The Mini Induced Magnetospheres at Mars

Abstract

We report on observations made by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft at Mars, in the region of the ion plume. We observe that in some cases, when the number density of oxygen ions is comparable to the density of the solar wind protons interaction between both plasmas leads to formation in the magnetosheath of mini induced magnetospheres possessing all typical features of induced magnetospheres typically observed at Mars or Venus: a pileup of the magnetic field at the head of the ion cloud, magnetospheric cavity, partially void of solar wind protons, draping of the interplanetary magnetic field around the mini obstacle, formation of a magnetic tail with a current sheet, in which protons are accelerated by the magnetic field tensions. These new observations may shed a light on the mechanism of formation of induced magnetospheres.