• Investigation on the Spatiotemporal Structures of Supra-Arcade Spikes

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The vertical current sheet (VCS) trailing coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is the key place where the flare energy release and the CME buildup take place through magnetic reconnection. It is often studied from the edge-on perspective for the morphological similarity with the two-dimensional ``standard'' picture, but its three dimensional structure can only be revealed when the flare arcade is observed side on. The structure and dynamics in the so-called supra-arcade region thus contain important clues to the physical processes in flares and CMEs. Here we focus on the supra-arcade spikes (SASs), interpreted as the VCS viewed side-on, to study their spatiotemporal structures. By identifying each individual spike during the decay phase of four selected flares, in which the associated CME is traversed by a near-Earth spacecraft, we found that the widths of spikes are log-normal distributed, while the Fourier power spectra of the overall supra-arcade EUV emission, including bright spikes and dark downflows as well as the diffuse background, are power-law distributed, in terms of either spatial frequency $k$ or temporal frequency $\nu$, which reflects the fragmentation of the VCS. We demonstrate that coronal emission-line intensity observations dominated by Kolmogorov turbulence would exhibit a power spectrum of $E(k)\sim k^{-13/3}$ or $E(\nu)\sim \nu^{-7/2}$, which is consistent with our observations. By comparing the number of SASs and the turns of field lines as derived from the ICMEs, we found a consistent axial length of $\sim\,$3.5 AU for three events with a CME speed of $\sim\,$1000 km/s in the inner heliosphere, but a much longer axial length $\sim\,$8 AU) for the fourth event with an exceptionally fast CME speed of $\sim\,$1500 km/s, suggesting that this ICME is flattened and its `nose' has well passed the Earth when the spacecraft traversed its leg.

  • Statistical Study on the Sources of Jovian Decametric Radio Emissions Based on the Radio Observations of Remote Instruments

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: To better understand the physical processes associated with Jovian decametric (DAM) radio emissions, we present the statistical study of DAMs and inferred characteristics of DAM sources based on multi-view observation from Wind and STEREO spacecraft. The distribution of the apparent rotation speed of DAMs derived from multiple spacecraft suggests that the rotation speed of Io-related DAMs is in range of 0.15-0.6{\Omega}_J and that of non-Io-DAMs is between 0.7-1.2{\Omega}_J. Based on the method of Wang et al. (2020), we locate the sources of the DAMs and infer their emission angles and associated electron energies. The statistical results show that the DAM source locations have three preferred regions, two in the southern hemisphere and one in the northern hemisphere, which is probably caused by the non-symmetrical topology of Jupiter's magnetic field. The difference between Io-DAM source footprints and Io auroral spots changes with the Io's position in longitude, consistent with the previous results from Hess et al. (2010), Bonfond et al. (2017) and Hinton et al. (2019). In addition, the emission angles for non-Io-DAMs are smaller than that for Io-DAMs from the same source regions and all the emission angles range from 60{\deg} to 85{\deg}. Correspondingly, the electron energy is mainly distributed between 0.5 and 20 keV.

  • Cosmic Ray Intensity Variation Lags Sunspot number: Implications of Late Opening of Solar Magnetic Field

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), the highly energetic particles that may raise critical health issues for astronauts in space, are modulated by solar activity with their intensity lagging behind the sunspot number (SSN) variation by about one year. Previously, this lag has been attributed to a combined effect of outward convecting solar wind and inward propagating GCRs. However, the lag's amplitude and its solar-cycle dependence are still not fully understood (Ross & Chaplin, 2019). By investigating the solar surface magnetic field, we find that the source of heliospheric magnetic field -- the open magnetic flux on the Sun, already lags behind SSN before it convects into heliosphere along with the solar wind. The delay during odd cycles is longer than that during sequential even cycles. Thus, we propose that the GCR lag is primarily due to the greatly late opening of the solar magnetic field with respect to SSN, though solar wind convection and particle transport in the heliosphere also matter. We further investigate the origin of the open flux from different latitudes of the Sun and found that the total open flux is significantly contributed by that from low latitudes where coronal mass ejections frequently occur and also show an odd-even cyclic pattern. Our findings challenge existing theories, and may serve as the physical basis of long-term forecasts radiation dose estimates for manned deep-space exploration missions.

