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| Titel |
Research Using the European Mars Simulation Wind Tunnel Facility |
| VerfasserIn |
Jonathan Merrison, Line Drube, Haraldur Gunnlaugsson, Christina Holstein-Rathlou, Svend Knak Jensen, Jon Mason, Morten Bo Madsen, Per Nørnberg, Manish Patel |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2011
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 13 (2011) |
| Datensatznummer |
250048038
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| Zusammenfassung |
| We present details of a recently completed European simulation wind tunnel and
some of the preliminary (and planned) research projects which use this laboratory
facility.
This simulator is capable of re-creating the environmental conditions at the surface of
Mars and complements several other large scale simulation facilities at Aarhus University in
Denmark.
It is accessible to international collaborators and space agencies for instrument
testing, calibration and qualification. It has been financed by the European space
agency (ESA) as well as the Aarhus University Science Faculty and the Villum
foundation.
It will be used for the multi-disciplinary scientific study of (among others); aerosol
formation and transport (on Mars and Earth), granular electrification, magnetic properties,
erosion, cohesion/adhesion, water transport, UV induced mineral alteration and bacterial
survival. Some of the first research investigations have already been carried out using this
facility. In one study the formation of solid carbon dioxide has been performed (under Mars
simulation conditions) with the aim of studying its physical properties. In another
the generation of dense dust aerosols has allowed (spectrally resolved) opacity
measurements. The testing of various prototype sensors, for Mars exploration, has also been
performed.
The facility consists of a 50m3 environmental chamber capable of low pressure operation
(0.02 - 1000 mbar) and cryogenic temperatures (-130 Ë C up to +60 Ë C). This chamber
houses a re-circulating wind tunnel able to generate wind speeds up to 25m/s and an
automated dust injection system has been developed to produce suspended particulates
(aerosols). It employs a unique LED based optical illumination system (solar simulator) and
an advanced network based control system. Laser based optoelectronic instrumentation is
used to quantify and monitor dust suspension and deposition. This involves a commercial
Laser Doppler Anemometer and specially developed instrument prototypes constructed at
Aarhus University.
European researchers may be eligible for financial support to carry out experiments using
this facility through the Europlanet (EU, FP7) Trans National Access program. |
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