Lunar Dust Levitation

    Authors

    J. E. Colwell; S. R. Robertson; M. Horanyi; X. Wang; A. Poppe;P. Wheeler

    Comments

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    Abstract

    Observations of a lunar "horizon glow" by several Surveyor spacecraft on the lunar surface in the 1960s and detections of dust particle impacts by the Apollo 17 Lunar Ejecta and Meteoroid Experiment have been explained as the result of micron-sized charged particles lifting off the surface. The surface of the Moon is exposed to the solar wind and solar UV radiation causing photoemission, so it develops a surface charge and an electric field near the surface. Dust particles injected into this plasma from the lunar regolith, whether from human and mechanical activity or from meteoroid impacts or electrostatic forces, may be stably levitated above the surface and may undergo preferential deposition onto areas of the lunar surface (or equipment) with different electrical properties. This can lead to a net transport as well as contamination of sensitive equipment. This paper reports on new experimental measurements and numerical simulations of the plasma environment above the lunar surface and the related behavior of charged dust.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Aerospace Engineering

    Volume

    22

    Issue/Number

    1

    Publication Date

    1-1-2009

    Document Type

    Article

    First Page

    2

    Last Page

    9

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000264522300002

    ISSN

    0893-1321

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