IMPACT OF HELIOSPHERE REDUCTION ON THE ATMOSPHERE OF MARS

• Grant number: 25/09294-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Solar System Astronomy
• Principal Investigator: Adriana Benetti Marques Valio
• Grantee: Julia de Oliveira Arpiani
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia (EE). Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM). Instituto Presbiteriano Mackenzie. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The goal of this research is to perform a quantitative estimate of the impact of the heliosphere reduction on the atmosphere of planet Mars. The heliosphere is a structure formed by the solar wind and the Sun's magnetic field that acts as a protective shield for the Solar System against radiation and cosmic rays from the interstellar medium. Recent studies suggest that the Solar System crossed the Local Linx Cold Cloud Region (LxCC), a region of the extreme interstellar medium, resulting in the shrinkage of the heliosphere to within the Earth's orbit. In this scenario, planets like Mars would have become vulnerable to radiation and high-energy particles, which possibly contributed to the loss of its atmosphere and the change in its chemical composition. Evidence suggests that Mars, in its early days, was similar to the primitive Earth, with a denser and more humid atmosphere, in addition to the possible presence of liquid water. Therefore, understanding this possible intense exposure to the extreme interstellar medium is essential to reconstruct its atmospheric evolution. The research will use simulations with the Atmos software, which models planetary atmospheres, and GEANT4, to be used to simulate interactions of high-energy particles with matter, in order to quantify the loss of atmospheric mass and chemical changes under the influence of the dense interstellar medium.