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Reply to “Solar wind effects on the surface chemistry of lunar grains” by E. Bilson
Author(s) -
Zinner Ernst
Publication year - 1978
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/gl005i010p00893
Subject(s) - plagioclase , solar wind , sputtering , astrobiology , lunar soil , ion , chemical composition , geology , mineralogy , materials science , physics , plasma , thin film , metallurgy , thermodynamics , nanotechnology , quartz , quantum mechanics
Bilson (1978) has criticized our interpretation of ion probe measurements on lunar plagioclase grains by contending that the sputter action of solar wind H and He can account for observed surface enhancements of Mg and Fe. We think that an inappropriate analogy between lunar bulk soils and plagioclase grains led Bilson to this conclusion. While it is true that ion implantation is unlikely to have a dominant effect on the major element composition of the surface of lunar grains of average bulk soil composition, we show that chemical alteration by solar wind sputtering cannot explain our ion probe result on plagioclase grains. Glass splashes on shielded grains and solar wind implanted ions on some selected exposed crystals are the most likely source of Mg and Fe enhancements.