The sunlit lunar atmosphere: a comprehensive study by CHACE on the Moon Impact Probe of Chandrayaan-1
The altitudinal/latitudinal profile of the lunar atmospheric composition on the sunlit side was unraveled for the first time by the Chandra's Altitudinal Composition Explorer (CHACE) on the Moon Impact Probe, a standalone micro-satellite that impacted at the lunar south pole, as a part of the f...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
Elsevier Science
2010
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://repository.ias.ac.in/54209/ http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032063310002291 |
Summary: | The altitudinal/latitudinal profile of the lunar atmospheric composition on the sunlit side was unraveled for the first time by the Chandra's Altitudinal Composition Explorer (CHACE) on the Moon Impact Probe, a standalone micro-satellite that impacted at the lunar south pole, as a part of the first Indian mission to Moon, Chandrayaan-1. Systematic measurements were carried out during the descent phase of the impactor with an altitude resolution of ~250 m and a latitudinal resolution of ~0.1° . The overall pressure on the dayside and the neutral composition in the mass range 1-100 amu have been measured by identifying 44 and 18 amu as the dominant constituents. Significant amounts of heavier (>50 amu) species also have been detected, the details of which are presented and discussed. |
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