The Effects of Different Drivers on the Induced Martian Magnetosphere Boundary: A Case Study of September 2017

Abstract

AbstractThe Magnetic Pileup Boundary or Induced Magnetosphere Boundary (IMB) has been an enigma in Mars aeronomy. Previously dubbed the planetopause, magnetopause, ion‐composition boundary, and protonopause, identification of this unique plasma region has been marked by difficulty. In this case study, we used data from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission to identify IMB crossings and configurations during the month of September 2017, with a particular focus on the September 10, 2017 solar events. It was concluded that the Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection had no statistically significant impact on the IMB standoff locations. This study also investigated the effects of upstream dynamic pressure, thermal pressure from the magnetosheath, magnetic pressure from the magnetic pileup region (MPR), thermal pressure associated with the ionosphere, and Extreme Ultraviolet irradiance on the IMB during September 2017. We have found that during the 163 IMB crossings, magnetic pressure in the MPR and thermal pressure in the ionosphere had the largest influence on the IMB standoff distance.