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Lunar
Prospector
Launched January 6, 1998, the Lunar Prospector was designed
to focus on three goals: |
- Determine
the resources of the moon, especially water.
- Map
the structure of the moon, including core and crust.
- Gather
evidence on the evolutionary history of the moon.
This
650 pound craft carries five scientific instruments to obtain
data to answer many long-standing questions about the moon.
| | The
magnetic field surrounding the moon is actually a combination
of three fields: a 35 000 nT Earth B-field, a 10 nT Sun B-field,
and finally a 1000 nT Moon B-field. (0.0K) |
Triaxial
Fluxgate Magnetometer
Measurement of the magnetic field is done by the triaxial fluxgate
magnetometer. Triaxial means that it can measure the strength
of the magnetic field in three different directions. Fluxgate
is a wire coil through which a magnetic field can pass. As the
Lunar Prospector orbits the moon, the coil travels through a
continuously changing magnetic field. Consequently, in accordance
with Lenz's law, a current is produced in the coil. By measuring
the variation of the current passing through the coil, the magnetometer
makes a map of the magnetic field surrounding the moon.
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Close-up
of the magnetometer |
(0.0K) | Suppose
the triaxial fluxgate magnetometer measures three components
of the B-field as Bx = 14 830 nT,
By = 8 092 nT, and Bz = 30 340
nT. Determine the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field.
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(0.0K) | The
triaxial fluxgate magnetometer is mounted at the end of a 2.6
meter boom. Why might this configuration be necessary? |
(1.0K) | To
obtain news on the Lunar Prospector mission, go to http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/index.html.
Clicking will launch a new window. |
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