Finite Difference Simulations of Acoustic and Gravity Wave Propagation in Mars Atmosphere: Applications to INSIGHT NASA Mission and Mars Microphone Experiments

Abstract:

A simulation tool of acoustic and gravity wave propagation through finite differences is applied to the case of Mars atmosphere.
The details of the code and its validation for Earth atmosphere are presented in session SA003.
The simulations include the modeling of both acoustic and gravity waves in the same run, an effects of exponential density decrease, winds and attenuation.
The application to Mars requires the inclusion of a specific attenuation effect related to the relaxation induced by vibrational modes of carbon dioxide molecules.
Two different applications are presented demonstrating the ability of the simulation tool to work at very different scale length and frequencies.
First the propagation of acoustic and gravity waves due to a bolide explosion in the atmosphere of Mars are simulated.
This case has a direct application to the atmospheric pressure and seismic measurements that will be performed by INSIGHT NASA discovery mission next year.
Then, we also present simulations of sound wave propagation on a scale of meters that can be used to infer the feasability microphone measurements for future Mars missions.