Global distribution and parameter dependences of gravity wave activity in the Martian upper thermosphere derived from MAVEN/NGIMS observations

N Terada, F Leblanc, H Nakagawa… - Journal of …, 2017 - Wiley Online Library
N Terada, F Leblanc, H Nakagawa, AS Medvedev, E Yiğit, T Kuroda, T Hara, SL England
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 2017Wiley Online Library
Wavelike perturbations in the Martian upper thermosphere observed by the Neutral Gas Ion
Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN
(MAVEN) spacecraft have been analyzed. The amplitudes of small‐scale perturbations with
apparent wavelengths between~ 100 and~ 500 km in the Ar density around the exobase
show a clear dependence on temperature (T0) of the upper thermosphere. The average
amplitude of the perturbations is~ 10% on the dayside and~ 20% on the nightside, which is …
Abstract
Wavelike perturbations in the Martian upper thermosphere observed by the Neutral Gas Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft have been analyzed. The amplitudes of small‐scale perturbations with apparent wavelengths between ~100 and ~500 km in the Ar density around the exobase show a clear dependence on temperature (T0) of the upper thermosphere. The average amplitude of the perturbations is ~10% on the dayside and ~20% on the nightside, which is about 2 and 10 times larger than those observed in the Venusian upper thermosphere and in the low‐latitude region of Earth's upper thermosphere, respectively. The amplitudes are inversely proportional to T0, suggesting saturation due to convective instability in the Martian upper thermosphere. After removing the dependence on T0, dependences of the average amplitude on the geographic latitude and longitude and solar wind parameters are found to be not larger than a few percent. These results suggest that the amplitudes of small‐scale perturbations are mainly determined by convective breaking/saturation in the upper thermosphere on Mars, unlike those on Venus and Earth.
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