The α-scattering technique of chemical analysis as used on the Surveyor lunar missions is described. Improved α sources and methods of data analyses lead to appreciably better results than those achieved previously by this technique. The accuracy of the α-scattering method has been tested through the analysis of eleven rocks of known composition using a space Surveyor instrument. These results have provided the basis for estimation of the errors of the lunar surface analyses on Surveyors 5, 6, and 7. Some nonstandard geometrical relationships of sample to instrument, such as were encountered on the Surveyor missions, have been studied and their effects estimated. As a by-product of this work, chemical analyses of five rocks of unknown composition were obtained.
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Economou et al. (1970) studied this question.
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