Contributions of solar-wind induced potential sputtering to the lunar surface erosion rate and it's exosphere

NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION B-BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS

卷:420

Article

Alnussirat, S. T.¹  Barghouty, A. F.²  Edmunson, J. E.³  Sabra, M. S.⁴  Rickman, D. L.³ 

[1] Univ Alabama, Dept Phys, Huntsville, AL 35899 USA

[2] NASA, Astrophys Off, Marshall Space Flight Ctr, Huntsville, AL 35812 USA

[3] Marshall Space Plight Ctr, Jacobs ESSCA Grp, Huntsville, AL 35812 USA

[4] Marshall Space Flight Ctr, USRA Space Sci Dept, Huntsville, AL 35805 USA

关键词: Solar-wind sputtering;    Potential sputtering;    Erosion rate;    Sputtering timescale;    Lunar exosphere;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.nimb.2018.01.020

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Sputtering of lunar regolith by solar-wind protons and heavy ions with kinetic energies of about 1 keV/amu is an important erosive process that affects the lunar surface and exosphere. It plays an important role in changing the chemical composition and thickness of the surface layer, and in introducing material into the exosphere. Kinetic sputtering is well modeled and understood, hilt understanding of Mechanisms of Potential sputtering has lagged behind. In this study we differentiate the contributions of potenti sputtering from the standard (kinetic) sputtering in changing the chemical Composition and erosion rate of the lunar surface. Also we study the con: tribution of potential sputtering in developing the lunar exosphere. Our results show that potential sputtering enhances the total characteristic sputtering erosion rate by about 44%, and reduces sputtering time scales by the same amount. Potential sputtering also introduces more material into the lunar exosphere.

【 授权许可】

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