Upstream ion cyclotron waves at Venus: observations from Venus Express

Magda Delva

Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria

The magnetometer measurements aboard the Venus Express spacecraft revealed the existence of proton cyclotron waves upstream of the Venus bow shock. An overview of the detected waves, their properties and place of occurrence from the first two Venus years of the mission at solar minimum is presented. The conditions for their occurrence in terms of the motional solar wind electric field are studied, as well as the conditions for their generation. Generation is only possible from freshly ionized local planetary hydrogen, which has implications for the Venus exosphere. New analyses for Mars now enable a comparison of the waves at both planets.

Este coloquio se llevará a cabo el miércoles 30 de mayo 2012a las 15:00hs en el Aula del Edificio IAFE, Ciudad Universitaria.