Abstract Significant ion and electron flux enhancements immediately upstream of the Venus bowshock have been observed by the Electron Temperature Probe on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter. It is shown that mass loading of the solar wind by oxygen ions (without the effect of MHD turbulence) accounts for only about 3.5% of the observed effect. Finally, evidence is presented that turbulence may play a nonnegligible role in the ion pickup process in front of the Venus bowshock.
Venus bowshock precursor
Advances in Space Research ; 10 , 5 ; 11-14
1989-01-01
4 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English