The X-Ray Spectrometer on the MESSENGER Spacecraft |
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| Authors: | Charles E Schlemm II Richard D Starr George C Ho Kathryn E Bechtold Sarah A Hamilton John D Boldt William V Boynton Walter Bradley Martin E Fraeman Robert E Gold John O Goldsten John R Hayes Stephen E Jaskulek Egidio Rossano Robert A Rumpf Edward D Schaefer Kim Strohbehn Richard G Shelton Raymond E Thompson Jacob I Trombka Bruce D Williams |
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| Institution: | (1) The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA;(2) Department of Physics, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA;(3) Department of Planetary Science, Space Sciences Building, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA;(4) Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 691, Greenbelt, MD, USA |
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| Abstract: | NASA’s MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) mission will further the understanding of
the formation of the planets by examining the least studied of the terrestrial planets, Mercury. During the one-year orbital
phase (beginning in 2011) and three earlier flybys (2008 and 2009), the X-Ray Spectrometer (XRS) onboard the MESSENGER spacecraft
will measure the surface elemental composition. XRS will measure the characteristic X-ray emissions induced on the surface
of Mercury by the incident solar flux. The Kα lines for the elements Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, Ti, and Fe will be detected. The 12°
field-of-view of the instrument will allow a spatial resolution that ranges from 42 km at periapsis to 3200 km at apoapsis
due to the spacecraft’s highly elliptical orbit. XRS will provide elemental composition measurements covering the majority
of Mercury’s surface, as well as potential high-spatial-resolution measurements of features of interest. This paper summarizes
XRS’s science objectives, technical design, calibration, and mission observation strategy. |
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| Keywords: | Mercury MESSENGER X-ray spectrometry Surface composition X-ray emissions Elemental composition |
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