Solar wind effects on the surface chemistry of lunar grains
Surface enhancements of iron and magnesium in crystals from lunar rock and soil samples have been measured by ion microprobes and were attributed to solar wind implantation of these elements. In this paper it is shown that these surface enhancements and in particular the Fe/Mg surface concentration ratios can also be explained as resulting from the sputter action of solar wind protons and He ions. Furthermore, since these ions are ten thousand times more abundant in the solar wind than ions of the elements which principally constitute the lunar grains, calculations demonstrate that sputtering by protons and He ions moves approximately a hundred times more Mg atoms, for example, than the number of solar wind Mg ions striking the surface. Ion implantation is unlikely, thus, to have a dominant effect on the major element composition of the surface of lunar grains.
- Research Organization:
- Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853
- OSTI ID:
- 6650078
- Journal Information:
- Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Vol. 5:6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Solar-Wind Protons and Heavy Ions Sputtering of Lunar Surface Materials
Lunar surface composition and solar wind-induced secondary ion mass spectrometry
Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
LUNAR MATERIALS
ION IMPLANTATION
HELIUM IONS
HYDROGEN IONS 1 PLUS
IRON
MAGNESIUM
MOON
SOLAR WIND
SPUTTERING
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN IONS
IONS
METALS
SATELLITES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena