Surface and Downhole Prospecting Tools for Planetary Exploration: Tests of Neutron and Gamma Ray Probes

Details Surface and Downhole Prospecting Tools for Planetary Exploration: Tests of Neutron and Gamma Ray Probes Surface and Downhole Prospecting Tools for Planetary Exploration: Tests of Neutron and Gamma Ray Probes

Dec 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufm.p54a..02e&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #P54A-02

Other

1094 Instruments And Techniques, 1194 Instruments And Techniques, 3694 Instruments And Techniques, 5494 Instruments And Techniques, 6094 Instruments And Techniques

Scientific paper

Future exploration of the Moon and Mars will include searching for in situ resources for living off the land, and assessing the ease with which such resources can be extracted and used. Moreover, on Mars the search includes identification of biomarkers, ancient or contemporary habitats, and understanding the three- dimensional distribution and physical state of water. The ability to detect, localize and characterize hydrogenous materials is key to both successful resource prospecting and exploration science. Equally important is the ability to do so without disturbing the target materials. We discuss three instruments specifically aimed at detecting and assessing deposits such as water ice or other hydrogenous materials. The Surface Neutron Probe (SNeuP) identifies locales with near-surface hydrogen-bearing deposits. Mounted on a rover, SNeuP provides a record of average hydrogen abundance with position and time during a traverse. Lightweight and non-intrusive, the instrument measures neutrons produced by cosmic-ray interaction with nearby soils and rocks. There is no need for the additional mass, power and operational risk of an active neutron source. Once SNeuP has identified a promising prospect, the drill-integrated Borehole Neutron Probe (BNeuP) explores the third dimension, depth, and logs hydrogenous layers, such as water ice or hydrous minerals. Both instruments sense the presence of hydrogenous materials by measuring variations in the thermal and epithermal neutron fluxes. We have carried out tests of the SNeuP instrument, and have demonstrated its ability to detect and locate near-surface hydrogen-bearing deposits. These tests have shown that it is possible to estimate depth and hydrogen abundance remotely, while roving. We have also tested BNeuP in a drilling configuration and have demonstrated its ability to locate and quantify the water-equivalent hydrogen content of layered deposits. We describe a BNeuP field test in layered Snake River basalts near Idaho National Laboratory at Idaho Falls, in which a log extending to ~ 15 meters depth was obtained. Finally, we describe initial results in developing a small, drill-integrated gamma-gamma well-logging tool. This device uses a low-intensity Cs-137 gamma ray source (100 microCuries) to interrogate surrounding materials in a borehole. Photoelectric absorption and Compton scattering of the source gamma rays produce a spectrum containing information about the density and average atomic number of the nearby materials.

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