2012/09/13 by M. Klein Wolt, Marc Klein Wolt, A. Aminaei +8 · 37 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrobiology #Astronomy #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Coronal mass ejection #Galaxy #Ionosphere #LOFAR #Mars Exploration Program #Physics #Planetary Science and Exploration #Plasma #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology #Radio Science #Radio telescope #Redshift #Reionization #Solar wind #Space weather #astro-ph.IM
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.09.004
published in Planetary and Space Science 74(1), 167-178 (Elsevier BV) · Accepted for publication in a special issue PSS - "Scientific Preparations for Lunar Exploration"
arxiv created 2012/09/13 · openalex publication_date 2012/09/25 · arxiv updated 2015/06/11 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The active broadband (1 kHz-100 MHz) tripole antenna now envisaged to be placed on the European Lunar Lander located at the Lunar South Pole allows for sensitive measurements of the exosphere and ionosphere, and their interaction with the Earths magnetosphere, solar particles, wind and CMEs and studies of radio communication on the moon, that are essential for future lunar human and science exploration. In addition, the lunar South pole provides an excellent opportunity for radio astronomy. Placing a single radio antenna in an eternally dark crater or behind a mountain at the south (or north) pole would potentially provide perfect shielding from man-made radio interference (RFI), absence of ionospheric distortions, and high temperature and antenna gain stability that allows detection of the 21 cm wave emission from pristine hydrogen formed after the big bang and into the period where the first stars formed. A detection of the 21 cm line from the moon at these frequencies would allow for the first time a clue on the distribution and evolution on mass in the early universe between the Epoch of Recombination and Epoch of Reionization (EoR). A single lunar radio antenna would also allow for studies of the effect of solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) on the solar wind at distances close to earth (space weather) and would open up the study of low frequency radio events from planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, which are known to emit bright (kJy-MJy) radio emission below 30 MHz (Jester & Falcke, 2009). Finally, a single radio antenna on the lunar lander would pave the way for a future large lunar radio interferometer; not only will it demonstrate the possibilities for lunar radio science and open up the last unexplored radio regime, but it will also allow a determination of the limitations of lunar radio science by measuring the local radio background noise.