Ion emission from micrometeorite impacts on atmosphereless planets

Conclusions have been drawn on the generation of intensive high-velocity ions and atoms fluxes on the surfaces of the Moon, Mercury and the atmosphereless satellites of Jupiter by micrometeorite impacts. About 30% of each flux is ejected at small angles and detained by planetary reliefs, forming surface-active layer of alkalines. The combined erosional effect of that layer, the thermocycling and the radiational tractks have been studied. The ion fluxes leaving Jupiter's atmosphereless satellites may well be one of the main sources of the short UV-emission in their vicinities.Paper presented at the European Workshop on Planetary Sciences, organised by the Laboratorio di Astrofisica Spaziale di Frascati, and held between April 23–27, 1979, at the Accademia Nazionale del Lincei in Rome, Italy.From September 1979.