Simulation of Transient Topside Layer in the Martian Ionosphere

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Please see the attached file

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Thank you very much for your valuable comments and suggestions on our manuscript. We have modified the manuscript accordingly, and detailed corrections are listed below point by point. Please see the attached file "Reivewer1_rsp.docx"

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Review of remotesensing-2142914
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Title: Simulation of transient topside layer in the Martian ionosphere

Authors: Chunhua Jiang, Rong Tian, Lehui Wei

Summary:
In the manuscript submitted for peer review the authors describe a one-dimensional model they developed to simulate the M3 layer in the Martian topside ionosphere with the goal of improving the understanding of the physical processes that lead to the formation of the M3 layer.
The model includes photoionization production, loss, and dynamic processes.

Comments:
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Using a one-dimensional continuity equation model to describe the Martian ionosphere, the manuscript is very minimalist in all things.
This is not a bad thing per se, as it would be very satisfying to explain the occurance of the M3 layer with a simple model.
However, the authors should take care not to make their manuscript too minimalistic.
A few aspects of their work remain unexplained in the manuscript and the authors should make sure that the manuscript contains all necessary information for other researchers to easily reproduce their work.

Major Comments:
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- line 74: This sentence seems incomplete. There is a comma missing in front of the production rate P and what do you mean by production rates "from neural"?

- line 95: Please provide details about which finite difference method(s?) you used.

- line 95: Please provide a numerical convergence study of the finite-difference grid that you used for your computations. Show that the computation converges and provide an estimate of the numerical error of your computations. I cannot recommend accepting this manuscript without a proper numerical convergence study.

- line 120: Please provide a plot or illustration of the solar irradiance spectrum you use as an input for your model.

- Section 3: The model results shown in the manuscript are limited to the electron temperature and density. Please also provide the dynamics of the other constituents from Table 1 in the model as figures as well.

Minor: Comments:
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- line 11: ionosphere OF Mars

- line 16: it is not irradiated by solar incident radiation

- line 17: However, how to describe or model the M3 layer is still one of many open scientific questions about the Martian ionosphere.

- line 38: on Earth

- line 55: Radio Occultation Science Experiment

- line 60: On Earth,

- line 70: In this study, a one-dimensional model was developed to solve O2+, CO2+, and N2+ continuity equations...

- line 95: The approximate solution of equation (1) is achieved by using finite difference methods

Author Response

Thank you very much for your valuable comments and suggestions on our manuscript. We have modified the manuscript accordingly, and detailed corrections are listed below point by point. Please see the attached file "Reviewer2_rsp.docx"

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors have done an experimental simulation to diagnosis the mechanism of the so called 'M3' layer in Martian ionosphere. They finally concluded that the vertical transport process is more crucial in producing the M3 layer than temperature enhancement. Although the chemical processing and major ion species  in Mars is different from that of the Earth, the existence of vertical velocity gradient will unquestionably produce an additional layer, as the mechanism of F3 layer in the Earth ionosphere. From the perspective of this point, the significance of the paper is  not that big. 

Regarding the simulation and the proposed mechanism, i would like the authors to clarify one issue clearly. Where is the source of the vertical velocity gradient theoretically? Is there any observational evidence that such kind of vertical velocity convergence exist?

Author Response

Thank you very much for your valuable comments and suggestions on our manuscript. We have modified the manuscript accordingly, and detailed corrections are listed below point by point. Please see the attached file "Reviewer3_rsp.docx"

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

As I have mentioned in the first review, please perform a simple, proper convergence study for the numerical grid of your computations and show a plot of how your results change with the grid resolution!

The criterion you cite instead only guarantees that the simulation doesn't blow up and is in no way an adequate response.

 

 

Author Response

Thank you very much for your valuable comments and suggestions on our manuscript. We have modified the manuscript accordingly, and detailed corrections are listed below point by point. Please see the attached file "Reviewer2_rsp.docx"

Author Response File: Author Response.docx