Forces, electric fields and currents at the subsolar martian MPB: MAVEN observations and multifluid MHD simulation

Abstract

The Martian MPB (Magnetic Pileup Boundary) is a key boundary in the Mars/Solar Wind interaction as it is here that part of the momentum and energy from the solar wind plasma are transferred to the planetary plasma. Since this interaction is for the most part collisionless, the transfer is mediated by electric and magnetic fields. The acceleration processes and the interaction of particles with electromagnetic fields operate at spatial scales determined by the ambient particle populations. In particular, in regions with sizes of the order of the ion inertial length (ion scales), the Hall electric field is expected to be dominant.In the present work we combine data from the MAVEN spacecraft along one orbit around Mars and multifluid MHD simulation results to study the role of electric fields, currents and forces at the MPB at ion scales. In particular, we find that the current densities deduced from MAVEN data (J ∼ 238 nA/m2) of the same order as the values obtained in the simulation (J ∼ 56-156 nA/m2) and that the Hall electric force points sunward in both cases. In addition, we find that in the subsolar MPB current layer the Hall electric field (∼3.2 mV/m) dominates over the solar wind convective electric field (∼0.4 mV/m) and electron pressure gradient (∼0.8 mV/m). These values are consistent with previous results suggesting that the MPB thickness is of the order of the solar wind proton inertial length and support the idea that non ideal terms in Ohm’s law must be considered when analysing the dynamics of particles around plasma boundaries with ion scale thicknesses.