This session addresses interactions of plasma and (charged) dust in the vicinity and on the surfaces of small solar system objects and in planetary ionospheres, including meteor phenomena. Surface interactions were observed at several different objects including Mercury, Pluto, asteroids, comets, Kuiper belt objects, and a number of moons. Sub-surface layers influence the electromagnetic field locally and, in this way, can be measured remotely. Furthermore, observed surface properties and exospheres are strongly influenced by complex interactions between the dusty/icy regolith, micro-meteoroids, the plasma environment and UV radiation. These processes in turn affect the plasma conditions of the surroundings. A particular case are the moons of the giant planets where interactions occur with the magnetospheres of their host planets. In this session we invite contributions that will move forward our understanding of electromagnetic, surface-plasma and dust-plasma interaction with (small) solar system bodies. The different topics include (but are not limited to) the physics of meteors and of dust in ionospheres, fundamental electromagnetic interactions of satellites enclosed in diverse atmospheric envelopes, the physics of plumes and their influence on the local electromagnetic fields, the electromagnetic effects of sub-surface (magma) oceans, ionospheric phenomena and space weathering of surfaces.
Topic 1 (14:00 until 14:50): meteors, dust and upper atmosphere
Topic 2 (14:55 until 15:45): rocky and icy bodies in the solar system
Please join us for fruitful discussions!