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# Thermal Conductivity of Lunite as Dependent on Temperature

## Abstract

IT has already been pointed out1,2 that the value of the midnight temperature of the lunar surface Tn = 100° K (ref. 3) is in conflict with the precision measurements of the constant radiotemperature component averaged over the disk. In fact, for Tn = 100° K the constant component of the surface temperature at the disk centre1 is equal to On the other hand, the constant component of the effective temperature measured over the disk for λ = 3 cm is equal to ${\stackrel{_}{T}}_{{e}_{\text{0}}}$ = 212° ± 2° K (ref. 1) and corresponds to the temperature at a depth of about 50 cm, where temperature increases by 2° at the most as a result of heat flow from the Moon's interior. Thus the constant component caused by solar heating alone at this depth, averaged over the disk, must be equal to The effective temperature averaged over the disk is related to the constant component of the true temperature for the disk centre by the expression4 where is the mean spherical coefficient of wave reflexion from the Moon's surface, and depends on the dielectric constant ε.

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## References

1. Troitsky, V. S., Radio Sci., 69 D, N 12, 1585 (1965).

2. Troitsky, V. S., Proc. Caltech I.P.L. Lunar Planet Conf. (Sept. 1965).

3. Saary, I. M., Icarus, 3, 161 (1964).

4. Krotikov, V. D., and Troitsky, V. S., UFN (Dec. 1963).

5. Krotikov, V. D., and Troitsky, V. S., Astro. J., 39 (6) (1962).

6. Murray, B. C., Proc. Caltech I.P.L. Lunar Planet Conf. (Sept. 1965).

7. Krotikov, V. D., and Troitsky, V. S., Astro. J., 50 (6), 1076 (1963).

8. Linsky, I. L., Harvard Coll. Observ. Sci. Rep., N8 (1966).

9. Ingrao, H. C., Young, A. T., and Linsky, I. L., Harv. Coll. Observ. Rep. N6 (1965).

10. Watson, K. thesis, Caltech (1964).

11. Dul'nev, G. N., Zarichnyak, Yu. P., and Muratova, B. L., Radiofizika, N5 (1966).

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TROITSKY, V. Thermal Conductivity of Lunite as Dependent on Temperature. Nature 213, 688–689 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/213688a0

• Issue Date:

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/213688a0

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