Analysis of two selected solar events in 2011 and 2015 with Mars Express
radio occultation data
Abstract
The temporal behaviour of the Martian ionosphere is highly variable due
to various dynamic processes including space weather events. Here, we
study the effect of two solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
on the Martian ionosphere for two selected solar events in 2011 and
2015, using the publicly available Mars EXpress (MEX) radio occultation
(RO) data (MaRS). We developed a data processing software that converts
the calibrated Radio Occultation (RO) Doppler data to scientifically
valuable atmospheric profiles. Using this software and previously
unexplored MaRS observations, the variations in ionospheric parameters
(electron density profiles and total electron content (TEC)) are
calculated in order to evaluate the ionospheric changes due to solar
flares and CMEs. The RO measurements mostly available 1 to 4 days apart
from the peak events, showed no evident change in the TEC nor in the
shape of electron density profiles except for a possible gradual
decrease in altitude of M2 (main layer) peak density following the
arrival of CMEs. To better quantify the effect of solar events on
electron density profiles, RO observations near the time of arrival of
solar flares and CMEs are crucial. This can be achieved by frequent RO
measurements by various Mars orbiters including spacecraft-to-spacecraft
measurements assisted by multi-instrument monitoring of the ionosphere.