On December 26, 2022, the NASA MAVEN probe, which is in the orbit of Mars, recorded a rare phenomenon – a kind of failure in the solar wind. This “window” caused the explosive expansion of the Martian atmosphere. Space weather has presented yet another surprise, the study of which will make it possible to learn more about potentially inhabited worlds around distant stars.
The intensity of the solar wind – electrons and hydrogen ions flying from the surface of the star – depends on its activity and the specific state of local magnetic fields. Occasionally, a star emits particles with greater force and speed, which catch up with slower arrays of particles released earlier. Then regions of increased and decreased concentration of solar wind particles appear in our system, and this affects the atmospheres of the planets.
This effect was first observed in 1999 when a sudden weakening of the solar wind inflated the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetosphere by a factor of 100. At the same time, it should be remembered that the Earth has a magnetic field that protects us from cosmic particles, and Mars does not have it. At the same time, Mars has an induced magnetic field. It arises in the process of interaction of the solar wind with the ionosphere of Mars. This field and particles of the solar wind can be recorded by the equipment of NASA’s MAVEN orbital probe.
During the observation of electromagnetic phenomena around Mars on December 26, 2022, a 10-fold decrease in the pressure of the solar wind and a 100-fold decrease in the density of its particles were recorded. Analysis of the data showed that during this time, the ionosphere and the induced magnetic field of the Red Planet expanded three times. The atmosphere of Mars seems to have been blown up from the inside. If Mars were in a system with a less “windy” star, its evolution would have followed a different path.
The experience with Mars shows how important it is to make measurements in situ. Without orbital devices near and distant planets, we will not be able to obtain information about processes of this kind. The study of these processes in our system will provide information for modelling atmospheric phenomena in planets in other star systems and, in general, will make it possible to better model the processes of the origin of life on other worlds.
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