>The MAVEN mission has also explored the current rate of atmospheric escape of Mars. Jeans escape plays an important role in the continued escape of hydrogen on Mars, contributing to a loss rate that varies between 160 - 1800 g/s. Oxygen loss is dominated by suprathermal methods: photochemical (~ 1300 g/s), charge exchange (~ 130 g/s), and sputtering (~ 80 g/s) escape combine for a total loss rate of ~ 1500 g/s. Other heavy atoms, such as carbon and nitrogen, are primarily lost due to photochemical reactions and interactions with the solar wind.
So, unfortunately, the solar wind sputtering is not the main driver of atmospheric loss on Mars. It's shortwave light from the sun.
>The MAVEN mission has also explored the current rate of atmospheric escape of Mars. Jeans escape plays an important role in the continued escape of hydrogen on Mars, contributing to a loss rate that varies between 160 - 1800 g/s. Oxygen loss is dominated by suprathermal methods: photochemical (~ 1300 g/s), charge exchange (~ 130 g/s), and sputtering (~ 80 g/s) escape combine for a total loss rate of ~ 1500 g/s. Other heavy atoms, such as carbon and nitrogen, are primarily lost due to photochemical reactions and interactions with the solar wind.
So, unfortunately, the solar wind sputtering is not the main driver of atmospheric loss on Mars. It's shortwave light from the sun.