Related papers: Dust levitation above the lunar surface: role of c…
In laboratory experiments we observe dust aggregates from 100 \mu m to 1 cm in size composed of micrometer sized grains levitating over a hot surface. Depending on the dust sample aggregates start to levitate at a temperature of 400 K.…
In present models cloud based lightning forms as a consequence of the earth's gravitational and/or electromagnetic fields. Our simplified field-free model probes the random aggregation of a neutral ensemble consisting of a random…
Planet-encircling dust storms fundamentally reshape Martian weather and the near-surface electrostatic environment. We investigate the generation and evolution of electric fields during global dust storms using bimodal dust size…
There are many indications that anthropogenic global warming poses a serious threat to our civilization and its ecological support systems. Ideally this problem will be overcome by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Various space-based…
Presence of dust in galaxies removes half or more of the stellar energy from the UV-optical budget of the Universe and has profound impact on our understanding of how galaxies evolve. Measures of opacity in local galaxies are reviewed…
Dust enables low-mass stars to form from low-metallicity gas by inducing fragmentation of clouds via the cooling by its thermal emission. Dust may, however, be evacuated from star-forming clouds due to radiation force from massive stars. We…
A simple model of soap films with nonionic surfactants stabilized by added electrolyte is studied. The model exhibits charge regularization due to the incorporation of a physical mechanism responsible for the formation of a surface charge.…
The low frequency electrostatic perturbations have been investigated in a bi ion plasma in the background of static dust. It is shown that the field aligned shear flow of both the ions produce low frequency electrostatic instabilities and…
The charging of dust grains in astrophysical environments has been investigated with the assumption these grains are homogeneous spheres. However, there is evidence which suggests many grains in astrophysical environments are…
Dust and sand motion are a common sight on Mars. Understanding the interaction of atmosphere and Martian soil is fundamental to describe the planet's weather, climate and surface morphology. We set up a wind tunnel to study the lift of a…
Recent imaging of protoplanetary disks with high resolution and contrast have revealed a striking variety of substructure. Of particular interest are cases where near-infrared scattered light images show evidence for low-intensity annular…
The transport of sand and dust by wind is a potent erosional force, creates sand dunes and ripples, and loads the atmosphere with suspended dust aerosols. This article presents an extensive review of the physics of wind-blown sand and dust…
Hot luminous stars show a variety of phenomena in their photospheres and winds which still lack clear physical explanation. Among these phenomena are photospheric turbulence, line profile variability (LPV), non-thermal emission, non-radial…
Photoelectron emission is crucial to electric charging of dust particles around main-sequence stars and gas heating in various dusty environments. An estimate of the photoelectric processes contains an ill-defined parameter called the…
The structure of a discharge across a magnetic field in a dusty plasma is analysed. The dust macroparticles are negatively charged, but are unmagnetized because of their high mass. The electrons are highly magnetized, and the ions have…
Laboratory experiments show that a solid-state greenhouse effect in combination with thermophoresis can efficiently erode a dust bed in a low-pressure gaseous environment. The surface of an illuminated, light absorbing dusty body is cooler…
To reveal the effect of secondary electron emission on the charging properties of a surface covered by micron-sized insulating dust particles and the migration characteristics of these particles, for the first time, we used a laser Doppler…
Above lunar crustal magnetic anomalies, large fractions of solar wind electrons and ions can be scattered and stream back towards the solar wind flow, leading to a number of interesting effects such as electrostatic instabilities and waves.…
Main sequence stars are commonly surrounded by debris disks, formed by cold far-IR-emitting dust that is thought to be continuously replenished by a reservoir of undetected dust-producing planetesimals. We have investigated the orbital…
Large dust grains can fluctuate dramatically in their local density, relative to gas, in neutral, turbulent disks. Small, high-redshift galaxies (before reionization) represent ideal environments for this process. We show via simple…