Given that the question of an internal magnetic field is of fundamental importance to the understanding of Mars' formation and thermal evolution, and of the evolution of Mars' atmosphere, surprisingly few of the many spacecraft sent to Mars were equipped with instrumentation for such investigations. Of the 9 or so orbiters that have successfully archived Mars orbit, even if for a short period of time, only two have returned useful data about the magnetic field and about the plasma environment near Mars: The Phobos 2 spacecraft, and more recently, Mars Global Surveyor (MGS).
Mars Crustal Magnetism.- The Plasma Environment of Mars.- Bow Shock and Upstream Phenomena at Mars.- The Magnetic Field Pile-Up and Density Depletion in the Martian Magnetosheath: A Comparison with the Plasma Depletion Layer Upstream of the Earth's Magnetopause.- Mars Global Surveyor Observations of Solar Wind Magnetic Field Draping around Mars.- Magnetic Flux Ropes in the Martian Atmosphere: Global Characteristics.- Unusually Distant Bow Shock Encounters at Mars: Analysis of March 24, 1989 Event.- Mars express and Marsis.- List of Participants.