Microgravity experiments on thermal creep in Martian soil
- Paper number
IAC-18,A2,IP,8,x46064
- Author
Mr. Tobias Steinpilz, Germany, University Duisburg-Essen
- Coauthor
Mr. Mathias Schywek, Germany, University Duisburg-Essen
- Coauthor
Dr. Jens Teiser, Germany, University of Duisburg-Essen
- Coauthor
Mr. Marc Koester, Germany, University Duisburg-Essen
- Coauthor
Ms. Anna Kaemer, Germany, University Duisburg-Essen
- Coauthor
Prof. Gerhard Wurm, Germany, University Duisburg-Essen
- Year
2018
- Abstract
At the low ambient pressure at the Martian surface, thermal gradients drive sub-soil gas flows. This thermal creep can generate overpressure supporting dust lifting or provide directed gas transport from and to the atmosphere. As the Martian soil is complex, the resulting gas flow might depend on a number of details with respect to pore space, gas-species, ambient pressure and temperature distribution. In a number of parabolic flights, drop tower experiments and in laboratory work we studied thermal creep for different settings including variations of gas, grain size and pressure. We developed an analytical model for the granular bed which describes the gas flow very well. Including $CO_2$ this model allows quantitative calculations of the gas flow within the Martian soil in the future by applying a network of Knudsen pumps.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)