Commentary: Spectrum Misreading - Most of the Lunar Water Detected by M3
Might Actually Be Lunar Methanol
Abstract
We have to face an important and urgent problem: even though according
to spectral detection, we cannot conclude that there is much water ice
on the Moon as the prevailing theory claims. We might have overlooked
the widespread presence of methanol on the Moon. After the interstellar
methanol ice fell onto the Moon, the methanol in it was retained due to
the strong adsorption of methanol in the carbon-rich lunar regolith and
the water in it could be divided into two situations: one involved in
catalytic reactions with methanol on lunar surface and another one
escaped to the deep space because of harsh environment. The rest of
methanol might still be widespread on lunar surface. M3 is unable to
distinguish between hydroxyl radicals from water ice and hydroxyl groups
from methanol because the absorption strengths of the two are all 2.9
μm, and there are no established methods to distinguish them using the
2.9μm band. Thus, most of the lunar water detected by M3 might be lunar
methanol. Attention should be paid to previous misreading of the
spectrum. The so-called surficial water illogically appeared at lunar
equator, seriously shaking the credibility of M3 spectra data analysis.
The vast quantities of hydrogen found in lunar polar craters should be
hydrogen ice, which easy to confuse with water ice. The author has also
made a preliminary study of the physical / chemical process chains on
lunar surface. It is necessary to conduct in-depth research in this
field in the future.