Mapping the composition of planetary surfaces by Auger electron spectroscopy

The feasibility of AES as a remote-sensing technique to map the composition of the sunlit surfaces of planetary bodies without atmospheres is studied. Solar X-rays eject photoelectrons from the planetary surface. The resulting ions relax by emission of fluorescence X-rays or Auger electrons, with energies characteristic of the element which is ionized. The spectrum of Auger electrons and photoelectrons is computed for a variety of elements and for representative lunar rock types illuminated by soft-X-ray line and continuum emission typical of solar long-lived coronal active regions. The Auger electron lines for O, Si, Mg, Al, Fe, and Ca in lunar rocks stand well above the continuum background from photoelectrons and backscattered interplanetary electrons, with typical line-to-continuum ratios from about 20 to over 1000.