ADHESION AND ABRASION OF SURFACE MATERIALS IN THE VENUSIAN AEOLIAN ENVIRONMENT

In laboratory simulations of the Venusian environment, rock and mineral "target" surfaces struck by aeolian particles develop a thin layer of accretionary material derived from the particles' attrition debris. Accretion may be (in part) a manifestation of "cold welding," a process well known in engineering, where bonding occurs between metals at a tribological interface. Accretion on geological materials was found to occur at all Venusian surface temperatures and for all types of materials tested. First-order variations in the amount deposited by particles are related to relative attrition susceptibilities. Second-order variations relate to properties of the particle-target interface. Variations in accretion volume are apparently independent of mineral chemistry and are only weakly dependent on crystallography. The results suggest that accretion should be a fairly universal phenomenon in areas of Venus subject to aeolian activity.