About This Theme
This theme will focus on radiation processing of icy regolith and understanding volatile transport and sequestration particularly in the polar regions. The experimental efforts will characterize permanently shadowed region (PSR) mixed ices and icy:regolith simulants under realistic lunar conditions. In addition to the presence of useful volatiles, radiolytic processing of icy grains can lead to the formation of potentially toxic products not typically formed under thermally activated conditions.
Sub Tasks
The theme will address strategic knowledge gaps related to volatile inventories, ice identities and evolution. This will provide ground truth measurements and modeling capability for traverse planning and execution during lunar volatile mapping missions. The sub-tasks are:
Task 2.1: Space Weathering and Desorption of Icy Regolith and PSR Mixtures
Task 2.2: Mapping Optical Signatures and Volatile Release from Drill Piles
Task 2.3: Volatile Diffusion and Transport through Lunar Regolith
Learn More About the Other Themes
Theme 1
This theme focuses on experimental and theoretical modeling of space weathering, i.e. solar-wind (ion, and electron) and micrometeorite induced volatile production and transport.
Theme 3
This theme will address the fundamental radiation effects involved in radiometric dating and geochronology, the physics and chemistry correlated with dust charging, and novel electrostatic approaches to mitigate the risks of dust.