13 September 2022
Latest research on the lunar soil samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 mission conducted by the scientific research team from the Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, showed that the surface of the lunar soil samples contains high content of water attributed to solar wind implantation. Through the analyses by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS), the scientists estimated a minimum of 170 ppm water content attributed with solar wind proton implantation in lunar soils. The results of spectral and microstructural analyses indicate that the formation and storage of solar wind-derived water are affected by exposure time, crystal structure, and mineral composition of the minerals.
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