Low energy neutral atom imaging on the Moon with the SARA instrument aboard Chandrayaan-1 mission

Journal of Earth system science

Anil Bhardwaj1⁴  Rickard Lundin2³  Stas Barabash2³  Yoshifumi Futaana2³  Kazushi Asamura3¹  R Sridharan1⁴  Yoichi Kazama2³  David McCann2³  Mats Holmstrom2 4³  Peter Wurz5² 

[1] Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229–8510, Japan.$$;Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.$$;Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 812, 98128, Kiruna, Sweden.$$;Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Trivandrum 695 022, India.$$

关键词: Moon;    Moon–solar wind interaction;    lunar elemental composition;    lunar magnetic anomalies;    Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA);    lunar mission.;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：天文学(综合)

来源: Indian Academy of Sciences

【 摘 要 】

This paper reports on the Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyzer (SARA)experiment that will be flown on the first Indian lunar mission Chandrayaan-1.The SARA is a low energy neutral atom (LENA)imaging mass spectrometer,which will perform remote sensing of the lunar surface via detection of neutral atoms in the energy range from 10 eV to 3 keV from a 100 km polar orbit.In this report we present the basic design of the SARA experiment and discuss various scientific issues that will be addressed.The SARA instrument consists of three major subsystems:a LENA sensor (CENA),a solar wind monitor (SWIM),and a digital processing unit (DPU).SARA will be used to image the solar wind –surface interaction to study primarily the surface composition and surface magnetic anomalies and associated mini-magnetospheres.Studies of lunar exosphere sources and space weathering on the Moon will also be attempted.SARA is the first LENA imaging mass spectrometer of its kind to be flown on a space mission.A replica of SARA is planned to fly to Mercury onboard the BepiColombo mission.

【 授权许可】

Unknown