
ions species and a fluid description of electrons. The ionization processes
(photoionization, electron impact and charge exchange) are included
self-consistently in the model where the production rate is computed locally,
separately for each ionization act and for each neutral species. The results
of simulations are in a reasonable agreement with the observations made by
Phobos 2 and Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. The position of the bow shock
and the magnetic pile-up boundary is weakly dependent of the solar EUV flux.
The motional electric field creates strong asymmetries for the two plasma
boundaries.
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