Microgravity studies of aggregation in particulate clouds

Authors

Todd B. Sauke, San Jose State UniversityFollow
J. R. Marshall, SETI Institute
J. N. Cuzzi, NASA Ames Research Center

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

June 2005

Publication Title

Geophysical Research Letters

Volume

32

Issue Number

11

DOI

10.1029/2005GL022567

Disciplines

Astrophysics and Astronomy

Abstract

Aggregation in clouds of submillimeter quartz and volcanic ash particles was studied in microgravity. Particle clouds generated by pulses of air immediately formed electrostatic filamentary aggregates upon cessation of air turbulence. Manual agitation of experiment chambers produced cm-size loose grain clusters which voraciously scavenged free-floating material in their vicinity. A dipole model accounts for these observations. Experimental results have ramifications for the behavior of natural cloud systems and primary accretion of solids in the early solar nebula.

Comments

© 2007 Wiley. Doi:10.1029/2005GL022567

Recommended Citation

Todd B. Sauke, J. R. Marshall, and J. N. Cuzzi. "Microgravity studies of aggregation in particulate clouds" Geophysical Research Letters (2005). https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL022567