THE MIGRATION OF VOLATILES ON THE SURFACES OF MERCURY AND THE MOON

Authors
Citation
Bj. Butler, THE MIGRATION OF VOLATILES ON THE SURFACES OF MERCURY AND THE MOON, J GEO R-PLA, 102(E8), 1997, pp. 19283-19291
Citations number
58
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Geosciences, Interdisciplinary","Astronomy & Astrophysics
Journal title
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
ISSN journal
2169-9097 → ACNP
Volume
102
Issue
E8
Year of publication
1997
Pages
19283 - 19291
Database
ISI
SICI code
2169-9097(1997)102:E8<19283:TMOVOT>2.0.ZU;2-1
Abstract
Radar observations of Mercury have provided the startling discovery of the probable existence of substantial deposits of ices in permanently shaded polar regions [Butler et al., 1993; Harmon et al., 1994]. This has renewed the old argument about the existence of such deposits in the polar regions of the Moon. It is most likely necessary for volatil es to be able to migrate to the polar regions of these bodies in order to build up such deposits. This paper presents the results of the ext ension of a Monte Carlo simulation of the migration of molecules on th e surface of Mercury by Butler et al. [1993]. The results of the simul ations show that for typical conditions on Mercury, similar to 5-15% o f all H2O which is placed randomly on the surface migrates to stable ( permanently shaded) polar regions. For the Moon the numbers are simila r to 20-50%. The numbers for the migration of CO2 are similar to 2% fo r Mercury and similar to 13% for the Moon. These percentages are simil ar to those previously calculated and support the idea of ice deposits in the polar regions of both Mercury and the Moon.