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On the Possibility of the Existence of Volatile Compounds in the Region of the Scott Crater on the Moon

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Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the illumination conditions, the thermal regime, and the possibility of deposits of volatile compounds existing in the vicinity region (NSR S5 region) near the southern pole of the Moon. It has been found that there are no permanently shadowed zones near the Scott crater and the NSR S5 region, though the temperature conditions allow the of compounds such as CH3OH, SO2, NH3, CO2, H2S, C2H4, and water to remain stable relative to evaporation for a long time (≥1 Gyr). It has been also shown that compounds like CO and CH4 cannot stably exist in these regions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia

    S. G. Pugacheva, E. A. Feoktistova & V. V. Shevchenko

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  1. S. G. Pugacheva
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  2. E. A. Feoktistova
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  3. V. V. Shevchenko
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Correspondence to E. A. Feoktistova.

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Original Russian Text © S.G. Pugacheva, E.A. Feoktistova, V.V. Shevchenko, 2018, published in Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, 2018, Vol. 56, No. 3, pp. 189–198.

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Pugacheva, S.G., Feoktistova, E.A. & Shevchenko, V.V. On the Possibility of the Existence of Volatile Compounds in the Region of the Scott Crater on the Moon. Cosmic Res 56, 169–179 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010952518030048

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010952518030048

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