Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Photoelectric Charging By Ultraviolet Light Of A Lunar Dust Simulant In A Microgravity Environment, Troy Munro, Andrew Fassmann

Posters

A microgravity experiment to test the electrostatic behavior of a lunar dust simulant being charged through the photoelectric effect will expand understanding of the charging characteristics of dust particles and may lead to a possible mitigation solution. With a design based upon Robert Millikan’s oil-drop experiment, this experiment is designed to observe the interactions of a lunar dust simulant without the conflicting effect of a dominant gravitational force. The dust particles will be charged by means of a lamp capable of photon energies necessary to emit electrons by the photoelectric effect. In the presence of an axial electric field, the …