Induced magnetospheres

Induced magnetospheres occur around planetary bodies that are electrically conducting or have substantial ionospheres, and are exposed to a time-varying external magnetic field. They can also occur where a flowing plasma encounters a mass-loading region in which ions are added to the flow. In this introduction to the subject we examine induced magnetospheres of the former type. The solar wind interaction with Venus is used to illustrate the induced magnetosphere that results from the solar wind interaction with an ionosphere.