Mars' Ionospheric Response to the Onset and Early Phase of 20 May 2024 Solar Flare
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV, 10–100 nm) and X‐ray (<10 nm) photons are the primary ionization source for the dayside Mars ionosphere. Their fluxes, especially at short wavelengths, increase significantly during solar flares. Among the series of solar flares and solar storms encountered by Earth and Mars in May 2024, one of the strongest solar flares occurred on 20 May 2024 when the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft was entering the Mars ionosphere. This event provides a unique opportunity to study the Mars ionospheric response to the onset and early phase of an extremely intense flare. This study utilizes two particle measurements onboard MAVEN to infer the flare timeline and a flare class of X12.8. The observed main ionospheric response is the increased density at ∼400 km altitude at the flare onset and at ∼300 km altitude near the flare peak.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters
DOI: 10.1029/2026gl122029
Institutions: Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, University of Colorado Boulder, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Michigan, West Virginia University, Goddard Space Flight Center, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Université de Toulouse
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
Awards: G3029946720, G8841135019
OpenAlex ID: W7148874913