Asymmetries in the location of the Venus and Mars bow shock

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/90GL02723· OSTI ID:5313458

Zhang, T L; Schwingenschuh, K ^[1]; Russell, C T; Luhmann, J G

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1. Space Research Institute, Graz (Austria)

An examination of observations of the position of the terminator bow shock at Venus and Mars shows that the terminator bow shock varies with the angle between the local bow shock normal and the upstream magnetic field, {theta}{sub BN}. The part of the shock on the quasi-parallel side is closer to the planet than the part on the quasi-perpendicular side, a result which had been sggested by an earlier computer simulation by Thomas and Winske (1990). This bow shock asymmetry is observed to be larger at Mars than at Venus.

• OSTI ID: 5313458
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 18:2; ISSN GPRLA; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASYMMETRY
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
COORDINATES
INTERACTIONS
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MACH NUMBER
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MARS PLANET
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLANETS
SHOCK WAVES
SIMULATION
SIZE
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
VELOCITY
VENUS PLANET