Abstract Although the PHOBOS spacecraft will make some limited in-situ measurements of Mars' upper ionosphere during its transfer orbits, the major part of the mission will be limited to remote sensing by radio occultation and topside sounding methods. To “calibrate” the former as a means of studying the ionosphere and solar wind interaction, we have examined the Pioneer Venus Orbiter radio occultation experiment results in light of what we know from in-situ plasma and magnetic field data. This “calibration” can be used to reassess the data from previous Mars missions and to provide a basis for interpreting data from the upcoming PHOBOS mission. The resemblance between the available Mars radio occultation electron density profiles and those of Venus at solar minimum, and at solar maximum when the solar wind dynamic pressure is high, suggest that similar conditions of ionospheric magnetization exist at both planets. A key observation by the PHOBOS radio science experiments, which can be used to infer whether this ionospheric field is intrinsic or arises from the solar wind interaction, will be a determination of the sensitivity of the ionospheric profiles to varying solar wind conditions.
Remote sensing of mars' ionosphere and solar wind interaction: Lessons from venus
Advances in Space Research ; 10 , 3-4 ; 43-48
1989-01-01
6 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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