HR: 14:00h
AN: SA33C-01 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Comparative interactions of the ionospheres of Mars and Venus with the solar wind
AU: * Mazelle, C
EM: christian.mazelle@cesr.fr
AF: CESR / UPS-CNRS, 9, Avenue du Colonel Roche, Toulouse, 31400, France
AU: Sauvaud, J
EM: sauvaud@cesr.fr
AF: CESR / UPS-CNRS, 9, Avenue du Colonel Roche, Toulouse, 31400, France
AU: Ferrier, C
AF: CESR / UPS-CNRS, 9, Avenue du Colonel Roche, Toulouse, 31400, France
AU: Fedorov, A
AF: CESR / UPS-CNRS, 9, Avenue du Colonel Roche, Toulouse, 31400, France
AU: Barabash, S
AF: Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 812, Kiruna,
AU: Zhang, T L
AF: Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz,
AU: Delva, M
AF: Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz,
AB: When dealing with the general problem of the interaction of a fast-flowing magnetized plasma with a neutral gas environment, the comparison of the interaction of the solar wind with the atmospheres of Mars and Venus is obviously of high relevance, in particular for the understanding of the loss of volatiles. Their environment consists of characteristic boundaries separating regions with very different plasma conditions and dynamics (upstream region, collisionless shock, magnetosheath, "induced" magnetosphere, ionosphere, tail, plasma sheet). The most important features are the formation of a magnetic barrier in front of the highly conducting ionosphere and an induced magnetic tail. The outer edge of the magnetic barrier on the dayside appears as a sharp boundary, reported from the magnetometer of Mars Global Surveyor and Venus Express. Recent results from the IMA mass spectrometer onboard Mars Express and Venus Express also offers us the unique opportunity to compare the plasma regimes at both planets with the same ion instrument. Recent achievements on this topic are presented.
DE: 2780 Solar wind interactions with unmagnetized bodies
DE: 6225 Mars
DE: 6295 Venus
DE: 7811 Discontinuities (2109)
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly