Physics of plasma–surface–exosphere–dust coupling at the lunar surface
| The lunar environment has many open plasma physics questions: What plasma processes are ongoing at 60 Re (Earth radii) in the terrestrial magnetotail? How does the solar wind and magnetospheric plasma interact with the lunar surface? Is the process significant for lunar surface water production? What are the characteristics of mini magnetospheres? How are the plasma, surface, exosphere, and dust coupled? How do Earth and the Moon couple in the plasma or electromagnetic perspectives? How is the coupling connected to the space weather of the overall system? These questions are of particular relevance to human spaceflight and the build of anthropogenic activity at the Moon, and how the environment will evolve. The Topical Team unites a diverse team of science experts providing a forum to formulate and focus on such scientific questions in space plasma physics that can be uniquely investigated on or near to the lunar surface and which can greatly help to inform ESA’s science preparations and advancements of concept studies. |