Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Mathematics
Minor
Physics
Institution
University of Kentucky
KY House District #
76
KY Senate District #
28
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Dr. Dhananjay Ravat
Department
Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences
Abstract
Lunar swirls are complex patterns on the Moon with distinct brightness signatures and magnetic characteristics. Current research has suggested that the formation of lunar swirls relies on local magnetic fields to shield impinging solar wind, based on a shift in electromagnetic wavelength peaks related to solar radiation and space weathering. Our research combined recent models and methods to characterize these anomalies at the surface of the Moon, exploring the effects of field strength and position. We have produced a high resolution map of a famous swirl named Reiner Gamma using magnetic dipole modeling. These maps and models are considered when examining lunar landing locations and potential colony locations on the Moon.
Included in
Geophysics and Seismology Commons, Other Physics Commons, Physical Processes Commons, Plasma and Beam Physics Commons, The Sun and the Solar System Commons
The Undeniable Attraction of Lunar Swirls
Lunar swirls are complex patterns on the Moon with distinct brightness signatures and magnetic characteristics. Current research has suggested that the formation of lunar swirls relies on local magnetic fields to shield impinging solar wind, based on a shift in electromagnetic wavelength peaks related to solar radiation and space weathering. Our research combined recent models and methods to characterize these anomalies at the surface of the Moon, exploring the effects of field strength and position. We have produced a high resolution map of a famous swirl named Reiner Gamma using magnetic dipole modeling. These maps and models are considered when examining lunar landing locations and potential colony locations on the Moon.