A precursor to the Venus bow shock

Abstract

This paper describes the observations by the Pioneer-Venus-Orbiter Langmuir probe of the low-density Venus bow shock precursor, i.e., a region of electron and ion-current enhancements just upstream from the Venus bow shock. It is suggested that the precursor signatures represent the effects of a small population of energetic ions in this region. Several possible planetary sources of these ions are considered. The paper also discusses the Langmuir probe measurement technique itself as it applies to the very low densities of the precursor.