The unexpected link between Earth's electrons and water on t

Dołączył: 11 Mar 2024 Posty: 1

The presence of water on the surface of the Moon is linked to high-energy electrons in the Earth's magnetosphere, concluded a study led by scientists at the University of Hawaii and published in Nature Astronomy.

While researchers and engineers look for the best regions with frozen wa Phone Number List ter on the Moon for exploitation, in parallel they are studying how the molecules reached the surface of the satellite and how they acquired their current distribution.

Although the enigma is not yet solved, there are several ideas about it. One of them suggests that water came to the Moon from other external bodies such as comets and asteroids, which partly explains why traces of it are found in and around the craters. Another theory suggests that the lunar resource has a more energetic origin. According to this explanation, the solar wind, composed of energetic particles, collides with the satellite and combines with oxygen atoms in minerals to form H2O molecules. This process is known as hydration.

The center of the Moon is a large solid rock as dense as iron.
What is in the center of the Moon?
A recent study published in Nature provided the best available X-ray of the Moon's core.
The water that came from the blue planet
When scientists in Hawaii investigated the hydration process, they realized a fundamental detail about the behavior of the Moon and the Earth. The satellite is not constantly exposed to the solar wind due to the presence of the magnetosphere and associated magnetotail, which act as protectors of the planet against the Sun's energetic particles.

According to the Nature report , the near side of the Moon spends 27% of its time inside the magnetic shield, reducing the flow of the solar wind by up to 99%. If the water comes from particles shot by a star, its distribution should be affected by these coverage periods. However, the results indicate that the presence of the frozen liquid on the surface remains constant.

The analysis does not rule out the hydration theory. On the contrary, it accepts it and enriches it with other sources that could be generating water beyond the planet. The Earth's magnetotail, also known to oxidize the satellite's poles, has the potential to permeate the lunar territory and produce the natural resource.

“This indicates that, in the magnetotail, there may be additional formation processes or new sources of water not directly associated with the implantation of solar wind protons. In particular, radiation from high-energy electrons exhibits effects similar to those of protons from the solar wind. “This discovery and my previous findings on rusty lunar poles indicate that Mother Earth is strongly linked to her moon in many unacknowledged ways,” explains Shuai Li, a researcher at the University of Hawaii and co-author of the study.

Following the discovery, the team will continue to investigate the role of the Earth's magnetic tail around the Moon. Now, the focus will be on the poles, rather than the nearest face. The largest deposits of frozen water are believed to be found in the southern and northern regions of the satellite, and it is in these areas that the new space race is taking place.

Wysłany: Pon Mar 11, 2024 08:33