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Spatial distribution of lunar polar hydrogen deposits after KAGUYA (SELENE)
Author(s) -
Teodoro L. F. A.,
Eke V. R.,
Elphic R. C.
Publication year - 2010
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 - 10.1029/2010gl042889
Subject(s) - geology , polar , altimeter , hydrogen , spatial distribution , geodesy , astrobiology , remote sensing , physics , astronomy , quantum mechanics
Although controversial in its physical form, there is mounting evidence of hydrogen enhancements at the lunar poles. The permanently shadowed locales are potential sites for significant concentrations of cold‐trapped volatiles, including water ice. We derive maps of the lunar hydrogen distribution near the poles by applying a pixon image reconstruction algorithm to the Lunar Prospector epithermal neutron data coupled with a new map of cold trap locations derived from the KAGUYA (SELENE) altimetry measurements. The results presented in this article require the hydrogen to be concentrated into “cold traps.”