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In December 2022, NASA’s MAVEN mission observed a rare event on the sun that caused the solar wind to “disappear”. This caused major changes in Mars and the magnetosphere, including their expansion. Scientists, amazed by the data, established a working group to study this phenomenon. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
NASAMAVEN found a strange solar phenomenon that caused serious damage Mars‘ Atmosphere, it offers important information on the interaction of the planet and the special effects of the sun.
In December 2022, NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutionN) mission observed the remarkable and unexpected “disappearance” of a stream of charged particles that are still moving from the Sun, called the solar wind. This was caused by a special type of solar event that was so powerful, it created a vacuum in its path while traveling through the sun.
Because of this event, MAVEN’s measurements on Mars showed a significant drop in the amount of particles that make up the solar wind. Without the pressure of the solar wind, the Martian atmosphere and magnetosphere expanded to thousands of kilometers. MAVEN is the only instrument currently on Mars that can simultaneously observe the activity of the Sun and the response of the Martian atmosphere to these effects of the sun.
“When we first saw the data, and the dramatic decline in the solar wind, it was almost unbelievable,” said Jasper Halekas, professor at the University of Iowa and the lead author of a new study on the incident. “We created a working group to investigate what happened, and we know that this season is rich in amazing finds.”
Learn about the “absence” of the solar wind on Mars witnessed by MAVEN – an event that happened almost a quarter of a century ago on Earth. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Understanding the Solar Wind
Mars, like all the planets in our solar system, is constantly immersed in the solar wind. The solar wind intensifies the magnetic field and ionosphere, and drives the mass escape from the atmosphere. The solar event in December 2022 was caused by the fast solar wind that was slower than the solar wind, which is like a broom, sweeping and attaching the two regions together. This interaction, called the stream interaction region, leaves behind a rare void of very low-density solar wind in its path, which was observed by MAVEN. This “absence” of the solar wind led to some amazing interactions in Mars’ magnetosphere and ionosphere.
Outcome of the Event
As the thickness of the solar wind dropped by a factor of 100, it caused the pressure to decrease and allowed the planet’s magnetosphere and ionosphere to expand to thousands of kilometers—greater more than three times the normal size – and completely changed character. The Sun’s magnetosphere which is normally embedded in the Martian ionosphere was pushed out, which changed the ionosphere from magnetic to non-magnetic state. At the same time, the area between the solar wind and the magnetosphere became unusually quiet electromagnetically. MAVEN’s data on this critical event and the subsequent change and expansion of the entire system are important to better understand the physics that drives air and water on Mars.
“We’re looking at how Mars will respond when the solar wind is effectively removed,” Halekas added. “It makes a better study of what Mars would be like if it orbited a small ‘windy’ star.”
This is an artist’s rendering of NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN spacecraft orbiting Mars. Credit: NASA/GSFC
Importance of MAVEN Observations
Disappearance of the solar wind on this scale is extremely rare and is produced during periods of increased solar activity, and this is the first time that the MAVEN mission has detected it. the opportunity to observe such a situation. While other spacecraft on Mars and Earth also observed parts of this event, only MAVEN was able to simultaneously measure the Sun and the atmospheric response. a Martian there.
“Observation of extreme conditions is always scientifically important,” said Shannon Curry, principal investigator for MAVEN at the University of California, Berkeley. “MAVEN was designed to observe these types of interactions between the Sun and the Martian atmosphere, and the spacecraft provided unique information on this truly spontaneous solar phenomenon.”
As the Sun approaches solar eclipse, the top of its 11-year cycle, the MAVEN mission could have an even greater impact on our understanding of extreme events. the sun
Joint Efforts and Future Plans
“This really shows the intersection MAVEN is making on Mars,” said Gina DiBraccio, MAVEN principal investigator and deputy director of the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight. Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “MAVEN not only observes the dynamics of the Martian atmosphere, but also observes the solar system to improve our understanding of the Sun.”
The study is being presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco.
MAVEN’s main research center is based at the University of California, Berkeley, while NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the MAVEN mission. Lockheed Martin Space built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California provides communications and Deep Space Network support. The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder is responsible for managing scientific and public affairs and communications. The MAVEN team is preparing to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Mars mission in September 2024.