Chang'e-5 Mission Unveils Secrets: New Discoveries Regarding Lunar Magnetic Field Strength and Deep Dynamics 2 Billion Years Ago

Tech 2025-01-10 11:42:44 Source: Network

Chang'e-5 Mission Unveils Secrets: New Discoveries Regarding Lunar Magnetic Field Strength and Deep Dynamics 2 Billion Years AgoRecent announcements from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) reveal a significant breakthrough from the Chang'e-5 mission: the collection of the first-ever lunar mid-latitude basalt samples from the Oceanus Procellarum region. This discovery provides invaluable data for understanding the Moon's evolutionary history

Recent announcements from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) reveal a significant breakthrough from the Chang'e-5 mission: the collection of the first-ever lunar mid-latitude basalt samples from the Oceanus Procellarum region. This discovery provides invaluable data for understanding the Moon's evolutionary history. These basalt samples, minimally altered by impact events, effectively reflect the strength of the lunar paleomagnetic field at the time of their volcanic eruption approximately 2 billion years ago. These samples represent the youngest lunar basalt samples ever returned to Earth, and the related research has been published as a cover article in the prestigious international journal Science Advances.

A team led by Li Xianhua at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, CAS, determined the age of the Chang'e-5 basalt samples to be approximately 2 billion years old. This finding is scientifically significant because it represents the youngest lunar basalt samples ever returned, providing crucial evidence for studying the Moon's late evolution. The discovery of these young basalts also offers unprecedented opportunities to obtain paleomagnetic data from the Moon's late period.

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To thoroughly analyze these precious lunar samples, a team led by researcher Zhu Rixiang and associate researcher Cai Shuhui from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, CAS, collaborated with researchers from the National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), and other research institutions, conducting in-depth magnetic analysis on nine millimeter-sized basalt clasts. Overcoming challenges posed by the scarcity and weak magnetic signals of the lunar samples, the team established a high-precision, low-loss magnetic analysis system suitable for extraterrestrial samples with small size and weak magnetic signals. This advanced system provides crucial technical support and guarantees for magnetic studies of Chang'e-5 and subsequent deep-space exploration sample returns, laying a solid foundation for future, more detailed research.

Using multiple paleointensity testing methods, the study obtained reliable information about the lunar dynamo magnetic field 2 billion years ago. Results indicate a weaker dynamo process existed on the Moon at that time, generating a magnetic field strength of approximately 2-4 T. This discovery is critically important for understanding the Moon's internal dynamic processes.

The existence of a relatively weak dynamo process 2 billion years ago suggests that the Moon's deep interior still maintained some degree of thermal convection or conduction. The energy driving this process might stem from multiple sources, including inner core crystallization, precession, and the sinking of ilmenite cumulates. These processes worked together to maintain the vitality of the Moon's deep interior and may have contributed some heat to younger lunar volcanic activity.

The significance of this research lies not only in obtaining the magnetic field strength data from 2 billion years ago but also in revealing the complexity of the Moon's deep-seated dynamic processes. The interplay of thermal convection and conduction within the Moon, along with inner core crystallization, precession, and the sinking of ilmenite cumulates, shaped its evolutionary history and profoundly influenced its geological activity.

The success of the Chang'e-5 mission not only marks a significant breakthrough in China's deep-space exploration technology but also provides invaluable opportunities to delve deeper into the Moon's formation and evolution. By analyzing lunar samples, scientists can better understand the Moon's internal structure, dynamic processes, and its connection to Earth. These research findings are of significant scientific importance for understanding planetary formation and evolution and will provide valuable guidance for future deep-space exploration missions.

This research's groundbreaking advance lies in overcoming the challenges of limited sample quantities and weak magnetic signals, establishing a high-precision, low-loss magnetic analysis system suitable for tiny, weakly magnetized samples. This system not only guarantees the analysis of Chang'e-5 samples but also provides technical support for the analysis of similar samples in future deep-space exploration missions, advancing the field of extraterrestrial sample magnetism.

The multiple paleointensity testing methods employed ensured the reliability of the obtained lunar magnetic field strength data from 2 billion years ago. This data provides crucial constraints for a more accurate understanding of the lunar dynamo process and offers a new perspective on the Moon's internal dynamic processes.

The relatively weak magnetic field strength 2 billion years ago, and the inferred maintenance of some thermal convection or conduction in the Moon's deep interior, provide new clues for studying the Moon's internal thermal evolution history. This research not only deepens our understanding of the Moon's internal structure and dynamic processes but also provides valuable insights into the evolution of other planets.

Through in-depth research on lunar samples obtained from the Chang'e-5 mission, scientists continuously unravel the mysteries of the Moon's evolutionary history. This research is not only a breakthrough in science and technology but also a significant contribution to humanity's quest to explore the cosmos. With more deep-space exploration missions in the future, we are certain to gain a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the Moon and the entire solar system.

The success of the Chang'e-5 mission and the significant scientific discoveries it has yielded mark a world-renowned achievement in China's deep-space exploration endeavors. These achievements have not only elevated China's international standing but also laid a solid scientific foundation for further exploration of the universe's mysteries. In the years to come, China's deep-space exploration endeavors will undoubtedly achieve even greater success, making even greater contributions to humanity's understanding of the cosmos. This research showcases the strength of Chinese scientists in lunar science and highlights the significant role of international collaboration in advancing scientific progress. Future international collaborations will further deepen the study of lunar samples, providing more information about the Moon's evolutionary history and revealing more of the universe's secrets. The success of the Chang'e-5 mission and subsequent research findings will undoubtedly inspire more individuals to dedicate themselves to science and contribute to humanity's great journey of space exploration.

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