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Atmosphere of Venus as Studied with the Mariner 5 Dual Radio‐Frequency Occultation Experiment
Author(s) -
Fjeldbo G.,
Eshleman V. R.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/rs004i010p00879
Subject(s) - atmosphere of venus , venus , atmosphere (unit) , ionosphere , radio occultation , daytime , altitude (triangle) , ionization , atmospheric sciences , plasmasphere , physics , environmental science , astronomy , astrobiology , meteorology , magnetosphere , plasma , ion , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics
The amplitudes and differential Doppler of two radio signals transmitted to Mariner 5 as it was occulted by Venus are utilized to derive the dayside and nightside ionization distributions in the upper atmosphere, and the temperature and pressure profiles of the lower atmosphere. Both sides of Venus have ionization peaks near the 140‐km altitude level; the daytime peak is 30 times greater in electron number density. The nightside ionosphere extended up to an altitude of at least 1000 km, and the dayside ionization terminated in a plasmapause near an altitude of 500 km. There may be a wake of planetary ionization extending a great distance in the antisolar direction. The neutral atmosphere was probed down to within 35 km of the planetary surface. Differences in the temperature and pressure profiles for the nightside and dayside, and apparent kilometer‐size structure in the atmosphere, are discussed.