Apollo remote analysis system applied to surface and underwater in-situ elemental analysis

The surveying of the elemental composition of bulk samples over extended areas in near real-time would be an invaluable tool for surface and underwater environmental analysis. However, few techniques provide such a capability. Based on the experience from the orbital gamma-ray spectrometer experiments on Apollo 15 and 16 in which elemental composition of large portions of the moon were determined, an analysis system has been developed for terrestrial applications, which can fulfill these requirements. A portable, compact pulsed neutron generator and NaI(Tl) detector system coupled to associated electronics under mini-computer control can provide the timing and spectral characteristics necessary to determine elemental composition for many applications. Field trials of the system for underwater elemental analysis are planned during the next year