Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1763326 | Advances in Space Research | 2015 | 11 Pages |
Abstract
Comparisons of microwave brightness temperature (TB) observed by Changâ²E-1 and Changâ²E-2 with FeO + TiO2 content observed by Clementine indicate a correspondence of diurnal difference of microwave TB to FeO + TiO2 content in distribution, especially for 37 GHz. The correlation of FeO + TiO2 content and 37 GHz TB is discussed. Consequently, we choose the regions, e.g. (30°N, 25°W) in Mare Imbrium and (30°N, 55°W) in Oceanus Procellarum of uniform FeO + TiO2 content for further studying the bulk density of lunar subsurface layer, avoiding the interference of FeO and TiO2. The lunar surface is regarded as a two-layer model. According to the infrared TB observed by LRO which is approximately equal to lunar surface temperature, it is found that the thermophysical properties of the lunar upper surface layer appear uniform for the sampled regions. In that way, distinct diurnal differences of microwave TB in both regions are related to the bulk density of lunar subsurface layer. A theoretical analysis based on a two-layer microwave TB model confirms the correlation between diurnal differences of microwave TB and bulk density of lunar subsurface layer. Finally, the bulk density of lunar subsurface layer is retrieved from microwave TB observed by Changâ²E-2, ranging from 1.90 to 2.04 g/cm3 for a profile at 33°N extending from 120°W to 6°E.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Space and Planetary Science
Authors
Dan Zhang, Qingxia Li, Liang Lang, Qunhua Xiao, Yongchun Zheng,