The magnetotail of Mars: Phobos observations

Journal Article · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i006p00885· OSTI ID:6608941

Yeroshenko, Ye ^[1]; Riedler, W; Schwingenschuh, K ^[2]; Luhmann, J G; Ong, M; Russell, C T ^[3]

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1. IZMIRAN, Moscow (USSR)
2. Space Research Institute, Graz (Austria)
3. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (USA)

Magnetic measurements obtained by the Phobos spacecraft in circular orbit at 2.86 Mars radii show a 2-lobed magnetic tail. The peak solar-antisolar component of the magnetic field in these lobes is about 14 nT. The polarity of the tail lobes is sensitive to the direction of the interplanetary magnetic field as expected for a magnetic field induced by the solar wind interaction. The ratio of the cross-tail component of the tail field is over twice that in the solar wind, or about a factor of 4 larger than the ratio observed in the Venus tail at greater distances. Since the ratio is observed to decrease with increasing distance in the Venus tail, the authors conclude that the Mars and Venus magnetotails are in fact similar. If there is an influence of an intrinsic planetary magnetic field on the magnetotail of Mars that influence is weak.

• OSTI ID: 6608941
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA), Vol. 17:6; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
MARS PLANET
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
SOLAR WIND
MORPHOLOGY
INTERACTIONS
DISTANCE
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
SPACE VEHICLES
VENUS PLANET
ATMOSPHERES
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
VEHICLES
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena