Publication Abstracts

Cameron 1973

Cameron, A.G.W., 1973: Properties of the solar nebula and the origin of the Moon. The Moon, 3, 377-383, doi:10.1007/BF00564641.

The basic geochemical model of the structure of the Moon proposed by Anderson, in which the Moon is formed by differentiation of the calcium, aluminium, titanium-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite, is accepted, and the conditions for formation of this Moon within the solar nebula models of Cameron and Pine are discussed. The basic material condenses while iron remains in the gaseous phase, which places the formation of the Moon slightly inside the orbit of Mercury. Some condensed metallic iron is likely to enter the Moon in this position, and since the Moon is assembled at a very high temperature, it is likely to have been fully molten, so that the iron can remove the iridium from the silicate material and carry it down to form a small core. Interactions between the Moon and Mercury lead to the present rather eccentric Mercury orbit and to a much more eccentric orbit for the Moon, reaching past the orbit of the Earth, establishing conditions which are necessary for capture of the Moon by the Earth. In this orbit the Moon, no longer fully molten, will sweep up additional material containing iron oxide. This history accounts in principle for the two major ways in which the bulk composition of the Moon differs from that of the Allende inclusions.

Export citation: [ BibTeX ] [ RIS ]

BibTeX Citation

@article{ca06910w,
  author={Cameron, A. G. W.},
  title={Properties of the solar nebula and the origin of the Moon},
  year={1973},
  journal={The Moon},
  volume={3},
  pages={377--383},
  doi={10.1007/BF00564641},
}

[ Close ]

RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - ca06910w
AU  - Cameron, A. G. W.
PY  - 1973
TI  - Properties of the solar nebula and the origin of the Moon
JA  - The Moon
JO  - The Moon
VL  - 3
SP  - 377
EP  - 383
DO  - 10.1007/BF00564641
ER  -

[ Close ]

• Return to 1973 Publications

• Return to Publications Homepage