Washington, Mar 20 (ANI): Cosmic rays bombarding moon fundamentally change chemistry and colour of the lunar ice and dirt, a new study has revealed.

Space scientists from the University of New Hampshire and multi-institutional colleagues report they have quantified levels of radiation on the moon's surface from galactic cosmic ray (GCR) bombardment that over time causes chemical changes in water ice and can create complex carbon chains similar to those that help form the foundations of biological structures.

In addition, the radiation process causes the lunar soil, or regolith, to darken over time, which is important in understanding the geologic history of the moon.

The paper is based on measurements made by the CRaTER instrument onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission.

The telescope provides the fundamental measurements needed to test our understanding of the lunar radiation environment and shows that 'space weathering' of the lunar surface by energetic radiation is an important agent for chemical alteration.

CRaTER measures material interactions of GCRs and solar energetic particles (SEPs), both of which present formidable hazards for human exploration and spacecraft operations.

CRaTER characterizes the global lunar radiation environment and its biological impacts by measuring radiation behind a 'human tissue-equivalent' plastic.

Serendipitously, the LRO mission made measurements during a period when GCR fluxes remained at the highest levels ever observed in the space age due to the sun's abnormally extended quiet cycle.

During this quiescent period, the diminished power, pressure, flux and magnetic flux of the solar wind allowed GCRs and SEPs to more readily interact with objects they encountered - particularly bodies such as our moon, which has no atmosphere to shield the blow.

"This has provided us with a unique opportunity because we've never made these types of measurements before over an extended period of time, which means we've never been able to validate our models," said paper's lead author Nathan Schwadron, an associate professor of physics at the UNH Space Science Center within the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS).

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Cosmic rays modify chemistry of lunar ice