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The Variations of Neutron Component of Lunar Radiation Background from LEND LRO ObservationsLunar neutron flux data measured by the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) on board NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) were analyzed for the period 2009-2014.We have re-evaluated the instrument's collimation capability and re-estimated the neutron counting rate measured in the Field of View (FOV) of the LEND collimated detectors, and found it to be 1.070.1counts per second. We derived the spectral density of the neutron flux for various lunar regions using our comprehensive numerical model of orbital measurements. This model takes into account the location of the LEND instrument onboard LRO to calculate the surface leakage neutron flux and its propagation to the instrument detectors. Based on this we have determined the lunar neutron flux at the surface to be approx. 2 neutrons/ [sq cm/ sec] in the epithermal energy range, 0.4e V to 1keV. We have also found variations of the lunar neutron leakage flux with amplitude as large as a factor of two, by using multi-year observations to explore variations in the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) flux during the 23rd-24th solar cycles.
Document ID
20170002493
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Litvak, M. L.
(Institute of Space Research Moscow, Russian Federation)
Mitrofanov, I. G.
(Institute of Space Research Moscow, Russian Federation)
Sanin, A. B.
(Institute of Space Research Moscow, Russian Federation)
Bakhtin, B. N.
(Institute of Space Research Moscow, Russian Federation)
Bodnarik, J. G.
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Bodnarik, W. V.
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Chin, G.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Evans, L.G.
(Computer Sciences Corp. Lanham, MD, United States)
Harshman, K.
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Livengood, T. A.
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Malakhov, A.
(Institute of Space Research Moscow, Russian Federation)
Mokrousov, M. I.
(Institute of Space Research Moscow, Russian Federation)
McClanahan, T. P.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Sagdeev, R.
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Starr, R.
(Catholic Univ. of America Washington, DC, United States)
Date Acquired
March 23, 2017
Publication Date
January 15, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: Planetary and Space Science
Publisher: Elsevier
Volume: 122
ISSN: 0032-0633
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN40214
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG06EO90A
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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