If the wind does not blow off dust, it is likely that it is at least partially because it is adhering due to an electrostatic charge. This is very common for dust to blow up against something and generate a small electrostatic charge that keeps it sticking to it.

It's very annoying with photographs, plates and slides. A common tool to help is a static eliminator:http://www.orau.org/PTP/collection/c...eliminator.htm


The static eliminator actually has a small amount of a radioistope in it (normally a sealed polonium-210 source, but some industrial ones use Am-241 or something else).

The alpha particles produced ionize the air and the top of the plate or photo and this eliminates the static charge. Once you sweep the photo or printing plate or whatever with the static eliminator the dust won't adhere. Apparently also once used commonly for vinyl records.

The rovers have an alpha particle/X-ray spectrometer on the end of an arm with a small amount of a radioactive material. I don't know if it's mechanically possible but if they could point it at the solar cells it might help remove the dust.

As long as it's a couple inches away I doubt that it would cause any damage. Alphas won't penetrate the outer protective coating of the panels and the solar panels are subject to radiation anyway so they'd be hardend against it to some degree