''On-line'' analyses of simulated solar wind implantations of terrestrial analogs of lunar materials

Journal Article · Sun Mar 30 00:00:00 EST 1986 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JB091iB04p0D467· OSTI ID:5977565

Blanford, G E; Borgesen, P; Maurette, M; Moeller, W; Monart, B

To help assess possible water reserves on the moon derived from the solar wind that could supply a lunar base, oligoclase, ilmenite, and simulated lunar glass have been irradiated with a beam of 2.5 keV/amu deuterium ions to simulate solar wind proton bombardment of lunar materials. For ilmenite and simulated lunar glass the areal density of deuterium D(phi) (D/cm/sup 2/) increases with the incident ion fluence phi until a critical reemission fluence is reached (phi = 3.3-3.5 x 10/sup 17/ D/cm/sup 2/). At this point deuterium begins to be lost from both targets until D(phi) reaches a saturation value D/sub s/ = 2-4 x 10/sup 17/ D/cm/sup 2/ at phi/sub s/ = 1-2 x 10/sup 18/ D/cm/sup 2/. Oligoclase begins losing deuterium when the beam is turned on; D(phi) never reaches a saturation value up to the limit of our experiment (phiapprox. =3 x 10/sup 18/ D/cm/sup 2/). There is a small yield of approx.10/sup -4/ D/sub 2/O/sup +//D/sub incident/ during the implantation. Thermal release patterns for D/sub 2/ in our targets do not correspond to those observed for H/sub 2/ in lunar soils, but the differences may be explainable after further experiments. Although ilmenite stores about twice as much deuterium as the other target materials, it is unknown whether this small enrichment factor will be sufficient to make it a potential source of lunar water.

• Research Organization: University of Houston-Clear Lake
• OSTI ID: 5977565
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 91:B4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
GLASS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
ILMENITE
DEUTERIUM IONS
DEUTERON REACTIONS
KEV RANGE 01-10
LUNAR MATERIALS
SOLAR WIND
WATER
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
ENERGY RANGE
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IONS
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON OXIDES
KEV RANGE
MATERIALS
MINERALS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATION EFFECTS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TITANIUM OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
360605* - Materials- Radiation Effects