Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) experiment onboard NASA's Mars Science Laboratory

Abstract

The description of Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) experiment is presented, as a part of the NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission onboard the mars rover Curiosity. The instrument DAN includes Pulsing Neutron Generator (PNG) producing pulses of 14.1 MeV neutrons for irradiation of subsurface material below the rover, and Detectors and Electronics (DE) unit, which operates the instrument itself and measures the die-away time profiles of epithermal and thermal neutrons following each neutron pulse. It is shown that the DAN investigation will measure a content of hydrogen along the path of the MSL rover, and it will also provide information about a depth distribution of hydrogen at 10-20 regions selected for the detailed studies and sampling analysis. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.