|
Search | Add a publication |
| ID No : | 612 Edit | Title: | Our Current Understanding of Lunar Polar Hydrogen Deposits |
| Summary / Review : | "Members of the planetary community have been interested in the abundance of hydrogen in planetary bodies for a variety of reasons. First and foremost stems from the realization that water is needed to support life as we know it. A long-standing question is whether life has developed only on Earth, or could it, and has it, developed outside of our earthly environment. This quest has led our community to adopt a follow the water' guideline for designing new planetary missions. In addition, the most probable form of hydrogen is water, which is an essential ingredient for the support of manned planetary missions. This necessity has been a major driver in the search for water on the Moon. The suggestion for the existence of water-ice deposits within permanently-shaded regions near both lunar poles was made a long time ago [1,2]. This suggestion was followed by several studies of thermal conditions near the poles and mechanisms for the redistribution of hydrogen to polar- cold traps after its delivery to the Moon by meteorites, dust, and solar wind [3,4,5]. Concurrently, the experimental search for hydrogen in the form of water ice was made using bi-static radar reflection techniques [6,7,8], and the detection of cosmic-ray generated neutrons leaking outward from the Moon [9]. All interpretations of these early experimental results have been questioned, and have spawned lengthy debates. This process is, of course, an essential part of scientific inquiry because none of these experimental techniques measure hydrogen or water ice directly. The radar observations measure the intensity and polarization of back-scattered electromagnetic radiation and the neutron observations measure the intensity of neutrons in the epithermal range of energies. Furthermore, the initial measurements using both techniques did not have the spatial resolution that snatched the water-ice deposits expected to exist within a large range of craters that contained significant amounts of permanently-shaded terrain. This situation is evolving quickly on many fronts." (Author's abstract) |
| Author(s) : |
Feldman, William C., [NASA (Unspecified Center)] |
| Publication Date: | 2009 |
| Category(s) : |
Exploration and resources / Lunar / Geology and resources / Volatiles |
| Progress Type: | A ( A=Analysis only, D=Design, T=Testing, C=Completed or Commercial product ) |
| Web URL : |
http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20110012766
If this link is broken, please Add Comment below. We try to keep author contact details, and a backup copy in our offline library. |
| PERMANENT code(s) : | L,U |
|
(Explanation of the last 3 rows above) |
In the row above, there are up to 4 possibilities: U = URL you can click on to get a copy instantly from another source on the internet, or request it from that source D = Downloadable from PERMANENT (such as because no other URL known...) L = LAN copy, PERMANENT has a digital copy but not downloadable from our website P = Paper copy in the PERMANENT office Typically, only 0 to 3 methods are available. |
| NTRS : | 20110012766 |
| Submitted by : | MEP |
| Comments: |
Please add your thoughtful Comments to this paper after reading it. All comments are reviewed and approved before being posted publicly below. If you wish to submit a private comment to the curator, instead of a public comment, just write "Private" at the start of your comment. Corrections and suggested additions to our records are appreciated. |
Add Comment |