INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF AN X8.2 CLASS SOLAR FLARE ON THE MARTIAN IONOSPHERE USING MAVEN SATELLITE DATA
Turkish Physical Society 40th International Physics Congress, Muğla, Turkey, 2 - 06 September 2024, pp.190, (Summary Text)
- Publication Type: Conference Paper / Summary Text
- City: Muğla
- Country: Turkey
- Page Numbers: pp.190
- Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
The ionosphere, a natural plasma, plays a significant role in planetary satellite and
communication systems and is affected by space weather events. Solar winds and Coronal
Mass Ejections (CMEs) are among the major events influencing space weather. The
ionosphere, which is highly sensitive to the effects of space weather, is much thinner and
patchier on Mars compared to Earth. The rapid and intense increase in Mars missions in
recent years has made today’s research more critical for future missions. In our study, we
selected an X8.2 class solar flare and examined its effects on Mars's ionosphere using the
instruments on the MAVEN satellite.Both the ionosphere and magnetosphere of Mars and
Earth are easily influenced by space weather conditions. The largest coronal mass ejection
affecting Mars, recorded by the MAVEN satellite, occurred on September 10, 2017. This
CME is a unique solar event in that it affected Earth on September 12 and Mars on
September 13. In our research, we particularly focused on the SWEA (Solar Wind
Electron Analyzer) and SWIA (Solar Wind Ion Analyzer) parameters on Mars. By
utilizing various open data sources, the results of the space weather impacts were clearly
observed. The solar images and graphs related to the September 10, 2017 CME, data from
SWEA and SWIA instruments on the MAVEN satellite, WSA-ENLIL simulations, and
other methodological techniques consistently supported the impact of this major solar
flare on the Martian ionosphere. The STEREO solar images and CDAW solar images
obtained in our study capture the timing and shape of the coronal mass ejection on
September 10, 2017, in different wavelengths. These images are consistent with the
literature. WSA-ENLIL+Cone model simulations also showed the area and timing of the
CME wave's impact on Earth, Mars, and the STEREO-B satellite separately. The increase
in the magnetic field and ion density on Mars caused by the CME on September 13, 2017,
is also clearly visible. The orbital graph obtained for the MAVEN satellite shows that it
maintained its standard altitude and trajectory during the CME period. This ensured the
elimination of potential measurement errors originating from MAVEN. As observed from
the SWEA and SWIA graphs, a significant increase was observed on Mars, particularly
in the electron and ion densities in the ionosphere, on September 13-14. Investigating
ionospheric disturbances with satellites like MAVEN is essential for analyzing the much
thinner Martian ionosphere compared to Earth's and contributing to future Mars missions.
Understanding space weather is crucial for tracking the evolution of both Earth's and the
Red Planet's ionospheric structures and the long-term impact of solar flares on planetary
magnetospheres. The results obtained in our research indicate that the September 10, 2017
CME was a powerful event affecting both Earth and Mars, leading to an increase in the
electron and ion densities in the Martian ionosphere.