Magnetic effects of shock and their implications for magnetism of lunar samples

The principal problem in lunar magnetism is to account for the surprisingly large magnitude of the remanent magnetism of lunar surface material. Experiments conducted in this connection have shown that shock is an important mechanism of both magnetization and demagnetization. A description is presented of new experimental results in the low-shock range. An attempt is made to assess the effect of shock upon estimates of the ancient lunar field intensity. The results are used as a basis for a reconsideration of the present lunar field models in the light of intensity estimates and other new results. It is found that the central questions in lunar magnetism have not yet been answered to everyone's satisfaction.