Instrument for Lunar Surface Chemical Analysis

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Abstract
An instrument has been designed and constructed which utilizes the interactions of monoenergetic alpha particles with matter for surfacechemical analysis. The source of alpha particles is a radioactive nuclide, such as 242Cm. The energy spectra of backscatteredalpha particles are measured with semiconductordetectors. Other detectors (with gold foils over them to eliminate alpha particles) register protons from α,p reactions. Transistorized electronics provide 128‐channel pulse height analyzers for both alpha and proton spectra. The first prototype instrument designed for the presently planned Surveyor Lunar Missions weighs less than 4 kg and uses less than 1.3 W.