MAVEN IUVS observations of the aftermath of the Comet Siding Spring meteor shower on Mars

N. M. Schneider; J. I. Deighan; A. I.F. Stewart; W. E. McClintock; S. K. Jain; M. S. Chaffin; A. Stiepen; M. Crismani; J. M.C. Plane; J. D. Carrillo-Sánchez; J. S. Evans; M. H. Stevens; R. V. Yelle; J. T. Clarke; G. M. Holsclaw; F. Montmessin; B. M. Jakosky

doi:10.1002/2015GL063863

MAVEN IUVS observations of the aftermath of the Comet Siding Spring meteor shower on Mars

N. M. Schneider, J. I. Deighan, A. I.F. Stewart, W. E. McClintock, S. K. Jain, M. S. Chaffin, A. Stiepen, M. Crismani, J. M.C. Plane, J. D. Carrillo-Sánchez, J. S. Evans, M. H. Stevens, R. V. Yelle, J. T. Clarke, G. M. Holsclaw, F. Montmessin, B. M. Jakosky

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64 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the detection of intense emission from magnesium and iron in Mars' atmosphere caused by a meteor shower following Comet Siding Spring's close encounter with Mars. The observations were made with the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph, a remote sensing instrument on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft orbiting Mars. Ionized magnesium caused the brightest emission from the planet's atmosphere for many hours, resulting from resonant scattering of solar ultraviolet light. Modeling suggests a substantial fluence of low-density dust particles 1-100 μm in size, with the large amount and small size contrary to predictions. The event created a temporary planet-wide ionospheric layer below Mars' main dayside ionosphere. The dramatic meteor shower response at Mars is starkly different from the case at Earth, where a steady state metal layer is always observable but perturbations caused by even the strongest meteor showers are challenging to detect.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	4755-4761
Number of pages	7
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	42
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL063863
State	Published - Jun 28 2015

Keywords

Comet Siding Spring
MAVEN
Mars
ionosphere
meteor ablation
meteor shower

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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10.1002/2015GL063863

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Schneider, N. M., Deighan, J. I., Stewart, A. I. F., McClintock, W. E., Jain, S. K., Chaffin, M. S., Stiepen, A., Crismani, M., Plane, J. M. C., Carrillo-Sánchez, J. D., Evans, J. S., Stevens, M. H., Yelle, R. V., Clarke, J. T., Holsclaw, G. M., Montmessin, F., & Jakosky, B. M. (2015). MAVEN IUVS observations of the aftermath of the Comet Siding Spring meteor shower on Mars. Geophysical Research Letters, 42(12), 4755-4761. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL063863

Schneider, NM, Deighan, JI, Stewart, AIF, McClintock, WE, Jain, SK, Chaffin, MS, Stiepen, A, Crismani, M, Plane, JMC, Carrillo-Sánchez, JD, Evans, JS, Stevens, MH, Yelle, RV, Clarke, JT, Holsclaw, GM, Montmessin, F & Jakosky, BM 2015, 'MAVEN IUVS observations of the aftermath of the Comet Siding Spring meteor shower on Mars', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 42, no. 12, pp. 4755-4761. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL063863

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title = "MAVEN IUVS observations of the aftermath of the Comet Siding Spring meteor shower on Mars",

abstract = "We report the detection of intense emission from magnesium and iron in Mars' atmosphere caused by a meteor shower following Comet Siding Spring's close encounter with Mars. The observations were made with the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph, a remote sensing instrument on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft orbiting Mars. Ionized magnesium caused the brightest emission from the planet's atmosphere for many hours, resulting from resonant scattering of solar ultraviolet light. Modeling suggests a substantial fluence of low-density dust particles 1-100 μm in size, with the large amount and small size contrary to predictions. The event created a temporary planet-wide ionospheric layer below Mars' main dayside ionosphere. The dramatic meteor shower response at Mars is starkly different from the case at Earth, where a steady state metal layer is always observable but perturbations caused by even the strongest meteor showers are challenging to detect.",

keywords = "Comet Siding Spring, MAVEN, Mars, ionosphere, meteor ablation, meteor shower",

author = "Schneider, {N. M.} and Deighan, {J. I.} and Stewart, {A. I.F.} and McClintock, {W. E.} and Jain, {S. K.} and Chaffin, {M. S.} and A. Stiepen and M. Crismani and Plane, {J. M.C.} and Carrillo-S{\'a}nchez, {J. D.} and Evans, {J. S.} and Stevens, {M. H.} and Yelle, {R. V.} and Clarke, {J. T.} and Holsclaw, {G. M.} and F. Montmessin and Jakosky, {B. M.}",

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doi = "10.1002/2015GL063863",

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AU - Schneider, N. M.

AU - Deighan, J. I.

AU - Stewart, A. I.F.

AU - McClintock, W. E.

AU - Jain, S. K.

AU - Chaffin, M. S.

AU - Stiepen, A.

AU - Crismani, M.

AU - Plane, J. M.C.

AU - Carrillo-Sánchez, J. D.

AU - Evans, J. S.

AU - Stevens, M. H.

AU - Yelle, R. V.

AU - Clarke, J. T.

AU - Holsclaw, G. M.

AU - Montmessin, F.

AU - Jakosky, B. M.

PY - 2015/6/28

Y1 - 2015/6/28

N2 - We report the detection of intense emission from magnesium and iron in Mars' atmosphere caused by a meteor shower following Comet Siding Spring's close encounter with Mars. The observations were made with the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph, a remote sensing instrument on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft orbiting Mars. Ionized magnesium caused the brightest emission from the planet's atmosphere for many hours, resulting from resonant scattering of solar ultraviolet light. Modeling suggests a substantial fluence of low-density dust particles 1-100 μm in size, with the large amount and small size contrary to predictions. The event created a temporary planet-wide ionospheric layer below Mars' main dayside ionosphere. The dramatic meteor shower response at Mars is starkly different from the case at Earth, where a steady state metal layer is always observable but perturbations caused by even the strongest meteor showers are challenging to detect.

AB - We report the detection of intense emission from magnesium and iron in Mars' atmosphere caused by a meteor shower following Comet Siding Spring's close encounter with Mars. The observations were made with the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph, a remote sensing instrument on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft orbiting Mars. Ionized magnesium caused the brightest emission from the planet's atmosphere for many hours, resulting from resonant scattering of solar ultraviolet light. Modeling suggests a substantial fluence of low-density dust particles 1-100 μm in size, with the large amount and small size contrary to predictions. The event created a temporary planet-wide ionospheric layer below Mars' main dayside ionosphere. The dramatic meteor shower response at Mars is starkly different from the case at Earth, where a steady state metal layer is always observable but perturbations caused by even the strongest meteor showers are challenging to detect.

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KW - ionosphere

KW - meteor ablation

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MAVEN IUVS observations of the aftermath of the Comet Siding Spring meteor shower on Mars

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