Lunar surface composition and solar wind-induced secondary ion mass spectrometry
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
The Moon has no strong global magnetic field and only a tenuous atmosphere, so solar wind ions ({approximately}95% H{sup +}, 5% He{sup ++}) directly bombard the lunar surface, sputtering atoms and secondary ions from the exposed grains of the regolith. The secondary ions potentially provide surface composition information through secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), a standard laboratory surface composition analysis technique. In this paper the authors report the results of laboratory SIMS experiments on lunar soil simulants using solar wind-like ions. They find that H{sup +} and He{sup ++}, while not efficient sputterers, nevertheless produce significant fluxes of secondary lunar ions, including Na{sup +}, Mg{sup +}, Al{sup +}, Si{sup +}, K{sup +}, Ca{sup +}, Ti{sup +}, Mn{sup +} and Fe{sup +}. They predict that lunar surface secondary-ion fluxes range between {approximately}10 and 10{sup 4} ions cm{sup {minus}2} s{sup {minus}1}, depending on the species.
- OSTI ID:
- 7235475
- Journal Information:
- Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Vol. 18:11; ISSN 0094-8276
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
MOON
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ALUMINIUM IONS
CALCIUM IONS
HELIUM IONS
HYDROGEN IONS
IONIC COMPOSITION
IRON IONS
MAGNESIUM IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MANGANESE IONS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
OVERBURDEN
PLANETARY EVOLUTION
SATELLITE ATMOSPHERES
SILICON IONS
SODIUM IONS
SOLAR WIND
SPUTTERING
TITANIUM IONS
ATMOSPHERES
CHARGED PARTICLES
IONS
SATELLITES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR SYSTEM EVOLUTION
SPECTROSCOPY
661300* - Other Aspects of Physical Science- (1992-)