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LIBS confirms the presence of Sulphur (S) on the lunar surface
through unambiguous in-situ measurements Home / Flash News:
Chandrayaan-3 / LIBS

August 28, 2023

The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard
Chandrayaan-3 Rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on
the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the south pole.
These in-situ measurements confirm the presence of Sulphur (S) in the
region unambiguously, something that was not feasible by the
instruments onboard the orbiters.

LIBS is a scientific technique that analyzes the composition of
materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses. A high-energy
laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material, such as a rock
or soil. The laser pulse generates an extremely hot and localized
plasma. The collected plasma light is spectrally resolved and
detected by detectors such as Charge Coupled Devices. Since each
element emits a characteristic set of wavelengths of light when it's
in a plasma state, the elemental composition of the material is
determined.

Preliminary analyses, graphically represented, have unveiled the
presence of Aluminum (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe),
Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface. Further
measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon
(Si), and oxygen (O). Thorough investigation regarding the presence
of Hydrogen is underway.

LIBS payload is developed at the Laboratory for Electro-Optics
Systems (LEOS)/ISRO, Bengaluru.

More about LIBS: Click here

LIBS confirms the presence of Sulphur (S) on the lunar surface
through unambiguous in-situ measurements