The aim of the project is to investigate the characteristics and causes of two different types of bow shocks at Mars. We define Type 1 as an undefined, drawn out ramp, and Type 2 as a shorter duration ramp that has clearer characteristics and behaves more like a step increase in the magnetic field. A total of forty five events of the two different types were investigated using data from 2014-2015 from NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft. The Power Spectral Density of the magnetic field is calculated for downstream/ramp/upstream intervals. The normal is calculated with a mixed-mode coplanarity model. Proton, alpha particle and atomic oxygen density are also calculated. Results show higher frequencies for nose events of Type 1, and lower for flank events of Type 1. No such pattern can be seen in Type 2 events. Proton and alpha-particles are shown to be shocked, and their densities are slightly higher at the flanks as compared to the nose of the bow shock. Atomic oxygen density stays constant before and after the bow shock, likely due to the fact that the oxygen originates mostly from the exosphere rather than from the solar wind. Ion densities seem not to be affected by whether the event is Type 1 or 2.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-179264 |
| Date | January 2021 |
| Creators | Östman, Sara |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Institutionen för fysik |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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