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The role of charge exchange in the solar wind absorption by Venus
Author(s) -
Gombosi T. I.,
Horanyi M.,
Cravens T. E.,
Nagy A. F.,
Russell C. T.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl008i012p01265
Subject(s) - solar wind , venus , atmosphere of venus , physics , charge exchange , atmospheric sciences , magnetopause , absorption (acoustics) , computational physics , coronal mass ejection , geophysics , limiting , ion , environmental science , atomic physics , astrobiology , plasma , optics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics , mechanical engineering , engineering
The amount of solar wind absorbed due to charge exchange processes in the dayside ionosheath of Venus is calculated. The calculations indicate the existence of a lower limiting ionopause altitude, below which all solar wind particles are removed from the flow by charge exchange. It is suggested that the cold and slow new ions, resulting from this interaction, play an important role in building the magnetic barrier observed just outside the ionopause, and also in creating the dayside “mantle” and downstream “penumbra” regions. The total absorption caused by charge exchange is typically 2‐5%, but it can reach values as high as 16%, when the solar wind dynamic pressure is very high.