Pioneer Venus plasma observations of the solar wind‐Venus interaction

Abstract

Collection of data from the Ames plasma analyzer on the Pioneer Venus orbiter has permitted long‐term measurements of the interaction of the solar wind with Venus. This paper presents a mapping of the ionosheath flow field, as well as plasma measurements in the distant ionosheath and near the distant plasma cavity (∼10 Venus radii downstream), a summary of observations of jumps in the solar wind proton parameters across Venus' bow shock, and also the apparent detection of ionospheric O + accelerated up to solar wind speeds downstream in Venus' ionosheath.