Browsing by Author "Phillips III, James R."
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Electrostatic charging of the lunar surface(51st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/10/2022) Phillips III, James R.; Dove, Adrienne R.; Buhler, Charles R.; Johansen, Michael R.; Calle, Carlos I.Lunar regolith dust particles accumulate charge and interact electrostatically with rover wheels, astronaut boots, and equipment. We have developed instrumentation for in situ measurements of the electrostatic charge developed by the interactions of lunar regolith dust with the space-rated materials on these devices. This instrument is also capable of measuring the distribution of electric fields on or near the lunar surface and the ion currents present near the lunar surface. We also report on our efforts to characterize the charging behavior of lunar dust in low gravity environments. This behavior is nonintuitive due to complex interactions between individual dust grains. We are developing an experiment to study this interaction in a microgravity vacuum environment. Better understanding of this interaction will allow for improved dust mitigation on the lunar surface.