IDENTIFICATION OF SPINEL GROUP OF MINERALS ON CENTRAL PEAK OF CRATER

Introduction: The Moon is the best preserved and most accessible laboratory for understanding impact cratering processes. Impacts are the most fundamental and important geologic process in the Solar System and on the Moon impact craters are well preserved due the lack of weathering agents on Lunar surface. Complex craters are of particular interest. These have a well defined central peak and often a terraced rim. The central peaks are brought up from greater depths beneath the crater as the ground elastically rebounds after the shock and pressure of the impact[1]. These complex impact structures are well-preserved, and the central peaks which have brought up materials from great depth offer us the easiest way to explore the composition of the Moon's lower crust and upper mantle, providing critical insights to figure out how planets in this Solar System (and others, around other stars) are formed. This paper presents the result of compositional study of one such complex crater Theophilus with prominent central peak using Chandryaan-1 Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) & SELENE Multiband Imager (MI) data. Theophilus (26.4° East, 11.4° South) is a very large crater ~ 100kms in diameter having very high walls with terraces, flat floor and imposing Central Mountain[2].