Upward ion flow in ionospheric holes on Venus

Details Upward ion flow in ionospheric holes on Venus Upward ion flow in ionospheric holes on Venus

Jan 1990

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1990jgr....95...31h&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research (ISSN 0148-0227), vol. 95, Jan. 1, 1990, p. 31-37.

Physics

18

Atmospheric Circulation, Geomagnetic Tail, Magnetic Field Configurations, Planetary Ionospheres, Planetary Magnetic Fields, Venus Atmosphere, Atmospheric Chemistry, Ionospheric Electron Density, Ionospheric Ion Density, Night Sky, Pioneer Venus 1 Spacecraft, Venus, Ions, Flow, Ionosphere, Composition, Pvo Mission, Nightside, Spacecraft Observations, Altitude, Density, Velocity, Acceleration, Plasma, Electrons, Temperature, Dynamics, Calculations, Spectrometry, Oims Instrument, Gradients, Depletion

Scientific paper

The nature of ion flow within two ionospheric holes on the nightside of Venus was investigated using ion composition measurements made by the ion mass spectrometer on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter. A comparison of the altitude profiles of the observed ion densities with those expected under diffusive equilibrium conditions indicates that the major ions O(+), NO(+), and O2(+), as well as the minor ions H(+) and He(+) flow upward and away from Venus along the axes of the holes. This result agrees with a quantitative evaluation of the ion flow speeds appearing in expressions derived from the equations for conservation of mass and momentum of the ions and electrons. The analysis shows that all ion species flow upward in the holes because the upward force produced by the plasma pressure gradient exceeds all downward forces. However, the nature of the ion source required to maintain such flow is not known.

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