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Signatures of Volatiles in the Lunar Proton AlbedoWe find evidence for hydrated material in the lunar regolith using "albedo protons" measured with the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Fluxes of these albedo protons, which are emitted from the regolith due to steady bombardment by high energy radiation (Galactic Cosmic Rays), are observed to peak near the poles, and are inconsistent with the latitude trends of heavy element enrichment (e.g., enhanced Fe abundance). The latitudinal distribution of albedo protons anti-correlates with that of epithermal or high energy neutrons. The high latitude enhancement may be due to the conversion of upward directed secondary neutrons from the lunar regolith into tertiary protons due to neutron-proton collisions in hydrated regolith that is more prevalent near the poles. The CRaTER instrument may thus provide important measurements of volatile distributions within regolith at the Moon and potentially, with similar sensors and observations, at other bodies within the Solar System.
Document ID
20170002515
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Schwadron, N. A.
(New Hampshire Univ. Durham, NH, United States)
Wilson, J. K.
(New Hampshire Univ. Durham, NH, United States)
Looper, M. D.
(Aerospace Corp. El Segundo, CA, United States)
Jordan, A. P.
(New Hampshire Univ. Durham, NH, United States)
Spence, H. E.
(New Hampshire Univ. Durham, NH, United States)
Blake, J. B.
(Aerospace Corp. El Segundo, CA, United States)
Case, A. W.
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, MA, United States)
Iwata, Y.
(National Inst. of Radiological Sciences Chiba, Japan)
Kasper, J. C.
(Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)
Farrell, W. M.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Petro, N.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
March 23, 2017
Publication Date
December 15, 2015
Publication Information
Publication: Icarus
Publisher: Elsevier
Volume: 273
ISSN: 0019-1035
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN40280
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
surface
Moon
Ices
Cosmic rays

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