Solar Wind Implantation into Lunar Regolith: Hydrogen Retention in a Surface with Defects

• Published in: Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962) Vol. 255
• Main Authors: Farrell, W. M., Hurley, D. M., Zimmerman, M. I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Goddard Space Flight Center Elsevier Inc 28.09.2014
• Subjects: Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration; Solar Physics; Moon; Regolith; Solar Wind
• ISSN: 0019-1035

Solar wind protons are implanted directly into the top 100 nm of the lunar near-surface region, but can either quickly diffuse out of the surface or be retained, depending upon surface temperature and the activation energy, U, associated with the implantation site. In this work, we explore the distribution of activation energies upon implantation and the associated hydrogen-retention times; this for comparison with recent observation of OH on the lunar surface. We apply a Monte Carlo approach: for simulated solar wind protons at a given local time, we assume a distribution of U values with a central peak, U(sub c) and width, U(sub w), and derive the fraction retained for long periods in the near-surface. We find that surfaces characterized by a distribution with predominantly large values of U (greater than 1 eV) like that expected at defect sites will retain implanted H (to likely form OH). Surfaces with the distribution predominantly at small values of U (less than 0.2 eV) will quickly diffuse away implanted H. However, surfaces with a large portion of activation energies between 0.3 eV less than U less than 0.9 eV will tend to be H-retentive in cool conditions but transform into H-emissive surfaces when warmed (as when the surface rotates into local noon). These mid-range activation energies give rise to a diurnal effect with diffusive loss of H at noontime.