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14 results on '"Inge Loes ten Kate"'

1. ‘Terrestrial lava tubes as analogues for Mars – a review of the mineralogy and biosignatures of lava tubes from Iceland and the Terceira islands.’

Author

Inge Loes ten Kate, Mahid Ahmed, and Nina Kopacz

Subjects
Lava, Geochemistry, Mars Exploration Program, Geology
Abstract

Lava tubes have been detected on Mars and because of their subsurface nature are shielded from the harsh conditions at the surface. If water intersects with the Martian lava tubes, a life nurturing environment may exist locally in these tubes. Lava tubes on Iceland and the Azores may support similar conditions as lava tubes on Mars and have been shown to contain a wide variety of microbes. [Planetary Analogues and Lava Tube ] (PELE) field expeditions have been setup to understand the relationship between microbes and susbtrate and the preservation of microbes in deeptime within these systems. Within such systems biogenic and hydrothermal alteration processes are not necessarily mutually exclusive and a good understanding of the mineralogy helps distinguish one from the other. Here, I have performed an analytical study analysing basalt mineralogy from recent lava flows from Iceland and Azores islands, attempting to distinguish between biogenic and hydrothermal signatures. I used a workflow of semi quantitative analysis using viewing thin sections under a light microscope to understand textural information. This was supplemented by ImageJ software and using SEM+EDX for point analysis of regions of interest to shed light on our areas of interest. My results showed some ambiguous features linked to alteration in a sample in the north of Iceland related to clays or spherulites, in the Azores vesicle infill of clays or devitrified glass were seen with potential bio signatures including carbon,calcum and phosphorous. These results may indicate environmental factors leading to location specific alteration or related to lava rock mineralogy. Contamination effects cannot be ignored and must be taken into consideration when reviewing these results. Overall these analyses will contribute to the larger PELE outcome by providing a complimentary workflow that can be used to assess biosignatures and specific regions of interest within lava tube rocks.

Published
2021

2. UV irradiation of biomarkers adsorbed on minerals under Martian-like conditions: Hints for life detection on Mars

Author

Robert M. Hazen, Andrew Steele, Inge Loes ten Kate, Arjen Boosman, John Robert Brucato, Sandra Siljeström, Giovanni Poggiali, Teresa Fornaro, Petrology, ITA, USA, NLD, and CHE

Subjects
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform, Inorganic chemistry, Infrared spectroscopy, Martian soil, engineering.material, 01 natural sciences, Mars soil analogues, Apatite, 0103 physical sciences, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Martian, Laboratory simulations, Chemistry, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Mars Exploration Program, Hematite, Natrolite, Space and Planetary Science, visual_art, Raman spectroscopy, visual_art.visual_art_medium, engineering, ToF-SIMS, Biomarkers
Abstract

Laboratory simulations of Martian conditions are essential to develop quantitative models for the survival of organic biomarkers for future Mars exploration missions. In this work, we report the results of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation processing of biomarkers adsorbed on minerals under Martian-like conditions. Specifically, we prepared Mars soil analogues by doping forsterite, lizardite, antigorite, labradorite, natrolite, apatite and hematite minerals with organic compounds considered as potential biomarkers of extant terrestrial life such as the nucleotides adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and uridine monophosphate (UMP). We characterized such Mars soil analogues by means of Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and Confocal Raman Imaging Spectroscopy (CRIS), in order to get insights into the specific molecule-mineral interactions and explore the capabilities of different techniques to reveal diagnostic features of these biomarkers. Then, we performed irradiation experiments in the mid-UV spectral region under simulated Martian conditions and under terrestrial ambient conditions for comparison, monitoring the degradation process through DRIFTS. We observed that degradation under Martian-like conditions occurs much slower than in terrestrial ambient conditions. The minerals labradorite and natrolite mainly promote photodegradation of nucleotides, hematite and forsterite exhibit an intermediate degrading effect, while apatite, lizardite and antigorite do not show any significant catalytic effect on the degradation of the target organic species.

Published
2018

3. Isotopic and geochemical investigation of two distinct Mars analog environments using evolved gas techniques in Svalbard, Norway

Author

David F. Blake, Inge Loes ten Kate, Mihaela Glamoclija, R. Bowden, Richard V. Morris, David L. Bish, Paul R. Mahaffy, Marilyn L. Fogel, Hans E. F. Amundsen, Andrew Steele, Amy McAdam, and Jennifer C. Stern

Subjects
Spectrometer, Evolved gas analysis, Aardwetenschappen, Geochemistry, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Mars Exploration Program, Methane, chemistry.chemical_compound, chemistry, Space and Planetary Science, Sample Analysis at Mars, Carbonate, Sample collection, Quadrupole mass analyzer, Geology
Abstract

The 2010 Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) investigated two distinct geologic settings on Svalbard, using methodologies and techniques to be deployed on Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). AMASE-related research comprises both analyses conducted during the expedition and further analyses of collected samples using laboratory facilities at a variety of institutions. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on MSL includes pyrolysis ovens, a gas-processing manifold, a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), several gas chromatography columns, and a Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS). An integral part of SAM development is the deployment of SAM-like instrumentation in the field. During AMASE 2010, two parts of SAM participated as stand-alone instruments. A Hiden Evolved Gas Analysis-Mass Spectrometer (EGA-QMS) system represented the EGA-QMS component of SAM, and a Picarro Cavity Ring Down Spectrometer (EGA-CRDS), represented the EGA-TLS component of SAM. A field analog of CheMin, the XRD/XRF on MSL, was also deployed as part of this field campaign. Carbon isotopic measurements of CO2 evolved during thermal decomposition of carbonates were used together with EGA-QMS geochemical data, mineral composition information and contextual observations made during sample collection to distinguish carbonates formation associated with chemosynthetic activity at a fossil methane seep from abiotic processes forming carbonates associated with subglacial basaltic eruptions. Carbon and oxygen isotopes of the basalt-hosted carbonates suggest cryogenic carbonate formation, though more research is necessary to clarify the history of these rocks.

