Simulations of X-rays from solar wind charge exchange at Mars: Parameter dependence

Abstract

A hybrid simulation of the solar wind–Mars interaction and a test particle simulation of heavy ion trajectories near Mars are used to compute the contribution from solar wind charge exchange processes to the X-ray emission from Mars. Here, we study how the simulated X-ray emissions depend on the parameters of the simulation model. Solar wind parameters are estimated using a ballistic model based on data from the WIND satellite and using an MHD model that uses inputs from interplanetary scintillation measurements. These two models produce X-ray images with significantly different structure. The intensity of the X-ray emissions and the size of the X-ray halo are also found to increase with an increasing exobase neutral temperature.