Meteoric material—an important component of planetary atmospheres

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

doi:10.1029/130gm15

Cited by 17 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…There is little that can be done here to improve upon that summary just five years later, except for some new observations since that time. Grebowsky et al (2002) pointed out that past radio occultation experiments at the giant planets often showed evidence of highly structured layers well below the main ionospheric peak(s). Since then, a new set of N e (h) profiles were obtained at Saturn ) and indeed that trend continues.…”

Section: Meteoritic Layersmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In their excellent review of meteoric material as a source of planetary ionospheric layers, Grebowsky et al (2002) gave a concise history of the field, together with a comprehensive summary of observations and models. There is little that can be done here to improve upon that summary just five years later, except for some new observations since that time.…”

Section: Meteoritic Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Solar System Ionospheres

et al. 2008

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Section: Meteoritic Layersmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Meteoritic Layersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solar System Ionospheres

et al. 2008

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“…Further into the future, the establishment of an orbiter in a low circular orbit of medium-to-low inclination, or an equatorial orbit at higher altitudes would be desirable in order to carry out a comprehensive characterisation of the ionospheric response to meteor activity through the radio occultation technique. If such an undertaking comes to pass, it will become the first meteor observatory to be established beyond the vicinity of the Earth and represent a significant step in the comparative study of planetary atmospheres (Grebowsky et al 2002). Finally, given that the dynamical and physical properties of this comet, assumed or known, are not atypical of those of the Mars-approaching population, it is of interest to ask if one can reasonably expect high-intensity meteor outbursts at Mars.…”

Section: Discussion and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is interesting to note that the Ursids are known to have a high mass index meaning that the smaller particles in the stream account for a significant fraction of its mass. Pesnell & Grebowsky (2000) and Grebowsky et al (2002) investigated the production of magnesium ions of meteoric origin in the martian ionosphere. They found that the sporadic meteoroid influx on Mars should give rise to a Mg + layer at around 80 km altitude with concentrations of 10 3 −10 4 ions cm −3 which they attributed mainly to photoionization and, to a lesser extent, charge exchange with atmospheric ions.…”

Section: Meteoroid Effects On the Earth's Ionosphere And Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The dust trail complex of comet 79P/du Toit-Hartley and meteor outbursts at Mars

Christou¹,

Vaubaillon²,

Withers³

2007

A&A

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Aims. Meteoroid trails ejected during past perihelion passages of the Mars-orbit-intersecting comet 79P/du Toit-Hartley have the potential of generating meteor outbursts in the Martian atmosphere. Depending on timing and intensity, the effects of these outbursts may be detectable by instrumentation operating in the vicinity of Mars. We aim to generate predictions for meteor activity in the martian atmosphere related to that comet; to search for evidence, in planetary mission data, that such activity took place; and to make predictions for potentially detectable future activity. Methods. We have modelled the stream by integrating numerically the states of particle ensembles, each ensemble representing a trail of meteoroids ejected from the comet during 39 perihelion passages from 1803, and propagated them forward in time, concentrating on those particles that physically approach Mars in the recent past and near future. Results. We find several instances where meteor outbursts of low to moderate intensity may have taken place at Mars since 1997. A search through Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) radio science data during two periods in 2003 and 2005 when data coverage was available showed that a plasma layer did indeed form in the martian ionosphere for a period of a few hours in April 2003 as a direct consequence of the predicted outburst. The apparent failure to identify such an event in 2005 could be due to those meteoroids ablating lower in the atmosphere or that the cometary dust follows a different particle size distribution than what was assumed. Our study highlights the need for further theoretical modelling of the response of the martian ionosphere to a time-variable meteoroid flux, observations of the comet itself and, most importantly, regular monitoring of the martian ionosphere during future outbursts predicted by our model.

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“…The ablation of interplanetary dust in planetary upper atmospheres introduces metal species into these atmospheres [Grebowsky et al, 2002]. This is the primary source of metal species in planetary upper atmospheres.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictions of the effects of Mars's encounter with comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) upon metal species in its ionosphere

Withers

2014

Geophysical Research Letters

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Citation:Withers, P. (2014) Abstract The infall of dust from the coma of comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) and its subsequent ablation in the atmosphere of Mars has the potential to affect the abundances of metal species in the atmosphere and ionosphere. We develop relationships between properties of the dust population in the coma and densities of metal species in the atmosphere and ionosphere. These can be used to predict the abundances of metal species in the atmosphere and ionosphere during the encounter. Given postencounter observations of the atmosphere and ionosphere, they can also be used to infer relevant cometary properties. Although current predictions suggest that the influx of cometary dust will be comparable to the sporadic background, the higher entry speed involved, which leads to a greater production rate of ions during ablation, means that metal ion abundances may be enhanced during and after the encounter.

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Meteoric material—an important component of planetary atmospheres

Cited by 17 publications

References 51 publications

Solar System Ionospheres

Solar System Ionospheres

The dust trail complex of comet 79P/du Toit-Hartley and meteor outbursts at Mars

Predictions of the effects of Mars's encounter with comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) upon metal species in its ionosphere

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