IISER Kolkata scientists simulate Mars on the computer Flashcards
1
Q
study
A
researchers built a computer model of a Mars-like planet interacting with the plasma wind from a Sun-like star.
The physics is described by Maxwell’s equations. It describes electro-magnetic fields and their interactions with matter in the presence of plasma.
2
Q
How did Mars lose its atmosphere?
A
While the mechanism as to why Mars lost its atmosphere has remained in doubt, scientists from IISER Kolkata suggest that it was the planet’s intrinsic magnetic dynamo which, by shielding its atmosphere from the sun’s solar wind, protected its atmosphere.
When the magnetic dynamo switched off, the atmosphere slowly was eroded by the solar wind and eventually vanished, leaving the thin remnant as seen today.
