利用GSFC/NASA提供的GEODYNII/SOLVE软件处理月球探测器LP(Lunar Prospector)扩展任务阶段最后3个月的测速和测距跟踪数据,解算月球重力场模型,比较分析全部位系数解算和部分中高阶次位系数解算2种方法,并对2种方法解算得到的模型进行阶方差分析。同时通过轨道残差、重复轨道误差以及模型大地水准面等几个方面对基于部分中高阶次位系数解算的有效性和得到的模型进行精度评估。结果表明基于部分中高阶次位系数解算的方法进行恢复月球重力场是可行的。该方法将用于"嫦娥工程"中月球重力场的解析。

[1] Initial studies of neutron spectrometer data returned by Lunar Prospector concentrated on the discovery of enhanced hydrogen abundances near both lunar poles. However, the nonpolar data exhibit intriguing patterns that appear spatially correlated with surface features such as young impact craters (e. g., Tycho). Such immature crater materials may have low hydrogen contents because of their relative lack of exposure to solar wind-implanted volatiles. We tested this hypothesis by comparing epithermal* neutron counts (i.e., epithermal -0.057 x thermal neutrons) for Copernican-age craters classified as relatively young, intermediate, and old (as determined by previous studies of Clementine optical maturity variations). The epithermal* counts of the crater and continuous ejecta regions suggest that the youngest impact materials are relatively devoid of hydrogen in the upper 1 m of regolith. We also show that the mean hydrogen contents measured in Apollo and Luna landing site samples are only moderately well correlated to the epithermal* neutron counts at the landing sites, likely owing to the effects of rare earth elements. These results suggest that further work is required to define better how hydrogen distribution can be revealed by epithermal neutrons in order to understand more fully the nature and sources (e. g., solar wind, meteorite impacts) of volatiles in the lunar regolith.