Magnus force in the Venus ionosphere

Abstract

[1] The retrograde superrotation motion of the Venus ionosphere is included in a study of the configuration of the ionospheric transterminator flow by using a fluid-dynamic interpretation of the interaction that takes place between both flow motions. It is argued that the interaction leads to a fluid dynamic force (Magnus force) that produces an overall ($10°) dawnward directed deflection of the transterminator flow which is comparable to that implied from the PVO observations. The Magnus force results from a pressure difference that is set across the planet by the difference in the speed of the plasma when both the rotation motion and the transterminator flow are in the same sense (dusk side terminator) to that where both motions are opposite to each other (dawn side terminator). The dawnward deflection of the ionospheric plasma in the transterminator flow also deviates the plasma channels (which serve to account for the ionospheric holes) that extend downstream from the magnetic polar regions and is responsible as well for that of the peak of the histogram of the electron density profiles with an upper ionospheric plateau that are seen near the midnight plane. The effects of the Magnus force are also related to the strong difference in the ionopause altitude observed between the dusk and the dawn side terminator (with higher altitudes seen in the dawn side) and to the larger ionospheric transterminator flow speeds measured at high altitudes by the dawn side terminator.

Venus nightside ionospheric holes

“…In addition, asymmetric pickup of exospheric ions by magnetosheath electric and magnetic fields was shown to affect ionopause height [ Phillips et al , 1988]. Another physical process that could influence asymmetries in hole occurrence and ionopause height is the Magnus force [ Pérez‐de‐Tejada , 2006].…”

An induced global magnetic field looping around the magnetotail of Venus

“…The solar wind approaching Venus is slowed down by the mass loading with ions from the extended exosphere [Nagy et al, 1981] and shielded out by the highly conductive ionosphere [Luhmann et al, 2004]. Between the bow shock and ionopause, plasma transitions observed on both Venus [Shefer et al, 1979;Romanov et al, 1979;Phillips and McComas, 1991] and Mars [Lundin et al, 1990a[Lundin et al, , 1990b suggest that the solar wind transports momentum to the planetary particles [Pérez-de Tejada et al, 1995, the wave-particle interaction has been suggested to play an important role in this process by Pérez-de Tejada et al [2009]. As a result of solar wind slowing down around the planet, the IMF frozen in the solar wind piles up and stretches along the solar wind flow in the flanks of the planet.…”

Vortex Structures in Ultra-Cold Atomic Gases

“…Substituting our dimensionless quantities (70) and variables (71) into the differential equation (68) yields:…”

“…The form (83) is a convenient form for numerical calculations of the vortex energy. By using our dimensionless quantities (70) and variables (71), the energy (83) can be made dimensionless yielding:…”

“…In the absence of particle-particle interactions between both plasma media (solar wind and atmosphere), the kinetic momentum of the solar wind will be transferred to the planetary particles through wave-particle interactions. These wave-particle interactions will produce vortex motion, which will cause these Magnus force interactions [70,71].…”