Sunward Oxygen Ion Fluxes and the Magnetic Field Topology at Mars From Hybrid Simulations

Abstract It is commonly believed that because of the direct solar wind interaction with the Martian atmosphere/ionosphere, the planet could have lost a significant part of its atmosphere. Closed field lines of the crustal magnetic field can weaken a transport of the ionospheric ions to the tail. Reconnection of the interplanetary magnetic field lines draping around Mars and the crustal magnetic field can also lead to a presense of sunward fluxes of planetary ions that might affect the total ion loss. The LatHyS (LATMOS Hybrid Simulation) three‐dimensional multispecies hybrid model is used here to characterize sunward fluxes of O + ions and the magnetic field topology at Mars. It is shown that although reconnection between the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and the crustal magnetic fields strongly modifies the field topology, then sunward ion fluxes are rather small and do not significantly change the total ion loss.