Character and Spatial Distribution of OH/H2O on the Surface of the Moon Seen by M³ on Chandrayaan-1.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Character and Spatial Distribution of OH/H2O on the Surface of the Moon Seen by M³ on Chandrayaan-1.
Authors:	Pieters, C. M., Goswami, J. N., Clark, R. N., Annadurai, M., Boardman, J., Buratti, B., Combe, J.-P., Dyar, M. D., Green, R., Head, J. W., Hibbitts, C., Hicks, M., Isaacson, P., Klima, R., Kramer, G., Kumar, S., Livo, E., Lundeen, S., Malaret, E., McCord, T.
Source:	Science (pre-March 2025). 10/23/2009, Vol. 326 Issue 5952, p568-572. 5p.
Subjects:	Lunar geology, Lunar research, Adsorption (Chemistry), Lunar craters, Neutron capture gamma ray spectroscopy, Hydrogen, Regolith, Lunar soil
Abstract:	The search for water on the surface of the anhydrous Moon had remained an unfulfilled quest for 40 years. However, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M³) on Chandrayaan-1 has recently detected absorption features near 2.8 to 3.0 micrometers on the surface of the Moon. For silicate bodies, such features are typically attributed to hydroxyl- and/or water-bearing materials. On the Moon, the feature is seen as a widely distributed absorption that appears strongest at cooler high latitudes and at several fresh feldspathic craters. The general lack of correlation of this feature in sunlit M³ data with neutron spectrometer hydrogen abundance data suggests that the formation and retention of hydroxyl and water are ongoing surficial processes. Hydroxyl/water production processes may feed polar cold traps and make the lunar regolith a candidate source of volatiles for human exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection

Description
Abstract:	The search for water on the surface of the anhydrous Moon had remained an unfulfilled quest for 40 years. However, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M³) on Chandrayaan-1 has recently detected absorption features near 2.8 to 3.0 micrometers on the surface of the Moon. For silicate bodies, such features are typically attributed to hydroxyl- and/or water-bearing materials. On the Moon, the feature is seen as a widely distributed absorption that appears strongest at cooler high latitudes and at several fresh feldspathic craters. The general lack of correlation of this feature in sunlit M³ data with neutron spectrometer hydrogen abundance data suggests that the formation and retention of hydroxyl and water are ongoing surficial processes. Hydroxyl/water production processes may feed polar cold traps and make the lunar regolith a candidate source of volatiles for human exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	00368075
DOI:	10.1126/science.1178658