VLS (Vapor-Liquid-Solid): Newly Discovered Growth Mechanism on the Lunar Surface?

A probable vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) type of growth has been discovered for the first time in nature on the surface of lunar rock 15015. Scanning electron microprobe and energy dispersive x-ray data indicate that the growth occurs as metallic iron stalks from about 0.015 to 0.15 micrometer in diameter, with bulbous tips consisting of a mixture of iron and sulfur and measuring from about 0.03 to 0.2 micrometer in diameter. The stalk length is two to ten times the bulb diameter.     

Electron microprobe analysis of lunar samples

Plagioclase feldspar, clinopyroxene, and ilmenite in a polished thin section of a type A crystalline rock were analyzed. The clinopyroxene grains are compositionally variable, and both high Ca and low Ca phases are present. The plagioclase is compositionally homogeneous. The ilmenite is chemically homogeneous except for occasional, small areas of high local chromium concentration. Accessory minerals are: apatite (containing Cl, F, Y, and Ce), troilite, and metallic iron. Glassy spherules from the lunar soil are for the most part similar in composition to the crystalline rocks; however, some appear to have been monomineralic. The crystalline rock has apparently formed by relatively rapid cooling of a silicate melt under conditions of low oxygen partial pressure. Many components of the soil appear to have formed by meteoritic impact.     

Abundance and distribution of iron on the moon

The abundance and distribution of iron on the moon is derived from a near-global data set from Clementine. The determined iron content of the lunar highlands crust ( approximately 3 percent iron by weight) supports the hypothesis that much of the lunar crust was derived from a magma ocean. The iron content of lower crustal material exposed by the South Pole-Aitken impact basin on the lunar farside is higher ( approximately 7 to 8 percent by weight) and consistent with a basaltic composition. This composition supports earlier evidence that the lunar crust becomes more mafic with depth. The data also suggest that the bulk composition of the moon differs from that of the Earth's mantle. This difference excludes models for lunar origin that require the Earth and moon to have the same compositions, such as fission and coaccretion, and favors giant impact and capture.     

Mossbauer spectroscopy of moon samples

Lunar bulk sample 10084,85 (< 1 mm size dust), and samples from rocks 10017,17 (fine grained, vesicular), 10046,17 (breccia), 10057,59 (fine grained, vesicular, top surface), 10057,60 (fine grained, vesicular, interior), and 10058,24 (medium grained, not vesicular) have been investigated by (57)Fe M?ssbauer spectroscopy. Iron metal and the Fe(2+) minerals ilmenite, pyroxene, troilite, and iron containing glass have been identified. An iron line of sample 10084,85 (originally sealed in nitrogen) showed no significant intensity change when the sample was exposed to air. The antiferromagnetic transition in several lunar ilmenites at 57(0) +/- 2 degrees K corresponds to stoichiometric FeTiO,. Magneticallv separated 10057 showed troilite and somne metallic iron.     

Mossbauer spectrometry of lunar samples

Nuclear gamma resonance measurements for the nuclide (57)Fe in lunar material were made in transmission on lunar fines and in scattering on intact lunar rock chips. No appreciable amnount of ferric iron was detected. Resonances were observed for ilmenite in all samples. Strong resonances attributed to ferrous iron in silicates, including pyroxenes and, in some samples, glasses and olivine, were also present. Metallic iron, alloyed with nickel, and troilite were also detected in the lunar fines. Differences in the spectra of various samples of lunar material and their significance are discussed.     

Surveyor v: magnet experiment

During the Surveyor V landing, a footpad with an attached permanent magnet assembly slid for about a meter through lunar surface material at a depth of about 10 centimeters. Subsequent pictures showed material adhering to the magnetic pole edges, where the magnetic field strength is greatest. Comparison of these pictures with those made under simulated laboratory conditions permits three conclusions. (i) Iron is present on the lunar surface in one of the forms attracted to a 500-gauss magnet. (ii) A 1-percent addition by volume of powdered free iron to a powdered terrestrial rock represents an upper limit for the lunar results. (iii) The lunar results are most similar to a terrestrial plateau basalt with no addition of free iron.     

Magnetic properties of the lunar crystalline rock and fines

Magnetic measurements have shown that nondiamagnetic minerals in a lunar crystalline rock of type B are (free Fe(2)+ in paramagnetic pyroxenes) : (antiferromagnetic FeSiO(3)) : (antiferromagnetic FeTiO(3)) : (ferromagnetic iron) = 4.3 : 7 : 20 : 0.08 in weight percentage. The abundance of ferromagnetic Fe in the lunar fines is about 7.5 times its abundance in the crystalline rock. The natural remanent magnetization of the crystalline rock of 7.5 x 10(-6) emu/ g in intensity may not be attributable to its thermoremanent magnetization.     

Preliminary examination of lunar samples from apollo 14

The major findings of the preliminary examination of the lunar samples are as follows: 1) The samples from Fra Mauro base may be contrasted with those from Tranquillity base and the Ocean of Storms in that about half the Apollo 11 samples consist of basaltic rocks, and all but three Apollo 12 rocks are basaltic, whereas in the Apollo 14 samples only two rocks of the 33 rocks over 50 grams have basaltic textures. The samples from Fra Mauro base consist largely of fragmental rocks containing clasts of diverse lithologies and histories. Generally the rocks differ modally from earlier lunar samples in that they contain more plagioclase and contain orthopyroxene. 2) The Apollo 14 samples differ chemically from earlier lunar rocks and from their closest meteorite and terrestrial analogs. The lunar material closest in composition is the KREEP component (potassium, rare earth elements, phosphorus), "norite," "mottled gray fragments" (9) from the soil samples (in particular, sample 12033) from the Apollo 12 site, and the dark portion of rock 12013 (10). The Apollo 14 material is richer in titanium, iron, magnesium, and silicon than the Surveyor 7 material, the only lunar highlands material directly analyzed (11). The rocks also differ from the mare basalts, having much lower contents of iron, titanium, manganese, chromium, and scandium and higher contents of silicon, aluminum, zirconium, potassium, uranium, thorium, barium, rubidium, sodium, niobium, lithium, and lanthanum. The ratios of potassium to uranium are lower than those of terrestrial rocks and similar to those of earlier lunar samples. 3) The chemical composition of the soil closely resembles that of the fragmental rocks and the large basaltic rock (sample 14310) except that some elements (potassium, lanthanum, ytterbium, and barium) may be somewhat depleted in the soil with respect to the average rock composition. 4) Rocks display characteristic surface features of lunar material (impact microcraters, rounding) and shock effects similar to those observed in rocks and soil from the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions. The rocks show no evidence of exposure to water, and their content of metallic iron suggests that they, like the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 material, were formed and have remained in an environment with low oxygen activity. 5) The concentration of solar windimplanted material in the soil is large, as was the case for Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 soil. However, unlike previous fragmental rocks, Apollo 14 fragmental rocks possess solar wind contents ranging from approximately that of the soil to essentially zero, with most rocks investigated falling toward one extreme of this range. A positive correlation appears to exist between the solar wind components, carbon, and (20)Ne, of fragmental rocks and their friability (Fig. 12). 6) Carbon contents lie within the range of carbon contents for Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 samples. 7) Four fragmental rocks show surface exposure times (10 x 10(6) to 20 x 10(6) years) about an order of magnitude less than typical exposure times of Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 rocks. 8) A much broader range of soil mechanics properties was encountered at the Apollo 14 site than has been observed at the Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Surveyor landing sites. At different points along the traverses of the Apollo 14 mission, lesser cohesion, coarser grain size, and greater resistance to penetration was found than at the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 sites. These variations are indicative of a very complex, heterogeneous deposit. The soils are more poorly sorted, but the range of grain size is similar to those of the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 soils. 9) No evidence of biological material has been found in the samples to date.     

Lunar rock compositions and some interpretations

Samples of igneous "gabbro," "basalt," and lunar regolith have compositions fundamentally different from all meteorites and terrestrial basalts. The lunar rocks are anhydrous and without ferric iron. Amounts of titanium as high as 7 weight percent suggest either extreme fractionation of lunar rocks or an unexpected solar abundance of titanium. The differences in compositions of the known, more "primitive" rocks in the planetary system indicate the complexities inherent in defining the solar abundances of elemizents and the initial compositions of the earth and moon.     

