The presence of water on the Moon and Mars is among the issues that preoccupy astronomers and space scientists, especially in countries that have projects to colonize these two celestial bodies. For this reason, many research teams have been devoted to studying this matter.
If we knew that there was ice on the moon, we would not have known clearly what its source was. There are many reasons why the source of water on the Moon fascinates scientists. This water teaches us more about the Moon’s past, and is also vital in knowing how we can live in the long term on the Moon’s surface.
A new study, the results of which were published in the journal Nature Astronomy on September 14, indicated that electron waves arriving indirectly from the Earth and the Sun may contribute to the formation of frozen water on the surface of the Moon.
When the Moon is outside the magnetic tail, the Moon’s surface is bombarded by solar wind (Al Jazeera)
Earth’s magnetic tail
These electrons hit the Moon as it passes in and out of Earth’s magnetotail, which our planet leaves behind as it hurtles through space. Inside the magnetotail is a plasma sheet made up of highly charged electrons and ions, drawn in from Earth’s atmosphere and solar wind radiation from the Sun.
Scientists have previously investigated the role that the magnetotail and larger magnetosphere may play in the formation of water on the moon’s surface. The magnetosphere is created when Earth’s protective magnetic field repels the solar wind, creating a variety of effects in its wake.
As planetary scientist Shuai Lee of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa says in the press release published on the university’s website, this “provides a natural laboratory for studying lunar surface water formation processes.”
He added, “When the Moon is outside the magnetotail, the surface of the Moon is bombarded by solar wind. While there are almost no solar wind protons inside the magnetotail, the formation of water is expected to decrease to nearly zero.”
It appears that this water still forms when the moon’s surface is protected from the solar wind (Shutterstock)
Not so
However, remote analysis indicates that this is not the case, as previous studies have indicated that hydrogen ions generated by the solar wind generate water on the Moon, but this water appears to still be formed when the Moon’s surface is protected from the solar wind, within the magnetotail. .
Researchers believe that other forces play a role, specifically electrons. One way this could happen is by the interaction of high-energy electrons with lunar soil, releasing trapped hydrogen which can then form water.
“In the magnetotail, there may be additional formation processes or new sources of water that are not directly related to the cultivation of solar wind protons, and in particular, radiation from high-energy electrons shows similar effects to solar wind protons,” says Li.
More observations and experiments on the moon’s surface will be needed to know for sure, but it’s an interesting suggestion, and one of many that scientists are looking into to try to determine where moon water first originated.
