Magnetized Mars: Spatial distribution of oxygen ions

Earth, Planets and Space

Table 1. The loss rate of O⁺ and O₂⁺ ions through the exobase in the analyzed four runs with different Martian global intrinsic dipole fields.

B dipole	O⁺ loss rate (10²⁴ s⁻¹)	O₂⁺ loss rate (10²⁴ s⁻¹)	O⁺ loss %	O₂⁺ loss %	O⁺ loss rate change	O₂⁺ loss rate change
0 nT	4.26	7.91	30	40	0%	0%
10 nT	5.76	8.61	41	43	+35%	+9%
30 nT	4.76	7.14	34	36	+12%	−10%
60 nT	4.27	6.09	31	30	+0.3%	−23%

In all four runs the total ion emission rate from the exobase was 1.4 × 10 s⁻¹ for O⁺ ions and 2.0 × 10 s⁻¹ for O₂⁺ ions. The seven columns from left to right are [1] the strength of the dipolar magnetic field on the surface of Mars in the magnetic equator, [2] the total loss rate of O⁺ ions through the exobase, [3] the total loss rate of O₂⁺ ions through the exobase, [4] the percentage of O⁺ ions emitted from the exobase that are lost (= O⁺ loss rate / 1.4 × 10 s⁻¹), [5] the percentage of O₂⁺ ions emitted from the exobase that are lost (= O₂⁺ loss rate / 2.0 × 10²⁵ s⁻¹), [6] the O⁺ loss rate change compared with the non-magnetized case (= 100 × ((O⁺ loss rate − 4.26 × 10²⁴ s⁻¹) / 4.26 × 10²⁴ s⁻¹)%)) and [7] the O₂⁺ loss rate change compared with the non-magnetized case (= 100 × ((O₂⁺ loss rate −7.91 × 10²⁴ s⁻¹) / 7.91 × 10²⁴ s⁻¹)%).