Dust clouds and frictional generation of glow discharges on Mars

Mills, Angela

doi:10.1038/268614a0

Cited by 88 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…These dissipation currents can take the form of the Townsend dark discharge or a glow or even a spark if breakdown is reached. This visual effect was reported by Eden and Vonnegut (1973), Mills (1977) and Krauss et al (2003). The atmosphere at Mars therefore creates a substantial and significant competing dissipation current that act to deplete the development of large separated charge centres.…”

Section: Atmospheric Dissipation Currents J Dissmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…These not only include the early glow-creating laboratory experiments by Eden and Vonnegut (1973) and Mills (1977), but also a later set of dust mixing studies in a low pressure CO 2 gas performed by Krauss et al (2003Krauss et al ( , 2006 and pre-glow and spark discharge studies by . (2) Modelling studies (see Sect.…”

Section: Atmospheric Electricity On Marsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After the initial tribo-electricity experiments of Eden and Vonnegut (1973), Mills (1977) mixed grains in a low pressure CO 2 gas and created impressive electrical activity (glow and spark discharges) in order to gain insights into the environment that may have created ambiguities in the Viking lander biological experiments. It was concluded that this active dust-created electrical environment could make Martian dust storms an effective 'scavenger' of organic material.…”

Section: Atmospheric Electricity On Marsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Applications of Electrified Dust and Dust Devil Electrodynamics to Martian Atmospheric Electricity

et al. 2016

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Atmospheric transport and suspension of dust frequently brings electrification, which may be substantial. Electric fields of 10 kV m −1 to 100 kV m −1 have been observed at the surface beneath suspended dust in the terrestrial atmosphere, and some electrification has been observed to persist in dust at levels to 5 km, as well as in volcanic plumes. The interaction between individual particles which causes the electrification is incompletely understood, and multiple processes are thought to be acting. A variation in particle charge with particle size, and the effect of gravitational separation explains to, some extent, the charge structures observed in terrestrial dust storms. More extensive flow-based modelling demonstrates that bulk electric fields in excess of 10 kV m −1 can be obtained rapidly (in less than 10 s) from rotating dust systems (dust devils) and that terrestrial breakdown fields can be obtained. Modelled profiles of electrical conductivity in the Martian atmosphere suggest the possibility of dust electrification, and dust devils have been suggested as a mechanism of charge separation able to maintain current flow between one region of the atmosphere and another, through a global circuit. Fundamental new understanding of Martian atmospheric electricity will result from the ExoMars mission, which carries the DREAMS (Dust characterization, Risk Assessment, and Environment Analyser on the Martian Surface)-B R.G. Harrison

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Section: Atmospheric Dissipation Currents J Dissmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Atmospheric Electricity On Marsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Atmospheric Electricity On Marsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Applications of Electrified Dust and Dust Devil Electrodynamics to Martian Atmospheric Electricity

et al. 2016

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“…The electri-fication was strong enough to induce glow and filamentary discharge in the low-pressure background gas. Performing a similar experiment, Mills [1977] was so impressed by the electrified glow of the dusty gas that he suggested charged dust could act to cleanse or scour the surface of biogenic material. Marshall [1994] found that electrical forces dominate grain dynamics when fluid and gravitational forces are removed (i.e., the USML-1 & -2 space shuttle experiments).…”

Section: Evidence For Martian Dust Electrificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electric and magnetic signatures of dust devils from the 2000–2001 MATADOR desert tests

2004

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Dust devils are significant meteorological phenomena on Mars: They are ubiquitous, continually gardening the Martian surface, and may be the primary atmospheric dust‐loading mechanism in nonstorm seasons. Further, dust grains in the swirling dust devils may become electrically charged via triboelectric effects. Electrical effects associated with terrestrial dust devils have been reported previously, but these were isolated measurements (electric fields only) with no corroborating measurements. To study the fluid and electrical forces associated with dust devils, NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) enterprise sponsored a set of desert field tests with a suite of mutually compatible and complementary instruments in order to determine the relationship between electric, magnetic, and fluid forces. The project (originally a selected flight project) was entitled “Martian ATmosphere And Dust in the Optical and Radio” (MATADOR). In this work, we present a number of interesting examples of the electromagnetic nature of the dust devil. We also describe potential hazards of the dust devil and how similar devil‐ and storm‐related forces on Mars might affect any human occupation.

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“…Similarly, sand is known to become strongly electrified by helicopters traveling in desert environments, producing spark and explosion hazards 8 , and the issue even has implications for missions to the Moon and to Mars 9,10 , where charged dust degrades solar cell viability and clings to spacesuits, limiting the lifetime of their joints 11 . Several research groups have investigated mechanisms by which similar particles may charge one another, for example due to non-uniform heating 12 , differences in contact area 13 or particle size 14,15 , inductive charging of isolated particles 16 , or aqueous ion transfer at particle surfaces 17 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why do particle clouds generate electric charges?

Pähtz¹,

2010

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Grains in desert sandstorms spontaneously generate strong electrical charges; likewise volcanic dust plumes produce spectacular lightning displays. Charged particle clouds also cause devastating explosions in food, drug, and coal processing industries. Despite the wide-ranging importance of granular charging in both nature and industry, even the simplest aspects of its causes remain elusive, for it is difficult to understand how inert grains in contact with little more than other inert grains can generate the large charges observed. In this paper, we present a simple yet predictive explanation for the charging of granular materials in collisional flows. We argue from very basic considerations that charge transfer can be expected in collisions of identical dielectric grains, and we confirm the model's predictions using discrete element simulations and a tabletop granular experiment.

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Dust clouds and frictional generation of glow discharges on Mars

Cited by 88 publications

References 5 publications

Applications of Electrified Dust and Dust Devil Electrodynamics to Martian Atmospheric Electricity

Applications of Electrified Dust and Dust Devil Electrodynamics to Martian Atmospheric Electricity

Electric and magnetic signatures of dust devils from the 2000–2001 MATADOR desert tests

Why do particle clouds generate electric charges?

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