Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
190,860 studies31 sourcesUpdated 15 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0The Astrophysical Journal

Penetrating Solar Wind Protons Drive Asymmetric Acceleration of Oxygen Ions in the Martian Magnetotail Current Sheet

  • Limin Wang1,2
  • Lei Li1,2
  • Qi Xu1
  • Lianghai Xie1
  • Yiteng Zhang1
  • Wenya Li1
  • Linggao Kong3,1
  • Aibing Zhang2,1
  • Binbin Tang1
  • Fuhao Qiao1,2
  • Jijie Ma3
  • Taifeng Jin4
2 more authors
  • Yongyong Feng1
  • Fuyu Sun1,2
4 affiliations
  1. 1Chinese Academy of Sciences
  2. 2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
  3. 3Nanjing University
  4. 4Wuhan University
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

We investigate the asymmetric energy distribution of outflowing heavy ions in the Martian magnetotail current sheet by combining observations by Tianwen-1 and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) satellites with global multifluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. Tianwen-1 observed energetic oxygen ions, solar wind protons, and magnetic-field lines bending toward the equatorial plane in the current sheet. Constrained by MAVEN upstream observations, simulations show that solar wind protons deflect opposite to the convection electric field to maintain momentum conservation during heavy ion pickup, dragging magnetic-field lines to form a sinking topology in the current sheet. Downtail, protons penetrate deeper in the current sheet, generating strong localized motional and Hall electric fields in the +E (aligned with the convection electric field) hemisphere, which can accelerate ions to keV energies. Statistical analysis further confirms that the sinking magnetic-field topology is persistently accompanied by asymmetric acceleration. Our study identified a new pathway for the solar wind proton entry into the magnetotail, which drives heavy ion asymmetric acceleration in the current sheet, a pathway possibly common in induced magnetotails.

Related

  1. Sensitivity of the Martian Magnetotail to Model Configuration Choices in Multispecies MHD Simulations
    Nii‐Boi A. Quartey, Michael W. Liemohn, Wenyi Sun +1
    Earth and Space SciencePeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textGeneral astronomyGeology & geochemistryDOAJ
  2. Evidence of flare and coronal mass ejection-driven shock acceleration of relativistic protons on 21 November 2024
    M. Jarry, A. Papaioannou, G. Vasalos +9
    arXivPreprintCC BY 4.0Full textSolar & stellar physicsarXiv
  3. Structure of energy flux densities in Earth's magnetotail reconnection regions: Bridging simulation and observation
    Cara L. Waters, Jonathan P. Eastwood, Harry C. Lewis +5
    arXivPreprintCC BY 4.0Full textSolar & stellar physicsPlasma physicsarXiv
  4. Magnetotail Flapping Event at Mars: A Simultaneous View from MAVEN and InSight
    Kyle Webster, Yingjuan Ma, Wenyi Sun +1
    The Planetary Science JournalPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textPlanetary science & exoplanetsCrossref
  5. High-frequency subsurface-penetrating radar investigation of the shallow subsurface at the Zhurong landing site
    Shuning Liu, Yan Su, Francesco Soldovieri +7
    Astronomy & AstrophysicsPeer-reviewedPublisher termsPlanetary science & exoplanetsCrossref

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{wang2026penetrating,
  title = {{Penetrating Solar Wind Protons Drive Asymmetric Acceleration of Oxygen Ions in the Martian Magnetotail Current Sheet}},
  author = {Limin Wang and Lei Li and Qi Xu and Lianghai Xie and Yiteng Zhang and Wenya Li and Linggao Kong and Aibing Zhang and Binbin Tang and Fuhao Qiao and Jijie Ma and Taifeng Jin and Yongyong Feng and Fuyu Sun},
  journal = {The Astrophysical Journal},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/ae9f51},
  url = {https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ae9f51},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Penetrating Solar Wind Protons Drive Asymmetric Acceleration of Oxygen Ions in the Martian Magnetotail Current Sheet
AU  - Limin Wang
AU  - Lei Li
AU  - Qi Xu
AU  - Lianghai Xie
AU  - Yiteng Zhang
AU  - Wenya Li
AU  - Linggao Kong
AU  - Aibing Zhang
AU  - Binbin Tang
AU  - Fuhao Qiao
AU  - Jijie Ma
AU  - Taifeng Jin
AU  - Yongyong Feng
AU  - Fuyu Sun
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/15
JO  - The Astrophysical Journal
DO  - 10.3847/1538-4357/ae9f51
UR  - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ae9f51
AB  - We investigate the asymmetric energy distribution of outflowing heavy ions in the Martian magnetotail current sheet by combining observations by Tianwen-1 and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) satellites with global multifluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. Tianwen-1 observed energetic oxygen ions, solar wind protons, and magnetic-field lines bending toward the equatorial plane in the current sheet. Constrained by MAVEN upstream observations, simulations show that solar wind protons deflect opposite to the convection electric field to maintain momentum conservation during heavy ion pickup, dragging magnetic-field lines to form a sinking topology in the current sheet. Downtail, protons penetrate deeper in the current sheet, generating strong localized motional and Hall electric fields in the +E (aligned with the convection electric field) hemisphere, which can accelerate ions to keV energies. Statistical analysis further confirms that the sinking magnetic-field topology is persistently accompanied by asymmetric acceleration. Our study identified a new pathway for the solar wind proton entry into the magnetotail, which drives heavy ion asymmetric acceleration in the current sheet, a pathway possibly common in induced magnetotails.
SN  - 0004-637X
SN  - 1538-4357
ER  -