Total nitrogen in lunar soils, breccias and rocks

Abstract

The total nitrogen contents of a number of lunar samples from Apollo 16 and 17 missions are reported. Solar wind is the main source for the observed excess nitrogen in most fines. Total nitrogen in the soils is found to be proportional to the solar wind rare gases Ar³⁶ and Xe¹³². Linear correlations are also noted between the agglutinate contents of the soils and their carbon and nitrogen contents. Seventeen soils (Apollo 15, 16 and 17) have been sieved and nitrogen has been measured in various grain size fractions. An inverse correlation between the mean grain diameter and the nitrogen contents is seen, showing that a large fraction of the solar wind nitrogen is surface correlated. An apparent volume component, due to the presence of agglutinates, is found in most soils.