Lunar surface: composition inferred from optical properties

The optical characteristics (intensity, polarization, spectrum, and albedo) of the moon surface are compared with those of rock and meteorite powders. The only materials whose optical properties match those of the lunar surface are basic rocks containing lattice iron but little or no free iron, and then only after irradiation of these rocks by a simulated solar wind. Optical properties of chondritic meteorite powders differ from those of the moon in significant respects. The lunar crust is probably not chondritic, but is similar in composition to terrestrial iron-rich basalts. These results are independent of those from the Surveyor V alpha-scattering experiment and, in addition, provide a basis for extrapolating the Surveyor V analysis to other areas of the moon. The Surveyor V experiment has thus confirmed the value of earth-based optical techniques for the study of the structure and composition of the surfaces of other planets.     

Water and carbon in rusty lunar rock 66095

Lunar rock 66095 contains a hydrated iron oxide and has an unusual amount of water for a lunar rock (140 to 750 parts per million), 90 percent of which is released below 690 degrees C. The deltaof water released at these low temperatures varies from -75 to -140 per mil relative to standard mean ocean water (SMOW). The small amount of water released between 690 degrees and 1300 degrees C has a delta of about -175 +/-25 per mil SMOW. These delta values are not unusual for terrestrial water. The delta(18)O of water extracted from 110 degrees to 400 degrees C has a value of +5+/- I per mil SMOW, similar to the value for lunar silicates from rock 66095 and different from the value of -4 to -22 per mil found for samples of terrestrial rust including samples of rusted meteoritic iron. The amount of carbon varies from 11 to 59 parts per million with a delta(13)C from -20 to -30 per mil relative to Pee Dee belemnite. Only very small amounts of reduced species (such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane) were found, in contrast to the analyses of other lunar rocks. Although it is possible that most of the water in the iron oxide (goethite) may be terrestrial in origin or may have exchanged with terrestrial water during sample return and handling, evidence presented herein suggests that this did not happen and that some lunar water may have a deltaD that is indistinguishable from that of terrestrial water.     

Radar observations of asteroid 216 kleopatra

Radar observations of the main-belt, M-class asteroid 216 Kleopatra reveal a dumbbell-shaped object with overall dimensions of 217 kilometers by 94 kilometers by 81 kilometers (+/-25%). The asteroid's surface properties are consistent with a regolith having a metallic composition and a porosity comparable to that of lunar soil. Kleopatra's shape is probably the outcome of an exotic sequence of collisional events, and much of its interior may have an unconsolidated rubble-pile structure.     

Chemical Composition of the Lunar Surface in a Terra Region near the Crater Tycho

More precise and comprehensive analytical results for lunar surface material in a terra region have been derived from the data of the alpha-scattering experiment on Surveyor 7. The silicon content and the low sodium abundance are close to that of mare material. The abundances of titanium and iron are at least a factor of 2 lower, whereas the abundances of aluminum and calcium are significantly higher. The analytical results provide direct evidence for chemical differentiation in the moon and indicate a lunar crust of appreciably lower density than the whole moon and with lower density and higher albedo than lunar mare material.     

Seismic detection of the lunar core

Despite recent insight regarding the history and current state of the Moon from satellite sensing and analyses of limited Apollo-era seismic data, deficiencies remain in our understanding of the deep lunar interior. We reanalyzed Apollo lunar seismograms using array-processing methods to search for the presence of reflected and converted seismic energy from the core. Our results suggest the presence of a solid inner and fluid outer core, overlain by a partially molten boundary layer. The relative sizes of the inner and outer core suggest that the core is ~60% liquid by volume. Based on phase diagrams of iron alloys and the presence of partial melt, the core probably contains less than 6 weight % of lighter alloying components, which is consistent with a volatile-depleted interior.     

