Dr. Zachary Girazian

University of Iowa

Title: From Dust Storms to Comets: How Planetary and Space Conditions Affect the Ionosphere of Mars

Abstract: Ionospheres are layers of plasma embedded in the upper atmospheres of planets. Lying at the boundary between the planet and space, they are affected from below by atmospheric conditions near the planetary surface, and affected from above by space weather. This talk will cover my research into how the ionosphere of Mars is affected by dust storms, the solar wind, and rare close encounters with comets.