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Subvisible CO 2 ice clouds detected in the mesosphere of Mars
Montmessin, Franck; Bertaux, Jean-Loup; Perrier, Séverine +8 more
The formation of CO 2 ice clouds in the upper atmosphere of Mars has been suggested in the past on the basis of a few temperature profiles exhibiting portions colder than CO 2 frost point. However, the corresponding clouds were never observed. In this paper, we discuss the detection of the highest clouds ever observed on Mars…
Carbon dioxide photoelectron energy peaks at Mars
Coates, A. J.; Kallio, E.; Fedorov, A. +40 more
The ELectron Spectrometer (ELS) from the Analyzer of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) flown on the Mars Express spacecraft has an 8% energy resolution, combined with the capability to oversample the martian electron distribution. This makes possible the resolution and identification of electrons generated as a result of the He 304 Å io…
Mass composition of the escaping plasma at Mars
Coates, A. J.; Kallio, E.; Fedorov, A. +44 more
Data from the Ion Mass Analyzer (IMA) sensor of the ASPERA-3 instrument suite on Mars Express have been analyzed to determine the mass composition of the escaping ion species at Mars. We have examined 77 different ion-beam events and we present the results in terms of flux ratios between the following ion species: CO +2/O
Structure of the martian wake
Coates, A. J.; Kallio, E.; Fedorov, A. +42 more
We present the first results from the ion mass analyzer IMA of the ASPERA-3 instrument on-board of Mars Express. More than 200 orbits for May 2004-September 2004 time interval have been selected for the statistical study of the distribution of the atmospheric origin ions in the planetary wake. This study shows that the martian magnetotail consists…
Debris-covered piedmont glaciers along the northwest flank of the Olympus Mons scarp: Evidence for low-latitude ice accumulation during the Late Amazonian of Mars
Head, James W.; Marchant, David R.; Milkovich, Sarah M.
We use Viking and new MGS and Odyssey data to characterize the lobate deposits superimposed on aureole deposits along the west and northwest flanks of Olympus Mons, Mars. These features have previously been interpreted variously as landslide, pyroclastic, lava flow or glacial features on the basis of Viking images. The advent of multiple high-reso…
The role of the wind-transported dust in slope streaks activity: Evidence from the HRSC data
Mangold, N.; Forget, F.; Neukum, G. +7 more
Slope streaks are gravity-driven albedo features observed on martian slopes since the Viking missions. The debated mechanism of formation could involve alternatively dry granular flow or wet mass wasting. A systematic mapping of slope streaks from the High Resolution Stereo Camera is presented in this paper. Two regions known for their slope strea…
Numerical interpretation of high-altitude photoelectron observations
Coates, A. J.; Kallio, E.; Fedorov, A. +47 more
The Electron Spectrometer (ELS) instrument of the ASPERA-3 package on the Mars Express satellite has recorded photoelectron energy spectra up to apoapsis ( ∼10,000 km altitude). The characteristic photoelectron shape of the spectrum is sometimes seen well above the ionosphere in the evening sector across a wide range of near-equatorial latitudes. …
Electric fields within the martian magnetosphere and ion extraction: ASPERA-3 observations
Kallio, E.; Fedorov, A.; Säles, T. +37 more
Observations made by the ASPERA-3 experiment onboard the Mars Express spacecraft found within the martian magnetosphere beams of planetary ions. In the energy ( E/q)-time spectrograms these beams are often displayed as dispersive-like, ascending or descending (whether the spacecraft moves away or approach the planet) structures. A linear dependenc…
Electron oscillations in the induced martian magnetosphere
Coates, A. J.; Kallio, E.; Fedorov, A. +42 more
The Analyzer of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) experiment flown on the Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft includes the Electron Spectrometer (ELS) as part of its complement. The ELS instrument measures the differential electron flux spectrum in a 128-level logarithmic energy sweep within a time period of 4 s. The orbital path of MEX trave…
First ENA observations at Mars: ENA emissions from the martian upper atmosphere
Coates, A. J.; Kallio, E.; Fedorov, A. +44 more
The neutral particle detector (NPD) on board Mars Express has observed energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) from a broad region on the dayside of the martian upper atmosphere. We show one such example for which the observation was conducted at an altitude of 570 km, just above the induced magnetosphere boundary (IMB). The time of flight spectra of these…