Ground tests of nuclear planetology instruments at the JINR experimental facility

In this work the results of ground tests with active neutron spectrometer DAN (Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons) are presented, which have performed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research to simulate space experiments on martian or lunar surfaces and to test ability of active neutron methods to detect layers of subsurface water ice or water at depths in range 0–40 cm. For this experiment we assembled thick models of soil (20–30 metric tons) from a dry material similar in the elemental composition with martian and lunar regolith. Polyethylene buried inside the target at different depths was used as a simulant of thin water/water ice layer.