Observation of CO<sub>2</sub><sup>++</sup> dication in the dayside Martian upper atmosphere

Hao Gu; Jun Cui; DanDan Niu; LongKang Dai; JianPing Huang; XiaoShu Wu; YongQiang Hao; Yong Wei

doi:10.26464/epp2020036

Citation: Gu, H., Cui, J., Niu, D. D., Dai, L. K., Huang, J. P., Wu, X. S., Hao, Y. Q., and Wei, Y. (2020). Observation of CO₂⁺⁺ dication in the dayside Martian upper atmosphere. Earth Planet. Phys., 4(4), 396–402doi: 10.26464/epp2020036

2020, 4(4): 396-402. doi: 10.26464/epp2020036

PLANETARY SCIENCES

Observation of CO₂⁺⁺ dication in the dayside Martian upper atmosphere

Hao Gu ^1,, Jun Cui ^2,3,4,,, DanDan Niu ^1,, LongKang Dai ^2,, JianPing Huang ^2,, XiaoShu Wu ^3,4,, YongQiang Hao ^5,, Yong Wei ^6,7,

1.	State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
2.	School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai Guangdong 519082, China
3.	Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
4.	Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Hefei 230026, China
5.	School of Earth and Space Sciences, Beijing University, Beijing 100871, China
6.	Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
7.	School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

Corresponding author: Jun Cui, cuijun7@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Received Date: 2020-03-28
Web Publishing Date: 2020-07-31

Doubly charged positive ions (dications) are an important component of planetary ionospheres because of the large energy required for their formation. Observations of these ions are exceptionally difficult due to their low abundances; until now, only atomic dications have been detected. The Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) measurements made on board the recent Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission provide the first opportunity for decisive detection of molecular dications, CO₂⁺⁺ in this case, in a planetary upper atmosphere. The NGIMS data reveal a dayside averaged CO₂⁺⁺ distribution declining steadily from 5.6 cm⁻³ at 160 km to below 1 cm⁻³ above 200 km. The dominant CO₂⁺⁺ production mechanisms are double photoionization of CO₂ below 190 km and single photoionization of CO₂⁺ at higher altitudes; CO₂⁺⁺ destruction is dominated by natural dissociation, but reactions with atmospheric CO₂ and O become important below 160 km. Simplified photochemical model calculations are carried out and reasonably reproduce the data at low altitudes within a factor of 2 but underestimate the data at high altitudes by a factor of 4. Finally, we report a much stronger solar control of the CO₂⁺⁺ density than of the CO₂⁺ density .

Key words: MAVEN, Martian ionosphere, dication

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