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  • Dynamical Heating in the Martian Thermosphere: Temperatures, Winds and Thermal Balances using M-GITM

    work
    Creator:
    Bougher, S. W. and Pilinski, M. D.
    Description:
    The NASA MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) spacecraft, which is currently in orbit around Mars, has been taking systematic measurements of the densities and deriving temperatures in the upper atmosphere of Mars (between about 140 to 240 km above the surface) since late 2014. Wind measurement campaigns have also been conducted once per month for 5-10 orbits since 2016. These densities, temperatures and winds change with time (e.g. solar cycle, season, local time) and location, and sometimes fluctuate quickly. Global dust storm events are also known to significantly impact these density, temperature and wind fields in the Mars thermosphere. For the current project, in-situ measured winds and corresponding argon density derived temperatures are combined to trace the circulation patterns and investigate their convergence and divergence locations and impacts throughout the Mars thermosphere. M-GITM computed thermal balance terms are subsequently extracted to investigate the processes required to maintain the temperature distribution around the planet. For this work, Mars Year #33 (MY33) Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) measurements have been obtained by the MAVEN team for this purpose (see these representative works: (Bougher et al., 2017; Stone et al., 2018; Benna et al., 2019). These temperature and wind fields are compared to simulations from a computer model of the Mars atmosphere called M-GITM (Mars Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model), developed at U. of Michigan. Since the global circulation plays a role in the structure, variability, and evolution of the atmosphere, understanding the processes that drive the winds in the upper atmosphere of Mars also provides the needed context for understanding temperature distributions and underlying thermal balances throughout the atmosphere. Three dimensional M-GITM simulations for three of the four Mars cardinal seasons (Ls = 0, 90, 270) for MY33 were conducted for detailed comparisons with NGIMS temperature and wind distributions (Pilinski et al. 2022). Corresponding M-GITM datacubes used to extract these temperatures (plus winds) along the trajectory of each orbit path between 140 and 240 km, are provided in this Deep Blue Data archive. A single README file is included that details the contents of each datacube file. In addition, this general README file summarizes the inputs and outputs of each M-GITM simulation interval used for this study. Finally, a basic version of the M-GITM code can be found on Github at https:/github.com/dpawlows/MGITM.
    Keyword:
    MAVEN, Mars thermosphere, global dynamics, and heat balances owing to winds
    Citation to related publication:
    Pilinski, M. D., K. J. Roeten, S. W. Bougher and M. Benna, Dynamical Heating in the Martian Thermosphere, Journal Geophysical Res., XXX, (forthcoming - 2022). doi: .....
    Discipline:
    Science