HR: 17:45h
AN: SH54A-08    [Abstracts]
TI: Latest Results from the DCIXS X-ray spectrometer on the SMART-1 ESA mission to the Moon
AU: * Grande, M
EM: m.grande@rl.ac.uk
AF: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, OX OX11 0QX United Kingdom
AU: Kellett, B
EM: b.kellett@rl.ac.uk
AF: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, OX OX11 0QX United Kingdom
AB: The ESA SMART-1 mission to the Moon was successfully launched on 27 Sept 2003. A major payload element is D-CIXS, a Compact X-ray Spectrometer which will provide high quality spectroscopic mapping of the Lunar surface. At the same time it demonstrates a radically novel approach to building a type of instrument essential for the Mercury cornerstone mission. It will achieve ground breaking science within a resource envelope far smaller than previously thought possible for this type of instrument, using new technology which does not require cold running, with its associated overheads to the spacecraft. It consists of a high throughput spectrometer, which will perform spatially localised X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and a solar monitor to provide the calibration of the illumination necessary to produce global map of absolute Lunar elemental abundances. X-ray measurements can also provide insight into the solar wind interaction with the Moon. SMART-1 is due to enter Lunar orbit on 17 Nov 2004. It has already been turned on and is functioning well, and is providing useful calibration data, as well as unique remote sensing of terrestrial fluorescence. It also shows very little degredation as a result of high exposures during its 18 month long flight.
UR: http://sspg1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk/Share/d-cixs.htm
DE: 6250 Moon (1221)
SC: SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting