Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) Magnetometer, OMAG, Plasma Analyzer, OPA, Merged Solar Wind Data, 10 min Data

PVO measured the detailed structure of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Venus and investigated the interaction of the solar wind with the Venusian ionosphere. Over the years from 1978 to 1992, PVO provided nearly continuous measurements of the solar wind from its highly eccentric orbit around Venus.

• PI, magnetic field instrument: C.T. Russell, University of California, Los Angeles
• PI, plasma instrument: A. Barnes, Ames Research Center, NASA This merged data includes 10-minute averages for selected parameters of the interplanetary magnetic field, solar wind plasma, and spacecraft trajectory. The data were taken when the spacecraft was outside the bow shock of the Venusian ionosphere and was in the solar wind. Venus Solar Orbital (VSO) coordinates are defined with respect to the orbital plane of Venus which is tilted about two degrees from the Ecliptic. The VSO system is Venus-centered with the X axis towards the Sun, the Z axis northward and perpendicular to the orbital plane, and the Y axis completing the right hand system. Time coverage of merged data: 1978-12-06 to 1988-08-07. PVO data were converted to CDF based on the flatfiles from UCLA.