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Reduced Iron in the Regolith of the Moon: Review

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Advances in Geochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Planetary Sciences

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Abstract

The paper presents a literature review of the problem of reduced iron in the regolith of the Moon, as well as on other airless bodies of the Solar System. The study of npFe0 is relevant from the point of view of remote sensing data, since its presence shifts the reflection spectra into the near-IR region (the so-called reddening), reduces the total albedo and attenuated the characteristic absorption bands. For example, when comparing the reflection spectra of s-type asteroids and ordinary chondrites, differences were found, but if we correct for the effect of the presence of such iron, the spectra became very similar, indicating a genetic link between this type of asteroid and chondrites. The paper describes the main types of experimental studies conducted so far on the simulation of space weathering, the main manifestation of which is just the formation of npFe0. There are two basic hypotheses of such iron formation—deposition of impact-generated vapor with iron atoms already reduced (as well as a result of sputtering process) and their subsequent coalescence into nano-spherules and thermal influence on regolith grains saturated with solar wind ions which play a role of reducing agent for divalent iron oxide. In addition, the paper presents the authors’ data on experimental modeling of nanophase iron formation using a millisecond laser. The authors conclude that there is a third mechanism of metallic iron nanospheres formation—thermal reduction in the melt, without reduction agents and deposition of impact-generated vapor.

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  1. Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 19 Kosygin St., Moscow, 119991, Russia

    E. M. Sorokin

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  1. Vernadsky Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Vladimir P. Kolotov

  2. Vernadsky Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Natalia S. Bezaeva

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Sorokin, E.M. (2023). Reduced Iron in the Regolith of the Moon: Review. In: Kolotov, V.P., Bezaeva, N.S. (eds) Advances in Geochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Planetary Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09883-3_24

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