Lunar space weathering and the optical properties of lunar regolith

Details Lunar space weathering and the optical properties of lunar regolith Lunar space weathering and the optical properties of lunar regolith

Dec 1994

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994avest..28..109p&link_type=abstract

Astronomicheskij Vestnik (ISSN 0320-930X), vol. 28, no. 4-5, p. 109-119

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

1

Agglutination, Lunar Geology, Lunar Soil, Lunar Surface, Moon, Optical Properties, Particle Size Distribution, Regolith, Weathering, Absorption Spectra, Albedo, Astronomical Spectroscopy, Continuous Spectra, Iron

Scientific paper

The optical properties of lunar soils are different than those of rocks from which they are derived. As a consequence of lunar space weathering, soils are darker and exhibit a distinctive red-slope continuum and weaker mineral absorption bands. Spectroscopic analysis of agglutinate separates and size fractions for a suite of lunar soils presented here indicate that the agglutinate paradigm is insufficient to fully account for lunar optical alteration. It is the finest fractions of lunar soils (greater than 25 micrometer which constitute approximately 25 wt%) that dominate the optical properties of the bulk soil. Unlike size fractions of most silicates for which the finest fraction is the brightest, the lunar soil size fractions all have comparable albedos in the short-wavelength visible spectrum. In the near infrared, however, it is the finest fraction that exhibits the steep red continuum and weak absorption bands. The properties of the finest fraction cannot be duplicated by preparing a fine fraction by grinding larger agglutinate-rich soil particles. These results suggest that space weathering on atmosphereless bodies is dominated by surface correlated processes (perhaps associated with the development of fine-grained Fe deg on or near the surface of grains).

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