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Doctoral Dissertations

Mars

Nuclear

Publication Year

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Remote Neutron Spectroscopy On Mars, Christopher Gayle Tate May 2017

Remote Neutron Spectroscopy On Mars, Christopher Gayle Tate

Doctoral Dissertations

Remote neutron spectroscopy is an important technique in planetary science that allows for classification of the amount of light elements in a planetary regolith. It is especially suited for studying hydrogen abundances and elements with high thermal neutron absorption cross sections in the top ~1 meter of regolith. The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity carries the first rover based neutron spectrometer Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) in Gale crater, Mars. As the DAN instrument operates in passive mode, it is sensitive to neutrons produced through Galactic Cosmic Ray interactions and neutrons generated by the rover's Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator. In …


Remote Sensing Of Sediments And Volatiles On The Martian Surface And Terrestrial Analog Sites, Craig James Hardgrove May 2011

Remote Sensing Of Sediments And Volatiles On The Martian Surface And Terrestrial Analog Sites, Craig James Hardgrove

Doctoral Dissertations

The role of water and volatiles in the solar system is of critical interest in planetary science. Evidence for the past action of water or direct observation of water on a planetary body can indicate the potential to harbor life and is critical to human exploration of the solar system. We study two very different remote sensing techniques that address the issue of identifying water-related processes on the surface of other planetary bodies, and in particular, Mars. The first technique, combined thermal infrared and visible imaging, has been used extensively on Mars for determining the thermal inertia of surface materials. …