Published
2013

4. Analysis and survival of amino acids in Martian regolith analogs

Author

Zita Martins, Per Nørnberg, Pascale Ehrenfreund, James Garry, and Inge Loes ten Kate

Subjects
Martian, chemistry.chemical_classification, Chemistry, Martian soil, Mars Exploration Program, medicine.disease_cause, Regolith, Amino acid, Astrobiology, Geophysics, Space and Planetary Science, Environmental chemistry, Martian surface, Soil water, medicine, Ultraviolet
Abstract

We have investigated the native amino acid composition of two analogs of Martian soil, JSC Mars-1 and Salten Skov. A Mars simulation chamber has been built and used to expose samples of these analogs to temperature and lighting conditions similar to those found at low latitudes on the Martian surface. The effects of the simulated conditions have been examined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Exposure to energetic ultraviolet (UV) light in vacuum appears to cause a modest increase in the concentration of certain amino acids within the materials, which is interpreted as resulting from the degradation of microorganisms. The influence of low temperatures shows that the accretion of condensed water on the soils leads to the destruction of amino acids, supporting the idea that reactive chemical processes involving H2O are at work within the Martian soil. We discuss the influence of UV radiation, low temperatures, and gaseous CO2 on the intrinsic amino acid composition of Martian soil analogs and describe, with the help of a simple model, how these studies fit within the framework of life detection on Mars and the practical tasks of choosing and using Martian regolith analogs in planetary research.

Published
2006

5. The effects of Martian near surface conditions on the photochemistry of amino acids

Author

Pascale Ehrenfreund, Inge Loes ten Kate, Bernard Foing, James Garry, and Z. Peeters

Subjects
Atmosphere, Martian, Chemical kinetics, Adsorption, Space and Planetary Science, Chemistry, Ultraviolet light, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Irradiation, Mars Exploration Program, Photochemistry, Regolith
Abstract

In order to understand the complex multi-parameter system of destruction of organic material on the surface of Mars, step-by-step laboratory simulations of processes occurring on the surface of Mars are necessary. This paper describes the measured effects of two parameters, a CO2 atmosphere and low temperature, on the destruction rate of amino acids when irradiated with Mars-like ultraviolet light (UV). The results show that the presence of a 7 mbar CO2 atmosphere does not affect the destruction rate of glycine, and that cooling the sample to 210 K (average Mars temperature) lowers the destruction rate by a factor of 7. The decrease in the destruction rate of glycine by cooling the sample is thought to be predominantly caused by the slower reaction kinetics. When these results are scaled to Martian lighting conditions, cold thin films of glycine are assumed to have half-lives of 250 h under noontime peak illumination. It has been hypothesised that the absence of detectable native organic material in the Martian regolith points to the presence of oxidising agents. Some of these agents might form via the interaction of UV with compounds in the atmosphere. Water, although a trace component of Mars’ atmosphere, is suggested to be a significant source of oxidising species. However, gaseous CO2 or adsorbed H2O layers do not influence the photodestruction of amino acids significantly in the absence of reactive soil. Other mechanisms such as chemical processes in the Martian regolith need to be effective for rapid organic destruction.

Published
2006

6. Amino acid photostability on the Martian surface

Author

Inge Loes ten Kate, James Garry, Bernard Foing, Z. Peeters, Pascale Ehrenfreund, and Richard C. Quinn

Subjects
chemistry.chemical_classification, Martian, Flux, Mars Exploration Program, Exploration of Mars, medicine.disease_cause, Regolith, Astrobiology, Geophysics, chemistry, Space and Planetary Science, Martian surface, medicine, Organic matter, Geology, Ultraviolet
Abstract

In the framework of international planetary exploration programs, several space missions are planned to search for organics and bio-signatures on Mars. Previous attempts have not detected any organic compounds in the Martian regolith. It is therefore critical to investigate the processes that may affect organic molecules on and below the planet's surface. Laboratory simulations can provide useful data about the reaction pathways of organic material at Mars' surface. We have studied the stability of amino acid thin films against ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and use those data to predict the survival time of these compounds on and in the Martian regolith. We show that thin films of glycine and D-alanine are expected to have half-lives of 22 ± 5 hr and of 3 ± 1 hr, respectively, when irradiated with Mars-like UV flux levels. Modelling shows that the half-lives of the amino acids are extended to the order of 10 7 years when embedded in regolith. These data suggest that subsurface sampling must be a key component of future missions to Mars dedicated to organic detection.

