Scientists Achieve First Direct Detection of Atmospheric Sputtering on Mars

A collaborative team of planetary scientists, astrophysicists, and space flight researchers from several U.S. institutions and one in France has reported the first direct detection of atmospheric sputtering on Mars. Atmospheric sputtering is a process in which energetic particles from the solar wind collide with atmospheric molecules, causing them to be ejected into space. This phenomenon is driven by the solar wind's motional electric field, which interacts with the upper atmosphere of Mars. The detection was made using advanced instruments capable of measuring the interactions between the solar wind and the Martian atmosphere. Understanding atmospheric sputtering is crucial because it helps explain how Mars has lost a significant portion of its atmosphere over billions of years, contributing to the planet's current cold and dry conditions. Previous studies had inferred the existence of sputtering indirectly, but this is the first time it has been observed directly. The research enhances scientific knowledge about planetary atmospheres and the long-term evolution of Mars, with implications for planetary habitability and the history of water on Mars.