First measurements of the radiation dose on the lunar surface.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 32978156.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aaz1334 and PMC identifier 7518862.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC.
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Abstract
Human exploration of the Moon is associated with substantial risks to astronauts from space radiation. On the surface of the Moon, this consists of the chronic exposure to galactic cosmic rays and sporadic solar particle events. The interaction of this radiation field with the lunar soil leads to a third component that consists of neutral particles, i.e., neutrons and gamma radiation. The Lunar Lander Neutrons and Dosimetry experiment aboard China's Chang'E 4 lander has made the first ever measurements of the radiation exposure to both charged and neutral particles on the lunar surface. We measured an average total absorbed dose rate in silicon of 13.2 ± 1 μGy/hour and a neutral particle dose rate of 3.1 ± 0.5 μGy/hour.