Published
2005

7. A Habitable Fluvio-Lacustrine Environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars

Author

J. P. Grotzinger, D. Y. Sumner, L. C. Kah, K. Stack, S. Gupta, L. Edgar, D. Rubin, K. Lewis, J. Schieber, N. Mangold, R. Milliken, P. G. Conrad, D. DesMarais, J. Farmer, K. Siebach, F. Calef, J. Hurowitz, S. M. McLennan, D. Ming, D. Vaniman, J. Crisp, A. Vasavada, K. S. Edgett, M. Malin, D. Blake, R. Gellert, P. Mahaffy, R. C. Wiens, S. Maurice, J. A. Grant, S. Wilson, R. C. Anderson, L. Beegle, R. Arvidson, B. Hallet, R. S. Sletten, M. Rice, J. Bell, J. Griffes, B. Ehlmann, R. B. Anderson, T. F. Bristow, W. E. Dietrich, G. Dromart, J. Eigenbrode, A. Fraeman, C. Hardgrove, K. Herkenhoff, L. Jandura, G. Kocurek, S. Lee, L. A. Leshin, R. Leveille, D. Limonadi, J. Maki, S. McCloskey, M. Meyer, M. Minitti, H. Newsom, D. Oehler, A. Okon, M. Palucis, T. Parker, S. Rowland, M. Schmidt, S. Squyres, A. Steele, E. Stolper, R. Summons, A. Treiman, R. Williams, A. Yingst, MSL Science Team, Osku Kemppinen, Nathan Bridges, Jeffrey R. Johnson, David Cremers, Austin Godber, Meenakshi Wadhwa, Danika Wellington, Ian McEwan, Claire Newman, Mark Richardson, Antoine Charpentier, Laurent Peret, Penelope King, Jennifer Blank, Gerald Weigle, Shuai Li, Kevin Robertson, Vivian Sun, Michael Baker, Christopher Edwards, Kenneth Farley, Hayden Miller, Megan Newcombe, Cedric Pilorget, Claude Brunet, Victoria Hipkin, Richard Léveillé, Geneviève Marchand, Pablo Sobrón Sánchez, Laurent Favot, George Cody, Lorenzo Flückiger, David Lees, Ara Nefian, Mildred Martin, Marc Gailhanou, Frances Westall, Guy Israël, Christophe Agard, Julien Baroukh, Christophe Donny, Alain Gaboriaud, Philippe Guillemot, Vivian Lafaille, Eric Lorigny, Alexis Paillet, René Pérez, Muriel Saccoccio, Charles Yana, Carlos Armiens-Aparicio, Javier Caride Rodríguez, Isaías Carrasco Blázquez, Felipe Gómez Gómez, Javier Gómez-Elvira, Sebastian Hettrich, Alain Lepinette Malvitte, Mercedes Marín Jiménez, Jesús Martínez-Frías, Javier Martín-Soler, F. Javier Martín-Torres, Antonio Molina Jurado, Luis Mora-Sotomayor, Guillermo Muñoz Caro, Sara Navarro López, Verónica Peinado-González, Jorge Pla-García, José Antonio Rodriguez Manfredi, Julio José Romeral-Planelló, Sara Alejandra Sans Fuentes, Eduardo Sebastian Martinez, Josefina Torres Redondo, Roser Urqui-O’Callaghan, María-Paz Zorzano Mier, Steve Chipera, Jean-Luc Lacour, Patrick Mauchien, Jean-Baptiste Sirven, Heidi Manning, Alberto Fairén, Alexander Hayes, Jonathan Joseph, Robert Sullivan, Peter Thomas, Audrey Dupont, Angela Lundberg, Noureddine Melikechi, Alissa Mezzacappa, Julia DeMarines, David Grinspoon, Günther Reitz, Benito Prats, Evgeny Atlaskin, Maria Genzer, Ari-Matti Harri, Harri Haukka, Henrik Kahanpää, Janne Kauhanen, Mark Paton, Jouni Polkko, Walter Schmidt, Tero Siili, Cécile Fabre, James Wray, Mary Beth Wilhelm, Franck Poitrasson, Kiran Patel, Stephen Gorevan, Stephen Indyk, Gale Paulsen, David Bish, Brigitte Gondet, Yves Langevin, Claude Geffroy, David Baratoux, Gilles Berger, Alain Cros, Claude d’Uston, Olivier Forni, Olivier Gasnault, Jérémie Lasue, Qiu-Mei Lee, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Etienne Pallier, Yann Parot, Patrick Pinet, Susanne Schröder, Mike Toplis, Éric Lewin, Will Brunner, Ezat Heydari, Cherie Achilles, Brad Sutter, Michel Cabane, David Coscia, Cyril Szopa, François Robert, Violaine Sautter, Stéphane Le Mouélic, Marion Nachon, Arnaud Buch, Fabien Stalport, Patrice Coll, Pascaline François, François Raulin, Samuel Teinturier, James Cameron, Sam Clegg, Agnès Cousin, Dorothea DeLapp, Robert Dingler, Ryan Steele Jackson, Stephen Johnstone, Nina Lanza, Cynthia Little, Tony Nelson, Richard B. Williams, Andrea Jones, Laurel Kirkland, Burt Baker, Bruce Cantor, Michael Caplinger, Scott Davis, Brian Duston, Donald Fay, David Harker, Paul Herrera, Elsa Jensen, Megan R. Kennedy, Gillian Krezoski, Daniel Krysak, Leslie Lipkaman, Elaina McCartney, Sean McNair, Brian Nixon, Liliya Posiolova, Michael Ravine, Andrew Salamon, Lee Saper, Kevin Stoiber, Kimberley Supulver, Jason Van Beek, Tessa Van Beek, Robert Zimdar, Katherine Louise French, Karl Iagnemma, Kristen Miller, Fred Goesmann, Walter Goetz, Stubbe Hviid, Micah Johnson, Matthew Lefavor, Eric Lyness, Elly Breves, M. Darby Dyar, Caleb Fassett, Laurence Edwards, Robert Haberle, Tori Hoehler, Jeff Hollingsworth, Melinda Kahre, Leslie Keely, Christopher McKay, Lora Bleacher, William Brinckerhoff, David Choi, Jason P. Dworkin, Melissa Floyd, Caroline Freissinet, James Garvin, Daniel Glavin, Daniel Harpold, David K. Martin, Amy McAdam, Alexander Pavlov, Eric Raaen, Michael D. Smith, Jennifer Stern, Florence Tan, Melissa Trainer, Arik Posner, Mary Voytek, Andrew Aubrey, Alberto Behar, Diana Blaney, David Brinza, Lance Christensen, Lauren DeFlores, Jason Feldman, Sabrina Feldman, Gregory Flesch, Insoo Jun, Didier Keymeulen, Michael Mischna, John Michael Morookian, Betina Pavri, Marcel Schoppers, Aaron Sengstacken, John J. Simmonds, Nicole Spanovich, Manuel de la Torre Juarez, Christopher R. Webster, Albert Yen, Paul Douglas Archer, Francis Cucinotta, John H. Jones, Richard V. Morris, Paul Niles, Elizabeth Rampe, Thomas Nolan, Martin Fisk, Leon Radziemski, Bruce Barraclough, Steve Bender, Daniel Berman, Eldar Noe Dobrea, Robert Tokar, Timothy Cleghorn, Wesley Huntress, Gérard Manhès, Judy Hudgins, Timothy