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  • Phobos 2 Encounter
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Observation of the γ-ray emission from the martian surface by the APEX experiment

Nature volume 341, pages 598–600 (1989)Cite this article

Abstract

THE study of γ-ray emission from planets with a thin atmosphere allows a rough estimation of the chemical composition of their surface to be made. The first attempt to make orbital measurements of the -γ-ray flux from Mars was made by the Soviet spacecraft Mars 5 (ref. 1). Here we present results from the -γ-ray APEX experiment on board Phobos 2. We have measured the y-ray albedo of the martian surface. This albedo appears as a large continuum between a few hundred keV and 8 MeV corresponding to a source intensity of 5 photons cm-2 s-1 2Φ-l (estimated in the 150–1500 keV energy range). There is also evidence for a 511-keV annihilation emission and for a broad contribution of probable nuclear lines between 4 and 7 MeV.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements (CESR), CNRS/UPS-BP, 4346–31029, Toulouse Cedex, France

    C. d'Uston, J.-L. Atteia, C. Barat, E. Jourdain & M. Niel

  2. Space Research Institute, Profsoyuznaya 84/32, Moscow, 117810, GSP–7, USSR

    A. Chernenko, V. Dolidze, A. Dyatchkov, N. Khavenson, A. Kozlenkov, R. Kucherova, I. Mitrofanov, A. Pozanenko & A. Vilchinskaya

  3. S. I. Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Moscow, USSR

    V. Khariukova, L. Moskaleva, P. Scheglov & Yu. Surkov

Authors
  1. C. d'Uston
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  2. J.-L. Atteia
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  3. C. Barat
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  4. A. Chernenko
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  5. V. Dolidze
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  6. A. Dyatchkov
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  7. E. Jourdain
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  8. V. Khariukova
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  9. N. Khavenson
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  10. A. Kozlenkov
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  11. R. Kucherova
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  12. I. Mitrofanov
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  13. L. Moskaleva
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  14. M. Niel
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  15. A. Pozanenko
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  16. P. Scheglov
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  17. Yu. Surkov
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  18. A. Vilchinskaya
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d'Uston, C., Atteia, JL., Barat, C. et al. Observation of the γ-ray emission from the martian surface by the APEX experiment. Nature 341, 598–600 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/341598a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/341598a0

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