Impacts of fast meteoroids and the separation of dust particles from the surface of the Moon

Abstract

The possibility of the separation of dust particles owing to impacts of micrometeoroids on the surface of the Moon has been discussed. It has been shown that this effect is significant and should be taken into account when determining the number of particles rising over the surface of the Moon at the formation of a plasma–dust system. The average number of regolith particles leaving the surface of the Moon owing to the impacts of fast meteoroids has been determined for various altitudes over the Moon. The size distribution function of particles leaving the surface of the Moon because of impacts of meteoroids has been determined. It has been shown that impacts of meteoroids constitute an important source of dust microparticles in the plasma–dust system over the surface of the Moon.