Lunar water resources and “cislunar science”

Finding lunar water resources is essential for human beings to explore space frontiers like the Moon, Mars, and asteroids. Cosmic rays constantly bombard the Moon’s surface, generating neutrons. We are developing a plan to locate water by measuring neutrons, using neutrons’ behavior of slowing down when they collide with hydrogen nuclei (protons) in water. Leveraging space radiation measurement techniques developed in X-ray astronomy and citizen science know-how (observing gamma rays produced by lightning and thunderstorms), our project aims to deploy a network of radiation detectors around the Moon. If successful, it could open up a new field, “cislunar science,” enabling particle experiments (such as measuring neutron lifetimes from a lunar orbiter) and advancing cosmological research via observations of gamma-ray bursts in the cislunar region, or the area between Earth and the Moon.

URL

https://www.docswell.com/s/teruaki_enoto/51D7PZ-2022-12-04-160400 (in Japanese)