Looking for Magnetosonic Waves at Mars: Statistics, Characteristics and Occurrence Rate (Spatial & Temporal)

Except for the small patches of the magnetic crustal field, Mars does not have a well-developed dipole magnetic field, allowing the solar wind to interact directly with the gravitationally bound and electrically conducting ionosphere. This interaction produces a highly dynamic hybrid induced magnetosphere that is highly responsive to the impinging solar wind. Such interaction can result in many plasma structures that propagate in the magnetosphere of Mars. Magnetosonic waves are one of the examples of low frequency (in the range of 0.02 - 1 Hz) waves that propagate in the range of proton cyclotron frequency and are generated by the interaction between the magnetosphere of Mars with the solar wind. Magnetosonic waves at Mars have been observed to propagate into the ionosphere where they damp and deposit energy. Using the set of 10 years of in-situ measurement data of the two magnetometers (MAG) and thermal ions instrument (STATIC) that are installed on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN), NASA mission to Mars, we have developed an automated algorithm routine to identify the magnetosonic waves utilizing 3D wave polarization analysis techniques and the fluctuations in magnetic and plasma pressure. Based on a case study of 7 days, the occurrence rate of the waves is ~ 20 %. We have also identified two modes, fast and slow, by which the magnetic and plasma thermal pressure oscillations of the magnetosonic waves are either in-phase or anti-phase, respectively. As functions of space and time, within the magnetosphere of Mars, we obtain the occurrence rates for the fast and slow magnetosonic waves across the 10 year of MAVEN dataset. Distributions of wave’s frequencies and powers as well as the altitudes will be obtained. Preliminary analysis on how much the existence of the magnetosonic waves overlapping with Mars upper ionosphere plasma content happen will be studied. Also, the influence of upstream solar wind conditions might have on the generation of magnetosonic waves will be studied, including both normal and extreme solar and space weather events. This study will provide insight into how the Mars-solar wind interaction can control the energy and particle input from the Sun into the Mars atmosphere and how these energy and particles drive processes such as ion heating that results ion escape from Mars. The thing that will help us to understand the role that escape to space has played in the evolution of the Mars atmosphere over the course of history.