First optical observation of the moon's sodium exosphere from the lunar orbiter SELENE (Kaguya)

M. Kagitani; M. Taguchi; A. Yamazaki; I. Yoshikawa; G. Murakami; K. Yoshioka; S. Kameda; F. Ezawa; T. Toyota; S. Okano

doi:10.1186/BF03352953

First optical observation of the moon's sodium exosphere from the lunar orbiter SELENE (Kaguya)

M. Kagitani, M. Taguchi, A. Yamazaki, I. Yoshikawa, G. Murakami, K. Yoshioka, S. Kameda, F. Ezawa, T. Toyota, S. Okano

SCI - Planetary Plasma and Atmospheric Research Center (PPARC)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The first successful observations of resonant scattering emission from the lunar sodium exosphere were made from the lunar orbiter SELENE (Kaguya) using TVIS instruments during the period 17-19 December, 2008. The emission intensity of the NaD-line decreased by 12±6%, with an average value of 5.4 kR (kilorayleighs) in this period, which was preceded, by 1 day, by enhancement of the solar proton flux associated with a corotating interaction region. The results suggest that solar wind particles foster the diffusion of sodium atoms or ions in the lunar regolith up to the surface and that the time scale of the diffusion is a few tens of hours. The declining activity of the Geminid meteor shower is also one possible explanation for the decreasing sodium exosphere.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1025-1029
Number of pages	5
Journal	Earth, Planets and Space
Volume	61
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03352953
Publication status	Published - 2009

Keywords

Geminid meteor shower
Lunar orbiter SELENE
Lunar sodium exosphere
Resonant scattering emission

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10.1186/BF03352953

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title = "First optical observation of the moon's sodium exosphere from the lunar orbiter SELENE (Kaguya)",

abstract = "The first successful observations of resonant scattering emission from the lunar sodium exosphere were made from the lunar orbiter SELENE (Kaguya) using TVIS instruments during the period 17-19 December, 2008. The emission intensity of the NaD-line decreased by 12±6%, with an average value of 5.4 kR (kilorayleighs) in this period, which was preceded, by 1 day, by enhancement of the solar proton flux associated with a corotating interaction region. The results suggest that solar wind particles foster the diffusion of sodium atoms or ions in the lunar regolith up to the surface and that the time scale of the diffusion is a few tens of hours. The declining activity of the Geminid meteor shower is also one possible explanation for the decreasing sodium exosphere.",

keywords = "Geminid meteor shower, Lunar orbiter SELENE, Lunar sodium exosphere, Resonant scattering emission",

author = "M. Kagitani and M. Taguchi and A. Yamazaki and I. Yoshikawa and G. Murakami and K. Yoshioka and S. Kameda and F. Ezawa and T. Toyota and S. Okano",

year = "2009",

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T1 - First optical observation of the moon's sodium exosphere from the lunar orbiter SELENE (Kaguya)

AU - Kagitani, M.

AU - Taguchi, M.

AU - Yamazaki, A.

AU - Yoshikawa, I.

AU - Murakami, G.

AU - Yoshioka, K.

AU - Kameda, S.

AU - Ezawa, F.

AU - Toyota, T.

AU - Okano, S.

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - The first successful observations of resonant scattering emission from the lunar sodium exosphere were made from the lunar orbiter SELENE (Kaguya) using TVIS instruments during the period 17-19 December, 2008. The emission intensity of the NaD-line decreased by 12±6%, with an average value of 5.4 kR (kilorayleighs) in this period, which was preceded, by 1 day, by enhancement of the solar proton flux associated with a corotating interaction region. The results suggest that solar wind particles foster the diffusion of sodium atoms or ions in the lunar regolith up to the surface and that the time scale of the diffusion is a few tens of hours. The declining activity of the Geminid meteor shower is also one possible explanation for the decreasing sodium exosphere.

AB - The first successful observations of resonant scattering emission from the lunar sodium exosphere were made from the lunar orbiter SELENE (Kaguya) using TVIS instruments during the period 17-19 December, 2008. The emission intensity of the NaD-line decreased by 12±6%, with an average value of 5.4 kR (kilorayleighs) in this period, which was preceded, by 1 day, by enhancement of the solar proton flux associated with a corotating interaction region. The results suggest that solar wind particles foster the diffusion of sodium atoms or ions in the lunar regolith up to the surface and that the time scale of the diffusion is a few tens of hours. The declining activity of the Geminid meteor shower is also one possible explanation for the decreasing sodium exosphere.

KW - Geminid meteor shower

KW - Lunar orbiter SELENE

KW - Lunar sodium exosphere

KW - Resonant scattering emission

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First optical observation of the moon's sodium exosphere from the lunar orbiter SELENE (Kaguya)

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Keywords

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