MARCO POLO - RAMON

Abstract

RAMON (Released Atoms and Ions MONitor) to be flown on board the MarcoPolo-R Mission, consists of two neutral atom sensors able to detect and characterize the neutral atoms released from the surface of a near-Earth asteroid (NEA), and an ion monitor for the characterization of the space weathering of the surface. In particular: • SHEAMON (Sputtered High-Energy Atoms MONitor) will investigate the ion-sputtering and backscattering process by detecting neutral atoms between ∼10 eV and ∼3 keV and determining their direction and velocity; • GASP (GAs SPectrometer) will analyse the mass of the low-energy (below 10 eV) neutral atoms released by different surface processes; • MIM (Miniaturized Ion Monitor) will measure the flux and energy spectra of precipitating and backscattered solar wind protons, which originate the Ion Sputtering and Backscattering processes investigated by SHEAMON. The RAMON key questions are summarized as in the following: • What processes happen on the surface of the NEA as a result of its exposure to space environment and collisions? What is the magnitude of the erosion due to space weathering at the NEA surface? • What is the efficiency of each process as a function of environment conditions? • Is the efficiency of particle release processes uniform on the NEA surface? • What is the composition of the escaping material and consequently, how it relates to the surface composition and mineralogy? • What is the role of the surface release processes in the body evolution?