- 1School of Earth and Space Science and Technology, Wuhan University, China (t-marc_lin@whu.edu.cn)
- 2Hubei Luojia Laboratory, Wuhan University, China
- 3School of Earth and Space Sciences/Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, China
- 4CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology/CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment/Mengcheng National Geophysical Observatory, University of Science and Technology of China, China
- 5Collaborative Innovation Center of Astronautical Science and Technology, China
- 6Institute of Space Science and Applied Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, China
- 7Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, China
- 8School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, China
The interaction between the ionospheres of non-magnetized planets or moons and stellar winds or planetary plasma flows results in the formation of an induced magnetosphere, which is generally influenced by external magnetic fields. Observing the response of an induced magnetosphere to external magnetic fields is crucial for understanding the global dynamical processes of non-magnetized planets. However, such observations remain limited. Using simultaneous data from Tianwen-1 and the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission, we present, for the first time, the dynamic response of Mars’ induced magnetosphere to the rotation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The magnetic field within Mars’ induced magnetosphere rotated synchronously with the IMF, as the IMF cone angle and clock angle shifted abruptly and subsequently stabilized within less than 3.5 minutes. The convective electric field also rotated in response to the IMF rotation, and a pick-up oxygen ion plume was observed within the spacecraft’s field of view in under 3 minutes. These remarkably short recovery timescales reveal that Mars' induced magnetosphere is a highly dynamic system, exhibiting extreme sensitivity to external magnetic fields. Changes in the IMF should be considered a significant form of space weather on Mars, highlighting the importance of monitoring and short-term forecasting of the IMF upstream of the planet.
How to cite: Lin, R., Huang, S., Yuan, Z., Wang, Y., Wu, H., Jiang, K., Zou, Z., Zhang, T., Xu, S., Dong, Y., Xiong, Q., and Huang, H.: Rapid Response of the Mars’ Induced Magnetosphere to an Interplanetary Magnetic Field Rotation: Tianwen-1 and MAVEN Observations, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2747, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2747, 2025.
