Meteoric ions in planetary ionospheres

Pesnell, W. D.; Grebowsky, J. M.

doi:10.1016/s0273-1177(01)00264-2

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(8 reference statements)

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“…Pesnell and Grebowsky [2001] and Molina-Cuberos et al [2003] have reported that a metal ion layer exists at about 70-80 km in the Martian ionosphere. Pesnell and Grebowsky [2001] and Molina-Cuberos et al [2003] have reported that a metal ion layer exists at about 70-80 km in the Martian ionosphere.…”

Section: Overview: the D Region Of The Martian Ionospherementioning

confidence: 99%

“…[8] In the above model, we did not include the chemistry of meteoric ions (Ca + , Mg + , and Fe + ). Pesnell and Grebowsky [2001] and Molina-Cuberos et al [2003] have reported that a metal ion layer exists at about 70-80 km in the Martian ionosphere. We report that the D region of Martian ionosphere shows a clear peak altitude but refers to the height below ∼40 km, which cannot be accounted for the process of the meteoric ablation.…”

Section: Overview: the D Region Of The Martian Ionospherementioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of dust storms on the D region of the Martian ionosphere: Atmospheric electricity

et al. 2010

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We have used dust opacity values observed by the Thermal Emission Imaging System onboard Mars Odyssey to estimate the effect of dust aerosols in the D region of the Martian ionosphere. An ion‐dust aerosol model has been developed to calculate ion concentrations and conductivity at midlatitudes during a dust storm in the Southern Hemisphere. We report that the concentration of the water cluster ions H+(H2O)n, NO2−(H2O)n, and CO3−(H2O)n are reduced by 2 orders of magnitude in the presence of dust aerosols. This indicates that during a dust storm, when the optical depth changes considerably, a large hole in the ion concentrations may appear until this anomalous condition returns to the normal condition after a period of about a few days. During such dust storms, the total ion conductivity is reduced by an order of magnitude.

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Section: Overview: the D Region Of The Martian Ionospherementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Overview: the D Region Of The Martian Ionospherementioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of dust storms on the D region of the Martian ionosphere: Atmospheric electricity

et al. 2010

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“…[8] Sporadic plasma layers below the expected lower boundary of the ionosphere were predicted prior to these observations [e.g., Pesnell and Grebowsky, 2001;Pesnell et al, 2004;Grebowsky et al, 2002]. They are believed to be caused by the surface ablation of metallic atoms from impacting meteoroids and subsequent ionization.…”

Section: Analysis and Interpretationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A sporadic layer in the Venus lower ionosphere of meteoric origin

Pätzold

Tellmann

Häusler

et al. 2009

Geophysical Research Letters

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The Venus Express Radio Science (VeRa) experiment aboard Venus Express has detected, by means of radio occultation, distinct, low‐lying layers of electron density below the base (115 km altitude) of the ionosphere of Venus. A plausible origin of these lowest layers is ionization by the influx of meteoroids into the atmosphere. The layers appeared only occasionally during the 2006 and 2007 Venus Express occultation seasons, could be identified only on the dayside and seem to be geographically localized as they usually occur in either the northern or southern hemisphere of the same orbit; they are detected at all latitudes, but only at solar zenith angles between 55° and 90°. Typical peak plasma densities of 1010 m−3 are reached between 110 and 120 km altitude. Peak meteor layer electron densities increase with decreasing solar zenith angle. Layer shapes are symmetric with respect to peak altitude. The present observational statistics and lack of dedicated models prevents definite statements to be made on the origin of the source meteoroids.

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“…Such a discussion is beyond the scope of this study, and detailed composition and velocity distribution at numerous altitudes is lacking. Metal layers at other planets are formed by the same universal processes (Benna et al, ; Grebowsky & Aikin, ; Pesnell & Grebowsky, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovery of Suprathermal Ionospheric Origin Fe⁺ in and Near Earth's Magnetosphere

Christon¹,

Hamilton

Plane

et al. 2017

JGR Space Physics

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Suprathermal (87–212 keV/e) singly charged iron, Fe+, has been discovered in and near Earth's ~9–30 RE equatorial magnetosphere using ~21 years of Geotail STICS (suprathermal ion composition spectrometer) data. Its detection is enhanced during higher geomagnetic and solar activity levels. Fe+, rare compared to dominant suprathermal solar wind and ionospheric origin heavy ions, might derive from one or all three candidate lower‐energy sources: (a) ionospheric outflow of Fe+ escaped from ion layers near ~100 km altitude, (b) charge exchange of nominal solar wind iron, Fe+≥7, in Earth's exosphere, or (c) inner source pickup Fe+ carried by the solar wind, likely formed by solar wind Fe interaction with near‐Sun interplanetary dust particles. Earth's semipermanent ionospheric Fe+ layers derive from tons of interplanetary dust particles entering Earth's atmosphere daily, and Fe+ scattered from these layers is observed up to ~1000 km altitude, likely escaping in strong ionospheric outflows. Using ~26% of STICS's magnetosphere‐dominated data when possible Fe+2 ions are not masked by other ions, we demonstrate that solar wind Fe charge exchange secondaries are not an obvious Fe+ source. Contemporaneous Earth flyby and cruise data from charge‐energy‐mass spectrometer on the Cassini spacecraft, a functionally identical instrument, show that inner source pickup Fe+ is likely not important at suprathermal energies. Consequently, we suggest that ionospheric Fe+ constitutes at least a significant portion of Earth's suprathermal Fe+, comparable to the situation at Saturn where suprathermal Fe+ is also likely of ionospheric origin.

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Meteoric ions in planetary ionospheres

Cited by 10 publications

References 20 publications

Effect of dust storms on the D region of the Martian ionosphere: Atmospheric electricity

Effect of dust storms on the D region of the Martian ionosphere: Atmospheric electricity

A sporadic layer in the Venus lower ionosphere of meteoric origin

Discovery of Suprathermal Ionospheric Origin Fe⁺ in and Near Earth's Magnetosphere

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Meteoric ions in planetary ionospheres

Cited by 10 publications

References 20 publications

Effect of dust storms on the D region of the Martian ionosphere: Atmospheric electricity

Effect of dust storms on the D region of the Martian ionosphere: Atmospheric electricity

A sporadic layer in the Venus lower ionosphere of meteoric origin

Discovery of Suprathermal Ionospheric Origin Fe+ in and Near Earth's Magnetosphere

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Product

Resources

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Discovery of Suprathermal Ionospheric Origin Fe⁺ in and Near Earth's Magnetosphere