Escaping of planetary ions from Mars and Venus Original Research Article

Escaping planetary ions and the resulted atmospheric and solar wind effects are discussed. Some observed global plasma and field regions near Mars and Venus are introduced, and similarities between the regions pointed out. The applicability of the global solar wind interaction models to interpret the observed ion-escape features is illustrated, and the potential to derive a global view of the solar wind-atmosphere interaction by new instrument techniques considered. Finally, some open questions associated with the ion-escape processes are emphasised.