INyanga, isathelayithi yethu yemvelo, ibilokhu iyinto yelukuluku, ukufundwa, kanye nezinkondlo. Kodwa ngale kwamavesi nezithombe ezivela eMhlabeni, isayensi iyaqhubeka nokudalula izimfihlakalo zayo. Esinye sezici ezithile kakhulu umkhathi waso, noma kunalokho, lokho okwaziwa ngobuchwepheshe ngokuthi i-lunar exosphere. Ngokungafani noMhlaba, iNyanga ayinawo umkhathi owugqinsi, ophefumulayo, futhi enakho ungqimba oluncane lwamagesi olungabhekwa njengalokhu. Nokho, lolu ungqimba luyathakazelisa ngenxa yemvelaphi yalo nokusebenzelana kwalo nomkhathi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ulwazi mayelana ilukuluku lenyanga Kuyasiza futhi ukuqonda kangcono umongo wayo.
Kulesi sihloko sizongena emhlabeni wale-exosphere: ukuthi yakhiwe kanjani, ukuthi yenziwe ngani, yiziphi izinqubo ezigcinayo kanye nokuthi yiziphi izinto ezisambulelwe ukuvakasha kwasemkhathini. Ake sibheke yonke into, ngokuqina kwesayensi kodwa nangolimi olufinyelelekayo ukuze noma ubani aqonde ukuthi kwenzakalani ngempela eNyangeni.
Ingabe iNyanga inomoya?
Uma siqonda ngomkhathi ungqimba oluminyene lwamagesi njengoMhlaba, khona-ke INyanga ayinawo umkhathi ngalowo mqondo wakudala. Nokho, kunongqimba oluncane kakhulu lwama-athomu nama- molecule azungezile, alula futhi ahlakazekile kangangokuthi awavamile ukungqubuzana. Lesi singqimba sibizwa umkhathi futhi uhluke ngokuphawulekayo emkhathini woMhlaba, ominyene kakhulu. Ukuqhathanisa phakathi kokubili kuyathakazelisa, njengoba kuchaziwe ku iNyanga njengesathelayithi.
Ukusinika umbono, ku-cubic centimeter eyodwa yomkhathi womhlaba kukhona cishe Ama-molecule ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyi-100. Emkhathini wenyanga, lelo nani lehla cishe 100 ama-molecule. Okusho ukuthi, ayinalutho kangangokuthi cishe ayinalutho, nakuba ngokobuchwepheshe inokwakheka kwegesi okubonakalayo.
Lokhu kubangelwa ikakhulukazi amandla adonsela phansi enyanga. Ijubane layo lokuphunyuka—ijubane elincane inhlayiya elidinga ukubalekela emkhathini—lingama-2.400 m/s nje (uma kuqhathaniswa no-11.200 m/s Emhlabeni). Ngamandla adonsela phansi abuthakathaka kangaka, izinhlayiya zegesi zibalekela kalula emkhathini, ukuvimbela ukwakheka komkhathi ominyene futhi ozinzile. I-dynamics yalesi simo ingahlotshaniswa nolwazi oluku isiphepho esinamandla ezithinta nemizimba yasezulwini.
Nakuba kubonakala sengathi akukho lutho, lo mkhathi omncane kakhulu unawo isisindo esiphelele esilinganiselwa ku-25.000 kg, elingana neloli eligcwele. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lihlala lishintsha: emini, ukushisa kweLanga kuyakwandisa ebusweni, nasebusuku izinhlayiya zipholile futhi ziwe phansi.
Umsuka we-lunar exosphere
Imvelaphi yalokhu kuqubuka kwemvelo sekuye kwaphikiswana ngayo amashumi eminyaka. Nokho, ucwaningo lwakamuva olwenziwe ososayensi at the MIT kanye neNyuvesi yaseChicago, okuhambisana nocwaningo lwangaphambilini noluhambisanayo lwezinhlangano ezifana ne-NASA, ziye zaqinisekisa ukuthi imbangela eyinhloko yinto eyaziwa ngokuthi ukuhwamuka komthelela. Ukuxhumana phakathi kwemithelela kanye nomkhathi wenyanga kubalulekile ekuqondeni ukuvela kwayo.
Kusho ukuthini lokhu? Ngokuyisisekelo, indawo yenyanga ihlala ikhona ibhomu ngama-micrometeorite. Zincane njengezinhlamvu zothuli, kodwa uma zithinta, zikhiqiza amazinga okushisa afinyelela phakathi 2000 kanye no-6000 ºC. Lawa mazinga okushisa aphezulu Bahwamulisa ama-athomu omhlaba, akhululwa futhi ahlale entanta azungeze iNyanga isikhathi.
Inqubo yesibili ebizwa ngokuthi i-ion spraying noma i-sputtering futhi uyanikela. Lokhu kwenzeka uma izinhlayiya ezikhokhisiwe zomoya welanga, ngokuyinhloko ama-proton, angqubuzana nenyanga futhi aklebhule ama-athomu, abe eseba ingxenye ye-exosphere. Ngokungafani nama-micrometeorite, umoya welanga ayishisi izinto ezisindayo kangako, ngakho umnikelo wayo mncane. Lesi simo sihlobene nomongo we ohambweni lokuya eNyangeni.
Ucwaningo lwakamuva lubonisa lokho cishe U-70% we-lunar exosphere uvela emithelela ye-meteoritengenkathi U-30% ubangelwa umoya welanga. Zombili izinqubo ziye zakwazi ukufundwa ngokuningiliziwe ngokubonga amasampula ohlelo lwe-Apollo kanye nokusetshenziswa kwe-isotopes yezinto ezifana ne-potassium ne-rubidium.
Yini eyakha umkhathi wenyanga?
Nakuba umkhathi wenyanga umncane kakhulu uma uqhathaniswa nowoMhlaba, Yebo, kuye kwatholakala amagesi amaningana nama-athomu kuwo. Ngenxa yama-spectrometer asekelwe phansi, ama-space probe, nokuhlola ngamasampula e-Apollo, izingxenye ezilandelayo zitholiwe. Ukwakheka kwala magesi kunganikeza ulwazi olubalulekile mayelana izenzakalo esibhakabhakeni.
- I-Helium ne-Argon: Kuyizinto eziningi kakhulu, ezitholwe uhlelo lwe-Apollo neminye imisebenzi.
- I-Sodium ne-Potassium: zihlonzwe ngenxa yokuqaphela okwalandela okusekelwe phansi.
- I-oksijeni, i-nitrogen, i-Methane, i-Carbon monoxide ne-Carbon Dioxide: etholakala ngokulandela umkhondo, mhlawumbe ngenxa yemithelela.
- I-isotopes enemisebe yeRadon nePolonium: etholwe yi-Lunar Prospector probe, ingavela ngaphakathi kwenyanga.
- Ama-molecule amanzi asesimweni seqhwa: Kukholakala ukuthi zikhona kwezinye imigodi ye-polar enomthunzi unomphela.
Ukuba khona kwalezi zinhlanganisela kubonisa ukuthi iNyanga ayifile ngokuphelele ngamakhemikhali. Eqinisweni, kuyaziwa ukuthi ngisho amanye ama-molecule amanzi zingaphila ebusweni bayo uma zisezindaweni ezibandayo ezivikelekile eLangeni. Ucwaningo ngala ma- molecule amanzi lunomthelela ekuqondeni izinyanga ezahlukene zeSolar System.
Ithonya lemishini yasemkhathini
Imishini ye-Apollo idlale indima ebalulekile ekuqondeni kwethu umkhathi wenyanga. Hhayi nje ngoba balethe amasampula enhlabathi yenyanga, kodwa ngoba amathuluzi nosomkhathi ngokwabo baguqule umkhathi oseduze ngokukhipha amagesi ekuphefumuleni kwawo noma ngesikhathi sokuphuma kwe-extravehicular (EVAs). Kulinganiselwa ukuthi Amamojula enyanga kungenzeka ukuthi angcolise umkhathi wenyanga endaweni namagesi alingana nesisindo sawo esiphelele, nakuba eziningi zazo zizobe sezinyamalele kakade.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, imisebenzi yakamuva efana I-LADEE (I-Lunar Atmosphere kanye ne-Dust Environment Explorer) saqhubeka nocwaningo lwale exosphere. Yethulwa ngo-2013, lolu phenyo lwaqoqa ulwazi olubalulekile ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukubaluleka kwemithelela kanye ne-sputtering njengezinqubo ezibalulekile. Iphinde yavumela ukubona izinguquko ekuminyana phakathi kwezigigaba ezifana eclipses y izihlambi ze-meteor, eqinisekisa ukuguquguquka okusebenzayo komkhathi wenyanga. Lokhu ashukumisayo kubalulekile ukuqonda izenzakalo ezifana Ishawa ye-Orionid meteor.
Ngisho neminyaka yamuva nje, i-NASA yethule amamishini afana ne-Minotaur 5, inhloso yayo kuwukufunda uthuli lwenyanga namagesi aseduze kusetshenziswa amasistimu e-optical laser. Konke lokhu ngenhloso yokuqhubeka ukudweba isithombe esicacile sendawo yenyanga, okuthile okubalulekile uma sifuna ukusungula izisekelo ezihlala njalo lapho. Ukuhlelwa kwalezi zisekelo kuxhumene nocwaningo mayelana ikoloni ye-Mars.
Kungani kubalulekile ukuqonda umkhathi wenyanga?
Ukufunda lesi singqimba segesi esithambile kungase kubonakale kungenamsebenzi, kodwa akunjalo. Okokuqala, ngoba isisiza ukuba siqonde umlando oguquguqukayo kanye nowegeological weNyanga. Ukwazi ukuthi ama-micrometeorite nomoya welanga kuye kwalolongwa kanjani ubuso bawo kusinika imikhondo mayelana nokuvela kwezinye izidumbu ezingenawo umkhathi, njengama-asteroids nezinyanga ze-Martian. Lokhu kuhlaziya kuyisisekelo futhi ekuqondeni izenzakalo ezifana nalezi imvelaphi yenyanga.
Okwesibili, kuyisihluthulelo imisebenzi yabantu yesikhathi esizayo. Ukumisa isisekelo eNyangeni kuzodinga ukuqonda kahle ukuthi yiziphi izakhi endaweni yayo, ukuthi zisabela kanjani ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, nokuthi zingaphazamisa kanjani amathuluzi. Kungasiza futhi ukuvikela osomkhathi ku- emisebeni yelanga kanye ne-cosmic uma ungekho umoya ovikelayo.
Lolu cwaningo lunomthelela olwazini olubanzi mayelana izinqubo zesimo sezulu ohlelweni lweSolar elingaphakathi. Okufundwa eNyangeni kungasetshenziswa ekuhloleni ezinye izindawo njenge Inyanga kaMars Phobos, noma ngisho ne-arth-Earth asteroids.
I-lunar exosphere, nakuba ilukhuni ngokwedlulele, imele ilabhorethri yemvelo yokufunda izinqubo ezibalulekile endaweni yonke. Kude nalokho okwakucatshangwa esikhathini esidlule, INyanga ayilona nje idwala elifile. Iwumzimba oqhubeka nokusebenzisana nendawo yawo yendawo, futhi kusekuningi okumele sikufundise uma siqhubeka nokunaka.