  • On the nature of photospheric horizontal magnetic field increase in major solar flares

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Rapid increase of horizontal magnetic field ($B_h$) around the flaring polarity inversion line is the most prominent photospheric field change during flares. It is considered to be caused by the contraction of flare loops, the details behind which is still not fully understood. Here we investigate the $B_h$-increase in 35 major flares using HMI high-cadence vector magnetograms. We find that $B_h$-increase is always accompanied by the increase of field inclination. It usually initiates near the flare ribbons, showing step-like change in between the ribbons. In particular, its evolution in early flare phase shows close spatio-temporal correlation to flare ribbons. We further find that $B_h$-increase tends to have similar intensity in confined and eruptive flares, but larger spatial-extent in eruptive flares in a statistical sense. Its intensity and timescale have inverse and positive correlations to the initial ribbon separations, respectively. The results altogether are well consistent with a recent proposed scenario which suggests that the reconnection-driven contraction of flare loops enhances photospheric $B_h$ according to the ideal induction equation, providing statistical evidence to the reconnection-driven origin for $B_h$-increase for the first time.

  • Confined and eruptive catastrophes of solar magnetic flux ropes caused by mass loading and unloading

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: It is widely accepted that coronal magnetic flux ropes are the core structures of large-scale solar eruptive activities, which inflict dramatic impacts on the solar-terrestrial system. Previous studies have demonstrated that varying magnetic properties of a coronal flux rope system could result in a catastrophe of the rope, which may trigger solar eruptive activities. Since the total mass of a flux rope also plays an important role in stabilizing the rope, we use 2.5-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical simulations in this letter to investigate how a flux rope evolves as its total mass varies. It is found that an unloading process that decreases the total mass of the rope could result in an upward (eruptive) catastrophe in the flux rope system, during which the rope jumps upward and the magnetic energy is released. This indicates that mass unloading processes could initiate the eruption of the flux rope. Moreover, when the system is not too diffusive, there is also a downward (confined) catastrophe that could be caused by mass loading processes, via which the total mass accumulates. The magnetic energy, however, is increased during the downward catastrophe, indicating that mass loading processes could cause confined activities that may contribute to the storage of energy before the onset of coronal eruptions.

  • The Mechanism of Magnetic Flux Rope Rotation During Solar Eruption

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Solar eruptions often show the rotation of filaments, which is a manifestation of the rotation of erupting magnetic flux rope (MFR). Such a rotation of MFR can be induced by either the torque exerted by a background shear-field component (which is an external cause) or the relaxation of the magnetic twist of the MFR (an internal cause). For a given chirality of the erupting field, both the external and internal drivers cause the same rotation direction. Therefore, it remains elusive from direct observations which mechanism yields the dominant contribution to the rotation. In this paper, we exploit a full MHD simulation of solar eruption by tether-cutting magnetic reconnection to study the mechanism of MFR rotation. In the simulation, the MFR's height-rotation profile suggests that the force by the external shear-field component is a dominant contributor to the rotation. Furthermore, the torque analysis confirms that it is also the only factor in driving the counterclockwise rotation. On the contrary, the Lorentz torque inside the MFR makes a negative effect on this counterclockwise rotation.

  • Influence of magnetic reconnection on the eruptive catastrophes of coronal magnetic flux ropes

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Large-scale solar eruptive activities have a close relationship with coronal magnetic flux ropes. Previous numerical studies have found that the equilibrium of a coronal flux rope system could be disrupted if the axial magnetic flux of the rope exceeds a critical value, so that the catastrophe occurs, initiating the flux rope to erupt. Further studies discovered that the catastrophe does not necessarily exist: the flux rope system with certain photospheric flux distributions could be non-catastrophic. It is noteworthy that most previous numerical studies are under the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) condition, so that it is still elusive whether there is the catastrophe associated with the critical axial flux if magnetic reconnection is included in the flux rope system. In this paper, we carried out numerical simulations to investigate the evolutions of coronal magnetic rope systems under the ideal MHD and the resistive condition. Under the ideal MHD condition, our simulation results demonstrate that the flux rope systems with either too compact or too weak photospheric magnetic source regions are non-catastrophic versus varying axial flux of the rope, and thus no eruption could be initiated; if there is magnetic reconnection in the rope system, however, those flux rope systems could change to be capable of erupting via the catastrophe associated with increasing axial flux. Therefore, magnetic reconnection could significantly influence the catastrophic behaviors of flux rope system. It should be both the magnetic topology and the local physical parameters related to magnetic reconnection that determine whether the increasing axial flux is able to cause flux rope eruptions.

  • Quantification of the Writhe Number Evolution of Solar Filament Axes

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Solar filament eruptions often show complex and dramatic geometric deformation that is highly relevant to the underlying physical mechanism triggering the eruptions. It has been well known that the writhe of filament axes is a key parameter characterizing its global geometric deformation, but a quantitative investigation of the development of writhe during its eruption is still lacking. Here we introduce the Writhe Application Toolkit (WAT) which can be used to characterize accurately the topology of filament axes. This characterization is achieved based on the reconstruction and writhe number computation of three-dimensional paths of the filament axes from dual-perspective observations. We apply this toolkit to four dextral filaments located in the northern hemisphere with a counterclockwise (CCW) rotation during their eruptions. Initially, all these filaments possess a small writhe number (=<0.20) indicating a weak helical deformation of the axes. As the CCW rotation kicks in, their writhe numbers begin to decrease and reach large negative values. Combined with the extended C\u{a}lug\u{a}reanu theorem, the absolute value of twist is deduced to decrease during the rotation. Such a quantitative analysis strongly indicates a consequence of the conversion of twist into writhe for the studied events.

  • The Mechanism of Magnetic Flux Rope Rotation During Solar Eruption

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Solar eruptions often show the rotation of filaments, which is a manifestation of the rotation of erupting magnetic flux rope (MFR). Such a rotation of MFR can be induced by either the torque exerted by a background shear-field component (which is an external cause) or the relaxation of the magnetic twist of the MFR (an internal cause). For a given chirality of the erupting field, both the external and internal drivers cause the same rotation direction. Therefore, it remains elusive from direct observations which mechanism yields the dominant contribution to the rotation. In this paper, we exploit a full MHD simulation of solar eruption by tether-cutting magnetic reconnection to study the mechanism of MFR rotation. In the simulation, the MFR's height-rotation profile suggests that the force by the external shear-field component is a dominant contributor to the rotation. Furthermore, the torque analysis confirms that it is also the only factor in driving the counterclockwise rotation. On the contrary, the Lorentz torque inside the MFR makes a negative effect on this counterclockwise rotation.

  • The Rotation of Magnetic Flux Rope Formed during Solar Eruption

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The eruptions of solar filaments often show rotational motion about their rising direction, but it remains elusive what mechanism governs such rotation and how the rotation is related to the initial morphology of the pre-eruptive filament (and co-spatial sigmoid), filament chirality, and magnetic helicity. The conventional view regarding the rotation as a result of a magnetic flux rope (MFR) under-going the ideal kink instability still has confusion in explaining these relationships. Here we proposed an alternative explanation for the rotation during eruptions, by analyzing a magnetohydrodynamic simulation in which magnetic reconnection initiates an eruption from a sheared arcade configuration and an MFR is formed during eruption through the reconnection. The simulation reproduces a reverse S-shaped MFR with dextral chirality, and the axis of this MFR rotates counterclockwise while rising, which compares favorably with a typical filament eruption observed from dual viewing angles. By calculating the twist and writhe numbers of the modeled MFR during its eruption, we found that accompanied with the rotation, the nonlocal writhe of the MFR's axis decreases while the twist of its surrounding field lines increases, and this is distinct from the kink instability, which converts magnetic twist into writhe of the MFR axis.

