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Analysis of data from viking rpa's
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Hanson, W. B. |
| Copyright Year | 1981 |
| Description | Measurements of the martian ionosphere performed by Viking Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA) are reported. Viking RPA measurements of low energy electron fluxes out to 16,000 km above the Mars surface are discussed including both energy spectra and periods of continuous monitoring of the total flux above 15 ev. The mean electron current at energies greater than ev increases montonically by nearly two orders of magnitude from about 9000 km down to 700 km, but no clear signature of the bow shock is seen. The total wave power in the 2 sec measurement intervals for this current does, however, show a broad peak near 1700 km altitude. These variations in the low energy electron fluxes are related to whistler mode oscillations in the solar wind plasma. It is concluded that there may be a highly turbulent shock structure that masks a clear signature of the bow shock in the time averaged data. |
| File Size | 1072151 |
| Page Count | 31 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19810014465 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t45q9r91q |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1981-05-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Lunar And Planetary Exploration Shock Waves Planetary Ionospheres Electron Flux Density Energy Spectra Bow Waves Viking Lander Spacecraft Mars Atmosphere Electromagnetic Fields Ionospheric Electron Density Whistlers Solar Wind Velocity 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 |
