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MAVEN Survey of Magnetic Flux Rope Properties in the Martian Ionosphere: Comparison with 3 Types of Formation Mechanisms
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  • Charles Bowers,
  • James A. Slavin,
  • Gina A. DiBraccio,
  • Gangkai Poh,
  • Takuya Hara,
  • Shaosui Xu,
  • David Andrew Brain
Charles Bowers
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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James A. Slavin
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Gina A. DiBraccio
NASA GSFC
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Gangkai Poh
Catholic University of America
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Takuya Hara
University of California, Berkeley
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Shaosui Xu
Space Sciences Lab, UC Berkeley
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David Andrew Brain
University of Colorado Boulder
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Abstract

Flux ropes are a magnetic field phenomenon characterized by a filament of twisted magnetic field with an axial core and outer helical wraps. They form in the Martian ionosphere via three distinct mechanisms: boundary wave instabilities (BWI), external reconnection (ER) between the interplanetary magnetic field and the crustal anomalies, and internal reconnection (IR) of the crustal anomalies themselves. We have identified 121 magnetic flux ropes from 1900 orbits using plasma and magnetic field measurements measured by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft, and separate flux ropes into categories based on formation mechanism by analyzing electron signatures. We find evidence for flux ropes formed via BWI, ER, and IR mechanisms which comprise 9%, 34%, and 57% of our dataset, respectively. Flux ropes formed via different mechanisms exhibit differences in location and force-free radius, indicating the formation mechanism of a flux rope impacts their influence on the Martian plasma environment.