Olson, Noel Stewart, Philippe Sarrazin, Edward Vicenzi, Mark Bullock, Bent Ehresmann, Victoria Hamilton, Donald Hassler, Joseph Peterson, Scot Rafkin, Cary Zeitlin, Fedor Fedosov, Dmitry Golovin, Natalya Karpushkina, Alexander Kozyrev, Maxim Litvak, Alexey Malakhov, Igor Mitrofanov, Maxim Mokrousov, Sergey Nikiforov, Vasily Prokhorov, Anton Sanin, Vladislav Tretyakov, Alexey Varenikov, Andrey Vostrukhin, Ruslan Kuzmin, Benton Clark, Michael Wolff, Oliver Botta, Darrell Drake, Keri Bean, Mark Lemmon, Susanne P. Schwenzer, Ella Mae Lee, Robert Sucharski, Miguel Ángel de Pablo Hernández, Juan José Blanco Ávalos, Miguel Ramos, Myung-Hee Kim, Charles Malespin, Ianik Plante, Jan-Peter Muller, Rafael Navarro-González, Ryan Ewing, William Boynton, Robert Downs, Mike Fitzgibbon, Karl Harshman, Shaunna Morrison, Onno Kortmann, Amy Williams, Günter Lugmair, Michael A. Wilson, Bruce Jakosky, Tonci Balic-Zunic, Jens Frydenvang, Jaqueline Kløvgaard Jensen, Kjartan Kinch, Asmus Koefoed, Morten Bo Madsen, Susan Louise Svane Stipp, Nick Boyd, John L. Campbell, Glynis Perrett, Irina Pradler, Scott VanBommel, Samantha Jacob, Tobias Owen, Hannu Savijärvi, Eckart Boehm, Stephan Böttcher, Sönke Burmeister, Jingnan Guo, Jan Köhler, César Martín García, Reinhold Mueller-Mellin, Robert Wimmer-Schweingruber, John C. Bridges, Timothy McConnochie, Mehdi Benna, Heather Franz, Hannah Bower, Anna Brunner, Hannah Blau, Thomas Boucher, Marco Carmosino, Sushil Atreya, Harvey Elliott, Douglas Halleaux, Nilton Rennó, Michael Wong, Robert Pepin, Beverley Elliott, John Spray, Lucy Thompson, Suzanne Gordon, Ann Ollila, Joshua Williams, Paulo Vasconcelos, Jennifer Bentz, Kenneth Nealson, Radu Popa, Jeffrey Moersch, Christopher Tate, Mackenzie Day, Raymond Francis, Emily McCullough, Ed Cloutis, Inge Loes ten Kate, Daniel Scholes, Susan Slavney, Thomas Stein, Jennifer Ward, Jeffrey Berger, John E. Moores, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences [Pasadena], California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Department of Earth and Planetary Science [UC Berkeley] (EPS), University of California [Berkeley], University of California-University of California, The University of Tennessee [Knoxville], Department of Earth Science and Technology [Imperial College London], Imperial College London, ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE), Arizona State University [Tempe] (ASU), US Geological Survey [Santa Cruz], United States Geological Survey [Reston] (USGS), Princeton University, Department of Geological Sciences [Bloomington], Indiana University [Bloomington], Indiana University System-Indiana University System, Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique [UMR 6112] (LPG), Université d'Angers (UA)-Université de Nantes - UFR des Sciences et des Techniques (UN UFR ST), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Geological Sciences [Providence], Brown University, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Department of Geosciences [Stony Brook], Stony Brook University [SUNY] (SBU), State University of New York (SUNY)-State University of New York (SUNY), State University of New York (SUNY), NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), NASA, Planetary Science Institute [Tucson] (PSI), Department of Physics [Guelph], University of Guelph, Space Remote Sensing Group (ISR-2), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie (IRAP), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Center for Earth and Planetary Studies [Washington] (CEPS), Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution-Smithsonian Institution, Department of Earth and Space Sciences [Seattle], University of Washington [Seattle], Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon - Terre, Planètes, Environnement [Lyon] (LGL-TPE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-École normale supérieure - Lyon (ENS Lyon), Department of Geological Sciences [Austin], Jackson School of Geosciences (JSG), University of Texas at Austin [Austin]-University of Texas at Austin [Austin], Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), NASA Headquarters, Institute of Meteoritics [Albuquerque] (IOM), The University of New Mexico [Albuquerque], University of Hawaii, Brock University [Canada], Cornell University [New York], Geophysical Laboratory [Carnegie Institution], Carnegie Institution for Science [Washington], Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Lunar and Planetary Institute [Houston] (LPI), GeoRessources, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre de recherches sur la géologie des matières premières minérales et énergétiques (CREGU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS), University of California [Berkeley] (UC Berkeley), University of California (UC)-University of California (UC), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon - Terre, Planètes, Environnement (LGL-TPE), École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne (UJM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Carnegie Institution for Science, Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre de recherches sur la géologie des matières premières minérales et énergétiques (CREGU)-Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), NWO-NSO: The role of perchlorates in the preservation of organic compounds on Mars, and Petrology

Subjects
Geologic Sediments, Salinity, Extraterrestrial Environment, Nitrogen, General Science & Technology, Iron, Curiosity rover, Mars, [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences, Astrobiology, MSL Science Team, Exobiology, MSL, Martian, Multidisciplinary, fluvial-lacustrine environments, Biosphere, Water, Phosphorus, Mars Exploration Program, 15. Life on land, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Carbon, Oxygen, Planetary science, Bays, 13. Climate action, Rocknest, Sample Analysis at Mars, Sedimentary rock, Oxidation-Reduction, Geology, Sulfur, Hydrogen
Abstract

International audience; The Curiosity rover discovered fine-grained sedimentary rocks, which are inferred to represent an ancient lake and preserve evidence of an environment that would have been suited to support a martian biosphere founded on chemolithoautotrophy. This aqueous environment was characterized by neutral pH, low salinity, and variable redox states of both iron and sulfur species. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and phosphorus were measured directly as key biogenic elements; by inference, phosphorus is assumed to have been available. The environment probably had a minimum duration of hundreds to tens of thousands of years. These results highlight the biological viability of fluvial-lacustrine environments in the post-Noachian history of Mars.

Published
2014

8. Mars' surface radiation environment measured with the Mars science laboratory's curiosity rover

Author

Donald M. Hassler, Cary Zeitlin, Robert F. Wimmer-Schweingruber, Bent Ehresmann, Scot Rafkin, Jennifer L. Eigenbrode, David E. Brinza, Gerald Weigle, Stephan Böttcher, Eckart Böhm, Soenke Burmeister, Jingnan Guo, Jan Köhler, Cesar Martin, Guenther Reitz, Francis A. Cucinotta, Myung-Hee Kim, David Grinspoon, Mark A. Bullock, Arik Posner, Javier Gómez-Elvira, Ashwin Vasavada, John P. Grotzinger, MSL Science Team, Osku Kemppinen, David Cremers, James F. Bell, Lauren Edgar, Jack Farmer, Austin Godber, Meenakshi Wadhwa, Danika Wellington, Ian McEwan, Claire Newman, Mark Richardson, Antoine Charpentier, Laurent Peret, Penelope King, Jennifer Blank, Mariek Schmidt, Shuai Li, Ralph Milliken, Kevin Robertson, Vivian Sun, Michael Baker, Christopher Edwards, Bethany Ehlmann, Kenneth Farley, Jennifer Griffes, Hayden Miller, Megan Newcombe, Cedric Pilorget, Melissa Rice, Kirsten Siebach, Katie Stack, Edward Stolper, Claude Brunet, Victoria Hipkin, Richard Léveillé, Geneviève Marchand, Pablo Sobrón Sánchez, Laurent Favot, George Cody, Andrew Steele, Lorenzo Flückiger, David Lees, Ara Nefian, Mildred Martin, Marc Gailhanou, Frances Westall, Guy Israël, Christophe Agard, Julien Baroukh, Christophe Donny, Alain Gaboriaud, Philippe Guillemot, Vivian Lafaille, Eric Lorigny, Alexis Paillet, René Pérez, Muriel Saccoccio, Charles Yana, Carlos Armiens‐Aparicio, Javier Caride Rodríguez, Isaías Carrasco Blázquez, Felipe Gómez Gómez, Sebastian Hettrich, Alain Lepinette Malvitte, Mercedes Marín Jiménez, Jesús Martínez-Frías, Javier Martín-Soler, F. Javier Martín-Torres, Antonio Molina Jurado, Luis Mora-Sotomayor, Guillermo Muñoz Caro, Sara Navarro López, Verónica Peinado-González, Jorge Pla-García, José Antonio Rodriguez Manfredi, Julio José Romeral-Planelló, Sara Alejandra Sans Fuentes, Eduardo Sebastian Martinez, Josefina Torres Redondo, Roser Urqui-O'Callaghan, María-Paz Zorzano Mier, Steve Chipera, Jean-Luc Lacour, Patrick Mauchien, Jean-Baptiste Sirven, Heidi Manning, Alberto Fairén, Alexander Hayes, Jonathan Joseph, Steven Squyres, Robert Sullivan, Peter Thomas, Audrey Dupont, Angela Lundberg, Noureddine Melikechi, Alissa Mezzacappa, Thomas Berger, Daniel Matthia, Benito Prats, Evgeny Atlaskin, Maria Genzer, Ari-Matti Harri, Harri Haukka, Henrik Kahanpää, Janne Kauhanen, Mark Paton, Jouni Polkko, Walter Schmidt, Tero Siili, Cécile Fabre, James Wray, Mary Beth Wilhelm, Franck Poitrasson, Kiran Patel, Stephen Gorevan, Stephen Indyk, Gale Paulsen, Sanjeev Gupta, David Bish, Juergen Schieber, Brigitte Gondet, Yves Langevin, Claude Geffroy, David Baratoux, Gilles Berger, Alain Cros, Claude d’Uston, Olivier Forni, Olivier Gasnault, Jérémie Lasue, Qiu-Mei Lee, Sylvestre Maurice, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Etienne Pallier, Yann Parot, Patrick Pinet, Susanne Schröder, Mike Toplis, Éric Lewin, Will Brunner, Ezat Heydari, Cherie Achilles, Dorothy Oehler, Brad Sutter, Michel Cabane, David Coscia, Cyril Szopa, Gilles Dromart, François Robert, Violaine Sautter, Stéphane Le Mouélic, Nicolas Mangold, Marion Nachon, Arnaud Buch, Fabien Stalport, Patrice Coll, Pascaline François, François Raulin, Samuel Teinturier, James Cameron, Sam Clegg, Agnès Cousin, Dorothea DeLapp, Robert Dingler, Ryan Steele Jackson, Stephen Johnstone, Nina Lanza, Cynthia