Results of the Apollo 15 and 16 X-ray experiment

Abstract

Except for some minor modifications the Apollo 16 X-ray fluorescence experiment was similar to that flown aboard Apollo 15. The Apollo 16 provided data for a number of features not previously covered such as Mare Cognitum, Mare Nubium, Ptolemaeus, Descartes, Mendeleev, and other areas. Many data points were obtained by the X-ray experiments, so that comparisons could be drawn between Apollo 15 and 16 flights. The agreement was generally within about 10%. Al/Si concentration ratios ranged from 0.38% in Mare Cognitum to 0.67% in the Descartes area highlands. A comparison of the Apollo 16 data Al/Si values with optical albedo values along the ground tracks showed the same positive correlation as in the Apollo 15 flight. A reexamination of the detector and collimator geometries showed that the spatial resolution was better by almost a factor of two than the initial estimates.