Mapping the elemental composition of the moon: Current results of the Lunar Prospector gamma ray spectrometer

Conference · Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1998

OSTI ID:291106

Lawrence, D J; Feldman, W C; Barraclough, B L; Elphic, R C ^[1]; Binder, A B ^[2]; Maurice, S ^[3]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
2. Lunar Research Inst., Gilroy, CA (United States)
3. Observatoire Midi-Pyrenees, Toulouse (France)

One of the instruments on board the recently launched Lunar Prospector spacecraft is a Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) designed to map the surface elemental composition of the Moon. Specifically, the objectives of the GRS are to map abundances of Fe, Ti, U, Th, K, Si, O and if possible Mg, Al, and Ca. The GRS consists of a bismuth germanate (BGO) crystal placed within a well shaped borated plastic scintillator anti-coincidence (ACS) shield. Events triggering only the BGO are labeled as accepted events; events triggering both the BGO and ACS are labeled as rejected events. BGO spectra for both accepted and rejected events are telemetered to the ground for later analysis. Results of the study are given.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 291106
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-98-1990; CONF-980770-; ON: DE99000661; TRN: AHC29901%%312
• Resource Relation: Conference: Meteoritical Society meeting, Dublin (Ireland), 27-31 Jul 1998; Other Information: PBD: [1998]
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
MOON
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
GAMMA SPECTROMETERS
BGO DETECTORS