Understanding the Solar Wind–Mars Interaction with Global Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling

This article presents recent progress in understanding solar wind–Mars interaction using a sophisticated global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. Mars has localized crustal magnetic fields, so the solar wind plasma flow interacts directly with the Mars atmosphere/ionosphere system. Such an interaction generates an induced current in the ionosphere, modifies the magnetic field environment around Mars, and more importantly, causes the erosion of the Mars atmosphere. The nonuniformly distributed crustal magnetic field also plays an important role in the interaction process, which is modulated by planetary rotation. Recent advances in computing power allow the inclusion of the continuous crustal field rotation in the simulation with a time-dependent MHD model. Model results have been validated with observations from previous and ongoing Mars missions. The validated time-dependent MHD model is useful in quantifying the variation of ion loss rates with planet rotation and the internal response time scale of the Martian ionosphere.

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