2021/08/20 by Felix Jungmann, Hannah van Unen, Jens Teiser +1 · 11 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Atmosphere (unit) #Atomic physics #Charge (physics) #Charge conservation #Collision #Computer science #Electric charge #Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies #Magnetic and Electromagnetic Effects #Mathematics #Mechanics #Particle physics #Physics #Planetary Science and Exploration #Quantum mechanics #SPHERES #Sign (mathematics) #Thermodynamics #Triboelectric effect #cond-mat.soft
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreve.104.l022601
published in Physical review. E 104(2), L022601 (American Physical Society)
openalex publication_date 2021/08/20 · arxiv created 2021/11/26 · arxiv updated 2021/11/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
In microgravity experiments, we quantified the net charge on systems of two identical, 434-μm-diameter glass spheres before and after a collision. We find that charge conservation is significantly violated. Independent of the sign of the total charge, the systems regularly lose some of their net charges, that is, they slightly discharge. This implies that positive as well as negative charge carriers become entrained into the surrounding atmosphere during a collision.