Lunar Dynamo Evolution

Prior to the Apollo missions, the Moon was considered magnetically uninteresting due to the absence of magnetic signatures detected by early satellite observations. However, subsequent paleomagnetic investigations have confirmed the presence of a past lunar magnetic field. The mystery remains as to how the Moon could have sustained a robust and enduring dynamo, especially given that its core is too small to demonstrate strong field by conventional dynamo power sources.

My current research is dedicated to exploring the possibility of magnetic fluctuations on the Moon that possibly explains lunar dynamo. This involves conducting paleomagnetic experiments on Apollo samples and assessing potential sources of magnetic contamination.

📎 Jung, J., Tikoo, S. M., Burns, D. H., (in prep), Possible Lunar Paleointensity Variability the 3.9 - 3.5 Ga High Field Epoch.
📎 Tikoo, S. M., Jung, J. (submitted), Establishing A Lunar Origin for Paleomagnetic Records in Apollo Samples.

Mineralogy of Apollo Samples

The mineral identification process from electron microscopy following lunar missions has historically been a complex and time-consuming task for mineralogists and petrologists. I have been actively working on an automated system for mineral identification tailored for SEM images of Apollo samples using computer vision methods.

I also worked on a project titled the identification of iron-oxides in lunar mare basalts. In this project, we found hints of iron oxides through electron microscopy, magnetic hysteresis loops, and low-temperature behavior analyses. These findings could help to understand past lunar environmental conditions and magnetic carriers in lunar paleomagnetism.

📎 Jung, J., Tikoo, S. M., Chung, J., (in prep), Automated Mineral Identification in Lunar Mare Basalts using Convolutional Neural Networks in SEM images.
📎 Jung, J. Tikoo, S. M., Burns, D. H., (in prep), Identification of Iron Oxides in Lunar Mare Basalts.

Impact Cratering and Paleomagnetism

Impact cratering events are known to generate considerable heat and shock, which in turn can reset magnetization in lunar rocks. My focus is on assessing the variability in paleointensity caused by this shock-induced demagnetization. The previous research applies uncertainties derived from hydrostatic experimental results on lunar samples to this context. The future research interest includes the use of numerical modeling to understand the effect of shock in microscopic scales.

📎 Jung, J., Tikoo, S. M., Gattacceca, J., Lepaulrad, C., (in prep), The Effect of Shock Demagnetization in the Lunar Paleointensity Records.
📎 Verhagen C. M., Jung, J. , Tikoo, S. M., et al., (2023), Significance of Secondary Fe-Oxide and Fe-Sulfide Minerals in Upper Peak Ring Suevite from the Chicxulub Impact Structure. Minerals13, no. 3: 353.

Lunar Spectroscopy

Using visible-to-Shortwave Infrared (VSWIR) reflectance spectroscopy on hyperspectral datasets has offered us invaluable insights about the mineral compositions of various planetary surfaces. Despite these advancements, the interpretation of lunar remote sensing data still presents significant challenges, such as the distortion of spectral signatures due to space weathering and the non-uniqueness problem in spectral unmixing.

In my ongoing secondary project, I am working with Prof. Mathieu Lapôtre to address these issues. We are developing a method based on radiative transfer modeling to erase the affect of space weathering, and applying a Bayesian approach to infer the probability distribution of mineral abundances in lunar spectral data.

📎 Jung, J., Lapôtre, M. G. A., Milliken, R. E., Minson, S. E., (in prep) Enabling Remote Compositional Analyses of the Lunar Surface by Erasing Spectral Signatures of Space Weathering.