Assessment of Background Radiation Levels on the Lunar Surface and Mapping the Lunar Albedos

Abstract

This literature explores the impact of Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR) and Solar Energy Particles (SEP) on lunar surface radiation levels, using data from OLTARIS and CRATER missions. Applying the Focker-Planck equation with Badhwar-O-Neil 2020 constraints, we predict radiation levels for 53 ionic particles. The Ap-8 min model addresses trapped protons and neutron albedo on the lunar regolith. ACE/CRIS’s spectrometer data determines the Isotopic Composition of GCR, generating Linear Energy Transfer (LET) plots. CRATER and OLTARIS data characterize high-energy particles above the lunar surface. A spherical harmonic Lambertian surface is generated, on which contours representing scaled reflectance are obtained by passing the data through a Gaussian kernel. ARIMA and Random Forest machine learning models predict parameters, and HZETRN2020 and OLTARIS data produce an albedo map of the lunar regolith. This research aims to enhance radiation protection strategies for future lunar missions and space exploration. The value of scaled reflectance and radiation plots have been generated to help understand the impact of the predominant 53 ionic particles covering the range from solar activity particles SEP to the galactic radiation GCR. The values are provided by running various stimulations under multiple constraints provided in OLTARIS, and the value of these stimulated results are mapped across the lunar surface ranging from -180 degrees to 180degree by -90degree to 90degree plot, giving an accuracy up to 1895.21 px/m with a resolution of 16 degree per pixel in the generated radiation plot. The radiation flux developed provides a concise and detailed understanding of the nature of radiation entrapment on the lunar regolith. It successfully translates the lunar albedo value as per the scaled reflectance on the surface.