Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Oct 2001
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001aps..dppfp1065s&link_type=abstract
American Physical Society, 43rd Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics October 29 - November 2, 2001 Long Beach, C
Physics
Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dust particles are a nuisance in plasma processing of semiconductors, cause a rich variety of phenomena in laboratory plasmas, and play an important role in planetary and space physics. Experimental investigations have been made of the charge on dust particles resting upon a metal surface in vacuum [Sternovsky et al., JVST A, in press]. The surface is agitated so that the particles drop though a small hole and a Faraday cup beneath measures the charge on each particle. The surfaces are metals (Hf, Zr, V, W, Co, Ni, Pt and stainless steel) and the dust grains are both metallic conductors (Zn, V, and stainless steel) and insulators (silica, alumina, Martian regolith simulant, and lunar dust simulants) in the size range of 35 200 microns. The basic charging mechanisms studied are contact charging, electrical induction in presence of an electric field, and charging under UV illumination. The contact charge is proportional to the difference in work functions. Investigations of the charging by contact with different metal surfaces allow the determination of the effective work function of dust samples (5.8 eV and 5.65 eV for the Lunar and Martian dust simulants, respectively). An electric field above the surface induces an additional charge on metallic grains consistent with Gauss's law. The contact charge and the induced charge on insulating grains increased with repeated agitation of the surface. UV irradiation may increase or decrease the dust charge depending upon the relative importance of photoemission and photoconductivity.
Horanyi Mihaly
Robertson Scott
Sternovsky Zoltan
No associations
LandOfFree
Dust charging on surfaces does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Dust charging on surfaces, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Dust charging on surfaces will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1103727