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Solar wind sputtering effects in the martian atmosphere
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Watson, C. C. Haff, P. K. Kellogg, W. K. |
| Copyright Year | 1979 |
| Description | A Monte Carlo simulation of the sputtering of the upper atmosphere of Mars by the solar wind was performed. The calculated sputtering yields imply loss rates (molecules/cm square - sec escaping the planet) for carbon dioxide, carbon, and oxygen of R(CO2) = 2.6 X 1000000/cm square - sec, R(C) = 6.6 X 1000000/cm square - sec, and R(O) = 7.7 X 1000000/cm - sec. The total mass loss by sputtering is only about 10% of that due to chemical and photo-chemical processes, but sputtering provides a major exospheric sink for carbon. The erosion process described here preferentially removes the lighter components of the atmosphere. Calculations based on a Monte Carlo simulation suggest that for a model atmosphere, 97% of the N2 and 33% of the CO2 originally present may have been sputtered away over 4.5 X 10 to the 9th power y. In the same length of time the (15)N/(14)N isotopic ratio for the bulk atmosphere would have increased by a factor 1.7. |
| File Size | 5947275 |
| Page Count | 24 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19790007708 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t89h0fw2z |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1979-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Lunar And Planetary Exploration Oxygen Photochemical Reactions Atmospheric Models Carbon Dioxide Chemical Reactions Mars Atmosphere Upper Atmosphere Solar Wind Carbon Monte Carlo Method Sputtering Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
