Andrew P. Jordan

Dielectric breakdown weathering of the Moon's polar regolith

Galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles (SEPs) can charge the Moons subsurface, a process expected to be particularly important in the polar regions. Experiments have shown that sufficient fluences (i.e., time-integrated fluxes) of energetic charged particles can cause dielectric breakdown, in which the electric field rapidly vaporizes small, filamentary channels within a dielectric. Lunar regolith has both the characteristics and, in some polar locations, the environment needed to make breakdown likely. We combine the Jet Propulsion Laboratory proton fluence model with temperature measurements from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiters (LROs) Diviner instrument and related temperature modeling to estimate how often breakdown occurs in the polar regions. We find that all gardened regolith within permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) has likely experienced up to 2×106 SEP events capable of causing breakdown, while the warmest polar regions have experienced about 2 orders of magnitude fewer events. We also use measurements from the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation on LRO to show that at least two breakdown-inducing events may have occurred since LRO arrived at the Moon in 2009. Finally, we discuss how such “breakdown weathering” may increase the percentage of fine and monomineralic grains within PSRs; explain the presence of so-called “fairy castle” regolith structures; and contribute to other low-albedo features detected by LROs Lyman Alpha Mapping Project, possibly establishing a correlation between these features and the average temperatures within craters that are only partly in permanent shadow.

Deep dielectric charging of regolith within the Moon's permanently shadowed regions

Energetic charged particles, such as galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs), can penetrate deep within the lunar surface, resulting in deep dielectric charging. This charging process depends on the GCR and SEP currents, as well as on the regoliths electrical conductivity and permittivity. In permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) near the lunar poles, the discharging timescales are on the order of a lunation (∼20 days). We present the first predictions for deep dielectric charging of lunar regolith. To estimate the resulting subsurface electric fields, we develop a data-driven, one-dimensional, time-dependent model. For model inputs, we use GCR data from the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation on board the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and SEP data from the Electron, Proton, and Alpha Monitor on the Advanced Composition Explorer. We find that during the recent solar minimum, GCRs create persistent electric fields up to ∼700 V/m. We also find that large SEP events create transient but strong electric fields (≥106 V/m) that may induce dielectric breakdown. Such breakdown would likely result in significant modifications to the physical and chemical properties of the lunar regolith within PSRs.

Solar modulation of the deep space galactic cosmic ray lineal energy spectrum measured by CRaTER, 2009–2014

The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) is an energetic particle detector flying aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Since arriving at the Moon in 2009, CRaTER has observed the deep solar minimum of solar cycle 23, the ascending phase of cycle 24, the very weak maximum of cycle 24, and in recent months, what appears to be the start of the descending phase of cycle 24. In earlier work, we presented lineal energy spectra of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) at solar minimum for different shielding depths. The long period of CRaTER observations allows us to study the evolution of these spectra as a function of solar modulation. As solar modulation increases, the total flux of GCRs decreases, and lower-energy ions are preferentially removed from the spectrum of ions that arrive in the inner heliosphere. These effects lead to modest variations in the lineal energy spectrum as a function of time. GCR fluxes at the 2009/2010 solar minimum were high by historical standards and at solar maximum remained high compared to earlier maxima.