Search for Hydrogen on the Lunar Surface

Jose Castellano, Daniel McNeelDr. Paul Higbie, Dr. Boris Kiefer

Department of Physics

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We have always have a fascination of the unknown

In the world today our resources our limited

We will soon need a new source of energy on which to rely

We are now entering a new era of exploration into the Universe to search for possibilities of a new place to call home.

Dream to Reality

If there is water on the moon, ◦ Where did it come from?◦ How is it still present?◦ In what form does it exist?◦ Does solar wind affect the

possibility? ◦ If solar wind has a positive

affect, how?◦ How many people could

survive and for how long.

Water

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Clementine◦ Main credit: imagery and topography◦ 1.8 million images of the lunar surface◦ Possible ice detected on the southern

hemisphere of the moon

Clementine Mission

www.astro.washington.edu/courses/labs/clearin

Lunar Prospector◦ Objectives

Map the Moon’s gravitational and magnetic fields, and

Learn more about the size and content of the Moons core.

Prospect the lunar crust and atmosphere for potential resources, including minerals, water ice and certain gases,

Lunar Prospector Mission

Average crater diameter is 5-20 km.

Average crater depth was found to be about 20% of the diameter size

Permanent Shadowed areas: Areas that are never bombarded with radiation from the sun.

Moon Craters and Shadowed Areas

Epithermal neutrons: Neutrons of Kinetic Energy greater than that of thermal agitation.

The lunar prospector used a neutron spectrometer to measure the flux of epithermal neutrons from the surface to about1.2 meters within the lunar surface.

Maps of epithermal neutron fluxes measured by the Lunar Prospector were used to search for deposits enriched in hydrogen

at both lunar poles.

Epithermal Neutrons

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The LRO mission is aimed to investigate more about the moon to prepare and support future human exploration on the moon.

LEND:◦ Mission objective of instrument:

determine the hydrogen distribution in the lunar subsurface at a depth of 1-2 meters on the lunar surface

◦ LEND will detect neutron counts at several different thermal levels including epithermal.

◦ provide estimation of hydrogen content with spacial resolution of 5 - 20 km

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)

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Presently Known

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Lunar Prospector

attempt to overlay lunar topography and chemical abundance maps from the Prospector mission.

Develop image processing tools that may be used by NASA scientists to analyze the previous and LRO hydrogen related data.

Create maps using IDL software and data from the Lunar Prospector mission to show hydrogen content and ratios across the lunar surface.

Current Research:

Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere

Successfully recreating maps of hydrogen content on the lunar surface

Will present research to NASA this summer for internship at Goddard Space Center in Greenbelt, Maryland ( headquarters of LRO mission)

Acquired a better understanding of NASA research efforts and the science of space exploration.

QUESTIONS?

Conclusion and summary: