Simulations of Effects of Nanophase Iron Space Weather Products on Lunar Regolith Reflectance Spectra

0490562 - GLÚ 2019 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Escobar-Cerezo, J. - Penttilä, A. - Kohout, Tomáš - Muñoz, O. - Moreno, F. - Muinonen, K.
Simulations of Effects of Nanophase Iron Space Weather Products on Lunar Regolith Reflectance Spectra.
Astrophysical Journal. Roč. 853, č. 1 (2018), č. článku 71. ISSN 0004-637X. E-ISSN 1538-4357
Institutional support: RVO:67985831
Keywords : comets: general * methods: numerical * minor planets * asteroids: general * planets and satellites: surfaces * scattering
OECD category: Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science)
Impact factor: 5.580, year: 2018

Lunar soil spectra differ from pulverized lunar rocks spectra by reddening and darkening effects, and shallower absorption bands. These effects have been described in the past as a consequence of space weathering. In this work, we focus on the effects of nanophase iron (npFe(0)) inclusions on the experimental reflectance spectra of lunar regolith particles. The reflectance spectra are computed using SIRIS3, a code that combines ray optics with radiative-transfer modeling to simulate light scattering by different types of scatterers. The imaginary part of the refractive index as a function of wavelength of immature lunar soil is derived by comparison with the measured spectra of the corresponding material. Furthermore, the effect of adding nanophase iron inclusions on the reflectance spectra is studied. The computed spectra qualitatively reproduce the observed effects of space weathered lunar regolith.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0284754