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Lunar Surface, Electrical Conductivity

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Encyclopedia of Lunar Science

Synonyms

Specific conductance

Definition

Electrical conductivity, σ, is a measure of how easily electrical current flows through a material, i.e., how easily electrical charge may be transported through it. It is usually expressed in siemens per meter (S/m). High electrical conductivity means that the material easily carries electrical current and does not readily remain electrically charged. Low electrical conductivity means that the material does not easily transport charge and tends to remain electrically charged.

Theory and Application

The electrical properties of lunar samples describe how such materials respond to electrical current flow and how electromagnetic energy is diffused and propagated within them.

The electrical properties of the Moon’s surface materials are those of silicates characterized by extremely low loss and low-electrical conductivity. England et al. (1968) first pointed out that the near-surface conductivities of the Moon are likely very low. In the total...

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References

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Correspondence to Jinsong Ping .

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Ping, J., Meng, Z. (2017). Lunar Surface, Electrical Conductivity. In: Cudnik, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Lunar Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_67-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_67-1

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