An inventory of dust charging in the heliosphere

Cosmic dust grains in the Solar System acquire a charge through several processes of which the main are plasma collection, secondary electron emission and photoionisation. The equilibrium charge attained depends on the local space environment, which varies both temporally and spatially, as well as on the size and composition of the dust grain. Consequently, the charging time determines whether the equilibrium charge can be achieved. Dust grain charging is relevant because it influences the trajectories of dust grains moving through the time-dependent solar magnetic field. This talk briefly reviews the charging mechanisms, assumptions of the charging simulations and gives an overview of plasma and charging properties in the heliosphere, and its variations in space and in time.