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Steep, transient density gradients in the Martian ionosphere similar to the ionopause at Venus
Gurnett, D. A.; Winningham, J. D.; Frahm, R. A. +3 more
With the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) on the Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft, the electron density can be measured by two methods: from the excitation of local plasma oscillations and from remote sounding. A study of the local electron density versus time for 1664 orbits revealed that in 132 orbits very sharp …
Solar wind erosion of the polar regions of the Mars ionosphere
Lundin, R.; Pérez-de-Tejada, H.; Reyes-Ruiz, M. +1 more
Measurements conducted with the Analyzer of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) instrument of the Mars Express spacecraft provide data of plasma fluxes that stream away from the polar regions of the Mars ionosphere with energy spectra whose peak value increases with distance from the planetary surface. The observed energy distribution rev…