We present results from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's (LRO) UV spectrograph LAMP (Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project) campaign to study the lunar atmosphere. Several off-nadir maneuvers (lateral rolls) were performed to search for resonantly scattering species, increasing the illuminated line-of-sight (and hence the signal from atoms resonantly scattering the solar photons) compared to previously reported LAMP's twilight observations (Cook, J.C., Stern, S.A. [2014]. Icarus 236, 48-55). Helium was the only element distinguishable on a daily basis, and we present latitudinal profiles of its line-of-sight column density in December 2013. We compared the helium line-of-sight column densities with solar wind alpha particle fluxes measured from the ARTEMIS (Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, & Electrodynamics of Moon's Interaction with the Sun) twin spacecraft. Our data show a correlation with the solar wind alpha particle flux, confirming that the solar wind is the main source of the lunar helium. We also support the finding by Benna et al. (Benna, M. et al. [2015]. Geophys. Res. Lett. 42, 3723-3729) and Hurley et al. (Hurley, D.M. et al. [2015]. Icarus, this issue), that a non-zero contribution from endogenic helium, coming from radioactive decay of Th-232 and U-238, is present. Moreover, our results suggest that not all of the incident alpha particles are converted to thermalized helium, allowing for a non-negligible fraction to escape as suprathermal helium or simply backscattered from the lunar surface. We compare LAMP-derived helium surface density with the one recorded by the mass spectrometer LACE (Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment) deployed on the lunar surface during the Apollo 17 mission, finding good agreement between the two measurements. The LRO/LAMP roll observations presented here are in agreement with the most recent lunar exospheric helium model (Hurley, D.M. et al. [2015]. Icarus, this issue) around mid- to high-latitudes (50-70 degrees) regardless of the local solar time, while there is an underestimation of the model around the low- to mid-latitudes (10-30 degrees), especially around the dawn terminator. The LRO/LAMP roll observations presented here provide unique coverage of local solar time and latitude of the lunar exospheric helium, filling a gap in the knowledge of the structure of the lunar exosphere as a whole. These observations will inform future models of transport of volatiles, since at the terminator the analytic expressions for the surface temperature, essential to determine the energy distribution, the residence time, and the hop length of the particles, is least accurate. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The upper 25-100 nm of the lunar regolith within the permanently shaded regions (PSRs) of the Moon has been demonstrated to have significantly higher surface porosity than the average lunar regolith by observations that the Lyman-alpha albedo measured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) is lower in the PSRs than the surrounding region. We find that two areas within the lunar south polar PSRs have significantly brighter Lyman-alpha albedos and correlate with the ejecta blankets of two small craters (<2 km diameter). This higher albedo is likely due to the ejecta blankets having significantly lower surface porosity than the surrounding PSRs. Furthermore, the ejecta blankets have much higher Circular Polarization Ratios (CPR), as measured by LRO Mini-RF, indicating increased surface roughness compared to the surrounding terrain. These combined observations suggest the detection of two craters that are very young on geologic timescales. From these observations we derive age limits for the two craters of 7-420 million years (Myr) based on dust transport processes and the radar brightness of the disconnected halos of the ejecta blankets. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Since early 2012, the Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) far-ultraviolet spectrograph on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft has carried out a series of limb observations from within lunar shadow to search for the presence of a high altitude dust exosphere via forward-scattering of sunlight from dust grains. Bright horizon-glow was observed from orbit during several Apollo missions and interpreted in terms of dust at altitudes of several km and higher. However, no confirmation of such an exosphere has been made since that time. This raises basic questions about the source(s) of excess brightness in the early measurements and also the conditions for producing observable dust concentrations at km altitudes and higher. Far-ultraviolet measurements between 170 and 190 nm, near the LAMP long wavelength cutoff, are especially sensitive to scattering by small (0.1-0.2 mu m radius) dust grains, since the scattering cross- is near-maximum, and the solar flux is rising rapidly with wavelength. An additional advantage of ultraviolet measurements is the lack of interference by background zodiacal light which must be taken into account at longer wavelengths. As of July 2013, LAMP has completed several limb-observing sequences dedicated to the search for horizon glow, but no clear evidence of dust scattering has yet been obtained. Upper limits for vertical dust column abundance have been estimated at less than 10 grains cm(-2) (0.1 mu m grain radius), by comparing the measured noise-equivalent brightness with the results of Mie scattering simulations for the same observing geometries. These results indicate that Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) UVS lunar dust observations will be considerably more challenging than planned. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

We report observations of the lunar helium exosphere made between December 29, 2011, and January 26, 2012, with the Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) ultraviolet spectrograph on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission (LRO). The observations were made of resonantly scattered He I 2584 from illuminated atmosphere against the dark lunar surface on the dawn side of the terminator. We find no or little variation of the derived surface He density with latitude but day-to-day variations that likely reflect variations in the solar wind alpha flux. The five-day passage of the Moon through the Earth's magnetotail results in a factor of two decrease in surface density, which is well explained by model simulations. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.