Correlation of Illumination and Topography Factors with Epithermal Neutron measurements at the Lunar Poles using the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND)

Details Correlation of Illumination and Topography Factors with Epithermal Neutron measurements at the Lunar Poles using the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) Correlation of Illumination and Topography Factors with Epithermal Neutron measurements at the Lunar Poles using the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND)

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufm.p11c1355m&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #P11C-1355

Physics

[5419] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Hydrology And Fluvial Processes, [6250] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Moon

Scientific paper

The Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is tasked with deriving the spatial distributions of Hydrogen on the lunar surface. Since LRO’s orbital insertion in June 2009, LEND has collected more than [9e+6, 8e+6] detailed epithermal measurements over the South and North poles above +/-75°. Orbital neutron flux measurements from the Moon have been used to quantify H concentrations via the interpretation of the epithermal (medium energy) neutron flux. At the poles, H concentrations are shown to be enhanced in some regions (100’s ppm) relative to the mid-latitudes. Past hypothesis postulated that H sublimation rates are minimal within persistently shadowed regions at the bottoms of polar craters, due to the inherently cold temperatures (< 100°K). However, in smaller regional analysis using LEND, the H spatial distribution has only limited positive correlation with these regions and is elsewhere not seen with consistent effect. Conversely, some higher H concentrations are seen in low illumination regions. Instead, it appears the regional H budget is governed by a complex interplay between depositional processes and geophysical factors at work on the lunar surface. To begin to characterize and isolate these factors, this paper will correlate the results of the LEND orbital mission with topographic and illumination factors.

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