- DiBraccio, Gina;
- Romanelli, Norberto;
- Bowers, Charles;
- Gruesbeck, Jacob;
- Halekas, Jasper;
- Ruhunusiri, Suranga;
- Weber, Tristan;
- Espley, Jared;
- Xu, Shaosui;
- Luhmann, Janet;
- Harada, Yuki;
- Dubinin, Eduard;
- Poh, Gang;
- Brain, David;
- Curry, Shannon
The Martian magnetotail exhibits a highly twisted configuration, shifting in response to changes in polarity of the interplanetary magnetic fields (IMF) dawn-dusk (B Y) component. Here, we analyze ∼6000 MAVEN orbits to quantify the degree of magnetotail twisting (θ Twist) and assess variations as a function of (a) strong planetary crustal field location, (b) Mars season, and (c) downtail distance. The results demonstrate that θ Twist is larger for a duskward (+B Y) IMF orientation a majority of the time. This preference is likely due to the local orientation of crustal magnetic fields across the surface of Mars, where a +B Y IMF orientation presents ideal conditions for magnetic reconnection to occur. Additionally, we observe an increase in θ Twist with downtail distance, similar to Earths magnetotail. These findings suggest that coupling between the IMF and moderate-to-weak crustal field regions may play a major role in determining the magnetospheric structure at Mars.