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Initial measurements of the lunar induced magnetic dipole moment using Lunar Prospector Magnetometer data
Author(s) -
Hood Lon L.,
Mitchell David L.,
Lin Robert P.,
Acuna Mario H.,
Binder Alan B.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl900487
Subject(s) - magnetometer , earth's magnetic field , dipole , geophysics , magnetic dipole , amplitude , geodesy , moment (physics) , physics , inner core , magnetic field , geology , radius , orbit (dynamics) , magnetic moment , computational physics , optics , condensed matter physics , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics , computer security , engineering , aerospace engineering , computer science
Twenty‐one orbits of Lunar Prospector magnetometer data obtained during an extended passage of the Moon through a lobe of the geomagnetic tail in April 1998 are applied to estimate the residual lunar induced magnetic dipole moment. Editing and averaging of individual orbit segments yields a negative induced moment with amplitude −2.4 ±1.6 × 10 22 Gauss‐cm³ per Gauss of applied field. Assuming that the induced field is caused entirely by electrical currents near the surface of a highly electrically conducting metallic core, the preferred core radius is 340±90 km. For an iron‐rich composition, such a core would represent 1 to 3% of the lunar mass.