Formation and Evolution of Dusty Plasma Structures in the Ionospheres of the Earth and Mars

Abstract

A self-consistent model of the formation and evolution of dusty plasma structures in the ionospheres of the Earth and Mars is presented. The model allows describing the formation of a stratified dust structure as a result of dust cloud evolution in the Earth’s ionosphere. The structure forms due to the splitting of the primary cloud and is characterized by the presence of a cluster of dust grains at altitudes corresponding to noctilucent clouds and polar mesosphere summer echoes. The characteristic formation time of polar mesospheric clouds in the Earth’s ionosphere obtained within this model agrees with observational data. The possibility of the formation of oversaturated carbon dioxide clouds in the Martian ionosphere, similar to noctilucent clouds in the Earth’s ionosphere, is shown. It is demonstrated that phenomena similar to polar mesosphere summer echoes on the Earth can also take place in the Martian ionosphere. The theoretically estimated dimensions and charges of dust grains in the Martian ionosphere agree with observational data.