Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Chandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 Onboard Chandrayaan-2 to Study the Lunar Neutral Exosphere


Affiliations
1 Directorate of Technology Development and Innovation, Department of Space, ISRO Headquarters, Antariksh Bhavan, New BEL Road, Bengaluru 560 094, India
2 Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
 

The CHandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 (CHACE-2) experiment aboard Chandrayaan-2 orbiter will study in situ, the composition of the lunar neutral exosphere in the mass range 1–300 amu with mass resolution of 0.5 amu. It will address the spatial and temporal variations of the lunar exosphere, and examine water vapour as well as heavier species in it. In this article, results of the major characterization and calibration experiments of CHACE-2 are presented, with an outline of the qualification tests for both the payload and ground segment.

Keywords

CHACE-2, Chandrayaan-2, Exosphere, Mass Spectrometer.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Stern, S. A., The lunar atmosphere: history, status, current problems, and context. Rev. Geophys., 1999, 37, 453–491.

  • Hoffman, J. H., Hodges Jr, R. R., Johnson, F. S. and Evans, D. E., Lunar atmospheric composition: results from Apollo 17. In Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Proceedings, 1973, vol. 4, p. 2875.

  • Sridharan, R., Ahmed, S. M., Das, T. P., Sreelatha, P., Pradeepkumar, P., Naik, N. and Supriya, G., The sunlit lunar atmosphere: a comprehensive study by CHACE on the moon impact probe of Chandrayaan-1. Planet. Space Sci., 2010, 58, 1567–1577.

  • Sridharan, R., Das, T. P., Ahmed, S. M. and Bhardwaj, A., Indicators for localized regions of heavier species in the lunar surface from CHACE on Chandrayaan-1. Curr. Sci., 2013, 105(11), 1470– 1472.

  • Sridharan, R., Das, T. P., Ahmed, S. M., Supriya, G., Bhardwaj, A. and Kamalakar, J. A., Spatial heterogeneity in the radiogenic activity of the lunar interior: Inferences from CHACE and LLRI on Chandrayaan-1. Adv. Space Res., 2013, 51, 168–178.

  • Thampi, S. V., Sridharan, R., Das, T. P., Ahmed, S. M., Kamalakar, J. A. and Bhardwaj, A., The spatial distribution of molecular hydrogen in the lunar atmosphere – new results. Planet. Space Sci., 2015, 106, 142–147.

  • Tirtha Pratim Das, Thampi, S. V., Bhardwaj, A., Ahmed, S. M. and Sridharan, R., Observation of Ne at mid and high latitudes in the sunlit lunar exosphere: results from CHACE aboard MIP/ Chandrayaan-1. Icarus, 2016, 272, 206–211.

  • Tirtha Pratim Das, Smitha V. Thampi, Dhanya, M. B., Anil Bhardwaj, Ahmed, S. M. and Sridharan, R., Upper limit of helium-4 in the sunlit lunar exosphere during magnetotail passage under low solar wind condition: result from CHACE aboard MIP in Chandrayaan-1. Icarus, 2017, 297, 189–194.

  • Colaprete, A. et al., Detection of water in the LCROSS ejecta plume. Science, 2010, 330(6003), 463–468.

  • Elphic, R. C. et al. The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer Mission. Space Sci. Rev., 2014, 185, 3–25.

  • Benna, M., Mahaffy, P. R., Halekas, J. S., Elphic, R. C. and Delory, G. T., Variability of helium, neon, and argon in the lunar exosphere as observed by the LADEE NMS instrument. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2015, 42, 3723–3729.

  • Hodges, R. R. and Mahaffy, P. R., Synodic and semiannual oscillations of argon-40 in the lunar exosphere. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2016, 43, 22–27.

  • Cook, J. C., Stern, S. A., Feldman, P. D., Gladstone, G. R., Retherford, K. D. and Tsang, C. C. C., New upper limits on numerous atmospheric species in the native lunar atmosphere. Icarus, 2013, 225, 681–687.

  • Sridharan, R., Ahmed, S. M., Das, T. P., Sreelatha, P., Pradeepkumar, P., Naik, N. and Supriya, G., ‘Direct’ evidence for water (H2O) in the sunlit lunar ambience from CHACE on MIP of Chandrayaan I. Planet. Space Sci., 2010, 58, 947–950.

  • Pieters, C. M. et al., Character and spatial distribution of OH/H2O on the surface of the moon seen by M3 on Chandrayaan-1. Science, 2009, 326, 568.

  • Amanda, R. H. et al., Diurnally-migrating lunar water: evidence from ultraviolet data. Geophys. Rev. Lett., 2019; doi: 10.1029/2018GL081821.

  • Lawrence, D., Miller, R., Ozimek, M., Peplowski, P. and Scott, C., High-resolution mapping of lunar polar hydrogen with a lowresource orbital mission. Acta Astronaut., 2015, 115, 452–462.

  • Kumar, A. et al., The moon impact probe on Chandrayaan-I. Curr. Sci., 2009, 96(4), 540–543.

  • Bhardwaj, A. et al., MENCA experiment aboard India’s mars orbiter mission. Curr. Sci., 2015, 109(6), 1106–1113; doi:10.18520/v109/i6/1106-1113.

  • Chapman, J. R., Practical Organic Mass Spectrometry, John Wiley, Chichester, UK, 1995, 2nd edn.


Abstract Views: 266

PDF Views: 83




  • Chandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 Onboard Chandrayaan-2 to Study the Lunar Neutral Exosphere

Abstract Views: 266  |  PDF Views: 83

Authors

Tirtha Pratim Das
Directorate of Technology Development and Innovation, Department of Space, ISRO Headquarters, Antariksh Bhavan, New BEL Road, Bengaluru 560 094, India
Smitha V. Thampi
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
M. B. Dhanya
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
Neha Naik
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
P. Sreelatha
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
P. Pradeepkumar
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
G. Padma Padmanabhan
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
B. Sundar
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
Dinakar Prasad Vajja
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
Amarnath Nandi
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
R. Satheesh Thampi
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
Vipin K. Yadav
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
J. K. Abhishek
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
Md. Nazeer
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
P. T. Lali
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
Rosmy John
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
A. V. Aliyas
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
Vijay Kumar Sen
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
M. Ramprabhu
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India
A. Ajay Krishna
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 022, India

Abstract


The CHandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 (CHACE-2) experiment aboard Chandrayaan-2 orbiter will study in situ, the composition of the lunar neutral exosphere in the mass range 1–300 amu with mass resolution of 0.5 amu. It will address the spatial and temporal variations of the lunar exosphere, and examine water vapour as well as heavier species in it. In this article, results of the major characterization and calibration experiments of CHACE-2 are presented, with an outline of the qualification tests for both the payload and ground segment.

Keywords


CHACE-2, Chandrayaan-2, Exosphere, Mass Spectrometer.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv118%2Fi2%2F202-209