Moon: infrared studies of surface composition

Infrared reflectance studies of small lunar regions reveal several absorption bands which match those of ferrous iron in laboratory spectra of olivines and orthopyroxenes. The craters Kepler and Aristarchus exhibit absorption bands suggestive of orthopyroxene, whereas the background mare material shows a band probably due to olivine.     

Oxygen, Silicon, and Aluminum in Lunar Samples by 14 MeV Neutron Activation

Abundances of oxygen, silicon, and altiminutm in 27 lunar rocks and C aliquants of lunar soil have been determined by 14 MeV neutron activation. Mean abundances and standard deviations of individual abundances (in weight percent) within each type are: type A (2 rocks), 38.5 +/- 1.2 oxygen, 18.9 +/- 0.8 silicon, and 4.0 +/- 0.4 aluminum; type B (7 rocks), 39.4 +/- 1.0 oxygen, 18.7 +/- 0.8 silicon, and 5.0 +/- 0.6 aluminum; type C (18 rocks), 41.1 +/- 1.0 oxygen, 19.7 +/- 0.7 silicon, and 6.6 +/- 0.5 aluminum; soil (3 aliquants), 40.8 +/- 1.2 oxygen, 20.2 +/- 0.2 silicon, and 7.2 +/- 0.1 aluminum. Oxygen abundances are lower than those in most common terrestrial rocks and are comparable to those found in certain types of stony meteorites. From these results the lunar soil is most similar to the type C lunar rocks.     

A mechanism for producing magnetic remanence in meteorites and lunar samples by cosmic-ray exposure

An irradiation of 3 x 1017 neutrons per square centimeter in a reactor core produced an increase in the coercive force of iron and kamacite of 16 to 21 percent. The alternating-current demagnetization spectrum of saturation isothermal remanence was shifted toward higher coercive forces. Similar neutron fluences produced by cosmic-ray exposure may be capable of converting soft isothermal remanence in meteorites and lunar samples to remanence with a higher coercive force.     

Specific heats of lunar surface materials from 90 to 350 degrees Kelvin

The specific heats of lunar samples 10057 and 10084 returned by the Apollo 11 mission have been measured between 90 and 350 degrees Kelvin by use of an adiabatic calorimeter. The samples are representative of type A vesicular basalt-like rocks and of finely divided lunar soil. The specific heat of these materials changes smoothly from about 0.06 calorie per gram per degree at 90 degrees Kelvin to about 0.2 calorie per gram per degree at 350 degrees Kelvin. The thermal parameter gamma=(kpC-(1/2) for the lunar surface will accordingly vary by a factor of about 2 between lunar noon and midnight.     

Electron-microprobe analyses of phases in lunar samples

In fine (type A) and coarse-grained (type B) Apollo 11 lunar volcanic rocks clinopyroxenes are extremely inhomogeneous. Ferrosilite-rich areas in type B rocks have decomposed to submicron vermicular intergrowths of clinopyroxene-fayalite-cristobalite(?). Plagioclase has normal zoning with K(2)O up to 0.5 percent in rims. Ilmenites are relatively homogeneous with low mgo(0.1 to 2 percent) and high zro(2) (up to 0.26 percent). Metal phase in troilite has <0.02 percent nickel. The breccias (type C) and fines (type D) containing 0.09 to 10.52 percent Ti0(2.) Rare metal fragments with meteorite-like compositions occur in breccias and fines. Gross similarities between euctites and Apollo 11 volcanic rocks indiacate similar evolutionary environments, but detailed mineralogical differences suggest either separate origins or if eucrites are lunar, chemical inhomogeneities on the lunar surface.     

Lunar sample 14425: characterization and resemblance to high-magnesium microtektites

Measurements by energy-dispersive x-ray analysis of the surface of lunar sample 14425, a large glass bead, yield a noritic composition enriched in aluminum and magnesium and, as compared with other norites, depleted in iron and especially calcium. The sample is close in composition to the most basic microtektites. Spherical inclusions of nickel-iron, flattened where they protrude, are found to be enriched in sulfur and phosphorus, at least at the surface. The inclusions form approximately 1 percent of the volume.