Dust charging and transport on airless planetary bodies

Abstract We report on laboratory experiments to shed light on dust charging and transport that have been suggested to explain a variety of unusual phenomena on the surfaces of airless planetary bodies. We have recorded micron‐sized insulating dust particles jumping to several centimeters high with a...

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Main Authors: X. Wang, J. Schwan, H.‐W. Hsu, E. Grün, M. Horányi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-06-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069491
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author X. Wang
J. Schwan
H.‐W. Hsu
E. Grün
M. Horányi
author_facet X. Wang
J. Schwan
H.‐W. Hsu
E. Grün
M. Horányi
author_sort X. Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We report on laboratory experiments to shed light on dust charging and transport that have been suggested to explain a variety of unusual phenomena on the surfaces of airless planetary bodies. We have recorded micron‐sized insulating dust particles jumping to several centimeters high with an initial speed of ~0.6 m/s under ultraviolet illumination or exposure to plasmas, resulting in an equivalent height of ~0.11 m on the lunar surface that is comparable to the height of the so‐called lunar horizon glow. Lofted large aggregates and surface mobilization are related to many space observations. We experimentally show that the emission and re‐absorption of photoelectron and/or secondary electron at the walls of microcavities formed between neighboring dust particles below the surface are responsible for generating unexpectedly large negative charges and intense particle‐particle repulsive forces to mobilize and lift off dust particles.
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publishDate 2016-06-01
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-8d712f8fc077429ba2f207317b3dbc652025-08-20T03:10:24ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-06-0143126103611010.1002/2016GL069491Dust charging and transport on airless planetary bodiesX. Wang0J. Schwan1H.‐W. Hsu2E. Grün3M. Horányi4Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado USALaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado USALaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado USALaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado USALaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado USAAbstract We report on laboratory experiments to shed light on dust charging and transport that have been suggested to explain a variety of unusual phenomena on the surfaces of airless planetary bodies. We have recorded micron‐sized insulating dust particles jumping to several centimeters high with an initial speed of ~0.6 m/s under ultraviolet illumination or exposure to plasmas, resulting in an equivalent height of ~0.11 m on the lunar surface that is comparable to the height of the so‐called lunar horizon glow. Lofted large aggregates and surface mobilization are related to many space observations. We experimentally show that the emission and re‐absorption of photoelectron and/or secondary electron at the walls of microcavities formed between neighboring dust particles below the surface are responsible for generating unexpectedly large negative charges and intense particle‐particle repulsive forces to mobilize and lift off dust particles.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069491dustplasmaphotoelectronssecondary electronselectrostatic transportairless bodies
spellingShingle X. Wang
J. Schwan
H.‐W. Hsu
E. Grün
M. Horányi
Dust charging and transport on airless planetary bodies
Geophysical Research Letters
dust
plasma
photoelectrons
secondary electrons
electrostatic transport
airless bodies
title Dust charging and transport on airless planetary bodies
title_full Dust charging and transport on airless planetary bodies
title_fullStr Dust charging and transport on airless planetary bodies
title_full_unstemmed Dust charging and transport on airless planetary bodies
title_short Dust charging and transport on airless planetary bodies
title_sort dust charging and transport on airless planetary bodies
topic dust
plasma
photoelectrons
secondary electrons
electrostatic transport
airless bodies
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069491
work_keys_str_mv AT xwang dustchargingandtransportonairlessplanetarybodies
AT jschwan dustchargingandtransportonairlessplanetarybodies
AT hwhsu dustchargingandtransportonairlessplanetarybodies
AT egrun dustchargingandtransportonairlessplanetarybodies
AT mhoranyi dustchargingandtransportonairlessplanetarybodies