Mars ion puzzle solved: one assumption was aging the data by decades
Scientists modeling Mars's upper atmosphere discovered that a single faulty assumption about how quickly a key ion breaks apart was skewing their predictions by orders of magnitude. Correcting this changed how researchers will interpret MAVEN spacecraft data and refine models used to understand planetary atmospheres—work critical for planning crewed Mars missions and studying atmospheric loss.
Originaltitel: Advancing CO<sub>2</sub><sup>++</sup> Modeling in the Martian Dayside Ionosphere: Insights from Natural Lifetime Analysis
<p>The molecular dication CO<sub>2</sub><sup>++</sup> has, as previously reported, been detected in the Martian ionosphere by the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission. Photochemical models have also been developed to reproduce the CO<sub>2</sub><sup>++</sup> density in the Martian dayside ionosphere but underestimate significantly the observations. In this study, we examine the influence of the CO<sub>2</sub><sup>++</sup> natural lifetime against spontaneous dissociation on its modeled density. We show that extending the assumed CO<sub>2</sub><sup>++</sup> lifetime significantly reduces the discrepancy between the photochemical model predictions and MAVEN observations. Specifically, when treating CO<sub>2</sub><sup>++</sup> as stable against natural dissociation, instead of invoking a lifetime of 4 s as done in previous studies, the data-to-model ratio comes close to unity throughout the altitude range 160–220 km. We argue that stability of CO<sub>2</sub><sup>++</sup> against natural dissociation does not necessarily conflict with results from a frequently cited experimental investigation. Our study provides new insights for advancing photochemical modeling of the Martian ionosphere and underscores the need for further laboratory measurements targeting fundamental properties of doubly charged ions.</p>