Gamma-Ray Spectrometers for Use in Planetary Sciences

Gamma-ray spectroscopy is a well-known technique used in measuring planetary elemental composition, a key to understanding planet formation and evolution. Orbital gamma-ray measurements have already been done on Mercury, the Moon, asteroids, and Mars. However, due to the need for a low-resource (power, mass) instrument, few surface measurements have been made using gamma-ray spectroscopy, especially at high resolution. The development of a new high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS), called the GeMini-Plus, is currently underway and will allow for high-resolution, laboratory quality measurements to be made in both orbital and landed missions. This talk will focus on both the GeMini Plus and the Psyche gamma ray spectrometer. I will present the instrument designs and capabilities, including the science for characterizing surface compositions on Psyche, Titan, and the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos.

Speaker: Lena Heffern, NASC