Comprehensive overview of the spectroscopic, mineralogical, and geochemical techniques used in planetary remote sensing.

A neutron-gamma ray spectrometer developed at Texas Nuclear Corporation is described. The spectrometer employs pulse shape discrimination in an organic scintillator detector to selectively detect neutrons or gamma rays in a mixed field by a method not utilizing space charge limiting. Selective detection may be obtained for neutrons of energy higher than 0.7 MeV and for gamma rays above 0.25 MeV. Spectral information is usable to 15 MeV for neutrons and to 4 MeV for gamma rays. Detection efficiencies range from about 6% to 30%. Typical spectra, data analysis procedure, and operating characteristics of the spectrometer are presented.

The post World War II era witnessed a tremendous growth in the research carried out in neutron-induced reactions and especially in neutron capture y-ray studies. This growth was stimulated by the availability of neutron sources, such as reactors and accelerators, and by the development of high resolution y-ray and conversion electron detectors. Today the combination of high flux reactors and precise instrumentation has produced spectral data of exceptional quality, as the pages of these proceedings illustrate. The world-wide community of the practioners of the art of cap ture y-ray spectroscopy has met three times in the last decade: the first international symposium on this subject was held at Studsvik, Sweden in 1969, and the second at Petten, The Netherlands in 1974. A smaller meeting, of mostly u. S. and some European parti cipation, was held at Argonne National Laboratory in 1966. A perusal of the proceedings of these meetings shows the striking ad vances in this now mature field of physics over the last dozen years. Each meeting has seen a small but perceptible increase in the number of papers presented and the number of laboratories repre sented. More importantly, each meeting has documented the increasing impact of (n,y) reasearch, not only on other areas of basic physics, but also on commercial and medical applications of this technology. A total of 29 invited papers and 97 contributed papers were presented at this symposium.

This is the first book to present the science and instruments of NASA’S MESSENGER space mission. The articles, written by the experts in each area of the MESSENGER mission, describe the mission, spacecraft, scientific objectives, and payload. The book is of interest to all potential users of the data returned by the mission, to those studying the nature of Mercury, and by all those interested in the design and implementation of planetary exploration missions.

The post World War II era witnessed a tremendous growth in the research carried out in neutron-induced reactions and especially in neutron capture y-ray studies. This growth was stimulated by the availability of neutron sources, such as reactors and accelerators, and by the development of high resolution y-ray and conversion electron detectors. Today the combination of high flux reactors and precise instrumentation has produced spectral data of exceptional quality, as the pages of these proceedings illustrate. The world-wide community of the practioners of the art of cap ture y-ray spectroscopy has met three times in the last decade: the first international symposium on this subject was held at Studsvik, Sweden in 1969, and the second at Petten, The Netherlands in 1974. A smaller meeting, of mostly u. S. and some European parti cipation, was held at Argonne National Laboratory in 1966. A perusal of the proceedings of these meetings shows the striking ad vances in this now mature field of physics over the last dozen years. Each meeting has seen a small but perceptible increase in the number of papers presented and the number of laboratories repre sented. More importantly, each meeting has documented the increasing impact of (n,y) reasearch, not only on other areas of basic physics, but also on commercial and medical applications of this technology. A total of 29 invited papers and 97 contributed papers were presented at this symposium.

Nuclear planetary science has come to play an important role in our understanding of the origin and evolution of the planetary bodies in our solar system. A newly established branch of planetary science, its study aids in humankind's exploration of the present states of the structures of various planetary bodies (including the Earth), their atmospheres and their satellites, as well as small celestial bodies (e.g. asteroids), through direct observation. Knowing the elemental composition of the planetary bodies is essential in order to understand the formation and evolution of planetary bodies — just as important as it is to know the mass, radius, density and orbit of the celestial body.Suitable for students and specialists interested in the much wider field of Earth and Planetary Science, topics related to the planets and asteroids in the solar system are dealt with in this book. Techniques related to nuclear planetary science's nuclear cosmochemical and geological methods are also covered in this book.

Alpha-, Beta- and Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy Volume 1 offers a comprehensive account of radioactivity and related low-energy phenomena. It summarizes progress in the field of alpha-, beta- and gamma-ray spectroscopy, including the discovery of the non-conservation of parity, as well as new experimental methods that elucidate the processes of weak interactions in general and beta-decay in particular. Comprised of 14 chapters, the book presents experimental methods and theoretical discussions and calculations to maintain the link between experiment and theory. It begins with a discussion of the interaction of electrons and alpha particles with matter. The book explains the elastic scattering of electrons by atomic nuclei and the interaction between gamma-radiation and matter. It then introduces topic on beta-ray spectrometer theory and design and crystal diffraction spectroscopy of nuclear gamma rays. Moreover, the book discusses the applications of the scintillation counter; proportional counting in gases; and the general processes and procedures used in determining disintegration schemes through a study of the beta- and gamma-rays emitted. In addition, it covers the nuclear shell model; collective nuclear motion and the unified model; and alpha-decay conservation laws. The emissions of gamma-radiation during charged particle bombardment and from fission fragments, as well as the neutron-capture radiation spectroscopy, are also explained. Experimentalists will find this book extremely useful.