Metallic ions near the Moon: Impact of solar activity and lunar position

They become prevalent species of lunar pickup ions as the Moon moves through the solar wind upstream, magnetosheath, and magnetotail. Extensive studies on the composition of lunar pickup ions from the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer and THEMIS‐ARTEMIS missions have revealed the significant presence of ions with around 28 and 40 amu near the Moon, which are later identified as metallic species such as Al + , Si + and K + ions.

However, while these studies have provided valuable insights, the abundance of metallic ions and their variations with the Moon's location and solar activity has yet to be understood. This study calculates the production and ionization rates of metallic ions based on in‐situ THEMIS‐ARTEMIS observations. Our analysis indicates that the magnetosphere effectively reduces the production of metallic neutrals and ions due to the reduction of ionization and sputtering rates.