The Solar Wind Interaction With an Orbiting Venus

Studies of the large‐scale interaction of the solar wind with planets have often been considered along the line of the sun to the planet, neglecting the planet's orbital motion. This paper describes a new refinement in the long history of Venus simulations, the addition of the planet's orbital motion. The simulations with this refinement have produced a change in the electromagnetic environment around Venus. This modification leads to dramatic changes in the solar wind interaction with Venus, producing new channels of ion loss and altering the energy deposition of the solar wind into the upper atmosphere.