On a Possibility of Dusty Plasma Formation in the Ionosphere of Venus

Dusty plasma clouds in the ionosphere of Venus are considered. It is shown that the conditions for their formation can be met in the altitude range from approximately 120 to 130 km. Equations of a model self-consistently describing dusty plasma structures in the ionosphere of Venus are presented. Based on the presented equations, the altitude distributions of the dust particles that make up the dust clouds are obtained. It turns out that the dust particles of the clouds in the ionosphere of Venus, as in the ionosphere of Mars, are dry ice (CO2) particles. However, the maximum particle sizes in the ionosphere of Venus are approximately an order of magnitude smaller than the corresponding particle sizes in the ionosphere of Mars. The charging of dust particles in the ionosphere of Venus during the sedimentation of a dusty plasma cloud leads to a noticeable disturbance of the charged component of the ionospheric plasma.