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Data Access
MGS Solar Wind Proxy
Mars Global Surveyor Solar Wind Proxy Pressures
ResourceID
spase://NASA/NumericalData/MGS/MAG/SW-Proxy/PT2H
Description
Derivation of the solar wind dynamic pressure at Mars using Mars Global Surveyor data. There is no upstream solar wind monitor at Mars (as of the release of this data set). This data set is a proxy for the solar wind dynamic pressure derived from Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Magnetometer (MAG) measurements. The rationale behind the proxy is that pressure is conserved in the solar wind interaction with Mars. At altitudes from ~400-800 km, the dominant pressure term is magnetic field pressure. We measure the magnetic field with MAG, calculate the pressure (B2/2µo) in that altitude range and assume that it balances the incident solar wind pressure. This proxy is reliable for determining relative solar wind pressure at Mars. Absolute values may deviate from the proxy. The pressure does drop with solar zenith angle (SZA). This affect is accounted for by fitting a function of SZA to the dayside, northern hemisphere data from an MGS pass. The number of points included in the fit is provided in the file. The standard deviation from the fit is also provided. Because we do a fit to one orbit's worth of dayside, northern hemisphere data, we obtain one value for PSW every orbit, which has a period of ~2 hr.
Metadata Rights
CC0-1.0:
Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal
Note
CC0 1.0 Universal is the Creative Commons license applicable to all publicly available SPASE metadata descriptions. The actual data/software may be subject to a different license.
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Details
Version:2.7.1
NumericalData
ResourceID
spase://NASA/NumericalData/MGS/MAG/SW-Proxy/PT2H
NamingAuthority
NASA
ResourceType
NumericalData
ResourceHeader
ResourceName
Mars Global Surveyor Solar Wind Proxy Pressures
ReleaseDate
2025-12-04 13:29:55Z
RevisionHistory
RevisionEvent
ReleaseDate
2020-07-07 21:14:45Z
Note
Only known prior ReleaseDate of the metadata
RevisionEvent
ReleaseDate
2025-08-05 13:12:18Z
Note
Added ObservedRegion(s). Changed http to https in top-level schemaLocation attribute. Fixed version number separator in top-level schemaLocation attribute. Matched version number in schemaLocation attribute to value in Version tag. ZCB
RevisionEvent
ReleaseDate
2025-12-04 13:29:55Z
Note
Added MetadataRightsList and RightsList(s). Added ResourceType and NamingAuthority. Updated to 2.7.1. ZCB
Description
Derivation of the solar wind dynamic pressure at Mars using Mars Global Surveyor data. There is no upstream solar wind monitor at Mars (as of the release of this data set). This data set is a proxy for the solar wind dynamic pressure derived from Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Magnetometer (MAG) measurements. The rationale behind the proxy is that pressure is conserved in the solar wind interaction with Mars. At altitudes from ~400-800 km, the dominant pressure term is magnetic field pressure. We measure the magnetic field with MAG, calculate the pressure (B2/2µo) in that altitude range and assume that it balances the incident solar wind pressure. This proxy is reliable for determining relative solar wind pressure at Mars. Absolute values may deviate from the proxy. The pressure does drop with solar zenith angle (SZA). This affect is accounted for by fitting a function of SZA to the dayside, northern hemisphere data from an MGS pass. The number of points included in the fit is provided in the file. The standard deviation from the fit is also provided. Because we do a fit to one orbit's worth of dayside, northern hemisphere data, we obtain one value for PSW every orbit, which has a period of ~2 hr.
Contacts
Role
Person
StartDate
StopDate
Note
1.
DataProducer
spase://SMWG/Person/Dana.H.Crider
InformationURL
Name
Data Derivation Description from the Provider
URL
https://vho.nasa.gov/mission/mgs_proxy/description/Derivation_description.html
Description
Data Derivation Description from the Provider
PriorIDs
spase://VHO/NumericalData/MGS/MAG/SW-Proxy/PT2H
spase://VSPO/NumericalData/MGS/MAG/SW-Proxy/PT2H
AccessInformation
RepositoryID
spase://SMWG/Repository/NASA/GSFC/VHO-VMO
Availability
Online
AccessRights
Open
RightsList
Rights
SchemeURI
https://spdx.org/licenses/
RightsIdentifierScheme
SPDX
RightsIdentifier
CC0-1.0
RightsURI
https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html
RightsName
Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal
Note
CC0 1.0 Universal is the Creative Commons license applicable to all publicly available NASA Heliophysics data products
AccessURL
Name
MGS Solar Wind Proxy
URL
https://vho.nasa.gov/mission/mgs_proxy/data/
Description
MGS Solar Wind Proxy yearly files at VHO
Format
Text
Encoding
ASCII
InstrumentIDs
spase://SMWG/Instrument/MGS/MAG
MeasurementType
ThermalPlasma
TemporalDescription
TimeSpan
StartDate
1999-03-08 00:00:00Z
StopDate
2006-11-02 23:59:59Z
Cadence
PT2H
ObservedRegion
Mars.Magnetosphere.Polar
ObservedRegion
Mars.Magnetosphere
ObservedRegion
Mars
InputResourceID
spase://SMWG/Instrument/MGS/MAG
Parameter #1
Name
Year
ParameterKey
Field 1
Description
Year
Support
SupportQuantity
Temporal
Parameter #2
Name
Fractional DOY
ParameterKey
Field 2
Description
Fractional Day of Year
Support
SupportQuantity
Temporal
Parameter #3
Name
Solar Wind Pressure
ParameterKey
Field 3
Description
Solar Wind Pressure Estimate (nPa)
Units
nPa
Particle
ParticleType
Proton
Qualifier
Magnitude
ParticleQuantity
Pressure
Parameter #4
Name
Number of Points in Fit
ParameterKey
Field 4
Description
Number of points used in fit
Support
SupportQuantity
Other
Parameter #5
Name
Standard Deviation
ParameterKey
Field 5
Description
Standard deviation of points in fit
Support
SupportQuantity
Other