Lunar dust transport by photoelectric charging at sunset

Abstract

The motion of dust grains from a photoelectrically charged object at the moon's sunset terminator is studied with the aid of a simple model. It is shown that sunlit objects ranging in size from less than 0.01 cm to 5 cm in radius are responsible for the levitation of dust grains to heights of observed horizon glow. The transverse displacement of these grains is observed to be at least twice their maximum altitude, so that fitting the latter to horizon glow implies horizontal particle ranges typically 6 to 60 cm. Detachment of these grains from the sunlit areas takes place mainly along the contracting sunlight boundaries as the areas shrink during sunset. A high ratio of intergrain adhesion force to dust-grain weight is essential for the occurrence of horizon glow and significant dust transport from the subcentimeter sized sunlit areas.