The Ancient Lunar Core Dynamo
- 17 February 1978
- journal article
- other
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 199 (4330) , 771-773
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.199.4330.771
Abstract
Lunar paleomagnetism provides evidence for the existence of an ancient lunar magnetic field generated in an iron core. Paleointensity experiments give a surface field of 1.3 gauss, 4.0 x 109 years ago, subsequently decreasing exponentially. Thermodynamic arguments give a minimum value of the heat source in the core at that time: known sources, radioactive and other, are quantitatively implausible, and it is suggested that superheavy elements were present in the early moon.Keywords
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