The interaction between the supermagnetosonic solar wind and the atmosphere of the weakly magnetized planet Mars forms an induced magnetosphere preceded by a magnetic pileup boundary (MPB) and bow shock (BS). In situ measurements have shown that these boundaries are permanent and well-defined structures that exhibit significant variability driven by external (Sun, solar wind) and internal (planetary) factors. In this work, we used MAVEN observations from 2014 to 2019 to analyze the coupled behavior of the BS and MPB, focusing on their spatial correlation and variability under varying conditions. We examine contiguous BS-MPB spacecraft crossings and the magnetosheath region between them, and we explore the effects of various plasma parameters on the relative position of the boundaries and the thickness of the magnetosheath. We demonstrate a statistical correlation between the BS and MPB positions across multiple timescales, including sustained local solar wind and planetary conditions, seasonal changes, and solar cycle variations. These results support the interpretation that the MPB plays a key role as an electromagnetic obstacle to the solar wind, effectively controlling the formation of the bow shock. We also confirm the limited size of the Martian magnetosheath, both in absolute terms and relative to fundamental plasma scales, which has important implications for understanding the microscopic plasma processes responsible for solar wind thermalization. While acknowledging the limitations of single-spacecraft measurements, this study provides a foundation for future multipoint probing of the Martian environment and the magnetosphere as a system.

The interaction of Titan's ionosphere with Saturn's magnetosphere leads to a mix of perturbed electromagnetic fields and accelerated and thermalized plasma in the induced magnetosphere. The complexity of this region has been noted in previous studies. However, many local structures and processes have not been studied and addressed in detail before. In this case study, we examine the origin of quasi‐periodic plasma structures in Titan's induced magnetosphere observed during the T36 flyby. We use data from the electron and ion spectrometers CAPS/ELS and IMS, the RPWS Langmuir probe and electric antenna, and the fluxgate magnetometer (MAG) to analyze plasma parameters, for example, density and temperature and magnetic field fluctuations, to characterize the processes involved. The observed plasma structures are quasi‐periodic on a scale of about 20 s (or local ion gyroperiod) and possess acceleration signatures from a few eV up to 700 eV. A burst of low‐frequency (around the ion‐cyclotron and lower‐hybrid frequency) and low‐amplitude ( nT, 0.14) waves are observed in the proximity of the plasma structures. We discuss possible mechanisms leading to the development of the observed plasma structures, for example, magnetohydrodynamics instabilities and the contribution of the local electric fields.

In the magnetosheath of planets, mirror modes triggered by the mirror mode instability form as large magnetic structures imprisoning dense and hot plasma in their midst. The free energy created from a large pressure anisotropy at their origin can come from several sources. At Earth and other planets, the quasi-perpendicular shock provides the plasma with the necessary heating along the perpendicular direction to the local magnetic field. At Mars, the extended exosphere theoretically provides another source of temperature anisotropy, with exospheric neutrals locally ionised and subsequently picked up by local electric fields creating unstable ring-beam velocity distribution functions. Using the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission plasma instrumentation, we show for the first time at Mars the unmistakable signature of near locally-generated mirror mode structures due to pickup protons. The pickup ion mechanism is reminiscent of temperature anisotropy-generating mechanisms found at comets, the outgassing moons of Jupiter, and in other heliospheric scenarios.

A comprehensive catalog of 1,589 Saturn magnetosheath traversals by Cassini between 2004 and 2012 was used to perform a statistical study of mirror mode (MM) waves and assess their role in influencing magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause (MP). MM waves have been observed in many planetary magnetospheres and magnetosheaths, comets and the solar wind. Understanding the conditions under which they grow and dominate can reveal their role in influencing plasma dynamics. Using a thresholding method on both magnetic field and plasma data, MM wave candidates can be identified. The magnetic field characteristics and occurrence distributions of these waves against different locations and conditions were found. MM waves were found from 4 to 19 hr local time (partly due to data coverage), and distances of 0-12 R-S from the magnetopause (MP). The occurrence of MM dips was more frequent near the MP and magnetosheath flanks, analogous to the Jovian system. MM dips exhibited a minimum field strength saturation similar to 0.5 nT, with the largest dip inferred to be in mirror-stable plasma. Notably, larger amplitude MM dips were typically found nearer the MP boundary which increases Delta beta across the boundary thus increasing the magnetic shear necessary for the onset of MP reconnection. Thus, MM waves may be important in plasma dynamics near Saturn's magnetopause. Plain Language Summary Mirror mode waves (MM waves) are fluctuations in plasma density and magnetic fields that move with the bulk flow. They are commonly observed by spacecraft around planetary magnetospheres and other space environments. Their growth occurs when the plasma temperature perpendicular-to-magnetic-field is greater than some threshold of the temperature parallel-to-magnetic-field direction. After reaching saturation, some MM structures can remain stable for a long time. These waves can transfer energy between particles and electromagnetic fields, and could also influence more energetic events like magnetic reconnection. This study investigates the nature and role of mirror mode waves in Saturn's magnetosheath and surroundings.

The study of the structure of the Martian shock is crucial to understand its microphysics and it is of special interest to understand the solar wind interaction with an unmagnetized, atmospheric body. The Martian bow shock is a rich example of a supercritical, mass-loaded, collisionless shock and it is one of the smallest of the solar system (both in absolute size and in terms of the solar wind ion gyroradii, of the same order of the curvature radius). This raises questions related to which particle acceleration and energy dissipation mechanism can take place, when its small size means dissipation timescales are too long for a stationary shock to convert the excess kinetic energy into heat. In addition, this shock coexists with ultra-low frequency (ULF) upstream waves, that are generated from the pick-up of exospheric ions. We use MAVEN plasma and magnetic field data to show that the fine structure of the Martian supercritical quasi-perpendicular shock (given by the typical supercritical substructures: the foot, ramp and overshoot) is in many ways comparable with that of the Terrestrial shock, which presents a substantially different solar wind – planet interaction. We observe a shock foot of the order of an upstream ion convected gyroradius, that agrees with the model of specular reflection of foot formation (Woods, 1971; Livesey et al., 1984; Gosling and Thomsen, 1985). Also, we find that the shock ramp is typically very narrow, of the order of a few electron inertial lengths. The presence of a well-defined foot and overshoot confirm the importance of dissipative effects, even in such a small bow shock boundary. In this work we also provide a meticulous analysis methodology that stresses the importance on the correct processing of MAVEN data, and the clarity and consistency of the criteria used in the data selection and analysis. We pay special attention to the determination of the external limit of the entry to the ion foot and the identification of the main and secondary overshoots, where the presence of the ULF waves could mean an erroneous identification of these shock features. We also attempt to assess the non-stationarity of the shock substructures, even with the limitations of a single spacecraft mission, by computing a range of local shock speeds to obtain the substructures spatial widths from the timeseries within an upper and lower value.

A comparative overview of Terrestrial and Martian space weather is presented, with emphasis on applying the tools of complexity and nonlinear dynamics to study the spatiotemporal dynamics and structures of sun-Earth and sun-Mars space environment. The following topics are reviewed: (1) complex systems approach to solar atmosphere and solar wind; (2) complex systems approach to planetary bow shock and magnetosphere-ionosphere; (3) Martian space weather, bow shock, and magnetosphere-ionosphere; (4) imaging planetary magnetosphere-ionosphere.

The WHAMP (R & ouml;nnmark, 1982, https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:14744092) = RN:14744092) and LEOPARD (Astfalk & Jenko, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016ja023522) dispersion relation solvers were used to evaluate the growth rate and scale size for mirror mode (MM) and ion cyclotron (IC) instabilities under plasma conditions resembling Saturn's magnetosheath in order to compare observations to predictions from linear kinetic theory. Instabilities and waves are prevalent in planetary magnetosheaths. Understanding the origin and conditions under which different instabilities grow and dominate can help shed light on the role each instability plays in influencing the plasma dynamics of the region. For anisotropic plasmas modeled with bi- Maxwellian particle distribution, the dispersion, growth rate, and scale size of MM and IC were studied as functions of proton temperature anisotropy, proton plasma beta, and oxygen ion abundance. The dispersion solvers showed that the IC mode dominated over MM under typical conditions in Saturn's magnetosheath, but that MM could dominate for high enough O + abundance ( > 40 % ne) e ) . These water ion-rich plasma conditions are occasionally found in Saturn's magnetosheath (Sergis et al., 2013, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgra.50164). The maximum linear growth rates ( gamma(m) / Omega(p) ) for MM ranged from 0.02 to 0.2, larger than expected from observations. The scale size at maximum growth rate ranged from 4 to 12 rho (p) , smaller than expected from observations. These inconsistencies could potentially be attributed to diffusion and non-linear growth processes.

Temperature anisotropy-driven instabilities such as the mirror mode and ion cyclotron instabilities are responsible for the generation of waves in the turbulent magnetosheath of planets. We present two statistical studies of mirror mode-like structures in the magnetosheaths of (mostly) unmagnetised planets such as Mars and Venus, characterised in the same way and with the same tools with the help of on-board magnetometers. In this presentation, we discuss observations by the MAVEN spacecraft. As in our companion Venus study (see poster by Volwerk et al. in the same session), we use magnetic field-only measurements to constrain and identify these quasi-linear compressive structures and discuss ways to mitigate false positive detections based on one instrument only. After calculating the residence time of the spacecraft in the Martian magnetoenvironment, we show two-dimensional statistical maps of mirror mode-like occurrence rates with respect to EUV solar flux levels, Mars Year, and atmospheric seasons. We find detection probabilities of about 1% at most, with two main regions of occurrence, one behind the collisionless shock, the other close to the induced magnetospheric boundary, with the clearest modulation of the probability due to EUV solar flux conditions. Finally, we qualitatively compare our results with past studies at Mars.

In December 2022, an extremely low-density solar wind stream encountered first the Earth and then Mars, shortly after the radial alignment of the two planets (i.e., Mars opposition). As the low-density stream passed Mars, the properties of the Mars-solar wind interaction changed dramatically in response to the low solar wind Alfvenic Mach number and dynamic pressure. The Martian magnetosphere and its boundaries expanded by thousands of kilometers, extending outside of the nominal average bow shock location. The low upstream Mach number resulted in a low ratio of plasma to magnetic field pressure in the magnetosheath, allowing the formation of a very high but stable ion temperature anisotropy, together with a very low level of electromagnetic instabilities. Meanwhile, the decrease in solar wind dynamic pressure caused the Martian upper ionosphere at the terminator to transition from a magnetized state to an unmagnetized state. This event provides an opportunity to study a unique end-member state of the Mars-solar wind interaction. The solar wind consists of a supersonic flow of hot ionized gas (plasma) from the Sun that flows outward through the solar system. The solar wind interacts with planetary atmospheres and magnetic fields, which form shielded regions known as magnetospheres. The characteristics of the solar wind, including its density and speed, vary over a wide range. The shape, extent, and physical characteristics of planetary magnetospheres in turn respond to these changes in the solar wind. In this work, we study the response of the Martian magnetosphere to an extremely low-density solar wind stream. During the passage of this stream, the Martian magnetosphere expanded by thousands of kilometers, and its physical characteristics changed dramatically. This event reveals a unique outlier state for the Mars-solar wind interaction. An extremely low-density solar wind stream encountered the Earth and Mars just after Mars opposition in December 2022The Martian magnetosheath developed very unusual properties, with a low level of plasma instabilities and a high ion anisotropyThe Martian magnetosphere and its boundaries expanded by thousands of km, extending outside of the location of the nominal bow shock

The Martian MPB (Magnetic Pileup Boundary) is a key boundary in the Mars/Solar Wind interaction as it is here that part of the momentum and energy from the solar wind plasma are transferred to the planetary plasma. Since this interaction is for the most part collisionless, the transfer is mediated by electric and magnetic fields. The acceleration processes and the interaction of particles with electromagnetic fields operate at spatial scales determined by the ambient particle populations. In particular, in regions with sizes of the order of the ion inertial length (ion scales), the Hall electric field is expected to be dominant.In the present work we combine data from the MAVEN spacecraft along one orbit around Mars and multifluid MHD simulation results to study the role of electric fields, currents and forces at the MPB at ion scales. In particular, we find that the current densities deduced from MAVEN data (J similar to 238 nA/m2) of the same order as the values obtained in the simulation (J similar to 56-156 nA/m2) and that the Hall electric force points sunward in both cases. In addition, we find that in the subsolar MPB current layer the Hall electric field (similar to 3.2 mV/m) dominates over the solar wind convective electric field (similar to 0.4 mV/m) and electron pressure gradient (similar to 0.8 mV/m). These values are consistent with previous results suggesting that the MPB thickness is of the order of the solar wind proton inertial length and support the idea that non ideal terms in Ohm's law must be considered when analysing the dynamics of particles around plasma boundaries with ion scale thicknesses.

Abstract Shocklets and short large‐amplitude magnetic structures (SLAMS) are steepened magnetic fluctuations commonly found in Earth's upstream foreshock. Here we present Venus Express observations from the 26th of February 2009 establishing their existence in the steady‐state foreshock of Venus, building on a past study which found SLAMS during a substantial disturbance of the induced magnetosphere. The Venusian structures were comparable to those reported near Earth. The 2 Shocklets had magnetic compression ratios of 1.23 and 1.34 with linear polarization in the spacecraft frame. The 3 SLAMS had ratios between 3.22 and 4.03, two of which with elliptical polarization in the spacecraft frame. Statistical analysis suggests SLAMS coincide with unusually high solar wind Alfvén mach‐number at Venus (12.5, this event). Thus, while we establish Shocklets and SLAMS can form in the stable Venusian foreshock, they may be rarer than at Earth. We estimate a lower limit of their occurrence rate of ≳14%.

New evidence based on Cassini magnetic field and plasma data has revealed that the discovery of Titan outside Saturn’s magnetosphere during the T96 flyby on 2013 December 1 was the result of the impact of two consecutive interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) that left the Sun in 2013 early November and interacted with the moon and the planet. We study the dynamic evolution of Saturn's magnetopause and bow shock, which evidences a magnetospheric compression from late November 28 to December 4 (at least), under prevailing solar wind dynamic pressures of 0.16–0.3 nPa. During this interval, transient disturbances associated with the two ICMEs are observed, allowing for the identification of their magnetic structures. By analyzing the magnetic field direction, and the pressure balance in Titan’s induced magnetosphere, we show that Cassini finds Saturn’s moon embedded in the second ICME after being swept by its interplanetary shock and amid a shower of solar energetic particles that may have caused dramatic changes in the moon’s lower ionosphere. Analyzing a list of Saturn's bow shock crossings during 2004–2016, we find that the magnetospheric compression needed for Titan to be in the supersonic solar wind can be generally associated with the presence of an ICME or a corotating interaction region. This leads to the conclusion that Titan would rarely face the pristine solar wind, but would rather interact with transient solar structures under extreme space weather conditions.

In this series of papers, we present statistical maps of mirror-mode-like (MM) structures in the magnetosheaths of Mars and Venus and calculate the probability of detecting them in spacecraft data. We aim to study and compare them with the same tools and a similar payload at both planets. We consider their dependence on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) solar flux levels (high and low). The detection of these structures is done through magnetic-field-only criteria, and ambiguous determinations are checked further. In line with many previous studies at Earth, this technique has the advantage of using one instrument (a magnetometer) with good time resolution, facilitating comparisons between planetary and cometary environments. Applied to the magnetometer data of the Venus Express (VEX) spacecraft from May 2006 to November 2014, we detect structures closely resembling MMs lasting in total more than 93 000 s, corresponding to about 0.6 % of VEX's total time spent in Venus's plasma environment. We calculate MM-like occurrences normalized to the spacecraft's residence time during the course of the mission. Detection probabilities are about 10 % at most for any given controlling parameter. In general, MM-like structures appear in two main regions: one behind the shock and the other close to the induced magnetospheric boundary, as expected from theory. For solar maximum, the active region behind the bow shock is further inside the magnetosheath, near the solar minimum bow shock location. The ratios of the observations during solar minimum and maximum are slightly dependent on the depth ΔB/B of the structures; deeper structures are more prevalent at solar maximum. A dependence on solar EUV (F10.7) flux is also present, where at higher F10.7 flux the events occur at higher values than the daily-average value of the flux. The main dependence of the MM-like structures is on the condition of the bow shock: for quasi-perpendicular conditions, the MM occurrence rate is higher than for quasi-parallel conditions. However, when the shock becomes “too perpendicular” the chance of observing MM-like structures reduces again. Combining the plasma data from the Ion Mass Analyser (IMA on board Venus Express) with the magnetometer data shows that the instability criterion for MMs is reduced in the two main regions where the structures are measured, whereas it is still enhanced in the region between these two regions, implying that the generation of MMs is transferring energy from the particles to the field. With the addition of the Electron Spectrometer (ELS on board Venus Express) data, it is possible to show that there is an anti-phase between the magnetic field strength and the density for the MM-like structures. This study is Part 2 of a series of papers on the magnetosheaths of Mars and Venus.

The Cassini spacecraft made in-situ measurements of Titan's plasma environment during 126 close encounters between 2004 and 2017. Here we report on observations from the Radio and Plasma Waves System/Langmuir probe instrument (RPWS/LP) from which we have observed, primarily on the outbound leg, a localized increase of the electron density by up to 150 cm(-3) with respect to the background. This feature, appearing as an electron density spike in the data, is found during 28 of the 126 flybys. The data from RPWS/LP, the electron spectrometer from the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer package , and the magnetometer is used to calculate electron densities and magnetic field characteristics. The location of these structures around Titan with respect to the nominal corotation direction and the sun direction is investigated. We find that the electron density spikes are primarily observed on the dayside and ramside of Titan. We also observe magnetic field signatures that could suggest the presence of current sheets in most cases. The density spikes are extended along the trajectory of the spacecraft with the horizontal scale of similar to 537 +/- 160 km and vertical scale similar to 399 +/- 163 km. We suggest that the density spikes are formed as a result of the current sheet formation.

Mirror mode structures arise whenever a temperature anisotropy is present in the plasma, classically in the wake of the bow shock in a quasi-perpendicular configuration with respect to the interplanetary magnetic field, or from pickup ion distribution effects. Born from space plasma instabilities and in competition with other wave modes, these ultra-low frequency waves contribute to energy exchanges between the different plasma populations present in the magnetosheath. At Mars and Venus, such structures have very similar scales: they last typically a few tens of seconds and appear as peaks or dips in the magnetic field data in antiphase with the local plasma density variations. As magnetometers are present on many space missions, magnetic field-only criteria are an ideal tool to study these structures across different magnetosheath environments. We present here for the first time a comparison of the statistical occurrence of magnetosheath mirror mode-like structures at Mars with MAVEN and at Venus with Venus Express. Based on magnetic field-only measurements, we use identical detection criteria at both planets to select quasi-linear structures in B-field measurements. We then present two-dimensional maps of mirror mode-like occurrence rates with respect to solar cycle variations and EUV flux levels, atmospheric seasons (for Mars) and the nature of the shock crossing (quasi-parallel or quasi-perpendicular configurations), and compare them between planets. Finally, we discuss ambiguities in the nature of the detected structures and their global effects on the magnetosheath.

The objective of this White Paper, submitted to ESA's Voyage 2050 call, is to get a more holistic knowledge of the dynamics of the Martian plasma system, from its surface up to the undisturbed solar wind outside of the induced magnetosphere. This can only be achieved with coordinated multi-point observations with high temporal resolution as they have the scientific potential to track the whole dynamics of the system (from small to large scales), and they constitute the next generation of the exploration of Mars analogous to what happened at Earth a few decades ago. This White Paper discusses the key science questions that are still open at Mars and how they could be addressed with coordinated multipoint missions. The main science questions are: (i) How does solar wind driving impact the dynamics of the magnetosphere and ionosphere? (ii) What is the structure and nature of the tail of Mars' magnetosphere at all scales? (iii) How does the lower atmosphere couple to the upper atmosphere? (iv) Why should we have a permanent in-situ Space Weather monitor at Mars? Each science question is devoted to a specific plasma region, and includes several specific scientific objectives to study in the coming decades. In addition, two mission concepts are also proposed based on coordinated multi-point science from a constellation of orbiting and ground-based platforms, which focus on understanding and solving the current science gaps.

Titan (R-T = 2,575 km, M-T <0.78 nT x R-T(3)), the largest moon of Saturn, is the only satellite that possesses a dense atmosphere. Titan interacts most frequently with the submagnetosonic plasma of the Kronian magnetodisk. Apart from the orbital phase that approximately determines the angle between the incoming plasma velocity and the solar radiation direction, Titan's interaction depends on its location within Saturn's magnetodisk. As a result, upstream conditions change with Saturn's seasons, solar wind pressure, and the location of a magnetospheric perturbation phase-locked to Saturn's kilometric radiation emissions. All these ingredients make Titan's interaction hardly ever stationary. During high solar wind pressure periods, Titan has also been found in the shocked and even the unshocked solar wind. In the latter case, a small, supercritical bow shock was detected. Regardless of the properties of the plasma environment around Titan, a well-defined induced magnetosphere is formed. Sometimes, the induced magnetosphere is made of a collection of chronologically ordered layers of draped magnetic field lines with different directions (fossil fields). The plasma escape resulting from the interaction is associated with convective and polarization electric fields, but also with magnetic tension forces with loss rates that go up to 7x10(25) ions s(-1).

The Martian bow shock is a rich example of a supercritical, mass‐loaded collisionless shock that coexists with ultra‐low frequency upstream waves that are generated by the pick‐up of exospheric ions. The small size of the bow shock stand‐off distance (comparable with the solar wind ion convective gyroradius) raises questions about the nature of the particle acceleration and energy dissipation mechanism at work. The study of the Martian shock structure is crucial to understand its microphysics and is of special interest to understand the solar wind—planet interaction with a virtually unmagnetized body. We report on a complete identification and first characterization of the supercritical substructures of the Martian quasi‐perpendicular shock, under the assumption of a moving shock layer, using MAVEN magnetic field and solar wind plasma observations for two examples of shock crossings. We obtained substructures length‐scales comparable to those of the Terrestrial shock, with a narrow shock ramp of the order of a few electron inertial lengths. We also observed a well defined foot (smaller than the proton convected gyroradius) and overshoot that confirm the importance of ion dynamics for dissipative effects.