  • Influence of magnetic reconnection on the eruptive catastrophes of coronal magnetic flux ropes

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Large-scale solar eruptive activities have a close relationship with coronal magnetic flux ropes. Previous numerical studies have found that the equilibrium of a coronal flux rope system could be disrupted if the axial magnetic flux of the rope exceeds a critical value, so that the catastrophe occurs, initiating the flux rope to erupt. Further studies discovered that the catastrophe does not necessarily exist: the flux rope system with certain photospheric flux distributions could be non-catastrophic. It is noteworthy that most previous numerical studies are under the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) condition, so that it is still elusive whether there is the catastrophe associated with the critical axial flux if magnetic reconnection is included in the flux rope system. In this paper, we carried out numerical simulations to investigate the evolutions of coronal magnetic rope systems under the ideal MHD and the resistive condition. Under the ideal MHD condition, our simulation results demonstrate that the flux rope systems with either too compact or too weak photospheric magnetic source regions are non-catastrophic versus varying axial flux of the rope, and thus no eruption could be initiated; if there is magnetic reconnection in the rope system, however, those flux rope systems could change to be capable of erupting via the catastrophe associated with increasing axial flux. Therefore, magnetic reconnection could significantly influence the catastrophic behaviors of flux rope system. It should be both the magnetic topology and the local physical parameters related to magnetic reconnection that determine whether the increasing axial flux is able to cause flux rope eruptions.

  • Quantification of the Writhe Number Evolution of Solar Filament Axes

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Solar filament eruptions often show complex and dramatic geometric deformation that is highly relevant to the underlying physical mechanism triggering the eruptions. It has been well known that the writhe of filament axes is a key parameter characterizing its global geometric deformation, but a quantitative investigation of the development of writhe during its eruption is still lacking. Here we introduce the Writhe Application Toolkit (WAT) which can be used to characterize accurately the topology of filament axes. This characterization is achieved based on the reconstruction and writhe number computation of three-dimensional paths of the filament axes from dual-perspective observations. We apply this toolkit to four dextral filaments located in the northern hemisphere with a counterclockwise (CCW) rotation during their eruptions. Initially, all these filaments possess a small writhe number (=<0.20) indicating a weak helical deformation of the axes. As the CCW rotation kicks in, their writhe numbers begin to decrease and reach large negative values. Combined with the extended C\u{a}lug\u{a}reanu theorem, the absolute value of twist is deduced to decrease during the rotation. Such a quantitative analysis strongly indicates a consequence of the conversion of twist into writhe for the studied events.

  • Investigating pre-eruptive magnetic properties at the footprints of erupting magnetic flux ropes

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: It is well established that solar eruptions are powered by free magnetic energy stored in current-carrying magnetic field in the corona. It has also been generally accepted that magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) are a critical component of many coronal mass ejections (CMEs). What remains controversial is whether MFRs are present well before the eruption. Our aim is to identify progenitors of MFRs, and investigate pre-eruptive magnetic properties associated with these progenitors. Here we analyze 28 MFRs erupting within 45 deg from the disk center from 2010 to 2015. All MFRs'feet are well identified by conjugate coronal dimmings. We then calculate magnetic properties at the feet of the MFRs, prior to their eruptions, using Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) vector magnetograms. Our results show that only 8 erupting MFRs are associated with significant non-neutralized electric currents, 4 of which also exhibit pre-eruptive dimmings at the foot-prints. Twist and current distributions are asymmetric at the two feet of these MFRs. The presence of pre-eruption dimmings associated with non-neutralized currents suggests the pre-existing MFRs. Furthermore, evolution of conjugate dimmings and electric currents within the foot-prints can provide clues about the internal structure of MFRs and their formation mechanism.

