Integration of lunar polar remote‐sensing data sets: Evidence for ice at the lunar south pole
Integration of lunar polar remote‐sensing data sets: Evidence for ice at the lunar south pole
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DOI：
10.1029/2000je001417
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发表时间：
2001-10
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
S. Nozette;P. Spudis;M. Robinson;D. B. J. Bussey;C. Lichtenberg;R. Bonner
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
S. Nozette;P. Spudis;M. Robinson;D. B. J. Bussey;C. Lichtenberg;R. Bonner
为了研究在月球南极沉积冰的可行性，我们整合了所有相关的月球极地数据集。这些数据包括照明数据、阿雷西博地面单基地雷达数据、新处理的Clementine双基地雷达数据和月球探测器中子谱仪测量数据。月球两极蕴藏冰层的可能性不仅对未来人类月球活动具有重要意义，而且对过去10亿年或更长时间内太阳系内部挥发物(如彗星和小行星)的记录也具有重要意义。我们发现，月球探测器测量到的超热中子通量异常与月球南极的永久阴影区重合，特别是与沙克尔顿陨石坑有关的区域。此外，这些区域还与克莱门汀双基地雷达回波的新处理揭示的β=0圆极化比(CPR)增强有关，这些增强又与阿雷西博天文台在沙克尔顿陨石坑太阳阴影下的墙壁上观测到的异常高CPR区域并置在一起。来自阿雷西博天文台和克莱门汀双基地雷达数据的高CPR范围的估计表明，沙克尔顿陨石坑面向地球的内壁上可能存在∼10平方公里的冰。没有一项实验获得了本文给出的数据，它们都不能很好地确定月球极地地区的冰。通过评估所有现有数据的相对优劣，我们发现在月球南极的冷陷阱中确实存在冰是可信的，并且未来使用专门设计来调查这些异常的仪器的任务是值得的。
In order to investigate the feasibility of ice deposits at the lunar south pole, we have integrated all relevant lunar polar data sets. These include illumination data, Arecibo ground-based monostatic radar data, newly processed Clementine bistatic radar data, and Lunar Prospector neutron spectrometer measurements. The possibility that the lunar poles harbor ice deposits has important implications not only as a natural resource for future human lunar activity but also as a record of inner solar system volatiles (e.g., comets and asteroids) over the past billion years or more. We find that the epithermal neutron flux anomalies, measured by Lunar Prospector, are coincident with permanently shadowed regions at the lunar south pole, particularly those associated with Shackleton crater. Furthermore, these areas also correlate with the β = 0 circular polarization ratio (CPR) enhancements revealed by new processing of Clementine bistatic radar echoes, which in turn are colocated with areas of anomalous high CPR observed by Arecibo Observatory on the lower, Sun-shadowed wall of Shackleton crater. Estimates of the extent of high CPR from Arecibo Observatory and Clementine bistatic radar data independently suggest that ∼10 km2 of ice may be present on the inner Earth-facing wall of Shackleton crater. None of the experiments that obtained the data presented here were ideally suited for definitively identifying ice in lunar polar regions. By assessing the relative merits of all available data, we find that it is plausible that ice does occur in cold traps at the lunar south pole and that future missions with instruments specifically designed to investigate these anomalies are worthy.