The shape of the dayside Venus ionopause, and its dependence on solar wind parameters, is examined using Pioneer Venus Orbiter field and particle data. The ionopause is defined here as the altitude of pressure equality between magnetosheath pressure and ionospheric thermal pressure; its typical altitudes range from about 300 km near the subsolar point to about 900 km near the terminator. A strong correlation between ionopause altitude and magnetosheath magnetic pressure is demonstrated; correlation between magnetic pressure and the normally incident component of solar wind dynamic pressure is also evident. The data support the hypothesis of control of the ionopause altitude by solar wind dynamic pressure, manifested in the sheath as magnetic pressure. The presence of large scale magnetic fields in the ionosphere is observed primarily when dynamic pressure is high and the ionopause is low.


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    Title :

    Dependence of Venus ionopause altitude and ionospheric magnetic field on solar wind dynamic pressure


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1985-01-01



    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





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