Empirical Models of Ion Density Distribution in the Dayside Martian Ionosphere

Abstract

AbstractWith the aid of the recent Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) measurements made onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft, we construct empirical models for the vertical density distributions of 12 species in the dayside Martian ionosphere over the altitude range of 150–450 km, from abundant species such as , , and O+ to trace species such as and OCOH+. Two different sets of formulism are proposed to parameterize the ion density distribution characterized either by a distinctive layer structure or by a near exponential decay above 150 km. Both the solar control and magnetic control of ion distribution are taken into account in our modelings. In general, our empirical models are in good agreement with the NGIMS measurements. The full set of parameters constrained by data‐model comparison is tabulated for reference. This allows the easy computation of any individual ion density profile for a unique combination of solar zenith angle, solar extreme ultraviolet flux, and ambient magnetic elevation, which in turn facilitates comparisons with photochemical model results. The empirical models reported in this study are an extension of previous empirical models constructed for the electron distribution in the dayside Martian ionosphere using both radar sounding and radio occultation data.