The SANDEE campaign in the Negev desert, Israel: Experimental evaluation of electrical effects during aeolian processes with Earth and Mars-like soils

Abstract:

The electrification of mineral sand/dust particles during aeolian processes is a well-documented phenomenon both in natural settings and in laboratory experiments. When in motion, small airborne dust particles collide with other suspended particles or impact the surface through the kinetic energy they acquire from the ambient wind. Field experiments are conducted in conjunction with the AMADEE-2020 Analog Mars Mission, planned for November 2020 in the Ramon Crater in southern Israel and led by the Austrian Space Forum (ÖWF). During the SANDEE experiment (Electrical Effects during Sand transport in Aeolian processes in the Negev Desert), we will deploy a portable wind-tunnel (Katra et al., 2016) at the site, and record particle movements in conditions that simulate sand storms of varying speeds. We use local Negev desert, as well as Mars-simulant (MSG-1; Cannon et al., 2019), soil samples placed inside the wind-tunnel. The ÖWF Analog Astronauts (AA's) measure particle dynamic, mineralogical and electrical characteristics as the sand is blown by wind inside the tunnel. A portable electric field detector (JCI-114) is used for measuring the amplification of the ambient electric field during sand movement at various, controlled, wind speeds. A vertical array of traps oriented along the wind direction is sampling particles, in order to calculate the related sand fluxes and to analyze particle characteristics.

We will report early results from the SANDEE campaign and from accompanying experiments, on wind-speed – aerosol - electrical field relationships for different soil types. These have practical implications for future Mars landers, as airborne sand particles are likely to interfere with communications and impede the energy output of solar panels due to the electrical adhesion of charged aerosols to different surfaces.