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Gamma and Neutron Spectrometers Designed for Installation Onboard the Lunar Rover

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Abstract

The paper presents the scientific tasks, description, and comparison of various gamma and neutron spectrometers that can be installed on board a medium-class lunar rover with a mass up to 100 kg. As a specific example, we consider the scientific equipment proposed for the future Russian mission Luna-Grunt, the main purpose of which is the delivery of lunar polar regolith samples to the Earth. Presumably, the payload of this mission allows for inclusion of a small lunar rover with a mass between 30 and 100 kg. For this reason, the paper considers options for a gamma and neutron spectrometer that would allow finding the optimal ratio between scientific requirements and resources available on board such a lunar rover.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    M. L. Litvak, D. V. Golovin, M. V. Djachkova, D. V. Kalashnikov, A. S. Kozyrev, I. G. Mitrofanov, M. I. Mokrousov, A. B. Sanin & V. I. Tret’yakov

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  1. M. L. Litvak
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  2. D. V. Golovin
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  3. M. V. Djachkova
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  4. D. V. Kalashnikov
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  5. A. S. Kozyrev
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  6. I. G. Mitrofanov
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  7. M. I. Mokrousov
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  8. A. B. Sanin
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  9. V. I. Tret’yakov
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Correspondence to M. L. Litvak.

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Translated by M. Chubarova

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Litvak, M.L., Golovin, D.V., Djachkova, M.V. et al. Gamma and Neutron Spectrometers Designed for Installation Onboard the Lunar Rover. Sol Syst Res 54, 275–287 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0038094620040073

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