Aw. Yau et al., PLANNED OBSERVATIONS OF THERMAL PLASMA DRIFTS AND SOLAR-WIND INTERACTIONS IN THE MARTIAN IONOSPHERE, EARTH PLANETS AND SPACE, 50(3), 1998, pp. 195-198
The structure and dynamics of the Martian ionosphere are believed to b
e strongly dependent on the nature, magnitude, and topology of its mag
netic field, and whether or not Mars has an intrinsic magnetic field.
Due to the weak magnetic field on Mars, the Martian ionosphere interac
ts directly with the solar wind, resulting in significant outflows of
keV ion beams and lower-energy ''pick-up'' ions. We discuss the planne
d study of ion drifts and solar wind interactions in the Martian ionos
phere using the Planet-B Thermal Plasma Analyzer.