  • Investigating pre-eruptive magnetic properties at the footprints of erupting magnetic flux ropes

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: It is well established that solar eruptions are powered by free magnetic energy stored in current-carrying magnetic field in the corona. It has also been generally accepted that magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) are a critical component of many coronal mass ejections (CMEs). What remains controversial is whether MFRs are present well before the eruption. Our aim is to identify progenitors of MFRs, and investigate pre-eruptive magnetic properties associated with these progenitors. Here we analyze 28 MFRs erupting within 45 deg from the disk center from 2010 to 2015. All MFRs'feet are well identified by conjugate coronal dimmings. We then calculate magnetic properties at the feet of the MFRs, prior to their eruptions, using Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) vector magnetograms. Our results show that only 8 erupting MFRs are associated with significant non-neutralized electric currents, 4 of which also exhibit pre-eruptive dimmings at the foot-prints. Twist and current distributions are asymmetric at the two feet of these MFRs. The presence of pre-eruption dimmings associated with non-neutralized currents suggests the pre-existing MFRs. Furthermore, evolution of conjugate dimmings and electric currents within the foot-prints can provide clues about the internal structure of MFRs and their formation mechanism.

  • Resolving Two Distinct Thermal X-ray Components in A compound Solar Flare

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: X-ray emission provides the most direct diagnostics of the energy-release process in solar flares. Occasionally, a superhot X-ray source is found to be above hot flare loops of ~10 MK temperature. While the origin of the superhot plasma is still elusive, it has conjured up an intriguing image of in-situ plasma heating near the reconnection site high above the flare loops, in contrast to the conventional picture of chromospheric evaporation. Here we investigate an extremely long-duration solar flare, in which EUV images show two distinct flare loop systems that appear successively along a Gamma-shaped polarity inversion line (PIL). When both flare loop systems are present, the HXR spectrum is found to be well fitted by combining a hot component (Te ~12 MK) and a superhot component (Te ~30 MK). Associated with a fast CME, the superhot X-ray source is located at top of the flare arcade that appears earlier, straddling and extending along the long "arm" of the Gamma-shaped PIL. Associated with a slow CME, the hot X-ray source is located at the top of the flare arcade that appears later and sits astride the short "arm" of the Gamma-shaped PIL. Aided by observations from a different viewing angle, we are able to verify that the superhot X-ray source is above the hot one in projection, but the two sources belong to different flare loop systems. Thus, this case study provides a stereoscopic observation explaining the co-existence of superhot and hot X-ray emitting plasmas in solar flares.

  • First report of a solar energetic particle event observed by China's Tianwen-1 mission in transit to Mars

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Solar energetic particles (SEPs) associated with flares and/or coronal mass ejection (CME)-driven shocks can impose acute radiation hazards to space explorations. To measure energetic particles in near-Mars space, the Mars Energetic Particle Analyzer (MEPA) instrument onboard China's Tianwen-1 (TW-1) mission was designed. Here, we report the first MEPA measurements of the widespread SEP event occurring on 29 November 2020 when TW-1 was in transit to Mars. This event occurred when TW-1 and Earth were magnetically well connected, known as the Hohmann-Parker effect, thus offering a rare opportunity to understand the underlying particle acceleration and transport process. Measurements from TW-1 and near-Earth spacecraft show similar double-power-law spectra and a radial dependence of the SEP peak intensities. Moreover, the decay phases of the time-intensity profiles at different locations clearly show the reservoir effect. We conclude that the double-power-law spectrum is likely generated at the acceleration site, and that a small but finite cross-field diffusion is crucial to understand the formation of the SEP reservoir phenomenon. These results provide insight into particle acceleration and transport associated with CME-driven shocks, which may contribute to the improvement of relevant physical models.

