Andrew Yee
October 18th 05, 02:32 AM
Communications
Imperial College London
London, U.K.
For further information please contact:
Laura Gallagher
Press Officer
Communications Division
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 6702
For immediate release: Monday 17 October 2005
Spacecraft to investigate if Venus's lack of magnetism is the cause of her
inhospitable atmosphere
Scientists today revealed their plans to analyse the magnetic field around
Venus in a bid to discover whether the planets lack of an internal
magnetic field is the reason it is so inhospitable. At a press conference
in London hosted by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council,
Chris Carr of Imperial College London described how the magnetometer
instrument onboard the Venus Express spacecraft will measure the magnetic
field around the planet.
Scientists hope their results will confirm why Venus is so inhospitable in
comparison to Earth and has almost no water, in spite of the similarities
between the two planets. Earth and Venus formed at the same time from the
same basic materials and they are very similar in size and mass.
Scientists believe that Venus is inhospitable because its atmosphere is
being eroded by the solar wind, a magnetised, electrically charged gas
that streams off the Sun at a million miles per hour. This 'plasma' from
the Sun slams into an electrically charged part of Venus's atmosphere
known as the ionosphere, which is ionised by solar radiation.
The ionosphere provides a magnetic barrier against the solar wind but
scientists believe that this barrier has much less protective power than
Earth's internal magnetic field. This internal magnetic field creates a
'bubble' around Earth that protects it from the solar wind.
Chris Carr, who helped to build the instrument alongside colleagues at the
Space Research Institute in Austria and the Institute for Extraterrestrial
Physics in Braunschweig, Germany, explained: "We are going to make a 'map'
of the plasma around Venus. By measuring the magnetic field, we can
analyse the complex physical processes that result when the solar wind and
Venus's ionosphere collide."
The Venus Express magnetometer is similar to the one that the Imperial
team has been involved in building and controlling onboard the Cassini
spacecraft. Cassini's magnetometer recently revealed an unexpected
magnetic signature from the Saturnian moon Enceladus, a surprise which led
to the discovery of an atmosphere on this tiny moon.
Chris Carr added: "We are going to be able to get a substantially enhanced
picture of the space environment around Venus using the new
high-resolution magnetometer, coupled with a new high-resolution plasma
analyzer. We have a huge number of questions that we hope these
instruments can help answer."
Even though the solar wind is travelling at such immense speeds, the Venus
ionosphere still presents a significant magnetic barrier. How do these
plasmas mix? How much energy is transferred from the Sun into the Venus
atmosphere?" he said.
The Magnetometer for the Venus Express mission consists of two small
sensors about 5cm by 5cm and weighing about 200g. One is mounted on the
end of a metre-long deployable boom and the other sits directly on the
spacecraft's body. The use of two sensors means that the stray magnetic
fields produced by the spacecraft can be taken into account when the team
is measuring Venuss magnetic field.
Venus Express sets off on 26 October 2005 and is due to reach Venus in
April 2006.
-ends-
Notes to editors:
1. Consistently rated in the top three UK university institutions,
Imperial College London is a world leading science-based university whose
reputation for excellence in teaching and research attracts students
(11,000) and staff (6,000) of the highest international quality.
Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science,
medicine, engineering and management and delivers practical solutions that
enhance the quality of life and the environment -- underpinned by a
dynamic enterprise culture.
Website: www.imperial.ac.uk
2. Chris Carr is speaking at a Press Conference at 10.30 on Monday 17
October 2005 at the Royal College of Pathologists, 2 Carlton House
Terrace, London SW1Y 5AF.
Imperial College London
London, U.K.
For further information please contact:
Laura Gallagher
Press Officer
Communications Division
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 6702
For immediate release: Monday 17 October 2005
Spacecraft to investigate if Venus's lack of magnetism is the cause of her
inhospitable atmosphere
Scientists today revealed their plans to analyse the magnetic field around
Venus in a bid to discover whether the planets lack of an internal
magnetic field is the reason it is so inhospitable. At a press conference
in London hosted by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council,
Chris Carr of Imperial College London described how the magnetometer
instrument onboard the Venus Express spacecraft will measure the magnetic
field around the planet.
Scientists hope their results will confirm why Venus is so inhospitable in
comparison to Earth and has almost no water, in spite of the similarities
between the two planets. Earth and Venus formed at the same time from the
same basic materials and they are very similar in size and mass.
Scientists believe that Venus is inhospitable because its atmosphere is
being eroded by the solar wind, a magnetised, electrically charged gas
that streams off the Sun at a million miles per hour. This 'plasma' from
the Sun slams into an electrically charged part of Venus's atmosphere
known as the ionosphere, which is ionised by solar radiation.
The ionosphere provides a magnetic barrier against the solar wind but
scientists believe that this barrier has much less protective power than
Earth's internal magnetic field. This internal magnetic field creates a
'bubble' around Earth that protects it from the solar wind.
Chris Carr, who helped to build the instrument alongside colleagues at the
Space Research Institute in Austria and the Institute for Extraterrestrial
Physics in Braunschweig, Germany, explained: "We are going to make a 'map'
of the plasma around Venus. By measuring the magnetic field, we can
analyse the complex physical processes that result when the solar wind and
Venus's ionosphere collide."
The Venus Express magnetometer is similar to the one that the Imperial
team has been involved in building and controlling onboard the Cassini
spacecraft. Cassini's magnetometer recently revealed an unexpected
magnetic signature from the Saturnian moon Enceladus, a surprise which led
to the discovery of an atmosphere on this tiny moon.
Chris Carr added: "We are going to be able to get a substantially enhanced
picture of the space environment around Venus using the new
high-resolution magnetometer, coupled with a new high-resolution plasma
analyzer. We have a huge number of questions that we hope these
instruments can help answer."
Even though the solar wind is travelling at such immense speeds, the Venus
ionosphere still presents a significant magnetic barrier. How do these
plasmas mix? How much energy is transferred from the Sun into the Venus
atmosphere?" he said.
The Magnetometer for the Venus Express mission consists of two small
sensors about 5cm by 5cm and weighing about 200g. One is mounted on the
end of a metre-long deployable boom and the other sits directly on the
spacecraft's body. The use of two sensors means that the stray magnetic
fields produced by the spacecraft can be taken into account when the team
is measuring Venuss magnetic field.
Venus Express sets off on 26 October 2005 and is due to reach Venus in
April 2006.
-ends-
Notes to editors:
1. Consistently rated in the top three UK university institutions,
Imperial College London is a world leading science-based university whose
reputation for excellence in teaching and research attracts students
(11,000) and staff (6,000) of the highest international quality.
Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science,
medicine, engineering and management and delivers practical solutions that
enhance the quality of life and the environment -- underpinned by a
dynamic enterprise culture.
Website: www.imperial.ac.uk
2. Chris Carr is speaking at a Press Conference at 10.30 on Monday 17
October 2005 at the Royal College of Pathologists, 2 Carlton House
Terrace, London SW1Y 5AF.