Nearly 30 years ago a scientist predicted the importance of vaporization as one of the processes in space weathering. To bag another credit, scientist Bruce Hapke, Emeritis Professor at University of Pittsburgh have named the vapor-deposited iron silicide mineral (Fe2Si) in Dhofar 280 lunar meteorite -’hapkeite’, in 2004. This mineral is likely to be formed by impact vaporization of the lunar soil and subsequent condensation of the iron and silicon into tiny metal grains. The researchers have concluded that Fe-Si phases are more common in the lunar soil than previously thought. When interpreting remote sensing data of the Moon, these nanophase-sized Fe0 and other space weathering products that profoundly affect the optical properties of the lunar soil at visible and near infrared wavelengths must be taken into account.
Via: PSRD- Hawaii
Lunar Meteorite Proves Space Weathering
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