Wave Mode-based Identification of Plasma Boundaries in the Martian Magnetosphere Using MAVEN Observations
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Using 10 yr of MAVEN magnetic field and plasma observations from 2014 to 2024, we identify four fundamental low-frequency (LF) wave modes—Alfvén, fast, slow, and mirror modes—using a transport ratio classification based on fluctuations in plasma moments and magnetic fields. Their spatial occurrence distributions delineate recurrent gradients associated with four large-scale plasma boundaries: the bow shock (BS), mass-loading boundary (MLB), magnetic pileup boundary (MPB), and ionopause. The BS inferred from wave occurrence agrees well with empirical models. The MLB, located within the magnetosheath between the BS and MPB, is independently recovered from the Alfvén and mirror mode occurrence distributions and persists across four broad temporal subsets. Its location and independent recovery by the two wave modes are consistent with the established MLB at Mars. The MPB inferred from wave occurrence shows larger departures from empirical models toward the nightside, where the transition becomes more diffuse. These results demonstrate that wave mode occurrence statistics provide a complementary diagnostic of both canonical plasma boundaries and the mass loading structure in the Martian plasma environment.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
Authors: Xinya Duanmu, Hui Huang, Shengyi Ye
Institution: Southern University of Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Space and Planetary Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,499
OpenAlex ID: W7222965563