Related papers: Electrostatic Repulsion of Dust from Planetary Sur…
Dust emission mechanisms as one aspect of wind-driven particle motion on planetary surfaces are still poorly understood. The microphysics is important though as it determines dust sizes and morphologies which set sedimentation speeds and…
The coagulation of dust particles under the conditions in protoplanetary disks is investigated. The study focuses on the repulsive electrostatic barrier against growth of charged dust grains. Taking into account the photoelectric effect…
Wind-blown sand, or "saltation," is an important geological process, and the primary source of atmospheric dust aerosols. Significant discrepancies exist between classical saltation theory and measurements. We show here that these…
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…
The collisional evolution of solid material in protoplanetary disks is a crucial step in the formation of planetesimals, comets, and planets. Although dense protoplanetary environments favor fast dust coagulation, there are several factors…
The results of an analysis of the physics of levitation of negatively charged dust particles over a surface (wall) in an inverse sheath are reported. It is shown that under suitable parameter regime, the ion-drag force may balance the…
Laboratory experiments show that dusty bodies in a gaseous environment eject dust particles if they are illuminated. We find that even more intense dust eruptions occur when the light source is turned off. We attribute this to a compression…
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…
The interaction between dust grains is an important process in fields as diverse as planetesimal formation or the plasma processing of silicon wafers into computer chips. This interaction depends in large part on the material properties of…
The interaction between dust grains is an important process in fields as diverse as planetesimal formation or the plasma processing of silicon wafers into computer chips. This interaction depends in large part on the material properties of…
The coagulation of cosmic dust grains is a fundamental process which takes place in astrophysical environments, such as presolar nebulae and circumstellar and protoplanetary disks. Cosmic dust grains can become charged through interaction…
Wind-blown sand, or 'saltation,' creates sand dunes, erodes geological features, and could be a significant source of dust aerosols on Mars. Moreover, the electrification of sand and dust in saltation, dust storms, and dust devils could…
Energetic electrons from the inner radiation belt provide significant electric charging of the surfaces of Jupiter's moons Thebe and Amalthea whose orbits are located within this radiation belt. We estimate theoretically the electric fields…
The effect of the conducting electrode on the interaction of dust grains in a an ion flow is discussed. It is shown that two grains levitating above the electrode at the same height may attract one another. This results in the instability…
The most likely cause of levitation of dust above the surface of atmosphereless planets is the electrostatic mechanism. However, the crucial problem in the explanation of this effect is a determination of the reason why a large electric…
We recently questioned the treatment of a dust particle as a perfect absorber for electrons and ions and proposed a surface model for the charge of a dust particle in a quiescent plasma which combines the microscopic physics at the grain…
Magnetically driven astrophysical jets are related to accretion and involve toroidal magnetic field pressure inflating poloidal magnetic field flux surfaces. Examination of particle motion in combined gravitational and magnetic fields shows…
Charged dust clouds play an important role in the evolution of sub-stellar atmospheres through electrical discharges such as lightning events or inter-grain discharges. The consequent plasma activation presents an alternative source of…
We discuss the rotational excitation of small interstellar grains and the resulting electric dipole radiation from spinning dust. Attention is given to excitation and damping of rotation by: collisions with neutrals; collisions with ions;…
Planetesimals or smaller bodies in protoplanetary disks are often considered to form as pebble piles in current planet formation models. They are supposed to be large but loose, weakly bound clusters of more robust dust aggregates. This…