APPLICATIONS OF MID-INFRARED SPECTRA IN THE LUNAR EXPLORATION

The mid-infrared spectra of silicates show obvious Christiansen Frequency features and reststrahlen bands which are related to the composition of silicates.Pyroxene,plagioclase,ilmenite and olivine are the main minerals on the lunar surface,and they belong to silicate materials except ilmenite.If we make full use of the mid-infrared spectral features(i.e.,Christiansen Frequency features and reststrahlen bands),we could determine anorthite,olivine,quartz and alkali feldspar on the lunar surface successfully,which could not be accomplished by VIS-NIR spectra.It is easy to determine mineral and rocks on the lunar surface accurately and this is the first time to detect them systematically if we apply mid-infrared spectral instruments in our future exploration projects.