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Science 16 April 1971:
Vol. 172. no. 3980, pp. 256 - 258
DOI: 10.1126/science.172.3980.256
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Articles

Whole Body Response of the Moon to Electromagnetic Induction by the Solar Wind

C. P. Sonett 1, P. Dyal 1, C. W. Parkin 1, D. S. Colburn 1, J. D. Mihalov 1, and B. F. Smith 1

1 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035

A comparison has been made of the interplanetary magnetic field as measured both by Apollo 12 on the lunar surface and by Explorer 35 in orbit around the moon. Two examples are given, one of a step change in the field vector and another of a sinusoidally varying field. A large response measured on the surface is attributed to confinement of the induced field lines between the streaming solar plasma and the high-conductivity interior. A steep bulk electrical conductivity gradient in the lunar crust is implied, with a confining layer roughly 100 kilometers deep.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Polarized Magnetic Field Fluctuations at the Apollo 15 Site: Possible Regional Influence on Lunar Induction.
G. Schubert, G. Schubert, B. F. Smith, C. P. Sonett, D. S. Colburn, and K. Schwartz (1974)
Science 183, 1194-1197
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)