Open AccessSimulations of the photoelectron sheath and dust levitation on the lunar surface
Author(s) -
Poppe Andrew,
Horányi Mihály
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2010ja015286
Subject(s) - levitation , dusty plasma , solar wind , radiation , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , plasma , ultraviolet , astrobiology , debye sheath , particle (ecology) , flux (metallurgy) , physics , materials science , computational physics , optics , geology , oceanography , nuclear magnetic resonance , quantum mechanics , metallurgy , magnet
The lunar surface represents a complex plasma environment due to the presence of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, the incoming solar wind flux and charged, levitated micron‐ and sub‐micron sized dust particles. Photoemission due to solar UV radiation dominates the charging environment, creating a photoelectron sheath above the lunar surface. To further investigate the dusty plasma environment on the surface of the Moon, a one‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell (PIC) code has been designed specifically for the lunar surface. The code has been validated against analytic solutions for photoelectron sheaths with basic photoelectron energy distributions. Simulations have focused on the role of the emitted photoelectron energy distribution and solar UV variability in determining the sheath profile. Additionally, the charging and levitation of test dust particles in the photoelectron sheath are studied. Limits on the maximum size and height of levitated dust grains are also presented.