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Findings from India's Chandrayaan to provide new understanding of lunar surface |
India's Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer (C1XS) has gathered data for
a total of 30 solar flares, giving the most accurate measurements to date of magnesium,
aluminum, silicon, calcium, and iron in the lunar surface. Although contact was
lost with Chandrayaan-1 last month, the enhanced performance of the C1XS instrument,
which exceeded its design specification, means that the science team will be able
to determine the geochemistry of new areas of the lunar surface, adding some vital
pieces to the jigsaw of the mineralogy of the lunar surface. The miniature C1XS
instrument investigated the lunar surface using an effect whereby X-ray illumination
from the Sun causes rocks to fluoresce, emitting light at a different wavelength.
This re-emitted light contains spectral peaks that are characteristic of elements
contained in the rock, revealing its composition. Solar flares act like a flash
bulb, giving added illumination and allowing C1XS to 'see' more elements. During
normal conditions, C1XS could detect magnesium, aluminum, and silicon and collected
data on the levels of these elements, enabling detailed mapping of areas of the
lunar surface during its operational period. During the 30 solar flares, C1XS
detected calcium and iron (and sometimes titanium, sodium, and potassium) in key
areas in the southern hemisphere and on the far side of the Moon. The spectral
resolution of 50 km was much better than previous missions. According to Professor
Grande, "The C1XS team will be analyzing the data collected during the Chandrayaan-1
mission over the next few months, and the results will help us further our knowledge
of the Moon and planetary formation." In addition, the design of the instrument
has been proved very successful in that it withstood passage through the Earth's
radiation belts and went on to produce these wonderful high-resolution spectra.
We were able to separate clear peaks for each of the target elements, allowing
us not only to identify where they are present but give an accurate estimate for
how much is there," he said. "The technology developed for C1XS opens up some
exciting opportunities for future missions," he added. |
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