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Solar Wind (SW) electron precipitation is able to deposit a substantial amount of energy in the nightside Martian upper atmosphere, potentially exerting an influence on its thermal structure. This study serves as the first investigation of such an issue, with the aid of the simultaneous measurements of both neutral density and energetic electron intensity made on board the recent Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. We report that, from a statistical point of view, the existing measurements do not support a scenario of noticeable neutral heating via SW electron precipitation. However, during 3%−4% of the MAVEN orbits for which data are available, strong correlation between nightside temperature and electron intensity is observed, manifested as collocated enhancements in both parameters, as compared to the surrounding regions. In addition, our analysis also indicates that neutral heating via SW electron precipitation tends to be more effective at altitudes below 160 km for integrated electron intensities above 0.01 ergs·cm−2·s−1over the energy range of 3−450 eV. The results reported here highlight the necessity of incorporating SW electron precipitation as a heat source in the nightside Martian upper atmosphere under extreme circumstances such as during interplanetary coronal mass ejections. We derive the temperature profiles in the nightside Martian upper atmosphere.Evidence for solar wind heating is rare in the nightside Martian upper atmosphere.Evidence for nightside solar wind heating is more prominent below 160 km. We derive the temperature profiles in the nightside Martian upper atmosphere. Evidence for solar wind heating is rare in the nightside Martian upper atmosphere. Evidence for nightside solar wind heating is more prominent below 160 km.

The CO2+ultraviolet doublet (UVD) emission near 289 nm is an important feature of dayside airglow emission from planetary upper atmospheres. In this study, we analyzed the brightness profiles of CO2+UVD emission on Mars by using the extensive observations made by the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph on board the recent Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft. Strong solar cycle and solar zenith angle variations in peak emission intensity and altitude were revealed by the data: (1) Both the peak intensity and altitude increase with increasing solar activity, and (2) the peak intensity decreases, whereas the peak altitude increases, with increasing solar zenith angle. These observations can be favorably interpreted by the solar‐driven scenario combined with the fact that photoionization and photoelectron impact ionization are the two most important processes responsible for the production of excited‐state CO2+and consequently the intensity of CO2+UVD emission. Despite this, we propose that an extra driver, presumably related to the complicated variation in the background atmosphere, such as the occurrence of global dust storms, is required to fully interpret the observations. In general, our analysis suggests that the CO2+UVD emission is a useful diagnostic of the variability of the dayside Martian atmosphere under the influences of both internal and external drivers.

Electron pitch angle distributions similar to bidirectional electron conics (BECs) have been reported at Mars in previous studies based on analyses of Mars Global Surveyor measurements. BEC distribution, also termed “butterfly” distribution, presents a local minimum flux at 90° and a maximum flux before reaching the local loss cone. Previous studies have focused on 115 eV electrons that were produced mainly via solar wind electron impact ionization. Here using Solar Wind Electron Analyzer measurements made onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft, we identify 513 BEC events for 19–55 eV photoelectrons that were generated via photoionization only. Therefore, we are investigating electrons observed in regions well away from their source regions, to be distinguished from 115 eV electrons observed and produced in the same regions. We investigate the spatial distribution of the 19–55 eV BECs, revealing that they are more likely observed on the nightside as well as near strong crustal magnetic anomalies. We propose that the 19–55 eV photoelectron BECs are formed due to day‐to‐night transport and the magnetic mirror effect of photoelectrons moving along cross‐terminator closed magnetic field lines.

Doubly charged positive ions (dications) are an important component of planetary ionospheres because of the large energy required for their formation. Observations of these ions are exceptionally difficult due to their low abundances; until now, only atomic dications have been detected. The Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) measurements made on board the recent Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission provide the first opportunity for decisive detection of molecular dications, CO2++in this case, in a planetary upper atmosphere. The NGIMS data reveal a dayside averaged CO2++distribution declining steadily from 5.6 cm−3at 160 km to below 1 cm−3above 200 km. The dominant CO2++production mechanisms are double photoionization of CO2below 190 km and single photoionization of CO2+at higher altitudes; CO2++destruction is dominated by natural dissociation, but reactions with atmospheric CO2and O become important below 160 km. Simplified photochemical model calculations are carried out and reasonably reproduce the data at low altitudes within a factor of 2 but underestimate the data at high altitudes by a factor of 4. Finally, we report a much stronger solar control of the CO2++density than of the CO2+density .

An important population of the dayside Martian ionosphere are photoelectrons that are produced by solar Extreme Ultraviolet and X‐ray ionization of atmospheric neutrals. A typical photoelectron energy spectrum is characterized by a distinctive peak near 27 eV related to the strong solar HeII emission line at 30.4 nm, and an additional peak near 500 eV related to O Auger ionization. In this study, the extensive measurements made by the Solar Wind Electron Analyzer on board the recent Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft are analyzed and found to verify the scenario that Martian ionosphere photoelectrons are driven by solar radiation. We report that the photoelectron intensities at the centers of both peaks increase steadily with increasing solar ionizing flux below 90 nm and that the observed solar cycle variation is substantially more prominent near the O Auger peak than near the HeII peak. The latter observation is clearly driven by a larger variability in solar irradiance at shorter wavelengths. When the solar ionizing flux increases from 1 mW·m‐2to 2.5 mW·m‐2, the photoelectron intensity increases by a factor of 3.2 at the HeII peak and by a much larger factor of 10.5 at the O Auger peak, both within the optically thin regions of the Martian atmosphere.

Photoelectrons are produced by solar Extreme Ultraviolet radiation and contribute significantly to the local ionization and heat balances in planetary upper atmospheres. When the effect of transport is negligible, the photoelectron energy distribution is controlled by a balance between local production and loss, a condition usually referred to as local energy degradation. In this study, we examine such a condition for photoelectrons near Mars, with the aid of a multi‐instrument Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution data set gathered over the inbound portions of a representative dayside MAVEN orbit. Various photoelectron production and loss processes considered here include primary and secondary ionization, inelastic collisions with atmospheric neutrals associated with both excitation and ionization, as well as Coulomb collisions with ionospheric thermal electrons. Our calculations indicate that photoelectron production occurs mainly via primary ionization and degradation from higher energy states during inelastic collisions; photoelectron loss appears to occur almost exclusively via degradation towards lower energy states via inelastic collisions above 10 eV, but the effect of Coulomb collisions becomes important at lower energies. Over the energy range of 30–55 eV (chosen to reduce the influence of the uncertainty in spacecraft charging), we find that the condition of local energy degradation is very well satisfied for dayside photoelectrons from 160 to 250 km. No evidence of photoelectron transport is present over this energy range.

The Martian ionosphere is produced by a number of controlling processes, including solar extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV) and X‐ray ionization, impact ionization by precipitating electrons, and day‐to‐night transport. This study investigates the structural variability of the Martian ionosphere with the aid of the radio occultation (RO) experiments made on board the recent Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. On the dayside, the RO electron density profiles are described by the superposition of two Chapman models, representing the contributions from both the primary layer and the low‐altitude secondary layer. The inferred subsolar peak electron densities and altitudes are 1.24×105cm–3and 127 km for the former, and 4.28×104cm–3and 97 km for the latter, respectively, in general agreement with previous results appropriate for the low solar activity conditions. Our results strengthen the role of solar EUV and X‐ray ionization as the driving source of plasma on the dayside of Mars. Beyond the terminator, a systematic decline in ionospheric total electron content is revealed by the MAVEN RO measurements made from the terminator crossing up to a solar zenith angle of 120°. Such a trend is indicative of day‐to‐night plasma transport as an important source for the nightside Martian ionosphere.