THE FIRST LUNAR MAP OF THE AVERAGE SOIL ATOMIC MASS
Conference
·
OSTI ID:773346
Measurements of indexes of lunar surface composition were successfully made during Lunar Prospector (LP) mission, using the Neutron Spectrometers (NS) [1]. This capability is demonstrated for fast neutrons in Plates 1 of Maurice et al. [2] (similar to Figure 2 here). Inspection shows a clear distinction between mare basalt (bright) and highland terranes [2]. Fast neutron simulations demonstrate the sensitivity of the fast neutron leakage flux to the presence of iron and titanium in the soil [3]. The dependence of the flux to a third element (calcium or aluminum) was also suspected [4]. We expand our previous work in this study by estimating fast neutron leakage fluxes for a more comprehensive set of assumed lunar compositions. We find a strong relationship between the fast neutron fluxes and the average soil atomic mass: <A>. This relation can be inverted to provide a map of <A> from the measured map of fast neutrons from the Moon.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 773346
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-01-250
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
COMBINED ANALYSIS OF THORIUM AND FAST NEUTRON DATA AT THE LUNAR SURFACE
Classification of lunar terranes using neutron and thorium gamma-ray data
Lunar and terrestrial crust formation
Conference
·
Sun Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2000
·
OSTI ID:773347
Classification of lunar terranes using neutron and thorium gamma-ray data
Conference
·
Wed Mar 31 23:00:00 EST 1999
·
OSTI ID:334320
Lunar and terrestrial crust formation
Journal Article
·
Mon Nov 14 23:00:00 EST 1983
· J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)
·
OSTI ID:5016006