Lunar Dayside Surface Potentials in the Terrestrial Magnetotail Inferred From Comparing Observed and Modeled Photoelectrons

Abstract As an airless body, the lunar surface is charged as a result of balancing electric currents into and away from the surface. Lunar surface charging is important for both scientific and human‐exploration purposes. The nightside surface charging has been well characterized by previous studies, but less so for the dayside. With a combination of observations from the Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) mission and modeling efforts, we can infer the lunar dayside surface potential. This study provides a statistical analysis of the lunar dayside surface potential when the Moon is located in the Earth's magnetotail lobes and how it varies with surface solar zenith angles, local plasma density, and electron temperatures, as well as lunar crustal fields.