A method has been developed for calculating the parameters of electron beam necessary for remote elemental analysis of lunar surface rocks using characteristic X-ray emission excited by electrons of the beam in a surface layer. It is shown that creation of a set of equipment intended for global mapping of the composition of main rock-forming elements in lunar soil probed from a low-altitude lunar orbiter is technically feasible. Possible influence of various physical factors present in space near the Moon on the remote elemental analysis is considered, including magnetic and electric fields and the natural background of corpuscular and X-ray radiation at the satellite orbit.

Original languageEnglish
Article number105065
JournalPlanetary and Space Science
Volume193
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Nov 2020

    Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science
  • Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)

    Research areas

  • Active remote elemental analysis, Characteristic X-ray emission, Electron beam, Moon

ID: 85550844