Mare and Highlands Studies of Correlated Observations of the Moon's Diurnally Modulating Epithermal Neutron Flux using LRO's LEND, Diviner and LOLA instruments.

Abstract:

Several independent observational studies have identified a modulating diurnal signal in the Moon’s neutron leakage flux. Those studies show that the diurnally varying neutron flux signal is of global extent, that the phase of the flux modulations are similar, that the flux minima occur at dawn and that the maxima occur at dusk. Two plausible hypotheses suggest differing explanations for the flux modulation. 1) Diurnally variant surface hydration or 2) Regolith temperature variation, which may modulate the neutron leakage flux with temperature. Studies of the high-latitudes found that for the north and south polar regions >75°, the amplitude of the neutron flux modulation was significantly greater for poleward-facing slopes (PFS) as compared to equator-facing slopes (EFS). If regolith temperature alone is driving the neutron flux modulation, then EFS should exhibit the greater diurnal amplitude, opposite the observation. More recently, studies of the neutron leakage flux in the mid-latitudes indicated that the greater amplitude of the neutron flux modulation on EFS was greater than PFS and is consistent with an interpretation that regolith temperature is modulating the neutron flux towards the northern Mare. However, between +/-(65° to 72°) latitude the ratio of the EFS to PFS neutron flux amplitudes inverts, with the PFS maintaining the greater amplitude as compared to the EFS. In this study the lunar mid to upper latitudes +/-(45° to 90°) will be studied in an effort to discriminate the source of the neutron flux modluation. Neutron, temperature and topography observations by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s (LRO) Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND), Diviner Radiometer, and Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimiter (LOLA) will be used to investigate the properties of the neutron leakage flux. Correlated studies of these three datasets in Mare and highlands regions will be used to determine the neutron flux characteristics of their respective EFS and PFS.