October 14, 2014

Morphology of the magnetic field near Mars and the role of the magnetic crustal anomalies: Dayside region

Kallio, E. et Al.
Planetary and Space Science, 56,6,852-855

Summary: We have studied the morphology of magnetic flux tubes near Mars and have found that the magnetic field lines near Mars forms a wing-like flux tube structure downstream of the bow shock. These magnetic flux tubes are concentrated close to the plane, which contains the center of Mars, the interplanetary magnetic field, and the Mars-Sun line. Regions near Mars on dayside were found to be magnetically connected to the region downstream of the bow shock in the sunlight. The study suggests that the photoelectrons that were observed on the nightside far from Mars are associated with magnetic field lines which are, or which were, magnetically connected to the Martian dayside region.