Venus: Review of present understanding of solar wind interaction

The results of Soviet and American spacecraft plasma and magnetic experiments show that a bow shock of Venus forms as a result of the direct interaction of the solar wind with the ionosphere. The shape and the position of the Venus bow shock, in general, correspond to a very weak dissipation of solar wind energy in the ionosphere.The measured magnetic field near the planet is strongly influenced by IMF; this fact is evidence of an induced magnetosphere. Some results of laboratory simulation and computer experiments are also in favor of such an induced magnetosphere.The interaction with the ionosphere manifests itself in the existence of a boundary region on the nightside where solar wind entry into the optical umbra of the planet is observed.Proceedings of the Symposium on Solar Terrestrial Physics held in Innsbruck, May–June 1978.