The REXIS science objective is to obtain an X-ray (0.3-7.5 keV)
global map of the elemental abundance of the asteroid 1999 RQ36,
thereby providing a complementary understanding of the globally
representative context of the returned sample.
Shown right is a simulated X-ray fluorescence spectrum from regolith
of a C1
carbonaceous chondrite for the quiescent Sun for the REXIS instrument
with the asteroid at a heliocentric distance of 1 AU. Increased solar
activity can increase fluxes by 2 to 4 orders of magnitude over those
shown.
The bottom panel shows the minimal detectable (5 sigma)
excess of a high concentration surface unit vs. unit radius (m) for
the total flux (black) and a lines constituting 3% (blue) and 30%
(red) of the total flux (c.f. 1-40% of the total for the 5 brightest
observable fluorescence lines). The inset shows a
simulated image from 700m of a region containing three units with
factors of 5, 6, and 10 higher concentration of O than the surrounding
region reconstructed with the preliminary random mask design.
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