New Journal of Physics (Jan 2020)
Measurements of dipole moments and a Q-patch model of collisionally charged grains
Abstract
Identical glass spheres of 434 ± 17 μ m diameter are charged in collisions among each other. At slow speed some form dimers under microgravity and oscillate within the electrical field of a capacitor. The dipole moments deduced from these oscillations are large. They cannot be explained by the net charges measured for each grain (up to ±3 × 10 ^5 e ) and show no significant dependence on the net charge in the given range. This requires a highly non-homogeneous charge distribution on the grain surface. We simulate heterogeneous charging with a Q-patch charging model in agreement to the experimental data.
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