| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9817439 | Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms | 2005 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
A pulsed neutron/gamma-ray detection system for use on rovers to survey the elemental concentrations of Martian and Lunar surface and subsurface materials is evaluated. A robotic survey system combining a pulsed neutron generator (PNG) and detectors (gamma ray and neutron) can measure the major constituents to a depth of about 30Â cm. Scanning mode measurements can give the major elemental concentrations while the rover is moving; analyzing mode measurements can give a detailed elemental analysis of the adjacent material when the rover is stationary. A detailed map of the subsurface elemental concentrations will provide invaluable information relevant to some of the most fundamental astrobiological questions including the presence of water, biogenic activity, life habitability and deposition processes.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Surfaces, Coatings and Films
Authors
Hatice Akkurt, Joel L. Groves, Jacob Trombka, Richard Starr, Larry Evans, Samuel Floyd, Richard Hoover, Lucy Lim, Timothy McClanahan, Ralph James, Timothy McCoy, Jeffrey Schweitzer,