The solar wind interaction with Mars: Locations and shapes of the bow shock and the magnetic pile‐up boundary from the observations of the MAG/ER Experiment onboard Mars Global Surveyor

Abstract

The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Mars on September 12, 1997. It includes the MAG/ER instrument with two magnetometers providing in‐situ sensing of the ambient magnetic field and an electron reflectometer measuring the local distribution function of the electrons in the energy range of 10 eV to 20 keV. This statistical study deals with the identification and the position of the Bow Shock (BS) and of another plasma boundary, the Magnetic Pile‐up Boundary (MPB), proved as permanent by MAG/ER. During the first year of the MGS mission, a total of 290 orbits have been considered to fit the geometric characteristics of these boundaries. The position and shape of these boundaries are compared with previous studies. Good agreement is found with the Phobos 2 observations, suggesting than the mean bow shock and MPB locations are independent of solar cycle phase. The great number of crossings shows that the Bow Shock position and nightside MPB position are highly variable.