Little, Tony Nelson, Roger C. Wiens, Richard B. Williams, Andrea Jones, Laurel Kirkland, Allan Treiman, Burt Baker, Bruce Cantor, Michael Caplinger, Scott Davis, Brian Duston, Kenneth Edgett, Donald Fay, Craig Hardgrove, David Harker, Paul Herrera, Elsa Jensen, Megan R. Kennedy, Gillian Krezoski, Daniel Krysak, Leslie Lipkaman, Michael Malin, Elaina McCartney, Sean McNair, Brian Nixon, Liliya Posiolova, Michael Ravine, Andrew Salamon, Lee Saper, Kevin Stoiber, Kimberley Supulver, Jason Van Beek, Tessa Van Beek, Robert Zimdar, Katherine Louise French, Karl Iagnemma, Kristen Miller, Roger Summons, Fred Goesmann, Walter Goetz, Stubbe Hviid, Micah Johnson, Matthew Lefavor, Eric Lyness, Elly Breves, M. Darby Dyar, Caleb Fassett, David F. Blake, Thomas Bristow, David DesMarais, Laurence Edwards, Robert Haberle, Tori Hoehler, Jeff Hollingsworth, Melinda Kahre, Leslie Keely, Christopher McKay, Lora Bleacher, William Brinckerhoff, David Choi, Pamela Conrad, Jason P. Dworkin, Melissa Floyd, Caroline Freissinet, James Garvin, Daniel Glavin, Daniel Harpold, Paul Mahaffy, David K. Martin, Amy McAdam, Alexander Pavlov, Eric Raaen, Michael D. Smith, Jennifer Stern, Florence Tan, Melissa Trainer, Michael Meyer, Mary Voytek, Robert C. Anderson, Andrew Aubrey, Luther W. Beegle, Alberto Behar, Diana Blaney, Fred Calef, Lance Christensen, Joy A. Crisp, Lauren DeFlores, Jason Feldman, Sabrina Feldman, Gregory Flesch, Joel Hurowitz, Insoo Jun, Didier Keymeulen, Justin Maki, Michael Mischna, John Michael Morookian, Timothy Parker, Betina Pavri, Marcel Schoppers, Aaron Sengstacken, John J. Simmonds, Nicole Spanovich, Manuel de la Torre Juarez, Christopher R. Webster, Albert Yen, Paul Douglas Archer, John H. Jones, Douglas Ming, Richard V. Morris, Paul Niles, Elizabeth Rampe, Thomas Nolan, Martin Fisk, Leon Radziemski, Bruce Barraclough, Steve Bender, Daniel Berman, Eldar Noe Dobrea, Robert Tokar, David Vaniman, Rebecca M. E. Williams, Aileen Yingst, Kevin Lewis, Laurie Leshin, Timothy Cleghorn, Wesley Huntress, Gérard Manhès, Judy Hudgins, Timothy Olson, Noel Stewart, Philippe Sarrazin, John Grant, Edward Vicenzi, Sharon A. Wilson, Victoria Hamilton, Joseph Peterson, Fedor Fedosov, Dmitry Golovin, Natalya Karpushkina, Alexander Kozyrev, Maxim Litvak, Alexey Malakhov, Igor Mitrofanov, Maxim Mokrousov, Sergey Nikiforov, Vasily Prokhorov, Anton Sanin, Vladislav Tretyakov, Alexey Varenikov, Andrey Vostrukhin, Ruslan Kuzmin, Benton Clark, Michael Wolff, Scott McLennan, Oliver Botta, Darrell Drake, Keri Bean, Mark Lemmon, Susanne P. Schwenzer, Ryan B. Anderson, Kenneth Herkenhoff, Ella Mae Lee, Robert Sucharski, Miguel Ángel de Pablo Hernández, Juan José Blanco Ávalos, Miguel Ramos, Charles Malespin, Ianik Plante, Jan-Peter Muller, Rafael Navarro-González, Ryan Ewing, William Boynton, Robert Downs, Mike Fitzgibbon, Karl Harshman, Shaunna Morrison, William Dietrich, Onno Kortmann, Marisa Palucis, Dawn Y. Sumner, Amy Williams, Günter Lugmair, Michael A. Wilson, David Rubin, Bruce Jakosky, Tonci Balic-Zunic, Jens Frydenvang, Jaqueline Kløvgaard Jensen, Kjartan Kinch, Asmus Koefoed, Morten Bo Madsen, Susan Louise Svane Stipp, Nick Boyd, John L. Campbell, Ralf Gellert, Glynis Perrett, Irina Pradler, Scott VanBommel, Samantha Jacob, Tobias Owen, Scott Rowland, Hannu Savijärvi, César Martín García, Reinhold Mueller-Mellin, John C. Bridges, Timothy McConnochie, Mehdi Benna, Heather Franz, Hannah Bower, Anna Brunner, Hannah Blau, Thomas Boucher, Marco Carmosino, Sushil Atreya, Harvey Elliott, Douglas Halleaux, Nilton Rennó, Michael Wong, Robert Pepin, Beverley Elliott, John Spray, Lucy Thompson, Suzanne Gordon, Horton Newsom, Ann Ollila, Joshua Williams, Paulo Vasconcelos, Jennifer Bentz, Kenneth Nealson, Radu Popa, Linda C. Kah, Jeffrey Moersch, Christopher Tate, Mackenzie Day, Gary Kocurek, Bernard Hallet, Ronald Sletten, Raymond Francis, Emily McCullough, Ed Cloutis, Inge Loes ten Kate, Raymond Arvidson, Abigail Fraeman, Daniel Scholes, Susan Slavney, Thomas Stein, Jennifer Ward, Jeffrey Berger, John E. Moores, NWO-NSO: The role of perchlorates in the preservation of organic compounds on Mars, Petrology, Southwest Research Institute [Boulder] (SwRI), Kiel University, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), NASA-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), German Aerospace Center (DLR), University of Nevada [Reno], Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Denver Museum of Nature and Science, NASA Headquarters, Centro de Astrobiologia [Madrid] (CAB), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC), GeoRessources, and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre de recherches sur la géologie des matières premières minérales et énergétiques (CREGU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)

Subjects
Extraterrestrial Environment, Surface Properties, Mars, [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences, Cosmic ray, Radiation Dosage, Exploration of Mars, Astrobiology, Martian surface, Exobiology, galactic cosmic rays, solar energetic particles, Mars Science Laboratory’s Curiosity rover, Humans, Organic Chemicals, Particle radiation, Martian, Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), Multidisciplinary, Mars Exploration Program, Space Flight, Radiation assessment detector, 13. Climate action, Health threat from cosmic rays, Deinococcus, Cosmic Radiation
Abstract

International audience; The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover began making detailed measurements of the cosmic ray and energetic particle radiation environment on the surface of Mars on 7 August 2012. We report and discuss measurements of the absorbed dose and dose equivalent from galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles on the martian surface for similar to 300 days of observations during the current solar maximum. These measurements provide insight into the radiation hazards associated with a human mission to the surface of Mars and provide an anchor point with which to model the subsurface radiation environment, with implications for microbial survival times of any possible extant or past life, as well as for the preservation of potential organic biosignatures of the ancient martian environment.

Published
2014

9. Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith for planetary resource exploration

Author

Adrian E. Southard, Charles Malespin, Stephanie Getty, Carl A. Kotecki, Daniel P. Glavin, Marvin Noreiga, Inge Loes ten Kate, Jacob E. Bleacher, Heather B. Franz, Paul R. Mahaffy, Timothy D. Swindle, E. Mumm, James W. Rice, Steven Feng, Jason P. Dworkin, Nick Dobson, and Vincent Holmes

Subjects
Astrochemistry, Materials science, Planetary science, Evolved gas analysis, Chemical engineering, In situ resource utilization, Mars Exploration Program, Regolith, Volatility (chemistry), Pyrolysis, Astrobiology
Abstract

The extraction and identification of volatile resources that could be utilized by humans including water, oxygen, noble gases, and hydrocarbons on the Moon, Mars, and small planetary bodies will be critical for future long-term human exploration of these objects. Vacuum pyrolysis at elevated temperatures has been shown to be an efficient way to release volatiles trapped inside solid samples. In order to maximize the extraction of volatiles, including oxygen and noble gases from the breakdown of minerals, a pyrolysis temperature of 1400°C or higher is required, which greatly exceeds the maximum temperatures of current state-of-the-art flight pyrolysis instruments. Here we report on the recent optimization and field testing results of a high temperature pyrolysis oven and sample manipulation system coupled to a mass spectrometer instrument called Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith (VAPoR). VAPoR is capable of heating solid samples under vacuum to temperatures above 1300°C and determining the composition of volatiles released as a function of temperature.

Published
2012

10. An AOTF-LDTOF spectrometer suite for in situ organic detection and characterization

Author

Stephanie Getty, Nancy J. Chanover, Penelope J. Boston, David A. Glenar, R. Tawalbeh, Amy McAdam, William B. Brinckerhoff, Inge Loes ten Kate, Paul R. Mahaffy, David G. Voelz, and Xifeng Xiao

Subjects
In situ, Optics, Extant taxon, Spectrometer, business.industry, Martian surface, Mineralogy, Environmental science, Mars Exploration Program, business, Mass spectrometry, Refractory (planetary science), Characterization (materials science)
Abstract

We discuss the development of a miniature near-infrared point spectrometer, operating in the 1.7–4 mm region, based on acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) technology. This instrument may be used to screen and corroborate analyses of samples containing organic biomarkers or mineralogical signatures suggestive of extant or extinct organic material collected in situ from planetary surfaces. The AOTF point spectrometer will be paired with a laser desorption time-of-flight (LDTOF) mass spectrometer and will prescreen samples for evidence of volatile or refractory organics before the laser desorption step and subsequent mass spectrometer measurement. 1 2 We describe the prototype AOTF point spectrometer instrument and present laboratory analysis of geological samples of known astrobiological importance. An initial mineral and rock sample suite of planetary relevance was used in the laboratory for baseline testing. To this, we will add a complement of astrobiologically relevant biosignatures from a variety of well-characterized geomicrobial study sites. We also describe LDTOF analysis of kaolinite and serpentine specimens, which are both highly relevant to the Martian surface mineralogy and the aqueous history of the planet. The AOTF-LDTOF instrument pairing offers the powerful advantage of cross-checked chemical analyses of individual samples, which can reduce chemical and biological interpretation ambiguities.

Published
2011

11. The next phase in our search for life: an expert discussion

Author

Moderator: Christopher P. McKay, Participants: Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Alfonso F. Davila, Everett L. Shock, Inge Loes ten Kate, and Penelope J. Boston

Subjects
Balance (metaphysics), Engineering, Extraterrestrial Environment, business.industry, Process (engineering), Mars, Context (language use), Mars Exploration Program, Space Flight, Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous), Data science, Planetary science, Space and Planetary Science, Planet, Exobiology, Remote Sensing Technology, Great conjunction, business
Abstract

This roundtable discussion was convened to discuss the ongoingplanning process in planetary sciences and its relationship toAstrobiology goals. The participants were selected to represent arange of interests and backgrounds in Astrobiology and all of themhave been involved in planetary missions and the use of data fromplanetary missions. Three questions were sent to the panel beforethe roundtable discussion to provide a context of initiating thediscussion. These questions were:1. What would you list as the most important opportu-nity for Astrobiology in planetary missions in the nextdecade?2. What is the right balance between directly searching for lifeand investigations that focus on the physical environmentproviding a context for life? Does the current program strikethe right balance?3. The Decadal Survey process mirrors the organizationalstructure of NASA Headquarters (HQ). Hence, Astrobiologyis included in the Planetary Decadal Survey because Astro-biology is programmatically part of the Planetary program atNASA HQ. Is this the right approach? What are otherpossible approaches? Does the Astrobiology Roadmap (pro-mulgated by the NASA Astrobiology Institute) provide animportant alternative? How effectively do these two processescapture real community input?Christopher P. McKay: Dirk, what would you list as themost important opportunity for astrobiology and planetarymissions in the next decade?Dirk Schulze-Makuch: Well, there would be severalpossibilities, but…we are at a point where we have a verygood idea about the environmental conditions on Mars and Ithink that we are now ready to both design and then launcha life detection mission to Mars.CPMcK: That’s interesting because in a recent forum ar-ticle, you point to Titan as being a priority; so, if you were tolist one thing, would it be a Mars mission, rather than, say, aTitan mission?DSM: I feel Mars is more pressing and we are ready for aMars life detection mission. I would like to see a Titan mis-sion as well, but there is probably still a bit more develop-ment needed, and we have to think exactly how we want todo it. We are not at that exciting juncture with Titan wherewe can look for life. We first have to characterize the envi-ronment. A life detection mission for Mars is on the firstplace for me, and second, an elaborate Titan mission char-acterizing its environment.CPMcK: Penny, how about you next?Penelope Jane Boston: I have a two-part answer to that.On one hand there is a methodological issue and I would liketo see us shift our astrobiological attention—and the missionprogram in general—to a better balance of landed missionsversus orbital missions. While orbital missions have greatvalue for a number of different things, pushing forward thescience relevant to life detection will require landed missionswith increasingly sophisticated in situ measurements. So thatis a philosophical orientation in terms of how you design themissions.Then if I were picking my favorite body to go to—I wouldnot necessarily couch it in those terms—I have become in-creasingly interested in the issue of ices in the solar systemand their potential for preserving biological signals. So thatactually applies to the icy terrains on Mars. It applies to icymoons around at least Jupiter and Saturn as well.So I have started to do some work on Antarctic materialsthat are promising, we think, in terms of trapping microor-ganisms and preserving their signals. Other people, of course,are working on permafrost and so forth. Ices are an arena inwhich I would like to see us really aggressively advance.CPMcK: Everett, how about you?Everett Shock: I would like to comment that one problemwe face in general is that on most planets, the surface is not avery hospitable place, and yet, of course, the surface is theeasiest thing for us to collect data from, either from a vast

Published
2011

12. Organics on Mars?

Author

Inge Loes ten Kate

Subjects
Perchlorates, Extraterrestrial Environment, Atmosphere, Mars, Atmosphere of Mars, Mars Exploration Program, Martian soil, Space Flight, Combustion, Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous), Methane, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Astrobiology, Organic Chemistry Phenomena, chemistry.chemical_compound, Perchlorate, Soil, chemistry, Meteorite, Space and Planetary Science, Environmental chemistry, Martian surface, Exobiology
Abstract

Organics are expected to exist on Mars based on meteorite infall, in situ production, and any possible biological sources. Yet they have not been detected on the martian surface; are they there, or are we not capable enough to detect them? The Viking gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer did not detect organics in the headspace of heated soil samples with a detection limit of parts per billion. This null result strongly influenced the interpretation of the reactivity seen in the Viking biology experiments and led to the conclusion that life was not present and, instead, that there was some chemical reactivity in the soil. The detection of perchlorates in the martian soil by instruments on the Phoenix lander and the reports of methane in the martian atmosphere suggest that it may be time to reconsider the question of organics. The high-temperature oxidizing properties of perchlorate will promote combustion of organics in pyrolytic experiments and may have affected the ability of both Phoenix's organic analysis experiment and the Viking mass spectrometer experiments to detect organics. So the question of organics on Mars remains open. A primary focus of the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory will be the detection and identification of organic molecules by means of thermal volatilization, followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry--as was done on Viking. However, to enhance organic detectability, some of the samples will be processed with liquid derivatization agents that will dissolve organics from the soil before pyrolysis, which may separate them from the soil perchlorates. Nonetheless, the problem of organics on Mars is not solved, and for future missions other organic detection techniques should therefore be considered as well.

Published
2010

13. Mitigation of the impact of terrestrial contamination on organic measurements from the Mars Science Laboratory

Author

Therese Errigo, Pamela G. Conrad, John Canham, Ira Katz, Paul R. Mahaffy, and Inge Loes ten Kate

Subjects
Geologic Sediments, Spectrometer, Atmosphere, Polymers, Mars, Mars Exploration Program, Biological potential, Contamination, Containment of Biohazards, Exploration of Mars, Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Astrobiology, Organic molecules, Space and Planetary Science, Sample Analysis at Mars, Environmental science, Organic Chemicals, Volatilization, Laboratories, Remote sensing
Abstract

The objective of the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), which is planned to follow the Mars Exploration Rovers and the Phoenix lander to the surface of Mars, is to explore and assess quantitatively a site on Mars as a potential habitat for present or past life. Specific goals include an assessment of the past or present biological potential of the target environment and a characterization of its geology and geochemistry. Included in the 10 investigations of the MSL rover is the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite, which is designed to obtain trace organic measurements, measure water and other volatiles, and measure several light isotopes with experiment sequences designed for both atmospheric and solid-phase samples. SAM integrates a gas chromatograph, a mass spectrometer, and a tunable laser spectrometer supported by sample manipulation tools both within and external to the suite. The sub-part-per-billion sensitivity of the suite for trace species, particularly organic molecules, along with a mobile platform that will contain many kilograms of organic materials, presents a considerable challenge due to the potential for terrestrial contamination to mask the signal of martian organics. We describe the effort presently underway to understand and mitigate, wherever possible within the resource constraints of the mission, terrestrial contamination in MSL and SAM measurements.

Published
2008

14. Delivery of organics to Mars through asteroid and comet impacts

Author

Sarah Greenstreet, Michael Mueller, Kateryna Frantseva, Floris van der Tak, Inge Loes ten Kate, Astronomy, and Petrology

Subjects
Comets, dynamics, 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences, Mars, surface, Comet, Mars, FOS: Physical sciences, 01 natural sciences, Astrobiology, Interplanetary dust cloud, Impact crater, 0103 physical sciences, Comets, surface, Ejecta, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Martian, Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP), Near-Earth object, Astronomy and Astrophysics, dynamics, Mars Exploration Program, Asteroids, Asteroid, Space and Planetary Science, Asteroids, dynamics, Geology, Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics, Cratering
Abstract

Given rapid photodissociation and photodegradation, the recently discovered organics in the Martian subsurface and atmosphere were probably delivered in geologically recent times. Possible parent bodies are C-type asteroids, comets, and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). The dust infall rate was estimated, using different methods, to be between $0.71$ and $2.96 \times 10^6$ kg/yr (Nesvorny et al., 2011, Borin et al., 2017, Crismani et al., 2017); assuming a carbon content of 10% (Flynn, 1996), this implies an IDP carbon flux of $0.07 - 0.3 \times 10^6$ kg/yr. We calculate for the first time the carbon flux from impacts of asteroids and comets. To this end, we perform dynamical simulations of impact rates on Mars. We use the N-body integrator RMVS/Swifter to propagate the Sun and the eight planets from their current positions. We separately add comets and asteroids to the simulations as massless test particles, based on their current orbital elements, yielding Mars impact rates of $4.34\times10^{-3}$ comets/Myr and 3.3 asteroids/Myr. We estimate the global carbon flux on Mars from cometary impacts to be $\sim 0.013 \times 10^{6}$~kg/yr within an order of magnitude, while asteroids deliver $\sim 0.05 \times 10^6$~kg/yr. These values correspond to $\sim 4-19 \%$ and $\sim 17-71 \%$, respectively, of the IDP-borne carbon flux estimated by Nesvorny et al. 2011, Borin et al. 2017 and Crismani et al. 2017. Unlike the spatially homogeneous IDP infall, impact ejecta are distributed locally, concentrated around the impact site. We find organics from asteroids and comets to dominate over IDP-borne organics at distances up to 150~km from the crater center. Our results may be important for the interpretation of in situ detections of organics on Mars., Comment: 30 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Icarus

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