Posted on 12/11/2023 11:33:14 AM PST by Ezekiel
[IMAGE]Mars Disappearing Solar Wind: MAVEN Visualizations: A zoomed in view of MAVEN’s orbit during a period of low solar wind. Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. View visualizations ›
In December 2022, NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission observed the dramatic and unexpected "disappearance" of a stream of charged particles constantly emanating off the Sun, known as the solar wind. This was caused by a special type of solar event that was so powerful, it created a void in its wake as it traveled through the solar system.
[IMAGE, 2:27 min video]The Day the Solar Wind Disappeared from Mars: Learn about the “disappearance” of the solar wind at Mars that was witnessed by MAVEN – an event last seen nearly a quarter-century ago at Earth. Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Download video ›
Due to this event, MAVEN’s measurements at Mars showed that the number of particles making up the solar wind dropped significantly. Without the pressure of the solar wind, the Martian atmosphere and magnetosphere expanded by thousands of kilometers. MAVEN is the only asset currently at Mars able to simultaneously observe both the Sun’s activity and the response of the Martian atmosphere to these solar influences.
"When we first saw the data, and how dramatic the drop in the solar wind was, it was almost unbelievable," said Jasper Halekas, professor at the University of Iowa and the lead author on a new study on the event. "We formed a working group to study the event, and we have found this time period to be rich with incredible findings."
Mars, like all the planets in our solar system, is constantly immersed in the solar wind. The solar wind exerts pressure on the Martian magnetosphere and ionosphere, and drives much of the escape of the atmosphere. The solar event in December 2022 was caused by faster-moving solar wind that overtook slower moving solar wind, which acted like a broom, sweeping and compressing the two regions together. This interaction, called a stream interaction region, left behind a rare void of extremely low-density solar wind in its wake, which was observed by MAVEN. This "disappearance" of the solar wind led to some incredible interactions within Mars’ magnetosphere and ionosphere.
As the density of the solar wind dropped by a factor of 100, it caused the pressure to decrease and the magnetosphere and ionosphere of the planet were able to expand by thousands of kilometers—more than tripled the typical size—and dramatically changed in character. The Sun’s magnetic field that typically is embedded within the Martian ionosphere was pushed outwards, which transformed the ionosphere from a magnetized to unmagnetized state.
At the same time, the layer between the solar wind and the magnetosphere became unusually electromagnetically quiet. MAVEN’s observations of this dramatic event and subsequent transformation and expansion of the whole system is important to better understand the physics that drive atmospheric and water loss at Mars.
"We are really getting to see how Mars responds when the solar wind is effectively removed," Halekas added. "It makes for a great outlier study on what Mars would be like if it were orbiting a less ‘windy’ star."
Disappearing solar wind events on this scale are extremely rare and are produced at a time of increasing solar activity, so this was the first time the MAVEN mission had the opportunity to observe such a phenomenon. While other spacecraft at Mars and Earth also observed aspects of this event, only MAVEN was able to simultaneously take measurements from both the Sun and the Martian atmosphere’s response to it.
"Observing extreme conditions is always scientifically invaluable," said Shannon Curry, principal investigator for MAVEN at the University of California, Berkeley. "MAVEN was designed to observe these types of interactions between the Sun and the Martian atmosphere, and the spacecraft provided exceptional data during this truly anomalous solar event."
As the Sun moves toward solar maximum, the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, the MAVEN mission could have an even bigger impact on our understanding of extreme solar events.
"This really shows the cross-divisional role that MAVEN plays at Mars," said Gina DiBraccio, MAVEN deputy principal investigator and deputy director of the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “MAVEN is not only observing the dynamics of the Martian atmosphere, it is also monitoring solar inputs to enhance our understanding of the Sun.”
The study is being presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco.
MAVEN’s principal investigator is based at the University of California, Berkeley, while NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the MAVEN mission. Lockheed Martin Space built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California provides navigation and Deep Space Network support. The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder is responsible for managing science operations and public outreach and communications. The MAVEN team is preparing to celebrate the spacecraft’s 10th year at Mars in September 2024.
Willow Reed
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder
Media Contacts:
Nancy Neal Jones
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Don’t tell me, ‘fossil’ fuels are responsible for reducing the solar wind now...
Ping for your interest, in any case.
I’m having trouble figuring this out. To utilize the solar wind, should we set up solar panels or windmills? LOL
By one theory this should affect the Earth’s climate. It seems like this was a big deal at one time. So far today, my search engine has not turned up much.
“As the Sun moves toward solar maximum, the peak of its 11-year activity cycle ...”
The sun has an 11 year cycle the same way that men are 5’9” (or whatever) tall. In both cases we are talking about averages not constants.
It happened on Christmas, so I suspect the Grinch.
It came back a couple of days later, though. He couldn't stop the solar wind from coming.
It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or a NASA budget!
One of the reasons terraforming Mars is considered near impossible is that any atmosphere that is generated will be scorched off by the solar wind. To prevent this, engineers imagine jumpstarting Mars's magnetosphere by blowing up nuclear bombs in the planet's core or placing large magnets around the planet.
For all things Mars, and everything else space related (near Earth or not) I HIGHLY recommend Robert Zimmerman at http://behindtheblack.com. Zimmerman is a real scientist. Like all real scientists, he will state “I don’t know” “I’m not sure” “We don’t know” He regularly appears on several podcasts and radio shows, all of which can be found on the web site. One of the best things he points out is how every time we push to discover, investigate, often there are many surprises, which lead to more and more questions. An example would be the New Horizons probe to Pluto and beyond. When we received pictures and data, almost all of it was a surprise.
When we humans actually spend any time on Mars, at first it probably be underground. Zimmerman points out large, underground volcanic lava tubes that we could use at first. AND, one of the SUV-sized rovers currently on Mars has an oxygen proof-of-concept experiment. Called Moxie, we proved we can make oxygen out of the Mars atmosphere. No, not for terraforming. Instead of always bringing all the oxygen needed, we can make it there.
One of my favorite Arthur C. Clarke stories was “The Wind From the Sun” (AKA “Sunjammer”) I found the whole concept intriguing .
You need to stop on by Crazy Bob's Solarmill Windpanel Emporium.
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