The project will analyze spectroscopic data from the stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy that are used to make maps of the abundance of the water molecule on the surface of the moon.…

This is a $60,000 grant awarded by the Shared Services Center (a civilian federal agency) to the University of Hawaii at Manoa to analyze spectroscopic data from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) on the abundance of water on the lunar surface. The project will focus on how the solar wind and temperature/location affect the distribution of lunar water. This research aligns with the Planetary Science Division's goal of understanding the sources and migration of lunar volatiles. The award is not a set-aside contract. The University of Hawaii has a strong track record of executing federal contracts and grants across disciplines like astronomy, oceanography, and climate research, often collaborating with national laboratories and universities.

The project will analyze spectroscopic data from the stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy that are used to make maps of the abundance of the water molecule on the surface of the moon. The distribution and behavior of water on the moon is very poorly understood these data are uniquely suited to understand what processes control the distribution and behavior. In two tasks we will focus on how the solar wind influences water abundance, and how temperature and location affect water distribution. In over 100 hours of data collection, sofia data were obtained during the full range of solar wind flux intensity, and have excellent coverage of lunar location and surface temperature. The results will be compared to several competing models that predict the behavior of water on the moon. The project addresses several PSD guiding documents. In particular, the advancing science on the moon special action team report included: science goal 8D. Learn how water vapor and other volatiles are released from the lunar surface and migrate to the poles where they are adsorbed in polar cold traps. This project address the source of exospheric volatiles which is the lunar surface. The report also urges the lunar science community to: "identify the sources of the mid-latitude surface hydroxyl and water, and determine how this component migrates and determine the source(s) for lunar volatiles."