Investigation of the daytime lunar atmosphere for lunar sybnthesis program. Semiannual status report, 1 Oct 1974--31 Mar 1976

Technical Report · Wed Mar 31 00:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:7332086

Hodges, Jr, R R

Synthesis studies of the daytime lunar atmosphere were directed toward improved understanding of fundamental lunar atmospheric dynamics and the relationship of the detectable atmosphere to physical processes of the lunar surface and interior. The primary source of data is the Apollo 17 lunar surface mass spectrometer. The /sup 40/Ar is radiogenic, and its escape rate from the lunar atmosphere requires release of a significant fraction (about 8%) of the argon produced from the decay of /sup 40/K within the moon. Furthermore, the process of argon release from the solid moon is time varying and related to seismic activity. Most of the helium on the moon is due to release of implanted solar wind alpha particles from the regolith. (auth)

• OSTI ID: 7332086
• Report Number(s): N-76-21103; NASA-CR-146663; TRN: 77-001569
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
MOON
LUNAR ATMOSPHERE
ARGON
ARGON 40
HELIUM
HELIUM 4
RADIOACTIVITY
SOLAR ALPHA PARTICLES
SOLAR WIND
TIME DEPENDENCE
ALPHA PARTICLES
ARGON ISOTOPES
ATMOSPHERES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUIDS
HELIUM ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
RADIATIONS
RARE GASES
SATELLITES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR PARTICLES
SOLAR RADIATION
STABLE ISOTOPES
STELLAR RADIATION
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena