Abstract
AbstractWe study the solar wind‐driven, nonthermal escape of O+ ions from Venus in a global hybrid simulation. In the model, a well‐developed ion foreshock forms ahead of the Venusian quasi‐parallel bow shock under nominal upstream conditions. Large‐scale magnetosonic ultra‐low frequency (ULF) waves at 20‐ to 30‐s period are excited and convect downstream along the foreshock with the solar wind. We show that the foreshock ULF waves transmit through the bow shock in the downstream region and interact with the planetary ion acceleration, causing 25% peak‐to‐peak fluctuations in the O+ escape rate. These results demonstrate the importance of upstream plasma waves on the energization and escape of heavy ions from the planetary atmospheres.
Highlights
Our sister planet Venus is extremely dry as compared to the Earth and has likely lost a significant amount of water during the history of the solar system (Greenwood et al, 2018)
We show that the foreshock ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves transmit through the bow shock in the downstream region and interact with the planetary ion acceleration, causing 25% peak-to-peak fluctuations in the O+ escape rate
Using a global hybrid simulation, we show that the upstream ULF waves interact with the O+ ion acceleration and escape from Venus
Summary
Our sister planet Venus is extremely dry as compared to the Earth and has likely lost a significant amount of water during the history of the solar system (Greenwood et al, 2018). As the present-day heavy element loss rates from Venus are not very significant on the time scales of planetary evolution, it is essential to quantify all mechanisms for the atmospheric escape to produce a reliable estimate of the volatile erosion history of the planet (Persson et al, 2018). Such results will be relevant for Mars as well as for any other unmagnetized body in the solar or exoplanetary systems
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