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Loss of oxygen from Venus
Author(s) -
EcElroy M. B.,
Prather M. J.,
Rodriguez J. M.
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/gl009i006p00649
Subject(s) - venus , atmospheric escape , atmosphere of venus , plasmasphere , oxygen , atmosphere (unit) , hydrogen , ionization , oxygen atom , atomic physics , flux (metallurgy) , stoichiometry , thermal , astrobiology , atomic oxygen , physics , materials science , ion , chemistry , plasma , magnetosphere , thermodynamics , nuclear physics , molecule , quantum mechanics , mars exploration program , metallurgy
Ionization of thermal and non‐thermal oxygen atoms above the plasmapause on Venus supplies an escape flux for O averaging 6 × 10 6 atoms cm ²sec −1 . Hydrogen and oxygen atoms escape with stoichiometry characteristic of water. It is argued that escape of H is controlled by the oxidation state of the atmosphere, regulated by escape of O.