Ion and ENA precipitation onto the upper atmosphere of Venus : Estimate of precipitation maps using data from a hybrid model

Sammanfattning: Venus does not have a strong intrinsic magnetic field as the Earth, and its magnetosphere is induced by the interaction of the solar wind with the ionosphere. The near-Venus space environment is characterized by the presence of a bow shock and of an induced magnetic boundary linked to the interplanetary magnetic field orientation. The interaction of the solar wind with the planetary atmosphere and exosphere is more direct than on Earth. This interaction energises ionospheric ions, leading to a loss of atmospheric compounds in space. Ions and energetic neutral atoms of solar wind or of planetary origin can precipitate onto the upper atmosphere of Venus, which is an important process of mass, momentum and energy transfer, and can lead to an increase of the loss of planetary constituents due to the atmospheric sputtering. The energetic neutral atoms are used as a diagnostic method, that gives a continuous and global imaging of the planetary magnetosphere. They are generated by multiple processes, as charge exchange, scattering and sputtering from the upper atmosphere of Venus. In this work, we study the precipitation of oxygen and hydrogen ions and energetic neutrals in the upper atmosphere of Venus. We use data produced with a global hybrid plasma model that simulated the interaction between Venus and the solar wind, and simulate the charge exchange process between the energetic ions and exospheric neutral particles to produce the energetic neutral atoms. Due to the low North-South asymmetry in the precipitation of oxygen planetary ions and energetic neutral atoms, we conclude that the effect of the finite gyroradius of oxygen ions is limited. Compared to the case of Mars, the fraction of the solar wind that precipitates as hydrogen energetic neutral atoms onto Venus is lower, consistently with the less extended exosphere of Venus.