The sunlit lunar atmosphere: a comprehensive study by CHACE on the Moon Impact Probe of Chandrayaan-1

• Main Authors: Sridharan, R., Ahmed, S. M., Dasa, Tirtha Pratim, Sreelatha, P., Pradeepkumar, P., Naik, Neha, Supriya, Gogulapati
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Elsevier Science 2010
• Subjects: QE Geology; Indian; South Pole; South pole
• Online Access: http://repository.ias.ac.in/54209/; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032063310002291

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.