BepiColombo mission confirms stagnation region of Venus and reveals its large extent

M. Persson (), S. Aizawa, N. André, S. Barabash, Y. Saito, Y. Harada, D. Heyner, S. Orsini, A. Fedorov, C. Mazelle, Y. Futaana, L. Z. Hadid, M. Volwerk, G. Collinson, B. Sanchez-Cano, A. Barthe, E. Penou, S. Yokota, V. Génot, J. A. Sauvaud, D. Delcourt, M. Fraenz, R. Modolo, A. Milillo, H.-U. Auster, I. Richter, J. Z. D. Mieth, P. Louarn, C. J. Owen, T. S. Horbury, K. Asamura, S. Matsuda, H. Nilsson, M. Wieser, T. Alberti, A. Varsani, V. Mangano, A. Mura, H. Lichtenegger, G. Laky, H. Jeszenszky, K. Masunaga, C. Signoles, M. Rojo and G. Murakami
Additional contact information
M. Persson: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
S. Aizawa: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
N. André: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
S. Barabash: Swedish Institute of Space Physics
Y. Saito: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Y. Harada: Kyoto University
D. Heyner: Technische Universität Braunschweig
S. Orsini: Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
A. Fedorov: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
C. Mazelle: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
Y. Futaana: Swedish Institute of Space Physics
L. Z. Hadid: Institut Polytechnique de Paris
M. Volwerk: Austrian Academy of Sciences
G. Collinson: Goddard Space Flight Center
B. Sanchez-Cano: University of Leicester
A. Barthe: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
E. Penou: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
S. Yokota: Osaka University
V. Génot: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
J. A. Sauvaud: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
D. Delcourt: Institut Polytechnique de Paris
M. Fraenz: Max-Planck-Institute for Solar System Research
R. Modolo: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
A. Milillo: Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
H.-U. Auster: Technische Universität Braunschweig
I. Richter: Technische Universität Braunschweig
J. Z. D. Mieth: Technische Universität Braunschweig
P. Louarn: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
C. J. Owen: University College London
T. S. Horbury: Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus
K. Asamura: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
S. Matsuda: Kanazawa University
H. Nilsson: Swedish Institute of Space Physics
M. Wieser: Swedish Institute of Space Physics
T. Alberti: Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
A. Varsani: Austrian Academy of Sciences
V. Mangano: Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
A. Mura: Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
H. Lichtenegger: Austrian Academy of Sciences
G. Laky: Austrian Academy of Sciences
H. Jeszenszky: Austrian Academy of Sciences
K. Masunaga: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
C. Signoles: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
M. Rojo: Université Paul Sabatier—Toulouse III
G. Murakami: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35061-3

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