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Bow shocks and magnetotails of Venus and Mars - A comparisonObservations of the bow shock location and the structure of the magnetotail of Mars by the Phobos spacecraft and of Venus by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter reveal the solar wind interactions with these two planets to be quite similar. The subsolar bow shocks of both Venus and Mars lie at 1.47 planetary radii while at the terminator they are at 2.40 and 2.65 planetary radii, respectively. Both bow shocks have oval cross sections when viewed from the sun whose major axes are controlled by the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field. The tail lobes of both planets are similarly controlled by the IMF orientation. The strength of the solar/antisolar component of the magnetic field is 17 nT at Venus and 14 nT at Mars. The component perpendicular to the tail axis is about 1/2 the corresponding IMF component at Venus and 2 times this component at Mars. However, when these measurements are compared in terms of the distance down the tail at which each were taken, the data from the two planets are quite consistent. Hence both Venus and Mars have principally induced magnetospheres and magnetotails which stand off the solar wind flow.
Document ID
19920069519
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Russell, C. T.
(NASA Headquarters Washington, DC United States)
Ong, M.
(NASA Headquarters Washington, DC United States)
Luhmann, J. G.
(California, University Los Angeles, United States)
Schwingenschuh, K.
(NASA Headquarters Washington, DC United States)
Riedler, W.
(Oesterreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften Institut fuer Weltraumforschung, Graz, Austria)
Eroshenko, E.
(IZMIRAN Troitsk, Russia)
Date Acquired
August 15, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: Advances in Space Research
Volume: 12
Issue: 9 Se
ISSN: 0273-1177
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
92A52143
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-717
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-1753
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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