Effects of darkening processes on surfaces of airless bodies

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

Scientific paper

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Darkening, Lunar Soil, Lunar Surface, Micrometeorites, Solar Wind, Astronomical Models, Fractionation, Impact Damage, Lunar Rocks, Meteorite Collisions, Proton Beams, Sputtering, Thin Films, Vapor Deposition

Scientific paper

We find the lunar darkening process could be due neither to simple addition of impact-melted glass nor to addition of devitrified glass to crushed lunar rock. There is evidence that lunar soil grains have thin, very light-absorbing coatings that mask absorption bands, seen in the reflection spectra of freshly crushed lunar rock, in the same manner as they are masked in the spectra of lunar soils. We believe the processes that produce these coatings are (1) deposition of atoms sputtered from lunar soil grains by solar wind particles and (2) deposition of vapor species vaporized from lunar soil grains by micrometeoritic impacts. We describe an apparent new type of fractionation that occurs during deposition of sputtered atoms. This fractionation favors retention of higher mass atoms over lower mass atoms, and appears to be a linear function of mass.

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