Martian Thermospheric Density Responses to the February and March 2017
C4.1~B3.3 Solar Flare-Induced EUV-Enhancement from MAVEN
Observations
Abstract
Mars thermosphere is responsive to solar activities. Previous studies
have not examined the neutral density responses to the solar flares
thoroughly due to lack of observations. In this paper, Martian
thermospheric mass density responses to the February and March 2017 C4.1
and B3.3 solar flare-induced Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV)-enhancement are
studied using Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN)
accelerometer (ACC)-derived observations. We focus on analyzing the
relationship between the reactions of density and the solar flare
indexes. Firstly, the density experiences 2 to 5 times increases during
the event, which is equivalent to a temperature increment of 150 to 250
K. Secondly, both nightside and dayside density rise with the
EUV-enhancement, which is coupled with the solar flares at all the
observed latitudes. Thirdly, the Martian Crustal Magnetic Field (CMF)
could alter the thermospheric background thermal structure, which might
also have influence on the heating-process caused by the
EUV-enhancement. The nightside density inflation during the February
event is due to day-night atmospheric transport, while the dayside
density expansion is heated by EUV (17-22 nm)-enhancement during the
March event directly. The region with an intensive CMF magnitude could
restrain the precipitating ions,resulting in cooling of the atmosphere
in that area. The thermal structure perturbations caused by these
flares-induced EUV-enhancement might trigger considerable augmentation
of the Jeans Escape rates of some light volatiles, such as atomic
Hydrogen (H) or even short-term hydrodynamic escape in some extreme
cases.