{"id":9726,"date":"2023-12-11T18:04:31","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T22:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/nasas-maven-observes-the-disappearing-solar-wind\/"},"modified":"2023-12-11T18:04:31","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T22:04:31","slug":"nasas-maven-observes-the-disappearing-solar-wind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/nasas-maven-observes-the-disappearing-solar-wind\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s MAVEN Observes the Disappearing Solar Wind"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASA\u2019s MAVEN Observes the Disappearing Solar Wind<\/h2>\n

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5 min read<\/p>\n

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In December 2022, NASA\u2019s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission observed the dramatic and unexpected \u201cdisappearance\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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Learn about the \u201cdisappearance\u201d of the solar wind at Mars that was witnessed by MAVEN \u2013 an event last seen nearly a quarter-century ago at Earth. <\/strong>
Credit: NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/strong>
Download high-resolution video and images from NASA\u2019s Scientific Visualization Studio.<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Due to this event, MAVEN\u2019s 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\u2019s activity and the response of the Martian atmosphere to these solar influences.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we first saw the data, and how dramatic the drop in the solar wind was, it was almost unbelievable,\u201d said Jasper Halekas, professor at the University of Iowa and the lead author on a new study on the event. \u201cWe formed a working group to study the event, and we have found this time period to be rich with incredible findings.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 \u201cdisappearance\u201d of the solar wind led to some incredible interactions within Mars\u2019 magnetosphere and ionosphere.<\/p>\n

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\u00ad\u2014more than tripled the typical size\u2014and dramatically changed in character. The Sun\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are really getting to see how Mars responds when the solar wind is effectively removed,\u201d Halekas added. \u201cIt makes for a great outlier study on what Mars would be like if it were orbiting a less \u2018windy\u2019 star.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019s response to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cObserving extreme conditions is always scientifically invaluable,\u201d said Shannon Curry, principal investigator for MAVEN at the University of California, Berkeley. \u201cMAVEN 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis really shows the cross-divisional role that MAVEN plays at Mars,\u201d said Gina DiBraccio, MAVEN deputy principal investigator and deputy director of the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. \u201cMAVEN is not only observing the dynamics of the Martian atmosphere, it is also monitoring solar inputs to enhance our understanding of the Sun.\u201d<\/p>\n

The study is being presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

MAVEN\u2019s principal investigator is based at the University of California, Berkeley, while NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the MAVEN mission. Lockheed Martin Space built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. NASA\u2019s 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.<\/em> The MAVEN team is preparing to celebrate the spacecraft\u2019s 10th year at Mars in September 2024.<\/em><\/p>\n

Willow Reed
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Media Contacts:
Nancy Neal Jones<\/a>
NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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