HYBRID SIMULATIONS OF THE MAGNETIC TOPOLOGY OF MARS

The structure of the magnetic field surrounding the planet Mars has be en investigated using a fully three-dimensional hybrid particle code. The results of these Simulations are found to agree well with Phobos 2 data However, the results also indicate that the solar wind interacti on with the planet Mars produces a magnetic environment around the pla net that is unique among the planets of the solar system. This paper r eports the findings from a series of large-scale, three-dimensional si mulations and many two-dimensional simulations used to address numeric al issues.