The spatial distribution of polar hydrogen deposits on the Moon
نویسنده
چکیده
A new analysis of the Lunar Prospector epithermal neutron data is presented, providing an improved map of the distribution of hydrogen near to the lunar poles. This is achieved using a specially developed pixon image reconstruction algorithm to deconvolve the instrumental response of the Lunar Prospector’s neutron spectrometer from the observed data, while simultaneously suppressing the statistical noise. The results show that these data alone require the hydrogen to be concentrated into the cold traps at up to 1 wt% water-equivalent hydrogen. This combination of localisation and high concentration suggests that the hydrogen is present either in the form of a volatile compound or as solar wind protons implanted into small regolith grains.
منابع مشابه
Neutron Measurements of the Lunar Polar Hydrogen Deposits: How Present and Future Measurements Can Provide Understanding
Introduction: A goal for both future exploration and science studies of the Moon is to better understand the abundance and spatial distribution of the polar hydrogen deposits. While there are clear exploration and resource utilization reasons for understanding the polar deposits, there are also scientifically compelling reasons to study and understand these regions. Here we will discuss some of...
متن کاملThe Spatial Distribution of Some Chromite Deposits in Iran, Using Fry Analysis
The spatial distribution of mineralization is the foremost concern in regional exploration and it could be considered as a very important tool in the investigation of mineral deposits. There are several data manipulation methods by which the data can be evaluated. Fry analysis is a good method to determine the direction(s) of maximum continuity of the deposits and could be used in different typ...
متن کاملHidden in the Neutrons: Physical Evidence for Lunar True Polar Wander
Introduction: Epithermal neutrons provide a robust measure of hydrogen abundance and have been used on many planetary bodies to measure hydrogen enhancements [e.g. 1,2,3,4]. Lunar polar epithermal neutrons display a strong, statistically significant, offpolar enhancement that is not clearly explainable by the current thermal environment. One plausible explanation is that these enhancements repr...
متن کاملLunar Argon Cycle Modeling
Introduction: The idea of stable deposits of volatiles in cold permanently shaded regions (PSRs), first advanced by [1], has been revived since observations by Lunar Prospector suggested large amounts of hydrogen in the polar caps. Previous studies have mainly focused on hydrogen (and water) [2] but other important volatiles such as argon could also be trapped. Temperatures in the coldest regio...
متن کاملBehavior of Piled Raft Foundation on Heterogeneous Clay Deposits Using Random Field Theory
In the case of problematic soils and tall buildings where the design requirements cannot be satisfied merely by a raft foundation, it is of common practice to improve the raft performance by adding a number of piles so that the ultimate load capacity and settlement behavior can be enhanced. In this study, the effect of spatial variability of soil parameters on the bearing capacity of piled raft...
متن کامل