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Nicholas et al. 2007
Nicholas, J.B., Purucker, M.E. and Sabaka, T.J. (2007). Age spot or youthful marking: Origin of Reiner Gamma. Geophysical Research Letters 34: doi: 10.1029/2006GL027794. issn: 0094-8276.

The highly magnetic (field magnitudes of 50 nT at 18 km altitude) Reiner Gamma albedo feature on the near side of the moon has been explained in terms of differential space weathering of an old feature, or a recent cometary impact. We investigated this feature using magnetometer data from Lunar Prospector. The minimum magnetization necessary to explain the magnetic field observations varies from 100 A/m for a 10 m thick layer, to 1 A/m for a 1 km thick layer. Magnetic sources appear to lie within a few km of the surface, and be magnetized in a north-south direction. The strength of the magnetization appears spatially related to the albedo of the feature. These constraints point towards an ancient origin for the magnetic field signal (possibly due to basin impact ejecta), and the origin of the albedo feature as a consequence of retarded ageing under the umbrella of the Reiner Gamma mini-magnetosphere.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Planetary Sciences, Solid Surface Planets, Impact phenomena, cratering (6022, 8136), Planetary Sciences, Solid Surface Planets, Interactions with particles and fields, Planetary Sciences, Solid Surface Planets, Magnetic fields and magnetism, Planetary Sciences, Solid Surface Planets, Magnetospheres, Planetary Sciences, Solid Surface Planets, Origin and evolution
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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