| Autor: |
Clark, P. E., Curtis, S. A., Minetto, F., Marshall, J., Nuth, J., Calle, C. |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
AIP Conference Proceedings; 1/28/2010, Vol. 1208 Issue 1, p549-556, 8p, 3 Black and White Photographs, 1 Illustration, 1 Diagram, 1 Chart, 2 Graphs |
| Abstrakt: |
Successful exploration of most planetary surfaces, with their impact-generated dusty regoliths, will depend on the capabilities to keep surfaces free of the performance-compromising dust. Once in contact with surfaces, whether set in motion by natural or mechanical means, regolith fines, or dust, behave like abrasive Velcro, coating surfaces, clogging mechanisms, making movement progressively more difficult, and being almost impossible to remove by mechanical means (brushing). The successful dust removal strategy will deal with dust dynamics resulting from interaction between Van der Waals and Coulombic forces. Here, proof of concept for an electrostatically-based concept for dust control tool is described and demonstrated. A low power focused electron beam is used in the presence of a small electrical field to increase the negative charge to mass ratio of a dusty surface until dust repulsion and attraction to a lower potential surface, acting as a dust collector, occurred. Our goal is a compact device of <5 kg mass and using <5 watts of power to be operational in <5 years with heritage from ionic sweepers for active spacecraft potential control (e.g., on POLAR). Rovers could be fitted with devices that could harness the removal of dust for sampling as part of the extended exploration process on Mercury, Mars, asteroids or outer solar system satellites, as well as the Moon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Databáze: |
Complementary Index |
| Externí odkaz: |
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