A reanalysis of the Apollo light scattering observations, and implications for lunar exospheric dust

Dual‐spacecraft radio occultation measurement of the electron density near the lunar surface by the SELENE mission

“…Considering the large uncertainties in the estimation, it might be possible that particle radii on the order of 0.01 μ m explain the Luna mission results and possible electron density enhancements in our observation. Subsequent analyses of Apollo optical measurements by McCoy [1976], Zook and McCoy [1991] and Glenar et al [2011] also suggest that lunar exospheric dust is mostly composed of submicron grains. As for the lifting of dust from the lunar surface, Stubbs et al [2006]suggested the role of electrostatic force acting on dust particles charged by solar UV and X‐rays Sickafoose et al [2001].…”

Dependence of lunar surface charging on solar wind plasma conditions and solar irradiation

“…Therefore, the E S values predicted here appear to be orders-of-magnitude too weak to initiate electrostatic ejection of charged dust grains; although they are typically strong enough to have a significant influence 765 on the trajectories of some charged dust grains already in the exosphere, and could result in some form of either levitation, lofting or oscillatory motion (e.g., Colwell et al, 2007;Stubbs et al, 2006;Collier et al, 2013). It remains unclear how such dust grains from the regolith enter the exosphere, but it has been speculated that they could be ejected from the surface by a saltationlike cascade process initiated by meteoritic impacts (Glenar et al, 2011). 770…”

The effect of surface topography on the lunar photoelectron sheath and electrostatic dust transport

“…Complex electric fields above the surfaces of airless bodies are of geophysical interest in that they have been hypothesized as a method for amplifying electrostatic dust transport. At the Moon, several observations of increased electrostatic dust dynamics near the terminator, including of the detection of slowly-moving, highly charged dust grains by the Apollo 17 Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment (Berg et al, 1973(Berg et al, , 1974, images of lunar horizon glow near the terminator by the Surveyor 5, 6 and 7 spacecraft (Criswell, 1972;Rennilson and Criswell, 1974;Pelizzari and Criswell, 1978), and the presence of excess brightness in several Apollo coronagraph images (McCoy and Criswell, 1974;Glenar et al, 2011) have suggested that spatially complex electric fields may contribute to elevated dust grain charging and acceleration. Observations from the NEAR spacecraft around the Asteroid 433 Eros have shown the presence of 'dust ponds' in the center of several craters.…”