IIT Kharagpur and Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) study Moon's internal structure for Chandrayaan-4

Key facts

• Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) and the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) conducted a study on the formation of ancient lunar rocks.
• The research focuses on ilmenite-bearing cumulates (IBC) that formed approximately 4.3 to 4.4 billion years ago during the Moon's global magma ocean stage.
• Laboratory simulations recreated lunar conditions using pressures of 3 gigapascals and temperatures exceeding 1,500 degrees Celsius to produce titanium-rich basalts.
• The study identifies a process called mantle overturn, involving the upward and downward movement of molten material within the Moon's interior.
• Findings will assist the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in selecting landing sites for the Chandrayaan-4 mission, which aims to retrieve lunar samples and return them to Earth.