Detection of Water in the LCROSS Ejecta Plume

Other

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

68

Scientific paper

Several remote observations have indicated that water ice may be presented in permanently shadowed craters of the Moon. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission was designed to provide direct evidence (1). On 9 October 2009, a spent Centaur rocket struck the persistently shadowed region within the lunar south pole crater Cabeus, ejecting debris, dust, and vapor. This material was observed by a second “shepherding” spacecraft, which carried nine instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, and a radiometer. Near-infrared absorbance attributed to water vapor and ice and ultraviolet emissions attributable to hydroxyl radicals support the presence of water in the debris. The maximum total water vapor and water ice within the instrument field of view was 155 ± 12 kilograms. Given the estimated total excavated mass of regolith that reached sunlight, and hence was observable, the concentration of water ice in the regolith at the LCROSS impact site is estimated to be 5.6 ± 2.9% by mass. In addition to water, spectral bands of a number of other volatile compounds were observed, including light hydrocarbons, sulfur-bearing species, and carbon dioxide.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Detection of Water in the LCROSS Ejecta Plume does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Detection of Water in the LCROSS Ejecta Plume, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Detection of Water in the LCROSS Ejecta Plume will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1313092

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.