P51B-3919:
A Search for Lightning in the Martian Ionosphere
Friday, 19 December 2014
Teresa M Esman, University of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville, VA, United States, Jared R Espley, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States and John E P Connerney, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States
Abstract:
Understanding electrical and magnetic activity in the martian atmosphere is vital for recognizing possible chemical alterations of the surface and atmosphere, characterizing potential hazards to robots, astronauts, and science instruments, and may lead to the ability to probe the subsurface of the planet. We analyze magnetometer data from Mars Global Surveyor to search for evidence of Schumann resonances associated with electric discharges oscillating between the surface of the planet and the ionosphere. These resonances, which could plausibly originate in dust storm or dust devils, are expected to manifest as signals from 8 to 14 Hz and be present at altitudes below the ionopause at 400 kilometers. We organize the data and perform fast Fourier transforms and wavelet analysis to determine which frequencies are most prominent in various data sets. In particular, we examine and categorize features that appear under the aforementioned conditions. These features could be associated with lightning, spacecraft noise, solar wind fluctuations, ionospheric currents, or other magnetic activity. We present the preliminary results of our search and comment on incorporating data from the MAVEN spacecraft into our future analyses.
