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Description
Regolith is a loose layer of sediment, composed of dust, sand, and gravel grains that covers the solid surface of planetary bodies (planets, moons, asteroids, etc.). Research on the transport of regolith grains and its properties is one of the most important issues in planetary research, because any interaction with the surface of such a body is an interaction with the regolith.
Mars is a desert planet, shaped by regolith particles carried by the wind. They affect the surface topography, the circulation of the atmosphere, the climate, and Mars exploration operations. To conduct laboratory research on the formation of aeolian landforms or the interaction between regolith and anthropogenic objects (e.g., rover wheels or drills), tons of regolith are needed. From Mars, no regolith samples were brought back to Earth. Because Martian regolith is not available, regolith simulants are used.
There are several types of Martian regolith simulants that have been created for various purposes (e.g., JSC Mars-1, MGS-1, UC Mars-1). Each of them reflects specific properties, e.g. spectral, mineralogical, magnetic. However, none of them fully reflects the shape and size of the grains. The shape and size of grains are very important for aeolian transport, gravitational processes, or triboelectric charging. Above all, these properties significantly affect the interactions between regolith and anthropogenic objects.
In this work, we present a new regolith simulant, called UJ-MGF-1, that is consistent in shape, composition, and grain size with fine-grained Martian sands (diameter <0.25 mm). These sands are found practically everywhere on the surface of Mars and are transported by wind. They formed aeolian bedforms, such as sand ripples, sand shadows, or wind streaks; they are also present under the surface. The new simulant can be used for laboratory research on the surface and near-surface processes, testing of space technologies, or on in situ resource utilization activities.