  • The Mars Orbiter Magnetometer of Tianwen-1: In-flight Performance and First Science Results

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Mars Orbiter MAGnetometer (MOMAG) is a scientifc instrument onboard the orbiter of China's first mission for Mars -- Tianwen-1. It started to routinely measure the magnetic field from the solar wind to magnetic pile-up region surrounding Mars since November 13, 2021. Here we present its in-flight performance and first science results based on the first one and a half months' data. By comparing with the magnetic field data in the solar wind from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN), the magnetic field by MOMAG is at the same level in magnitude, and the same magnetic structures with the similar variations in three components could be found in MOMAG data. In the first one and a half months, we recognize 158 clear bow shock (BS) crossings from MOMAG data, whose locations statistically match well with the modeled average BS. We also identify 5 pairs of simultaneous BS crossings of the Tianwen-1's orbiter and MAVEN. These BS crossings confirm the global shape of modeled BS as well as the south-north asymmetry of the Martian BS. Two presented cases in this paper suggest that the BS is probably more dynamic at flank than near the nose. So far, MOMAG performs well, and provides accurate magnetic field vectors. MOMAG is continuously scanning the magnetic field surrounding Mars. These measurements complemented by observations from MAVEN will undoubtedly advance our understanding of the plasma environment of Mars.

  • In-flight Calibration of the Magnetometer on the Mars Orbiter of Tianwen-1

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Mars Orbiter Magnetometer (MOMAG) is one of seven science payloads onboard Tianwen-1's orbiter. Unlike most of the satellites, Tianwen-1's orbiter is not magnetically cleaned, and the boom where placed the magnetometer's sensors is not long enough. These pose many challenges to the magnetic field data processing. In this paper, we introduce the in-flight calibration process of the Tianwen-1/MOMAG. The magnetic interference from the spacecraft, including spacecraft generated dynamic field and slowly-changing offsets are cleaned in sequence. Then the calibrated magnetic field data are compared with the data from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN). We find that some physical structures in the solar wind are consistent between the two data sets, and the distributions of the magnetic field strength in the solar wind are very similar. These results suggest that the in-flight calibration of the MOMAG is successful and the MOMAG provides reliable data for scientific research.

  • In-flight Calibration of the Magnetometer on the Mars Orbiter of Tianwen-1

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Mars Orbiter Magnetometer (MOMAG) is one of seven science payloads onboard Tianwen-1's orbiter. Unlike most of the satellites, Tianwen-1's orbiter is not magnetically cleaned, and the boom where placed the magnetometer's sensors is not long enough. These pose many challenges to the magnetic field data processing. In this paper, we introduce the in-flight calibration process of the Tianwen-1/MOMAG. The magnetic interference from the spacecraft, including spacecraft generated dynamic field and slowly-changing offsets are cleaned in sequence. Then the calibrated magnetic field data are compared with the data from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN). We find that some physical structures in the solar wind are consistent between the two data sets, and the distributions of the magnetic field strength in the solar wind are very similar. These results suggest that the in-flight calibration of the MOMAG is successful and the MOMAG provides reliable data for scientific research.

  • The Mars Orbiter Magnetometer of Tianwen-1: In-flight Performance and First Science Results

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: Mars Orbiter MAGnetometer (MOMAG) is a scientifc instrument onboard the orbiter of China's first mission for Mars -- Tianwen-1. It started to routinely measure the magnetic field from the solar wind to magnetic pile-up region surrounding Mars since November 13, 2021. Here we present its in-flight performance and first science results based on the first one and a half months' data. By comparing with the magnetic field data in the solar wind from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN), the magnetic field by MOMAG is at the same level in magnitude, and the same magnetic structures with the similar variations in three components could be found in MOMAG data. In the first one and a half months, we recognize 158 clear bow shock (BS) crossings from MOMAG data, whose locations statistically match well with the modeled average BS. We also identify 5 pairs of simultaneous BS crossings of the Tianwen-1's orbiter and MAVEN. These BS crossings confirm the global shape of modeled BS as well as the south-north asymmetry of the Martian BS. Two presented cases in this paper suggest that the BS is probably more dynamic at flank than near the nose. So far, MOMAG performs well, and provides accurate magnetic field vectors. MOMAG is continuously scanning the magnetic field surrounding Mars. These measurements complemented by observations from MAVEN will undoubtedly advance our understanding of the plasma environment of Mars.