Search Publications
The Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-4) for the Venus Express mission
Coates, A. J.; Kallio, E.; Fedorov, A. +43 more
The general scientific objective of the ASPERA-4 (Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms) experiment is to study the solar wind-atmosphere interaction and characterise the plasma and neutral gas environment in the near-Venus space through energetic neutral atom (ENA) imaging and local charged particle measurements. The studies to be perform…
Venus Express—The first European mission to Venus
Barabash, S.; Pätzold, M.; Zhang, T. L. +24 more
Venus Express is the first European mission to planet Venus. The mission aims at a comprehensive investigation of Venus atmosphere and plasma environment and will address some important aspects of the surface physics from orbit. In particular, Venus Express will focus on the structure, composition, and dynamics of the Venus atmosphere, escape proc…
The loss of ions from Venus through the plasma wake
Coates, A. J.; Kallio, E.; Fedorov, A. +47 more
Venus, unlike Earth, is an extremely dry planet although both began with similar masses, distances from the Sun, and presumably water inventories. The high deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio in the venusian atmosphere relative to Earth's also indicates that the atmosphere has undergone significantly different evolution over the age of the Solar System. P…
SPICAV on Venus Express: Three spectrometers to study the global structure and composition of the Venus atmosphere
Bertaux, Jean-Loup; Dimarellis, E.; Reberac, A. +33 more
Spectroscopy for the investigation of the characteristics of the atmosphere of Venus (SPICAV) is a suite of three spectrometers in the UV and IR range with a total mass of 13.9 kg flying on the Venus Express (VEX) orbiter, dedicated to the study of the atmosphere of Venus from ground level to the outermost hydrogen corona at more than 40,000 km. I…
Scientific goals for the observation of Venus by VIRTIS on ESA/Venus express mission
Baines, K. H.; Bibring, J. -P.; Langevin, Y. +41 more
The Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) on board the ESA/Venus Express mission has technical specifications well suited for many science objectives of Venus exploration. VIRTIS will both comprehensively explore a plethora of atmospheric properties and processes and map optical properties of the surface through its three chan…
Structure of the Venus atmosphere
Khatuntsev, I.; Zasova, L. V.; Ignatiev, N. +1 more
The structure of the Venus atmosphere is discussed. The data obtained in the 1980s by the last Soviet missions to Venus: orbiters Venera 15, 16 and the entry probes and balloons of Vega 1 and 2 are compared with the Venus International Reference Atmosphere (VIRA) model. VIRA is based on the data of the extensive space investigations of Venus in th…
Morphology and dynamics of the upper cloud layer of Venus
Jaumann, R.; Keller, H. U.; Thomas, N. +7 more
Venus is completely covered by a thick cloud layer, of which the upper part is composed of sulphuric acid and some unknown aerosols. The cloud tops are in fast retrograde rotation (super-rotation), but the factors responsible for this super-rotation are unknown. Here we report observations of Venus with the Venus Monitoring Camera on board the Ven…
The structure of Venus' middle atmosphere and ionosphere
Pätzold, M.; Bird, M. K.; Asmar, S. W. +8 more
The atmosphere and ionosphere of Venus have been studied in the past by spacecraft with remote sensing or in situ techniques. These early missions, however, have left us with questions about, for example, the atmospheric structure in the transition region from the upper troposphere to the lower mesosphere (50-90km) and the remarkably variable stru…
South-polar features on Venus similar to those near the north pole
Baines, K. H.; Langevin, Y.; Lopez-Valverde, M. A. +102 more
Venus has no seasons, slow rotation and a very massive atmosphere, which is mainly carbon dioxide with clouds primarily of sulphuric acid droplets. Infrared observations by previous missions to Venus revealed a bright `dipole' feature surrounded by a cold `collar' at its north pole. The polar dipole is a `double-eye' feature at the centre of a vas…
Lightning on Venus inferred from whistler-mode waves in the ionosphere
Russell, C. T.; Wei, H. Y.; Zhang, T. L. +3 more
The occurrence of lightning in a planetary atmosphere enables chemical processes to take place that would not occur under standard temperatures and pressures. Although much evidence has been reported for lightning on Venus, some searches have been negative and the existence of lightning has remained controversial. A definitive detection would be t…