A joint study by Christian J. Tai Udovic, a doctoral student in northern arizona university, and Christopher Edwards, an associate professor, found a clue that can help people understand why the surface of the moon is so active. The research shows that the radiation from the sun plays an important role in the formation of a large number of nano-iron metal particles on the surface of the moon, which exceeds people's expectations.
Because the moon lacks the same magnetic field and atmosphere as the earth, the impact of asteroids and the radiation of the sun will affect the moon itself in a unique way. Asteroid impact and solar radiation will crush the rocks and soil on the moon and form large or small nano-iron particles, which can be detected by satellites around the moon. This study uses data from NASA and JAXA to explore the speed at which nano-iron particles are produced on the surface of the moon.
"For a long time, we thought that the solar wind (solar radiation) had little influence on the evolution of the lunar surface, but in fact, solar radiation may be the most important factor for the generation of these nano-iron metal particles," said Tai Udovic. "Because iron absorbs a lot of light, even a very small amount of iron metal particles can be detected from far away, which makes them a good helper for us to study the changes on the surface of the moon."
Surprisingly, the speed at which lunar soil samples are irradiated in the laboratory to generate nano-iron particles is similar to that actually produced on the moon, which shows that the sun really plays a key role in the formation of these particles.
"I was shocked when I first compared the sample data of the Apollo program with the data of satellites orbiting the moon," said Ty Udovic. "This study shows that the influence of the sun on the moon is much greater than people thought before. The sun can not only darken the surface of the moon, but also help us to make a small amount of water for future moon landing plans. "
NASA plans to send a female astronaut and a male astronaut to the moon in 2024. It is helpful to know about solar radiation and the resources that may be used on the moon. Ty Udovic plans to expand his vision to the whole moon in the follow-up research, but at the same time he is very much looking forward to seeing the mysterious "Moon Vortex" on the moon at close range.
"These studies help us to understand the evolution of the lunar surface from a bird's eye view." Ty Udovic said, "Although there are still many things we don't know, I hope that when humans set foot on the moon again, we can fully prepare for this mission to the moon."