Solar wind effects on atmosphere evolution at Venus and Mars

Abstract

The weak intrinsic magnetism of Venus and Mars leaves these planets subject to some unique atmospheric loss processes. This paper reviews the ways in which material seems to be removed by the solar wind interaction, including atmospheric ion pickup by the solar wind, bulk removal and outflow of ionospheric plasma, and atmospheric sputtering by pickup ions. The factors in the planets' and sun's histories, such as planetary magnetism, solar luminosity, and past solar wind properties, that must ultimately be folded into considerations of the effects of the solar wind interaction on atmosphere evolution are discussed.