Seasonal, Solar Zenith Angle, and Solar Flux Variations of O$^+$ in the Topside Ionosphere of Mars

TL;DR

This study uses MAVEN data to analyze how the O$^+$ ion in Mars' topside ionosphere varies with seasons, solar zenith angle, and solar flux, revealing altitude, density, and ratio patterns.

Contribution

It provides detailed characterization of O$^+$ peak behavior and its dependence on atmospheric and solar parameters, offering new insights into Martian ionospheric dynamics.

Findings

O$^+$ peak altitude varies sinusoidally with Mars year.

O$^+$ peak density is mainly controlled by the O/CO$_2$ ratio.

O$^+$/O$_2^+$ ratio approaches 1.1 on the dayside.

Abstract

Using observations from MAVEN's Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS), we characterize the seasonal, solar zenith angle (SZA), and solar flux dependent variations of the O$^+$ peak and the O$^+$/O$_2^+$ ratio in the topside ionosphere of Mars. We find that the O$^+$ peak is between 220-300 km and forms at a roughly constant neutral atmospheric pressure level of 10$^{(-8.7 \pm 0.4)}$ Pa. The O$^+$ peak altitude also decreases with increasing SZA near the terminator and varies sinusoidally with an amplitude of 26 km over a period of one Mars year in response to the changing solar insolation. The O$^+$ peak altitude reaches a maximum near Northern Winter solstice and Mars perihelion. The O$^+$ peak density on the dayside has an average value of (1.1$\pm$ 0.5)$\times$ 10$^{3}$ cm$^{-3}$, has no dependence on SZA for SZAs up to $\sim$90$^{\circ}$, and is mainly controlled by the thermospheric O/CO$_2$ ratio as predicted by photochemical theory. Above the O$^+$ peak, the O$^+$/O$_2^+$ ratio in the dayside ionosphere approaches a constant value of 1.1 $\pm$ 0.6, decreases with increasing SZA, and is highly variable on timescales of days or less. We discuss why the O$^+$ peak is different than the main (M2) peak at Mars and why it is similar to the F2 peak at Earth.