Possible physical processes causing transient lunar events

Details Possible physical processes causing transient lunar events Possible physical processes causing transient lunar events

Jun 1977

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1977pepi...14..299g&link_type=abstract

(NASA and Lunar Science Institute, Special Symposium on the Recent Activity in the Moon, Houston, Tex., Mar. 16, 1976.) Physics

Physics

3

Lunar Atmosphere, Lunar Dust, Lunar Surface, Transient Response, Brightness, Color, Interplanetary Dust, Outgassing, Solar Radiation, Solar Wind

Scientific paper

A number of physical processes are considered which could in principle cause transient changes on the lunar surface. It is found that the most likely explanation of transient phenomena involving obscuration of surface detail is clouds of dust raised from the surface by emitted gas, with the dust grains either levitated by continuing gas emission or in ballistic flight after initial projection by the release of trapped gas. Lightning-type discharges are proposed as a mechanism for events involving a brightness increase. It is suggested that conditions required for such discharges could just about be met in lunar dust clouds raised by gas emission and that this process may be consistent with reports of sparkling red light and flashes. An alternative mechanism for visible brightness changes is also discussed which entails modulation of incident sunlight, which could occur if albedo were changed by disturbed surface dust or gas emission. It is concluded that all types of lunar transient events reported, if they occur at all, seem to be best explained in terms of various physical processes that may be associated with dust raised by gas released from the lunar surface.

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