Shearer Charles K, Sharp Zachary D, Stopar Julie
Institute of Meteoritics, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131.
Center of Stable Isotopes, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Dec 24;121(52):e2321071121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2321071121. Epub 2024 Dec 16.
Numerous missions to the Moon have identified and documented volatile deposits associated with permanently shadowed regions. A series of science goals for the Artemis Program is to explore these volatile deposits and return samples to Earth. Volatiles in these reservoirs may consist of a variety of species whose stable isotope characteristics could elucidate both their sources and the processes instrumental in their formation. For example, the δD of potential contributors to the deposits can be used to identify a uniquely light solar wind component. Because of the exceptionally low temperatures of these volatile deposits, examining and interpreting their stable isotope systems to fulfill Artemis science goals through sampling, preserving, curating, and analyzing these samples are far more difficult than for other sample return missions. Collecting and preserving the samples at cryogenic temperatures dramatically increases science yield but is technologically demanding and poses increased risk during transport.
多次月球任务已识别并记录了与永久阴影区域相关的挥发性沉积物。阿尔忒弥斯计划的一系列科学目标是探索这些挥发性沉积物并将样本带回地球。这些储库中的挥发物可能由多种物质组成，其稳定同位素特征可以阐明它们的来源以及形成过程中的作用机制。例如，沉积物潜在来源的δD可用于识别独特的轻太阳风成分。由于这些挥发性沉积物的温度极低，通过采样、保存、管理和分析这些样本以检验和解释其稳定同位素系统来实现阿尔忒弥斯计划的科学目标，比其他样本返回任务要困难得多。在低温下采集和保存样本可显著提高科学产出，但技术要求高，且在运输过程中风险增加。
