P046-0015
Constraining Energy Input by Solar Energetic Particles at Mars

Friday, 11 December 2020
Poster
Rebecca Jolitz1, Chuanfei Dong2, Ali Rahmati3, Tristan David Weber4, Shaosui Xu5, Dave A Brain6, Shannon Curry5, Christina O Lee7, Robert J Lillis5, Davin Larson5, Jasper S Halekas8, David Mitchell5, Stephen W Bougher9, Francis Gerard Eparvier10 and Bruce Martin Jakosky11, (1)University of Colorado at Boulder, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Boulder, CO, United States, (2)Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States, (3)University of California Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States, (4)LASP, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States, (5)Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States, (6)Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Boulder, CO, United States, (7)Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States, (8)University of Iowa, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa City, IA, United States, (9)Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering Department, Ann Arbor, MI, United States, (10)University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States, (11)University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, UNITED STATES
Abstract:
Solar energetic particles (SEPs) are an episodic but unquantified source of energy to planetary atmospheres during space weather events. Unmagnetized planets like Mars are particularly sensitive to SEPs, which can precipitate globally if unobstructed by a strong magnetic field. We estimate the energy input and ion production by SEPs and compare to continuous energy inputs such as EUV and solar wind, as recorded by MAVEN SEP, SWIA, SWEA, and EUV during solar minimum. We find the dayside ion production at escape altitudes (above 150 km) by SEPs is below 1% that of production by EUV photoionization, although the SEP-induced ion production can become comparable to solar wind ENA-induced ion production for hours to days during an event. We will further compare SEP-induced ionization to solar wind electron impact ionization on the nightside during the MAVEN mission. Ultimately this study intends to constrain the energy input by SEP precipitation at an unmagnetized planet.
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