Plasma near Venus from the Venera 9 and 10 wide-angle analyzer data

Journal Article · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA083iA08p03721· OSTI ID:6878756

Verigin, M I; Gringauz, K I; Gombosi, T; Breus, T K; Bezrukikh, V V; Remizov, A P; Volkov, G I

Preliminary results of ion and electron plasma measurements near Venus are presented and discussed. The data were obtained with wide-angle plasma analyzers carried on the Venera 9 and 10 spacecraft. On the basis of 33 bow shock crossings the position of the shock is quite stable and agrees well with theoretical predictions of Spreiter et al. with H/r/sub 0/=0.01 and a stagnation point altitude of approx.500 km. This observation lends strong support to the assumption that the solar wind interacts with the upper ionosphere of Venus and not with a planetary magnetic field. These spacecraft are the first to explore the optical umbra of Venus. Close to the planet a stable population of electrons and an ill-defined population of positive ions were found; this region is called the corpuscular umbra. The corpuscular umbra and the transition region are separated by a zone which contains both positive ions and electrons and is characterized by a flow velocity reduced in comparison with that of the transition region. This zone is called the corpuscular penumbra. The distribution of plasma density behind the bow shock (including the optical umbra of the planet) is given, and the existence of a Venusian plasma magnetic til is revealed.

• Research Organization: Space Research Institute, USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117485, USSR
• OSTI ID: 6878756
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 83:A8; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
IONS
LEPTONS
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
PLANETS
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DRIFT
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
SPACE VEHICLES
VENUS PLANET