Mars’ Magnetic Field: Progress and Puzzles

Abstract: Planetary magnetic fields provide indirect, but fundamental, constraints on the internal structure and evolution of planetary bodies. Mars has no global magnetic field today, but the presence of crustal magnetic fields, indicates an ancient global field. The timing of the ancient dynamo has been uncertain, in particular whether or not it was present during times of climatic conditions very different from the present. Furthermore, the nature of time-varying magnetic fields resulting from the interaction of the solar wind with Mars is not fully understood. I will talk about new constraints on the martian magnetic field, and their implications, using data from the MAVEN and InSight missions.