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Persson M, Aizawa S, André N, Barabash S, Saito Y, Harada Y, Heyner D, Orsini S, Fedorov A, Mazelle C, Futaana Y, Hadid LZ, Volwerk M, Collinson G, Sanchez-Cano B, Barthe A, Penou E, Yokota S, Génot V, Sauvaud JA, Delcourt D, Fraenz M, Modolo R, Milillo A, Auster HU, Richter I, Mieth JZD, Louarn P, Owen CJ, Horbury TS, Asamura K, Matsuda S, Nilsson H, Wieser M, Alberti T, Varsani A, Mangano V, Mura A, Lichtenegger H, Laky G, Jeszenszky H, Masunaga K, Signoles C, Rojo M, Murakami G. BepiColombo mission confirms stagnation region of Venus and reveals its large extent. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7743. [PMID: 36522338 PMCID: PMC9755131 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35061-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The second Venus flyby of the BepiColombo mission offer a unique opportunity to make a complete tour of one of the few gas-dynamics dominated interaction regions between the supersonic solar wind and a Solar System object. The spacecraft pass through the full Venusian magnetosheath following the plasma streamlines, and cross the subsolar stagnation region during very stable solar wind conditions as observed upstream by the neighboring Solar Orbiter mission. These rare multipoint synergistic observations and stable conditions experimentally confirm what was previously predicted for the barely-explored stagnation region close to solar minimum. Here, we show that this region has a large extend, up to an altitude of 1900 km, and the estimated low energy transfer near the subsolar point confirm that the atmosphere of Venus, despite being non-magnetized and less conductive due to lower ultraviolet flux at solar minimum, is capable of withstanding the solar wind under low dynamic pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Persson
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - S. Aizawa
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - N. André
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - S. Barabash
- grid.425140.60000 0001 0706 1867Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden
| | - Y. Saito
- grid.62167.340000 0001 2220 7916Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Y. Harada
- grid.258799.80000 0004 0372 2033Department of Geophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - D. Heyner
- grid.6738.a0000 0001 1090 0254Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - S. Orsini
- grid.4293.c0000 0004 1792 8585Institute of Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Rome, Italy
| | - A. Fedorov
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - C. Mazelle
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - Y. Futaana
- grid.425140.60000 0001 0706 1867Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden
| | - L. Z. Hadid
- grid.508893.fLaboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (LPP), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Saclay, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Paris, France
| | - M. Volwerk
- grid.4299.60000 0001 2169 3852Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria
| | - G. Collinson
- grid.133275.10000 0004 0637 6666National Aeronautic and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD USA
| | - B. Sanchez-Cano
- grid.9918.90000 0004 1936 8411School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - A. Barthe
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - E. Penou
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - S. Yokota
- grid.136593.b0000 0004 0373 3971Department of Earth and Space Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - V. Génot
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - J. A. Sauvaud
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - D. Delcourt
- grid.508893.fLaboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (LPP), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Saclay, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Paris, France
| | - M. Fraenz
- grid.435826.e0000 0001 2284 9011Max-Planck-Institute for Solar System Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - R. Modolo
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, Université Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Pierre Marie Curie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Guyancourt, France
| | - A. Milillo
- grid.4293.c0000 0004 1792 8585Institute of Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Rome, Italy
| | - H.-U. Auster
- grid.6738.a0000 0001 1090 0254Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - I. Richter
- grid.6738.a0000 0001 1090 0254Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - J. Z. D. Mieth
- grid.6738.a0000 0001 1090 0254Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - P. Louarn
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - C. J. Owen
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, UK
| | - T. S. Horbury
- grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
| | - K. Asamura
- grid.62167.340000 0001 2220 7916Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kyoto, Japan
| | - S. Matsuda
- grid.9707.90000 0001 2308 3329Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - H. Nilsson
- grid.425140.60000 0001 0706 1867Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden
| | - M. Wieser
- grid.425140.60000 0001 0706 1867Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden
| | - T. Alberti
- grid.4293.c0000 0004 1792 8585Institute of Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Rome, Italy
| | - A. Varsani
- grid.4299.60000 0001 2169 3852Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria
| | - V. Mangano
- grid.4293.c0000 0004 1792 8585Institute of Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Rome, Italy
| | - A. Mura
- grid.4293.c0000 0004 1792 8585Institute of Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Rome, Italy
| | - H. Lichtenegger
- grid.4299.60000 0001 2169 3852Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria
| | - G. Laky
- grid.4299.60000 0001 2169 3852Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria
| | - H. Jeszenszky
- grid.4299.60000 0001 2169 3852Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria
| | - K. Masunaga
- grid.62167.340000 0001 2220 7916Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kyoto, Japan
| | - C. Signoles
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - M. Rojo
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - G. Murakami
- grid.62167.340000 0001 2220 7916Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kyoto, Japan
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