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Title: Electrostatic charging of lunar dust

Abstract

Transient dust clouds suspended above the lunar surface were indicated by the horizon glow observed by the Surveyor spacecrafts and the Lunar Ejecta and Meteorite Experiment (Apollo 17), for example. The theoretical models cannot fully explain these observations, but they all suggest that electrostatic charging of the lunar surface due to exposure to the solar wind plasma and UV radiation could result in levitation, transport and ejection of small grains. We report on our experimental studies of the electrostatic charging properties of an Apollo-17 soil sample and two lunar simulants MLS-1 and JSC-1. We have measured their charge after exposing individual grains to a beam of fast electrons with energies in the range of 20{<=}E{<=}90 eV. Our measurements indicate that the secondary electron emission yield of the Apollo-17 sample is intermediate between MLS-1 and JSC-1, closer to that of MLS-1. We will also discuss our plans to develop a laboratory lunar surface model, where time dependent illumination and plasma bombardment will closely emulate the conditions on the surface of the Moon.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Department of Physics, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado 80639 (United States)
  2. LASP, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0392 (United States)
  3. Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0391 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21202192
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
AIP Conference Proceedings
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 446; Journal Issue: 1; Conference: 7. workshop on the physics of dusty plasmas, Boulder, CO (United States), 6-9 Apr 1998; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.56692; (c) 1998 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ASTROPHYSICS; COSMIC DUST; ELECTRIC CHARGES; ELECTRON BEAMS; ELECTRON EMISSION; ELECTRONS; EV RANGE; MOON; PLASMA; PLASMA IMPURITIES; SOLAR WIND; SURFACES; TIME DEPENDENCE; ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

Citation Formats

Walch, Bob, Horanyi, Mihaly, and Robertson, Scott. Electrostatic charging of lunar dust. United States: N. p., 1998. Web. doi:10.1063/1.56692.
Walch, Bob, Horanyi, Mihaly, & Robertson, Scott. Electrostatic charging of lunar dust. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.56692
Walch, Bob, Horanyi, Mihaly, and Robertson, Scott. 1998. "Electrostatic charging of lunar dust". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.56692.
@article{osti_21202192,
title = {Electrostatic charging of lunar dust},
author = {Walch, Bob and Horanyi, Mihaly and Robertson, Scott},
abstractNote = {Transient dust clouds suspended above the lunar surface were indicated by the horizon glow observed by the Surveyor spacecrafts and the Lunar Ejecta and Meteorite Experiment (Apollo 17), for example. The theoretical models cannot fully explain these observations, but they all suggest that electrostatic charging of the lunar surface due to exposure to the solar wind plasma and UV radiation could result in levitation, transport and ejection of small grains. We report on our experimental studies of the electrostatic charging properties of an Apollo-17 soil sample and two lunar simulants MLS-1 and JSC-1. We have measured their charge after exposing individual grains to a beam of fast electrons with energies in the range of 20{<=}E{<=}90 eV. Our measurements indicate that the secondary electron emission yield of the Apollo-17 sample is intermediate between MLS-1 and JSC-1, closer to that of MLS-1. We will also discuss our plans to develop a laboratory lunar surface model, where time dependent illumination and plasma bombardment will closely emulate the conditions on the surface of the Moon.},
doi = {10.1063/1.56692},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21202192}, journal = {AIP Conference Proceedings},
issn = {0094-243X},
number = 1,
volume = 446,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Oct 21 00:00:00 EDT 1998},
month = {Wed Oct 21 00:00:00 EDT 1998}
}