Plasma environment of Venus: Comparison of Venus Express ASPERA-4 measurements with 3-D hybrid simulations

We use data of the ASPERA-4 ion and electron spectrometers onboard Venus Express to determine the locations and shapes of the plasma boundaries (bow shock, ion composition boundary, and mantle) at Venus. We also investigate the variation of the terminator bow shock position as a function of the solar wind dynamic pressure and solar EUV flux. We compare the results with a 3-D hybrid simulation. In the hybrid model, ions are treated as individual particles moving in self-consistently generated electromagnetic fields and electrons are modeled as a massless charge neutralizing fluid. The planetary heavy ion plasma is generated by an oxygen ionosphere and exosphere adapted to a profile, which depends on the solar zenith angle (Chapman layer). A comparison between observations and simulations indicates that the hybrid model is able to produce an adequate picture of the global plasma environment at Venus. The positions of the plasma boundaries are well reproduced by the model but a significant disagreement appears in the absolute values of the considered parameters.