Using Solar Wind Helium to Probe the Structure and Seasonal Variability
of the Martian Hydrogen Corona
Abstract
We utilize measurements from instruments on the Mars Atmosphere and
Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission to investigate singly ionized helium
formed by charge exchange between solar wind alpha particles and neutral
hydrogen in the region upstream from Mars. We show that the observed
helium ion signal varies with solar wind speed and spatial location in a
manner consistent with expectations for a charge exchange source. We
find that the ratio of singly to doubly ionized helium varies with
Martian season, with a peak in the southern summer season. The inferred
neutral hydrogen column density and the seasonal variation thereof agree
with the results of previous studies based on other measurement
techniques. The MAVEN helium ion measurements provide a new method of
probing the hydrogen corona, with nearly continuous coverage of the
Martian seasonal cycle across the entire mission, enabling study of the
interannual variability of the Martian exosphere.