Physicists explain how type of aurora on Mars is formed

Physicists at the University of Iowa have learned how a type of solar wind is formed on Mars.

The physicists studied a light-in-the-sky display that occurs mostly during the night in the southern hemisphere. They didn't know how the aurora formed on Mars and on Earth. The northern and southern lights on our planet are caused by the lack of a global magnetic field on Mars.

The interaction between the solar wind and the magnetic fields on Mars is what governs theAurora on Mars, according to the physicists. The nature of the interaction between the solar wind and the crustal magnetic fields is found by the scientists.

The study looked at how solar wind conditions affect the Aurora on Mars.

The findings come from more than 200 observations by the NASA-led Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. The Solar Wind Ion Analyzer is led by Jasper Halekas, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

It is a great time to be researching at Mars. The first database of its kind, allowing us to understand basic features of the aurora for the first time, was created by MAVEN.

The study "Discrete Aurora at Mars: Dependence on Upstream Solar Wind Conditions" was published online on March 27.

More information: Z. Girazian et al, Discrete Aurora at Mars: Dependence on Upstream Solar Wind Conditions, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics (2022). DOI: 10.1029/2021JA030238 Citation: Physicists explain how type of aurora on Mars is formed (2022, May 18) retrieved 18 May 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-05-physicists-aurora-mars.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.