Complex electric fields near the lunar terminator: The near‐surface wake and accelerated dust
Open accessAbstract
The lunar near‐surface electric field in the vicinity of the terminator is very complex, with a surface polarity change from dayside‐positive to nightside‐negative potentials and the formation of intensely negative potentials due to the low plasma density and increased temperatures in the trailing lunar wake region. Presented is a preliminary map of the terminator near‐surface E‐field magnitude and a discussion of dust dynamics in this E‐field structure, with intense vertical fields tending to give rise to vertically directed dust trajectories (aligned with the surface normal). Application of this process of wake‐generated surface E‐fields and dust to the more complicated topography at the lunar landing site of Apollo 17 is then used to explain the detection of fast moving (∼500 m/sec) but nightside‐directed dust in the region. We suggest that local solar wind orographic effects occurring at lunar sunrise/sunset can create a plasma void on the anti‐sunward side of obstructing features and associated wake‐generated surface E‐fields can then be the source of the nightside‐directed grains.
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Manka (1973) and Farrell et al. (2007) used a plasma model at the terminator suggesting 50 V for the lunar surface potential.
“For instance, Manka (1973) and Farrell et al. (2007) used a plasma model at the terminator suggesting 50 V for the lunar surface potential while the particle-in-cell simulations of Wang et al. (2008) on Poisson's equation resulted in the surface potential ranging from 0 to ±30 V.”
From Influence of Back Electrostatic Field on the Collection Efficiency of an Electrostatic Lunar Dust Collector (2014) · cites this paper as Farrell et al. (2007)
Section 2 (Surface Charging and the Lunar Wake) says the authors extend Manka’s surface-potential model with a lunar-wake plasma model. Section 3 (Model Results) reports approximately −40 V at the terminator, not the stated 50 V; if 50 V is intended as a positive potential, the sign also differs. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.87)
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Research works printed but not linked: 4
- Berg, O. E., et al. (1976). Lunar soil movement registered by the Apollo 17 cosmic dust experiment, in Interplanetary Dust and Zodiacal Light, edited by H. Elsasser et al., pp. 233 -237, Springer, Berlin.
- Halekas, J. S., S. D. Bale, D. L. Mitchell, and R. P. Lin (2005), Electrons and magnetic fields in the lunar plasma wake, J. Geophys. Res., 110, A07222, doi:10.1029/2004JA010991. · DOI
- Manka, R. H. (1973), Plasma and potential at the lunar surface, in Photon and Particle Interactions With Surfaces in Space, edited by R. J. L. Grard, pp. 347 -361, D., Reidel, Dordrecht, Netherlands.
- McCoy, J. E., and D. R. Criswell (1974), Evidence for a high altitude distribution of lunar dust, Proc. Lunar Sci. Conf., 5th, 2991.
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Jewitt, D. (2012) · The Astronomical Journal · doi:10.1088/0004-6256/143/3/66 · Cited by 318 · see citing works
“Near a shadow edge, the photoelectrons produced in sunlight can travel to and stick in unilluminated regions, causing local electric field gradients estimated at E ∼ 10 to 100 V m−1 (Colwell et al. 2007; Farrell et al. 2007).”
Afshar-Mohajer, N., Thakker, Y., Wu, C.-Y., & Sorloaica-Hickman, N. (2014) · Aerosol and Air Quality Research · doi:10.4209/aaqr.2013.12.0353 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“For instance, Manka (1973) and Farrell et al. (2007) used a plasma model at the terminator suggesting 50 V for the lunar surface potential while the particle-in-cell simulations of Wang et al. (2008) on Poisson’s equation resulted in the surface potential ranging from 0 to ±30 V.”
- Authors
- Farrell, W. M., Stubbs, T. J., Vondrak, R. R., Delory, G. T., & Halekas, J. S.
- Affiliations
- Goddard Space Flight Center (US)
- Space Sciences Laboratory (US)
- Corresponding author
- Farrell, W. M.
- Venue
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2007-07
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 14
- ISSN
- 0094-8276 (ISSN-L)
- 1944-8007
- OpenAlex
- W2056042447
- Cited by
- 101
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 2.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Geophysical Research Letters (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Dust and Plasma Wave Phenomena
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Planetary Science and Exploration
- Keywords
- lunar terminator, lunar wake, Apollo 17 landing site, lunar topography
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