A design of in-situ detector of charged lunar dust (DCLD)

[Display omitted] •The in-situ detector for charged lunar dust(DCLD) is developed.•DCLD is composed of a Retarding Potential Analyzer(RPA) and a Sticky Quartz Crystal Microbalance (SQCM).•DCLD was tested in vacuum using CLDS-1 lunar dust simulant.•DCLD can measure the accumulated mass and the Q/m distribution of lunar dust. Charged dust widely exists on the surface of the moon, which is considered to be closely related with many natural phenomena. China's Chang’E-5 lunar mission plans to monitor the charged characteristics of electrostatically levitated dust on the lunar surface in an economical and effective way. The designed detector consists of two probes, the reference probe and the measuring probe. Each single probe consists of two grids and a sticky quartz crystal microbalance. The sensitivity coefficient of measuring probe is SM=(8.002±0.510)×10−9g/Hz·cm2, and that of reference probe is SR=(9.137±0.369)×10−9 g/Hz·cm2 under the test. By comparing the measurement results of two sets of probes, the mass proportion of dust with different charge/mass ratio of suspended lunar dust can be obtained. These results measured on the lunar surface would be helpful for analyzing the levitation mechanisms and motion characteristics of lunar dust.