Dusty Plasmas over Hydrogen-Rich Areas of Lunar Surface

The effect of hydrogen-containing compounds in the regolith on the properties of dusty plasma near the surface of the Moon is investigated. The calculation of the size distributions and heights of the rise of charged dust particles over the illuminated parts of the surface of the Moon enriched with hydrogen has been performed. It has been demonstrated that dust particles floating above hydrogen-rich sites have larger sizes and larger charges, and also reach higher altitudes than in a situation when dust hovers over areas of lunar regolith not enriched with hydrogen. The possibility of the release from the crystal lattice of silicon dioxide in the lunar regolith of oxygen atoms as parts of silver hydroxide molecules is shown. Silver hydroxide, in turn, can relatively easily react with hydrogen, which leads to the formation of water and silver. This shows the possibility of the formation of water molecules included in the near-surface lunar soil. The presence of water molecules in the lunar soil can also affect the photoelectric properties of the lunar regolith and the parameters of the plasma-dust system over the Moon.