Solar wind and micrometeorite effects in the lunar regolith

Abstract
Using available data from the literature, we formulate an outline of the major physical and chemical effects expected during solar wind bombardment of the lunar regolith. In agreement with the results of Auger and e.s.c.a. analyses of the composition of lunar grain surfaces, this outline predicts that solar wind sputtering will tend to clean exposed grain surfaces by ejecting material at velocities exceeding lunar escape velocity. We also discuss results showing that Fe is partially reduced in the outer few 10 nm of grain surfaces and that this reduced Fe forms 10 nm diameter range metal spheres throughout the glass during agglutinate formation by micrometeorite impacts. These metal spheres give the agglutinates their distinctive optical and magnetic properties and are partially responsible for the decreasing albedo of the lunar surface with exposure age.

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