Integrating Materials Science Techniques into the Study of Planetary Hazes

Photochemically produced hazes are prevalent in the atmospheres of planetary bodies in the solar system and could also be ubiquitous in exoplanetary atmospheres. Haze has been shown to affect the thermal structure and dynamics of planetary and exoplanetary atmospheres. It could also be a source of the surface material on planetary bodies and will therefore be involved in various surface processes. However, many physical and chemical processes involving the haze are unknown due to the lack of knowledge of the haze as a material. Because of its chemical complexity, many of the intrinsic properties of the haze are highly material dependent and currently have large uncertainties in models. We have been using material characterization techniques such as atomic force microscopy, contact angle analysis, and nanoindentation, to experimentally determine the material properties of planetary and exoplanetary haze analog materials. We measured material properties such as surface energy, mechanical properties, and electrostatic properties to understand not only the structures and behaviors of haze materials, but this information could also shed light on their formation, evolution, interaction with clouds and surface liquids, and their impact on the current and upcoming observations.