Martian Charge-exchange Induced X-rays

Dimitra Koutroumpa (1) , Rosine Lallement (1) , Ronan Modolo (2) , Gérard Chanteur (2) , V. Kharchenko (3)

1 SA - Service d'aéronomie
2 CETP - Centre d'étude des environnements terrestre et planétaires
3 CfA - Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

We study the EUV/soft X-ray emission induced by charge transfer between solar wind highly charged ions and neutral H and O of the Martian exosphere. Results are obtained using three-dimensional hybrid simulations of the global plasma environment of Mars, including photoionization and electron impact ionization of neutral H and O coronae. We calculate projected emission maps from different vantage points and show how X-ray emission localization traces the Martian shock and magnetic barrier structures. We also compare the different heavy ion contributions to the emission, as well as the secondary charge exchange component.

Domaines: Physique [physics]; Planète et Univers [physics]

Dimitra Koutroumpa, Rosine Lallement, Ronan Modolo, Gérard Chanteur, V. Kharchenko. Martian Charge-exchange Induced X-rays. American Astronomical Society, HEAD meeting #9, Oct 2006, San Francisco, France. ⟨hal-02330993⟩