Intermittent plasma turbulence in the Martian plasma environment

Abstract

Due to the absence of a global intrinsic magnetic field, Mars presents an induced magnetosphere, which is formed by the interaction between the solar wind and the conductive ionosphere of the planet. In that interaction, plasma boundaries and regions are created. Wave activity is present in the Mars plasma environment, and as consequence of non-linear interaction of those fluctuations, turbulence arises in the plasma. In this work, a review of the intermittent plasma turbulence in the upstream and main regions of the induced magnetosphere of Mars is presented. The influence of solar wind dynamic pressure, Mars seasonal variation and the presence of transients in the solar wind on the turbulence and wave activities at Mars are also reported.