Daytime ionosphere of Venus as studied with Veneras 9 and 10 dual-frequency radio occultation experiments

Abstract We present results of the dual-frequency radio sounding of the Venusian ionosphere carried out by the Venera 9 and 10 satellites in 1975. Thirteen height profiles of electron density for different solar zenith angles varying from 10 to 87° have been obtained by analyzing the refraction bending of radiorays in the sounded ionssphere. The main maximum of electron density at a height of 140–150 km depends on the solar zenith angle and is 1.4 to 5 × 10 5 cm −3 . The lower maximum is determined definitely to be at ∼130 km high. In the main and lower maxima the electron density variations with solar zenith angle are in good agreement with the Chapman layer theory. For the first time it is found that the height of the upper boundary for the daytime ionosphere ( h i ) depends regularly on the solar zenith angle. At Z ⊙ i does not exceed 300 km while at Z ⊙ > 60°, it increases with Z ⊙ and comes up to ∼ 600 km at Z ⊙ ∼ 80°.