High-resolution multifluid simulations of the plasma environment near the Martian magnetic anomalies

Abstract

[1] Three-dimensional high-resolution (∼40 km), multifluid simulations of the solar wind interaction at Mars during the southern hemisphere summer solstice indicate that the region around the magnetic anomalies can be complex and highly structured. The anomalous magnetic field leads to the formation of multiple cusps and a void region where the ionosphere is eroded. Most importantly, the anomalous magnetic field changes the nature of the magnetic pileup layer (MPL) when compared to over unmagnetized regions. While the altitude of the MPL is approximately the same in both the northern and southern hemispheres for this orientation, plasma in the MPL near the magnetic anomalies is cooler, with less solar wind and more of ionospheric origin. The solar wind density is reduced by a factor of 3 in the southern MPL, in comparison to the northern MPL, while the ionospheric density is 10-600 times more dense in the southern MPL, depending on altitude, location, and species. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.