Venusian k(sub 2) Tidal Love Number from Magellan and PVO Tracking Data

The k(sub 2) potential ove number which scales the tidal deformation of Venus by the Sun has been estimated from Doppler tracking of Magellan and Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) spacecraft data. The nominal range for k(sub 2) from theoretical models is 0.23(less than or equal to)k(sub 2)(less than or equal to)0.29 for a liquid iron core and about 0.17 if the iron core has solidified. Our best estimate of this parameter is k(sub 2) = 0.295 +/- 0.662 (2X formal {delta}) and supports the hypothesis that Venus core is solid.