The variations of neutron component of lunar radiation background from LEND/LRO observations

M. L. Litvak; I. G. Mitrofanov; A. B. Sanin; B. N. Bakhtin; J. G. Bodnarik; W. V. Boynton; G. Chin; L. G. Evans; K. Harshman; T. A. Livengood; A. Malakhov; M. I. Mokrousov; T. P. McClanahan; R. Sagdeev; R. Starr

doi:10.1016/j.pss.2016.01.006

The variations of neutron component of lunar radiation background from LEND/LRO observations

M. L. Litvak, I. G. Mitrofanov, A. B. Sanin, B. N. Bakhtin, J. G. Bodnarik, W. V. Boynton, G. Chin, L. G. Evans, K. Harshman, T. A. Livengood, A. Malakhov, M. I. Mokrousov, T. P. McClanahan, R. Sagdeev, R. Starr

Lunar and Planetary Lab

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Lunar neutron flux data measured by the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) were analyzed for the period 2009-2014. We have re-evaluated the instrument's collimation capability and re-estimated the neutron counting rate measured in the Field of View (FOV) of the LEND collimated detectors, and found it to be 1.0±0.1 counts per second. We derived the spectral density of the neutron flux for various lunar regions using our comprehensive numerical model of orbital measurements. This model takes into account the location of the LEND instrument onboard LRO to calculate the surface leakage neutron flux and its propagation to the instrument detectors. Based on this we have determined the lunar neutron flux at the surface to be ∼2 neutrons/[cm² sec] in the epithermal energy range, 0.4 eV to 1 keV. We have also found variations of the lunar neutron leakage flux with amplitude as large as a factor of two, by using multi-year observations to explore variations in the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) flux during the 23rd-24th solar cycles.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	53-65
Number of pages	13
Journal	Planetary and Space Science
Volume	122
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2016.01.006
State	Published - Mar 1 2016

Keywords

LEND
Moon
Neutrons

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1016/j.pss.2016.01.006

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Litvak, M. L., Mitrofanov, I. G., Sanin, A. B., Bakhtin, B. N., Bodnarik, J. G., Boynton, W. V., Chin, G., Evans, L. G., Harshman, K., Livengood, T. A., Malakhov, A., Mokrousov, M. I., McClanahan, T. P., Sagdeev, R., & Starr, R. (2016). The variations of neutron component of lunar radiation background from LEND/LRO observations. Planetary and Space Science, 122, 53-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2016.01.006

Litvak, ML, Mitrofanov, IG, Sanin, AB, Bakhtin, BN, Bodnarik, JG, Boynton, WV, Chin, G, Evans, LG, Harshman, K, Livengood, TA, Malakhov, A, Mokrousov, MI, McClanahan, TP, Sagdeev, R & Starr, R 2016, 'The variations of neutron component of lunar radiation background from LEND/LRO observations', Planetary and Space Science, vol. 122, pp. 53-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2016.01.006

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title = "The variations of neutron component of lunar radiation background from LEND/LRO observations",

abstract = "Lunar neutron flux data measured by the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) were analyzed for the period 2009-2014. We have re-evaluated the instrument's collimation capability and re-estimated the neutron counting rate measured in the Field of View (FOV) of the LEND collimated detectors, and found it to be 1.0±0.1 counts per second. We derived the spectral density of the neutron flux for various lunar regions using our comprehensive numerical model of orbital measurements. This model takes into account the location of the LEND instrument onboard LRO to calculate the surface leakage neutron flux and its propagation to the instrument detectors. Based on this we have determined the lunar neutron flux at the surface to be ∼2 neutrons/[cm2 sec] in the epithermal energy range, 0.4 eV to 1 keV. We have also found variations of the lunar neutron leakage flux with amplitude as large as a factor of two, by using multi-year observations to explore variations in the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) flux during the 23rd-24th solar cycles.",

keywords = "LEND, Moon, Neutrons",

author = "Litvak, {M. L.} and Mitrofanov, {I. G.} and Sanin, {A. B.} and Bakhtin, {B. N.} and Bodnarik, {J. G.} and Boynton, {W. V.} and G. Chin and Evans, {L. G.} and K. Harshman and Livengood, {T. A.} and A. Malakhov and Mokrousov, {M. I.} and McClanahan, {T. P.} and R. Sagdeev and R. Starr",

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doi = "10.1016/j.pss.2016.01.006",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "122",

pages = "53--65",

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T1 - The variations of neutron component of lunar radiation background from LEND/LRO observations

AU - Litvak, M. L.

AU - Mitrofanov, I. G.

AU - Sanin, A. B.

AU - Bakhtin, B. N.

AU - Bodnarik, J. G.

AU - Boynton, W. V.

AU - Chin, G.

AU - Evans, L. G.

AU - Harshman, K.

AU - Livengood, T. A.

AU - Malakhov, A.

AU - Mokrousov, M. I.

AU - McClanahan, T. P.

AU - Sagdeev, R.

AU - Starr, R.

PY - 2016/3/1

Y1 - 2016/3/1

N2 - Lunar neutron flux data measured by the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) were analyzed for the period 2009-2014. We have re-evaluated the instrument's collimation capability and re-estimated the neutron counting rate measured in the Field of View (FOV) of the LEND collimated detectors, and found it to be 1.0±0.1 counts per second. We derived the spectral density of the neutron flux for various lunar regions using our comprehensive numerical model of orbital measurements. This model takes into account the location of the LEND instrument onboard LRO to calculate the surface leakage neutron flux and its propagation to the instrument detectors. Based on this we have determined the lunar neutron flux at the surface to be ∼2 neutrons/[cm2 sec] in the epithermal energy range, 0.4 eV to 1 keV. We have also found variations of the lunar neutron leakage flux with amplitude as large as a factor of two, by using multi-year observations to explore variations in the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) flux during the 23rd-24th solar cycles.

AB - Lunar neutron flux data measured by the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) were analyzed for the period 2009-2014. We have re-evaluated the instrument's collimation capability and re-estimated the neutron counting rate measured in the Field of View (FOV) of the LEND collimated detectors, and found it to be 1.0±0.1 counts per second. We derived the spectral density of the neutron flux for various lunar regions using our comprehensive numerical model of orbital measurements. This model takes into account the location of the LEND instrument onboard LRO to calculate the surface leakage neutron flux and its propagation to the instrument detectors. Based on this we have determined the lunar neutron flux at the surface to be ∼2 neutrons/[cm2 sec] in the epithermal energy range, 0.4 eV to 1 keV. We have also found variations of the lunar neutron leakage flux with amplitude as large as a factor of two, by using multi-year observations to explore variations in the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) flux during the 23rd-24th solar cycles.

KW - LEND

KW - Moon

KW - Neutrons

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JO - Planetary and Space Science

JF - Planetary and Space Science

ER -

The variations of neutron component of lunar radiation background from LEND/LRO observations

Abstract

Keywords

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