Lagrangian Trajectory Modeling of Lunar Dust Particles

Abstract

A mathematical model and software implementation developed to predict trajectories of single lunar dust particles acted on by a high velocity gas flow is discussed. The model uses output from a computation fluid dynamics (CFD) or direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) simulation of a rocket nozzle hot gas jet. The gas density, velocity vector field, and temperature predicted by the CFD/DSMC simulations, provide the data necessary to compute the forces and accelerations acting on a single particle of regolith. All calculations of trajectory assume that the duration of particle flight is much shorter than the change in gas properties, i.e., the particle trajectory calculations take into account the spatial variation of the gas jet, but not the temporal variation. This is a reasonable first-order assumption. Final results are compared to photogrammetry derived estimates of dust angles form Apollo landing videos.