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Production rates of cosmogenic nuclei on the lunar surface

    Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) can interact with the matters in the solid  extraterrestrial bodies (planets and meteoroids) and produce many nuclei, the so-called cosmogenic nuclei. The Moon of Earth is the only one for which the materials are available at known positions, such as the Apollo15 drill core . The concentration and depth profile of cosmogenic nuclei in the drill core materials can be used to investigate the cosmic ray exposure age (CREA) of that region. That is to say the CREA of the crater rims can be used to date the impact events and to calibrate the geological age of that region as deduced from the counting rate of impact craters. According to Chinese lunar exploration program, new lunar samples should be returned in the future 10 years or so. To meet the need of data analysis of these lunar materials associate researcher of Purple Mountain Observatory,CAS, Dong Tiekuang developed a physical model to calculate the production rate of cosmogenic nuclei on the surface of large solid extraterrestrial bodies. As a test of this model the depth profile of long-lived cosmogenic nuclei Be-10 and Al-26 in the Apollo15 drill core have been reproduced very well (e.g., see Fig.1). This work has been published in Chinese Physics C Vol. 38, No. 7 (2014) 075101. http://epub.cnki.net/kns/brief/default_result.aspx

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