The simulator seems to have crashed. However, playing happily, I got close to a Diviner equatorial profile with a 1m layer, density 1300 kg/m^3 and a SH of 0.06 KJ/Kg.K. I think the density is not far from Apollo samples, but I'll have to check.

For reference (equatorial) Diviner data from JPL: max 389K, min 93K, mean 213K

Yes, you did! It says file size has been breached it will start again in 12 hours. Oh well, such is free website hosting.

Oops - sorry.

You might find useful specefic heat info here: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1973LPSC....4.2481H

Meanwhile I'll try to fit in an hour today where I code some compression for the results set, so we don't hit this problem again.

I've done some more work on the site at http://blackbodymodel.somee.com

I've added some compression so we shouldn't hit that file-size issue again (in some cases the data sent back is 1000th the size now !) We may still run into problems with the free account, but I'll deal with those as they arise.

I've also added a latitude variable so you can now move the point off the equator if you like.

James,

I had my playtime yesterday - and broke your lovely new model! I will leave it for others to play with, when it comes back online.

As a general observation, you have got the shape of the curve right (insofar as it matches Diviner data). The unlit side of the Moon seems to cool too rapidly, and I wonder how much influence the Earth has (IIRC you used 3K of deep space for the sink)? Also, would it be possible (and easier?) to model thermal conductivity rather than specific heat, if possible in a two layer model?

Keep up the good work! I hope others (BB, Paul Dennis, rhoda, etc.) are still watching this, and will give opinions.

Roger, I suspect only you are left playing with the model anyway, so feel free :)

Any ideas on how much average energy flux the earth provides to the surface of the moon?

Yes, I always intended to move away from the simple specific heat "block" model and onto
something with layers with definite thicknesses and temperature gradients. I will have a think.

I saw something on the Earth's reflected radiation a while ago - I'll have to look for it. You could, of course, just raise the temperature of space until it matched Diviner heat loss on the Moon - but that would be cheating :}

If / when you move from equator to whole surface I will have a crack at the analytical integration, to see if we can get that to match Diviner as well.