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Comet‐like interaction of Venus with the solar wind III the atomic oxygen corona
Author(s) -
Wallis Max K.
Publication year - 1982
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/gl009i004p00427
Subject(s) - venus , solar wind , ion , comet , atmosphere of venus , physics , plasma , astrobiology , corona (planetary geology) , ionosphere , oxygen , exosphere , atomic physics , planet , wake , astronomy , mechanics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
Suprathermal atomic oxygen constituting an extensive exospheric corona give rise to new heavy ions within the solar plasma flowing around Venus. Because their gyro‐radii are large compared with transverse scales, the O + ions do not simply effect a drag due to ‘mass loading’ of the flow. Some precipitate into the ionosphere and provide a novel ion source. Also, the back‐reaction on the flow not only decelerates it, but also deviates it laterally and essentially asymmetrically about the planet.