Magnetic states of the ionosphere of Venus observed by Venus Express

Abstract

Strong ultraviolet radiation from the Sun ionizes the upper atmosphere of Venus, creating a dense ionosphere on the dayside of the planet. In contrast to Earth, the ionosphere of Venus is not protected against the solar wind by a magnetic field. However, the interaction between charged ionospheric particles and the solar wind dynamic and magnetic pressure creates a pseudo-magnetosphere which deflects the solar wind flow around the planet ( Schunk and Nagy, 1980). The combination of changing solar radiation and solar wind intensities leads to a highly variable structure and plasma composition of the ionosphere. The instrumentation of the Venus Express spacecraft allows to measure the magnetic field (MAG experiment) as well as the electron energy spectrum and the ion composition (ASPERA-4 experiment) of the upper ionosphere and ionopause. In contrast to the earlier Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) measurements which were conducted during solar maximum, the solar activity was very low in the period 2006–2009. A comparison with PVO allows for an investigation of ionospheric properties under different solar wind and EUV radiation conditions. Observations of MAG and ASPERA have been analyzed to determine the positions of the photoelectron boundary (PEB) and the “magnetopause” and their dependence on the solar zenith angle (SZA). The PEB was determined using the ELS observations of ionospheric photoelectrons, which can be identified by their specific energy range. It is of particular interest to explore the different magnetic states of the ionosphere, since these influence the local plasma conductivity, currents and probably the escape of electrons and ions. The penetration of magnetic fields into the ionosphere depends on the external conditions as well as on the ionospheric properties. By analyzing a large number of orbits, using a combination of two different methods, we define criteria to distinguish between the so-called magnetized and unmagnetized ionospheric states. Furthermore, we confirm that the average magnetic field inside the ionosphere shows a linear dependence on the magnetic field in the region directly above the PEB.