Cost-Effective Testing of New Concepts in Planetary Nuclear Spectroscopy Using High-Altitude Balloons
Abstract
High-altitude balloon flights not only provide opportunities for direct planetary science measurements, but they also serve as unique platforms for testing concepts and exercising techniques for future planetary science measurements. Planetary nuclear spectroscopy is one technique particularly well suited for testing on high altitude balloons. Planetary nuclear spectroscopy involves the measurement of galactic-cosmic-ray (GCR) generated gamma-rays and neutrons from airless or nearly airless planetary surfaces in order to determine elemental compositions of the planetary bodies. At Earth, the float-altitude environment of scientific balloons is an excellent approximation of the type of energetic particle environment experienced by gamma-ray and neutron detectors in orbit around a planetary body. As a consequence, gamma-ray and neutron detectors that would be used for planetary measurements can be tested and exercised from high-altitude balloons at a fraction of the cost and effort of flying similar detectors at various planetary bodies.
Here, we report on the results of three different types of gamma-ray/neutron sensors (CsI, CLYC, and CeBr3) that were flown on two separate high-altitude balloon flights as hosted payloads from New Mexico and Antarctica in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Gamma rays, neutrons, and energetic GCRs were measured. Expected atmospheric features, such as the Regener-Pfotzer maximum, were observed, and gamma-ray line emission from materials near the sensors, as well as atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen, were detected. The measured data were compared to simulations of energetic protons, neutrons, and 0.511 MeV gamma rays produced by GCR interactions with the atmosphere. In addition to characterizing detector performance in a relevant space-like environment, balloon-borne missions can provide pathfinder measurements similar to those expected in future space-based missions, such as those investigating upper atmospheric densities at other planets like Venus and Titan.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.P41C3751L
- Keywords:
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- 0394 Instruments and techniques;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 0994 Instruments and techniques;
- EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICSDE: 6297 Instruments and techniques;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTSDE: 7594 Instruments and techniques;
- SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMY