The role of the Martian crustal magnetic fields in controlling ionospheric loss

A hybrid particle code has been used to examine the interaction of the solar wind with Mars. It is found that the presence of the crustal magnetic fields modifies the heavy ion (O+ and O-2(+)) loss rates. In the case of the solar minimum situation the modification was found to be significant and reported in Brecht and Ledvina (2012). In this paper both solar minimum and solar maximum results are reported and compared with data. The crustal magnetic fields reduce the ionospheric loss rate; and when the energy limits imposed on the data fits are considered, the results of the simulations are in reasonable agreement with data. The agreement with the data provides a strong argument for the physical control demonstrated by the simulations being realistic.