Influence of the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) on the local atmospheric environment

A survey around a recently-fueled MMRTG in the terrestrial atmosphere finds a warm air plume with a characteristic updraft velocity of ~1 m/s and a temperature rise of ~4 ​K. Additionally, a roughly hundredfold enhancement in ion density to ~70,000/cm(3) in the vicinity (<~1 ​m) of the generator was observed: air electrical conductivity was measured to be ~10(−13) ​S/m. No evidence of ozone production was detected. These observations inform the electrical charging environment and possible local perturbation to meteorological measurements on Mars or Titan on MMRTG-powered landers or rovers. On Mars, the effects of any electrical conductivity enhancement are likely small, but on Titan they may be significant.