Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026

Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas
Published on: April 3, 2018
Thermophoresis and dust devils on the planet Mars
Babak T Gheynani1, Mohsen Emami-Razavi, Peter A Taylor
1Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
In the Martian atmosphere dust is abundant and is continuously replenished by the entrainment of materials and sediments from the surface of the planet. The sediment concentrations are particularly high and noticeable in whirlwinds, also known as dust devils. Assuming the thermophoresis force as the main driver of dust particles lifting from the surface, the dust process of the Martian atmosphere and its naturally formed dust devils are investigated for the northern polar region of the planet. Our simulated convective boundary layer shows that it may be unlikely that visible dust devils are formed only due to thermophoresis effects and some other lifting mechanisms are required.
Related Concept Videos
Torque Free Motion
Acceleration due to Gravity on Other Planets
Astronomical observations are thus used to measure the acceleration due to gravity on other planets. This can be determined by observing the effect of a planet's gravity on objects close to it. The crucial factor that helps in this...
Thermoregulation
States of Water
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...
Thermosensation
Requirements for Human Life
Oxygen
Atmospheric air is only about 20 percent oxygen, but that oxygen is a key component of the chemical reactions that keep the body alive, including the reactions that produce ATP. Brain cells are susceptible to a lack of oxygen because they require a...
