Detection of spark discharges in an agitated Mars dust simulant isolated from foreign surfaces

Harper, Joshua Méndez; Dufek, Josef; McDonald, G. D.

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2020.114268

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Furthermore, consideration of secondary effects on particle saltation may be fruitful. Electrostatic processes—such as fracto and triboelectrification—have been implicated in the dynamics of granular materials on Earth, Mars, and Titan 33 , 34 and may also modulate transport of sediments on Io. The effects of electrostatics may be exacerbated on Io given the exposure of grains to an ambient plasma and to strong electric and magnetic fields 35 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aeolian sediment transport on Io from lava–frost interactions

et al. 2022

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Surface modification on Jupiter’s volcanically active moon, Io, has to date been attributed almost exclusively to lava emplacement and volcanic plume deposits. Here we demonstrate that wind-blown transport of sediment may also be altering the Ionian surface. Specifically, shallow subsurface interactions between lava and Io’s widespread sulfur dioxide (SO2) frost can produce localized sublimation vapor flows with sufficient gas densities to enable particle saltation. We calculate anticipated outgassing velocities from lava–SO2 frost interactions, and compare these to the saltation thresholds predicted when accounting for the tenuous nature of the sublimated vapor. We find that saltation may occur if frost temperatures surpass 155 K. Finally we make the first measurements of the dimensions of linear features in images from the Galileo probe, previously termed “ridges”, which demonstrate certain similarities to dunes on other planetary bodies. Io joins a growing list of bodies with tenuous and transient atmospheres where aeolian sediment transport may be an important control on the landscape.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aeolian sediment transport on Io from lava–frost interactions

et al. 2022

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“…However, in our case herein, the blades are conducting carbon composite interacting with insulating grains. There are also laboratory studies of grain-grain tribocharging that derive the charge per grain (for example, Krauss et al (2006) and Mendez-Harper et al (2021)). Differences between all of these studies represent an inherent uncertainty in the efficiency of the tribocharging process which then creates an uncertainty in our results.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Torr and shook the flask creating glows and sparks in the gas. It has since been shown in the laboratory that mixing grains in a Mars environment will develop substantial charge (see recent report by Mendez-Harper et al (2021) and references therein). Adding active human systems in the mixing process will also produces electricity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Will the Mars Helicopter Induce Local Martian Atmospheric Breakdown?

et al. 2021

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Any rotorcraft on Mars will fly in a low-pressure and dusty environment. It is well known that helicopters on Earth become highly charged due, in part, to triboelectric effects when flying in sandy conditions. We consider the possibility that the Mars Helicopter Scout (MHS), called Ingenuity, flying at Mars as part of the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission, will also become charged due to grain-rotor triboelectric interactions. Given the low Martian atmospheric pressure of ∼5 Torr, the tribocharge on the blade could become intense enough to stimulate gas breakdown near the surface of the rotorcraft. We modeled the grain–blade interaction as a line of current that forms along the blade edge in the region where grain–blade contacts are the greatest. This current then spreads throughout the connected quasi-conductive regions of the rotorcraft. Charge builds up on the craft, and the dissipative pathway to remove charge is back into the atmosphere. We find that for blade tribocharging currents that form in an ambient atmospheric dust load, system current balance and charge dissipation can be accomplished via the nominal atmospheric conductive currents. However, at takeoff and landing, the rotorcraft could be in a rotor-created particulate cloud, leading to local atmospheric electrical breakdown near the rotorcraft. We especially note that the atmospheric currents in the breakdown are not large enough to create any hazard to Ingenuity itself, but Ingenuity operations can be considered a unique experiment that provides a test of the electrical properties of the Martian near-surface atmosphere.

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“…While this previous work relied on an externally applied electric field, sand-driven electric fields are certainly selfgenerated by triboelectric effects as the sand grains are hopping and colliding with each other within the transport layer (Wurm et al 2019;Méndez Harper et al 2021). However, it is by no means clear whether triboelectric charging lowers the minimal threshold wind shear velocity for transport initiation, u *ft , since charges may promote aggregation, thus making particle lifting more difficult (Méndez Harper et al 2017;Steinpilz et al 2020aSteinpilz et al , 2020bTeiser et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lifting of Tribocharged Grains by Martian Winds

Kruss¹,

Salzmann²,

Parteli³

et al. 2021

Planet. Sci. J.

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It is a long-standing open question whether electrification of wind-blown sand due to tribocharging—the generation of electric charges on the surface of sand grains by particle–particle collisions—could affect rates of sand transport occurrence on Mars substantially. While previous wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations addressed how particle trajectories may be affected by external electric fields, the effect of sand electrification remains uncertain. Here we show, by means of wind tunnel simulations under air pressure of 20 mbar, that the presence of electric charges on the particle surface can reduce the minimal threshold wind shear velocity for the initiation of sand transport, u *ft, significantly. In our experiments, we considered different samples, a model system of glass beads as well as a Martian soil analog, and different scenarios of triboelectrification. Furthermore, we present a model to explain the values of u *ft obtained in the wind tunnel that is based on inhomogeneously distributed surface charges. Our results imply that particle transport that subsides, once the wind shear velocity has fallen below the threshold for sustained transport, can more easily be restarted on Mars than previously thought.

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Detection of spark discharges in an agitated Mars dust simulant isolated from foreign surfaces

Cited by 14 publications

References 72 publications

Aeolian sediment transport on Io from lava–frost interactions

Aeolian sediment transport on Io from lava–frost interactions

Will the Mars Helicopter Induce Local Martian Atmospheric Breakdown?

Lifting of Tribocharged Grains by Martian Winds

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