Space Physics Seminar spring-2019

I will present my recent studies on the Venusian plasma environment. First, I have studied the ion dynamics in the Venusian ionosphere near the North Pole, where we find a surprising dusk-to-dawn flow near the polar terminator region. This contrasts the previous measurements by Pioneer Venus in the equatorial region where they found a day-to-night flow. Second, I will show our recent findings on the H+/O+ escape rates and its dependence on upstream parameters. We have shown that the ratio of H+/O+ escape rate decreases from solar minimum to maximum. This is an important characteristic of the Venusian atmospheric escape as it is highly connected to the escape of water and the atmospheric evolution. Last, I will present some preliminary results from a recent study on the O+ escape rates and its dependence on various upstream parameters.