Nuclear-Physical Methods of Analysis in Lunar and Planetary Investigations

Abstract

The advances of space technology ushered in a new era in the development of man's ideas about the solar system. The flights of space vehicles to the Moon, Venus, Mars and other planets made it possible to obtain quite new information on the composition, structure and properties of the matter of the solar system's bodies. In these studies a prominent role is played by remote and contact nuclear-physical methods of analyzing extraterrestrial matter — gamma-spectrometry, X-ray-spectrometry, alpha-spectrometry and neutron spectrometry. At present practically any space vehicle bound for planets carries scientific instrumentation based on the nuclear-physical methods of analysis. In this review paper we shall consider only gamma-spectrometry and X-ray-spectrometry by means of which the main information on the composition, structure and properties of the material of the Moon and planets was obtained.