Date: September 14th, 2023

Dataset Title: The Venus Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (V-GITM): A Coupled Thermosphere and Ionosphere Formulation

Dataset Creators: B. M. Ponder & A. J. Ridley & S. W. Bougher & D. Pawlowski & A. Brecht

Dataset Contact: Brandon Ponder bponder@umich.edu

Funding: 2028125 (NSF), 80NSSC20K1581 (NASA), 80NSSC19K0562 (NASA)

Key Points:
 - A new, non-hydrostatic Venus ionosphere-thermosphere model is introduced with
new physics not previously included in Venus GCMs.
 - Simulations during solar minimum conditions are used for data-model comparisons
of the temperatures, plasma and neutral densities.
 - The influence of the retrograde superrotating zonal flow is explored in relation to
how it affects the neutral temperature and velocities.


Research Overview
A state-of-the-art Venus global circulation model is being presented. The new 
model, V-GITM, has implications for usefulness in answering unknown questions about
Venus’ atmosphere, the physics of CO2 rich planets, and Venus missions utilizing the 
aerobraking maneuver, like VERITAS or DAVINCI. Many V-GITM simulations were performed 
and the results were compared to some of the existing Venus datasets to assess the
accuracy of V-GITM. Furthermore, the cloud layer below the thermosphere has a unique
wind pattern and its impact on the thermosphere temperatures and winds were explored.
Also, some of the driving mechanisms necessary for creating a nightside ionosphere at
Venus were examined.


Methodology:
These data were generated by running the Venus Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model at solar minimum and extracting the modeled thermospheric and ionospheric state variables. The data is then post-processed and visualized in a combination of Python.

Files contained:
Please refer to specific README.txt's in each Fig/ directory.

Related publication(s):
Ponder, Brandon & Ridley, Aaron J. & Bougher, Stephen W. & Pawlowski, D. & Brecht, A. (2023). The Venus Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (V-GITM): A Coupled Thermosphere and Ionosphere Formulation. JGR Planets. In Press.


Use and Access: 
This data set is made available under a Creative Commons Public Domain
license (CC0 1.0). The python scripts contained were ran on macOS
Monterey version 12.7 with Python 3.9.

Numpy version: 1.19.4
Pandas version: 1.2.0


To Cite Data: 
Ponder, Brandon & Ridley, Aaron J. & Bougher, Stephen W. & Pawlowski, D. & Brecht, A. (2023). The Venus Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (V-GITM): A Coupled Thermosphere and Ionosphere Formulation. JGR Planets. In Press.