Instabilities on the boundary of the Venus ionosphere.
Abstract
The excitation of instabilities related to inhomogeneity of the plasma velocity profile on the thin boundary of the Venus ionosphere, the ionopause, is considered. The specific case of the modes considered is the ordinary Kelvin - Helmholtz instability. All characteristic dimensions related to processes on the ionopause, its thickness L, the Larmor radius of ions ρi, and the wavelength of fluctuating disturbances λ are comparable, which complicates the theoretical analysis of the instability. Moreover, processes of charge exchange and photoionization may have considerable influence. All of these factors are taken into account in this paper. Different cases of macroscopic plasma motion relative to the magnetic field are considered. The results obtained are discussed in relation to observations of plasma clouds in the Venus magnetic barrier region and large- and small-scale magnetic fields in its ionosphere.
- Publication:
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Cosmic Research
- Pub Date:
- July 1990
- Bibcode:
- 1990CosRe..28..118B
- Keywords:
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- Venus Ionosphere: Instabilities