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So, according to this question's answers: How does an object regains its neutrality after being charged by rubbing?

Charge from triboelectrically charged object is removed by ionized moist air and potentially dust particles too.

So i wondered, what if we charge object in pure vacuum? It will stay charged forever, right?

I guess, in real vacuum of Space it will loose its charge, eventually, because there is stuff like occasional charged particles flying by. It should take much longer time, than in moist air, though...

Mechanic
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ScienceDiscoverer
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1 Answers1

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All matter can be describe by a phase diagram which describes at what temperature it changes from solid to liquid to gas. A charged blob of water in space will evaporate very fast, see this answer here.

A solid object will take much longer to evaporate,the departing surface molecules taking the charge with them. This link has a table 2, in page 74, where the calculation has been done for a lot of materials studied for use in spacecraft . Of course a separate calculation would be needed for charged surfaces, depending on whether the molecular forces are more attractive or repulsive due to the charge.

anna v
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