DESIREE&Friends 6: The ionosphere of Mars: ion density predictions vs observations

by Dr Erik Vigren (Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden)

Tuesday 21 Oct 2025, 13:00 → 13:45 Europe/Stockholm

FB55 (AlbaNova Main Building)

Abstract:

Concentration measurements of neutral and ion species in Mars's upper atmosphere, obtained by the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) aboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission have been widely used as input for models and for validating model outputs in many studies of Mars’s ionosphere. Model-observation comparisons serve as a test for our understanding of the physical and chemical processes at play in said environment. We highlight some recent findings calling for experimental reassessments of certain processes, including the spontaneous dissociation of doubly charged carbon dioxide.