Ultra-Fast Kelvin Wave Packets in Mars' Atmosphere and Their Interactions With Tides as Viewed by MAVEN/NGIMS and MRO/MCS

Abstract

A key element of successful aerobraking operations at Mars is accurate thermospheric density predictions. Evidence suggests that much of the longitude variability in Mars' aerobraking region is associated with atmospheric tides, and the day-to-day variability is connected with tidal modulation by longer-period global-scale waves. Specifically, ultra-fast Kelvin waves (UFKWs) and their modulation of the tidal spectrum play a key role in coupling Mars' lower (