Spectral reflectivity of lunar samples

John B. Adams, Robert L. Jones

Twelve rock chips and two samples of fines all have electronic absorption bands in diffuse reflected light between 0.32 and 2.5 micrometers. Major bands occur between 0.94 and 1.00 micrometer and at 2.0 micrometers, and arise from Fe2+ in clinopyroxene and to a lesser extent in olivine. A band at 0.95 micrometer and other details of curve slope and shape for the lunar surface fines match McCord's telescopic curve for an 18-kilometer area that includes the Apollo-11 site. Results confirm mineralogical predictions based on telescopic data and support the feasibility of obtaining mineralogical information by remote reflectivity measurements.

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Materials
Curve 1
Temperature K: ~298 Wavelength Range, µm: 0.350-2.50 Geometry θ θ' ω: ~0° 2π Composition (weight percent), Specifications, and Remarks: Sample 3-33 from Apollo 11 mission; crystalline rock chip; data extracted from smooth curve; MgO reference standard.
Curve 2
Temperature K: ~298 Wavelength Range, µm: 0.350-2.50 Geometry θ θ' ω: ~0° 2π Composition (weight percent), Specifications, and Remarks: Sample 20-38 from Apollo 11 mission; crystalline rock chip; data extracted from smooth curve; MgO reference standard.
Curve 3
Temperature K: ~298 Wavelength Range, µm: 0.350-2.50 Geometry θ θ' ω: ~0° 2π Composition (weight percent), Specifications, and Remarks: Sample 46-39 from Apollo 11 mission; breccias rock chip; data extracted from smooth curve; MgO reference standard.
Curve 4
Temperature K: ~298 Wavelength Range, µm: 0.350-2.50 Geometry θ θ' ω: ~0° 2π Composition (weight percent), Specifications, and Remarks: Sample 48-29 from Apollo 11 mission; breccias rock chip; data extracted from smooth curve; MgO reference standard.
Curve 5
Temperature K: ~298 Wavelength Range, µm: 0.350-2.50 Geometry θ θ' ω: ~0° 2π Composition (weight percent), Specifications, and Remarks: Sample 84-66 from Apollo 11 mission; surface fines; data extracted from smooth curve; MgO reference standard.