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Venus nightside ionosphere: A model with KeV electron impact ionization
Author(s) -
Kumar Shailendra
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/gl009i005p00595
Subject(s) - venus , ionosphere , ionization , physics , extrapolation , electron , ion , flux (metallurgy) , range (aeronautics) , electron density , altitude (triangle) , atomic physics , electron ionization , atmospheric sciences , geophysics , astrobiology , nuclear physics , materials science , quantum mechanics , mathematical analysis , mathematics , geometry , metallurgy , composite material
A model of the ‘full up’ nightside ionosphere of Venus is presented for the equatorial midnight region. We propose keV electron impact as the strongest source of ionization leading to peak ion density of ≃10 5 cm −3 which was observed by the PV‐OIMS experiment on several occasions. The observed altitude profiles of CO 2 + , O + , O 2 + , H + and H 2 + (or D + ) can be reproduced with this model if available keV electron flux is approximated by ø e (E) ∼ 100 E e −E/1000 in 0.3 ‐ 3.0 keV range. This is a reasonable extrapolation of fluxes observed at lower energies.