Observations of magnetic structure at the dayside ionopause of Venus

Abstract

The solar wind interaction with the nonmagnetic Venerean ionospheric obstacle is unique. Ionospheric models of this interaction have primarily been in two dimensions that do not allow for changes in the orientation of the solar wind magnetic field near the obstacle. Analysis of high‐resolution magnetic field data from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter spacecraft has revealed field rotations that are observed to occur in conjunction with the dayside ionopause. These rotations are a result of the velocity shear at the ionopause and indicate the alignment (“weathervaning”) of the magnetic field with the radial day to night flow of ionospheric plasma. A new configuration of the dayside magnetic field draping has been derived from these results. Assuming Mars also represents a nonmagnetic obstacle to the flow, as past experimental observations indicate, the field diagnostics discovered here make it possible to probe the structure of the Martian ionosphere using magnetometer data in the absence of ion mass spectrometer data. These results would have had direct application to the Mars Observer spacecraft data and could play a major role in future Mars missions such as Mars Surveyor.