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MAVEN Observations of Partially Developed Kelvin-Helmholtz Vortices at Mars.We present preliminary results and interpretations for Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN,(MAVEN) observations of magnetosheath-ionospheric boundary oscillations at Mars. Using centrifugal force arguments, we first predict that a signature of fully rolled up Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices at Mars is sheath ions that have a bulk motion toward the Sun. The sheath ions adjacent to a vortex should also accelerate to speeds higher than the mean sheath velocity. We also predict that while the ionospheric ions that are in the vortex accelerate antisunward, they never attain speeds exceeding that of the sheath ions, in stark contrast to KH vortices that arise at the Earths magnetopause. We observe accelerated sheath and ionospheric ions, but we do not observe sheath ions that have a bulk motion toward the Sun. Thus, we interpret these observations as KH vortices that have not fully rolled up.
Document ID
20170002506
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Ruhunusiri, Suranga
(Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA, United States)
Halekas, J. S.
(Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA, United States)
McFadden, J. P.
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Connerney, J. E. P.
(Adnet Systems, Inc. Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Espley, J. R.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Harada, Y.
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Livi, R.
(Johns Hopkins Univ. Laurel, MD, United States)
Seki, C.
(Nagoya Univ. Nagoya, Japan)
Mazelle, C.
(Paul Sabatier Univ. Toulouse, France)
Brain, D.
(Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Date Acquired
March 23, 2017
Publication Date
May 24, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher: Wiley
Volume: 43
Issue: 10
ISSN: 0094-8276
Subject Category
Geophysics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN40184
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG06EO90A
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG12PL17C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Kelvin-Helmholtz
MAVEN
sheath velocity
atmospheric
ions
observations
Mars
Vorticles

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