Indirect evidences for a gas/dust torus along the Phobos orbit

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i006p00861· OSTI ID:6608976

Dubinin, E M; Lundin, R; Pissarenko, N F; Barabash, S V; Zakharov, A V; Koskinen, H; Schwingenshuh, K; Yeroshenko, Ye G ^[1]

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1. Space Research Institute, Moscow (USSR) Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna (Sweden) Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsink (Finland) Austrian Space Research Institute, Graz (Austria) Institute of Terrestrial Magnetizm, ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation, Moscow (USSR)

Observations from the PHOBOS-2 space-craft of plasma and magnetic field effects in the solar wind near Mars suggest that a neutral gas (dust )torus/ring resides along the orbit of the Martian satellite Phobos. Magnetic cavities (strong decreases of the magnetic field strength) coincident with strong plasma density increases (up to a factor of ten) are observed during the first elliptic transition orbits when the spacecraft approached the Phobos orbits. The characteristic transverse dimension of the structures along the spacecraft orbit is in the range 100-1,000 km. Torus effects also have characteristics similar to the formation of a bow shock with increases of plasma density and ion temperature, and a characteristic deflection of the ion flow. This suggests a rather strong interaction between the solar wind plasma and plasma near Phobos orbit. The interaction appears quite similar to that of the solar wind with a comet. The outgassing of matter from Phobos (and Deimos) is also suggested by plasma observations in the wake/tail of the Martian satellites. Altogether, the authors observations imply that a neutral gas cloud - possibly also associated with a faint dust ring - exists along the Phobos orbit.

• OSTI ID: 6608976
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA) Vol. 17:6; ISSN 0094-8276; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COLLISIONS
DEGASSING
DUSTS
INTERACTIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MARS PLANET
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
ORBITS
PLANETS
PLASMA DENSITY
RINGS
SATELLITES
SHOCK WAVES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
SPACE VEHICLES
VEHICLES