Michael Liemohn
Associate Professor
Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences
University of Michigan
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Planetary-Solar Wind Interactions Research Activities

I began this line of research by converting my superthermal electron code into a Mars version and using it to analyze Mars Global Surveyor electron data. This has continued with the analysis of Mars Express electron data. My main goal is to understand the processes controlling electron transport in the Mars environment, with the eventual goal of using this to probe the solar wind interaction with Mars. It turns out that photoelectrons are an excellent tracer of ionospheric outflow, and can be used as a proxy to study atmospheric loss. I have also been leading an effort to look at pick-up ions at Mars and the precipitation of energetic particles into the upper atmosphere of Mars.

Publications on planetary-solar wind interactions

2008

Coates, A. J., R. A. Frahm, D. R. Linder, D. O. Kataria, Y.Soobiah, G. Collinson, J. R. Sharber, J. D. Winningham, S. J. Jeffers, S. Barabash, J.-Z. Sauvaud, R. Lundin, M. Holmström, Y. Futaana, M. Yamauchi, A. Grigoriev, H. Andersson, H. Gunell, A. Fedorov, J.-J. Thocaven, T. L. Zhang, W. Baunjohann, E. Kallio, H. Koskinen, J. U. Kozyra, M. W. Liemohn, Y. Ma., A. Galli, P. Wurz, P. Bochsler, D. Brain, E. C. Roelof, P. Brandt, N. Krupp, J. Woch, M. Fraenz, E. Dubinin, X. McKenna-Lawler, S. Orsini, R. Cerulli-Irelli, A. Mura, A. Milillo, M. Maggi, C. C. Curtis, B. R. Sandel, K. C. Hsieh, K. Szego, A. Asamura, and M. Grande, Ionospheric photoelectrons at Venus: Initial observations by ASPERA-4 ELS, Planet. Space Sci., 56, 802-806, 2008.

Fang, X., M. W. Liemohn, A. F. Nagy, Y. Ma, D. L. De Zeeuw, J. U. Kozyra, and T. Zurbuchen, Pickup oxygen ion distribution around Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 113, A02210, doi: 10.1029/2007JA012736, 2008.

2007

Liemohn, M. W., Y. Ma, A. F. Nagy, J. U. Kozyra, J. D. Winningham, R. A. Frahm, J. S. Sharber, S. Barabash, and R. Lundin, Numerical modeling of the magnetic topology near Mars auroral observations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L24202, doi: 10.1029/2007GL031806, 2007.

Frahm. R., J. R. Sharber, J. D. Winningham, P. Wurz, M. W. Liemohn, E. Kallio, M. Yamauchi, R. Lundin, S. Barabash, A. J. Coates, D. R. Linder, J. U. Kozyra, M. Holmström, S. J. Jeffers, H. Andersson, and S. McKenna-Lawler, Locations of atmospheric photoelectron energy peaks within the Mars environment, Space Sci. Rev., 126, 389-402, 2007.

Liemohn, M. W., Y. Ma, R. A. Frahm, X. Fang, J. U. Kozyra, A. F. Nagy, J. D. Winningham, J. R. Sharber, S. Barabash, and R. Lundin, Mars global MHD predictions of magnetic connectivity between the dayside ionosphere and the magnetospheric flanks, Space Sci. Rev., 126, 63-76, 2007.

2006

Liemohn, M. W., R. Frahm, J. D. Winningham, Y. Ma, S. Barabash, R. Lundin, J. U. Kozyra, A. F. Nagy, S. M. Bougher, J. Bell, D. Brain, D. Mitchell, J. Luhmann, M. Holmström, H. Andersson, M. Yamauchi, A. Grigoriev, S. M. P. McKenna-Lawlor, J. R. Sharber, J. R. Scherrer, S. J. Jeffers, A. J. Coates, D. R. Linder, D. O. Kataria, E. Kallio, H. Koskinen, T. Säles, P. Riihela, W. Schmidt, E. Roelof, D. Williams, S. Livi, C. C. Curtis, K. C. Hseih, B. R. Sandel, M. Grande, M. Carter, J.-A. Sauvaud, A. Fedorov, J.-J. Thocaven, S. Orsini, R. Cerulli-Irelli, M. Maggi, P. Wurz, P. Bochsler, N. Krupp, J. Woch, M. Fraenz, K. Asamura, C. Dierker, Numerical interpretation of high-altitude photoelectron observations, Icarus, 182, 383-395, 2006.

2004

Liemohn, M. W., J. L. Fox, A. F. Nagy, and X. Fang, Hot carbon densities in the exosphere of Venus, J. Geophys. Res., 109, A10307, doi: 10.1029/2004JA010643, 2004.

2003

Liemohn, M. W., D. L. Mitchell, A. F. Nagy, J. L. Fox, T. W. Reimer, and Y. Ma, Comparisons of electron fluxes measured in the crustal fields at Mars by the MGS MAG/ER instrument with a B-field dependent transport code, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 5134, doi: 10.1029/2003JE002158, 2003.

2001

Nagy, A. F., M. W. Liemohn, J. L. Fox, and J. Kim, Hot carbon densities in the exosphere of Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 21,565, 2001.