Magnetic properties of lunar samples.

ABSTRACT

The magnetic properties of samples of rock, fines, and magnetic separate from the fines from Apollo 11 have been measured. Native iron, or possibly nickel-iron, of submicroscopic particle size is the most important constituent, with minor contributions from ilmenite, paramagnetic iron minerals, and other iron-titanium oxides. The remanent magnetization of a sample of the micro-breccia rapidly acquires a viscous magnetization and does not appear to have a significant stable remanence. The crystalline sample has a weak natural remanence showing some stability.