Charged Dust Dynamics near the Lunar Surface

The Moon, which is exposed to the solar wind and solar UV radiation, develops a surface charge which in turn produces an electric field near the surface. The complex plasma environment immediately above the Moon's dusty surface varies over the course of the lunar day and with the passage of the Moon through the Earth's magnetotail. Dust particles injected into this plasma from the regolith, either from human and mechanical activity or from meteoroid impacts or electrostatic forces, are affected by the electrostatic force as well as gravity while above the lunar surface. Sub-micron dust particles may be stably levitated above the lunar surface by the electric force, while larger particles follow nearly ballistic trajectories once they are above the near-surface plasma sheath. These processes pose dust contamination hazards for equipment operating on and near the lunar surface.