MAVEN Solar Wind Data
I utilize publicly released Level 2 data from the Solar Wind Ion Analyzer
(SWIA) and Magnetometer (MAG) on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile
EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission to produce synthesized upstream solar wind data
sets for use by the scientific community.
Upstream Driver Data
These upstream driver data sets utilize measurements made in the pristine
upstream solar wind, as determined by an algorithm developed by Halekas
et al. 2017. I provide both an orbit-averaged version of the data set and
a high-resolution (300 pts per orbit) version of the data set, in ASCII
and tplot_save formats, in the links below.
In the ASCII file, the columns are UT, n_proton, n_alpha (per cc),
|v_proton|, vx, vy, vz (km/s), T_proton (eV), Bx, By, Bz (nT). The
corresponding tplot variables are 'npsw', 'nasw', 'vpsw', 'vvec', 'tp',
and 'bsw'. All vector quantities utilize MSO coordinates.
Anyone wishing to utilize these upstream driver data for publication
purposes should reference the SWIA and MAG instrument papers and the
description of the upstream driver algorithm given by Halekas et al. 2017
(references below), and should consider contacting the SWIA and MAG teams
for assistance in interpreting the observations.
Penetrating Proton Proxy and Combined Solar Wind Data
A portion of the upstream solar wind undergoes charge exchange reactions
with the extended hydrogen exosphere, producing a stream of energetic
neutral atoms which retain the same velocity as the solar wind. These ENAs
can bypass the bow shock and magnetosheath fields to penetrate deep into
the dayside atmosphere, where they undergo charge-changing collisions. The
byproducts of these collisions can be detected and used to infer the
upstream solar wind density and speed (see references below).
In the link below, I provide a tplot_save file that contains upstream
solar wind density and speed data (variables 'npsw' and 'vpsw'), proxy
solar wind density and speed data inferred from penetrating protons
(variables 'nscn' and 'vpenorb') and a combined solar wind data set created by
merging these two measurements and resampling to a uniform two-hour
cadence (variables 'ncomb' and 'vcomb').
Anyone wishing to utilize these solar wind data for publication
purposes should reference the SWIA instrument paper and the description
of the upstream driver algorithm and penetrating proton proxy given by
Halekas et al. 2017 (references below), and should consider contacting
the SWIA team for assistance in interpreting the observations.
References
- Connerney, J.E.P., J. Espley, P. Lawton, S. Murphy, J. Odom, R.
Oliversen, D. Sheppard (2015), The MAVEN Magnetic Field Investigation,
Space Science Reviews, 195, 257-291.
- Halekas, J.S., E.R. Taylor, G. Dalton, G. Johnson, D.W. Curtis, J.P.
McFadden, D.L. Mitchell, R.P. Lin, B.M. Jakosky (2015), The Solar Wind Ion
Analyzer for MAVEN, Space Science Reviews, 195, 125-151.
- Halekas, J.S., R.J. Lillis, D.L. Mitchell, T.E. Cravens, C. Mazelle,
J.E.P. Connerney, J.R. Espley, P.R. Mahaffy, M. Benna, B.M. Jakosky, J.G.
Luhmann, J.P. McFadden, D.E. Larson, Y. Harada, S. Ruhunusiri (2015),
MAVEN observations of solar wind hydrogen deposition in the atmosphere of
Mars, Geophysical Research Letters, 42, 8901-8909.
- Halekas, J.S. (2017), Seasonal variability of the hydrogen exosphere
of Mars, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 122,
901-911.
- Halekas, J.S., S. Ruhunusiri, Y. Harada, G. Collinson, D.L. Mitchell,
C. Mazelle, J.P. McFadden, J.E.P. Connerney, J.R. Espley, F. Eparvier,
J.G. Luhmann, B.M. Jakosky (2017), Structure, dynamics, and seasonal
variability of the Mars-solar wind interaction: MAVEN Solar Wind Ion
Analyzer in-flight performance and science results, Journal of
Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 122, 547-578.