Скачать или смотреть Scientists Pin Down the Origins of the Moon's Tenuous Atmosphere

Key Findings:
_ Lunar Exosphere: Primarily formed by impact vaporization from meteorite collisions.
_ Meteorite Impacts: Over billions of years, continuous meteorite impacts have contributed to the formation and maintenance of the moon's thin atmosphere.

Study Overview:
_ Institutions: MIT and University of Chicago.
_ Publication: Science Advances.

Research Details:
_ Astronaut-Collected Samples: Analyzed lunar soil samples from NASA's Apollo missions.
_ Impact Vaporization: Identified as the dominant process forming the lunar atmosphere.

Findings:
_ Meteorite Bombardment: Continuous impacts by meteorites, from massive to micrometeoroids, vaporize lunar soil atoms and loft them into the atmosphere.
_ Isotope Analysis: Found heavier isotopes of potassium and rubidium in lunar soil, indicating impact vaporization over ion sputtering as the primary source.

Research Process:
_ Isotopic Proportions: Measured ratios of light to heavy isotopes of potassium and rubidium.
Mass Spectrometry: Used to analyze and quantify the isotopes in lunar soil samples.

Implications:
_ Atmospheric Formation: Approximately 70% of the moon's atmosphere is due to meteorite impacts, with the remaining 30% attributed to ion sputtering from solar wind.
_ Future Research: Highlights the importance of bringing back samples from the moon and other planetary bodies to further understand the solar system's formation and evolution.

Expert Opinions:
_ Nicole Nie: "We give a definitive answer that meteorite impact vaporization is the dominant process that creates the lunar atmosphere."
_ Justin Hu: "This discovery goes beyond understanding the moon's history, as such processes could occur and might be more significant on other moons and asteroids."

Background:
_ LADEE Mission: NASA's 2013 Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer provided initial insights but lacked the precision needed to conclusively determine atmospheric origins.
_ Apollo Mission Samples: Crucial for precise isotopic measurements and understanding space weathering processes.

Conclusion:
_ This study conclusively identifies impact vaporization from meteorite collisions as the primary process sustaining the moon's tenuous atmosphere. It emphasizes the necessity of sample return missions for deeper insights into the history and evolution of planetary bodies.

Source : Nicole X. Nie, Nicolas Dauphas, Zhe J. Zhang, Timo Hopp, Menelaos Sarantos. Lunar soil record of atmosphere loss over eons. Science Advances, 2024; 10 (31) DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm7074

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