28-Mar-2017: Sands of Titan are electrically charged

An experiment showed that, particles covering the surface of Titan are “electrically charged”. It explains an odd phenomenon, prevailing winds on Titan blow from east to west across the moon’s surface, but sandy dunes nearly 300 feet tall seem to form in the opposite direction.

Electrostatic forces increase frictional thresholds and makes the grains so sticky and cohesive that only heavy winds can move them. The prevailing winds aren’t strong enough to shape the dunes.

The non-silicate, granular materials can hold their electrostatic charges for days, weeks or months at a time under low-gravity conditions.

Titan’s atmosphere is composed of 98 per cent nitrogen.

The Earth sand does pick up electrical charge when it is moved, but the charges are smaller and dissipate quickly. That is one reason why you need water to keep sand together when building a sand castle. Not so with Titan, according to the experiment results.