138 results on '"María Paz Zorzano"'
Search Results
2. Unveiling the Subsurface of Late Amazonian Lava Flows at Echus Chasma, on Mars
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Federico Mansilla, María-Paz Zorzano, Iraklis Giannakis, and Javier Ruiz
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radar ,Mars ,lava ,Amazonian ,Science - Abstract
The Echus-Kasei region on Mars has been exposed to different episodic volcanic, fluvial, and glacial events in Amazonian time. The goal of the present work is to demonstrate the usefulness of radar instruments to find preserved late Amazonian subsurface structures that may have been encapsulated underneath recent lava flows on Mars. We have analysed 27 radar observations of the SHAllow RADar (SHARAD) instrument on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), over the region of Echus Chasma. We discovered the presence of subsurface reflectors in five consecutive SHARAD radargrams at a depth from 35 to 79 m beneath the structure of a lava fan that formed about 59 ± 4 Ma ago. Some vents are preserved above the surface of this lava flow, which stands at a height of 80 m above the surrounding surface. A few kilometres to the north, we find other subsurface reflectors at a depth of about 30 m and a long pit chain formed by the collapse of a lava tube. These kinds of subsurface late Amazonian structures are of interest for astrobiology because they date from the last period when the planet still experienced intense volcanic activity over regions that were previously extensively covered by water.
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- 2023
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3. The COSPAR planetary protection requirements for space missions to Venus
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María Paz Zorzano, Karen Olsson-Francis, Peter T. Doran, Petra Rettberg, Athena Coustenis, Vyacheslav Ilyin, Francois Raulin, Omar Al Shehhi, Frank Groen, Olivier Grasset, Akiko Nakamura, Olga Prieto Ballesteros, Silvio Sinibaldi, Yohey Suzuki, Praveen Kumar, Gerhard Kminek, Niklas Hedman, Masaki Fujimoto, Maxim Zaitsev, Alex Hayes, Jing Peng, Eleonora Ammannito, Christian Mustin, and Kanyan Xu
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Committee on Space Research’s (COSPAR) ,Radiation ,Planetary Protection ,Ecology ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,space missions ,Venus ,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) - Published
- 2023
4. MARSWRF Prediction of Entry Descent Landing Profiles: Applications to Mars Exploration
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Ricardo Morais Fonseca, María‐Paz Zorzano, and Javier Martín‐Torres
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Mars ,atmosphere ,EDL ,MarsWRF ,ExoMars 2020 ,Mars 2020 ,Astronomy ,QB1-991 ,Geology ,QE1-996.5 - Abstract
Abstract In this paper we use the Mars implementation of the Planet Weather Research and Forecasting model, MarsWRF, to simulate the Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) vertical profiles from six past missions: Pathfinder, Mars Exploration Rovers Opportunity and Spirit, Phoenix, Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, and ExoMars 2016 (Schiaparelli), and compare the results with observed data. In order to investigate the sensitivity of the model predictions to the atmospheric dust distribution, MarsWRF is run with two prescribed dust scenarios. It is concluded that the MarsWRF EDL predictions can be used for guidance into the design and planning stage of future missions to the planet, as it generally captures the observed EDL profiles, although it has a tendency to underestimate the temperature and overestimate the density for heights above 15 km. This could be attributed to an incorrect representation of the observed dust loading. We have used the model to predict the EDL conditions that may be encountered by two future missions: ExoMars 2020 and Mars 2020. When run for Oxia Planum and Jezero Crater for the expected landing time, MarsWRF predicts a large sensitivity to the dust loading in particular for the horizontal wind speed above 10‐15 km with maximum differences of up to ±30 m/s for the former and ±15 m/s for the latter site. For both sites, the best time for EDL, that is, when the wind speed is generally the weakest with smaller shifts in direction, is predicted to be in the late morning and early afternoon.
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- 2019
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5. Vertical characterization of fine and coarse dust particles during an intense Saharan dust outbreak over the Iberian Peninsula in springtime 2021
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María Ángeles López-Cayuela, Carmen Córdoba-Jabonero, Diego Bermejo-Pantaleón, Michaël Sicard, Vanda Salgueiro, Francisco Molero, Clara Violeta Carvajal-Pérez, María José Granados-Muñoz, Adolfo Comerón, Flavio T. Couto, Rubén Barragán, María-Paz Zorzano, Juan Antonio Bravo-Aranda, Constantino Muñoz-Porcar, María João Costa, Begoña Artíñano, Alejandro Rodríguez-Gómez, Daniele Bortoli, Manuel Pujadas, Jesús Abril-Gago, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, Juan Luis Guerrero-Rascado, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Teoria del Senyal i Comunicacions, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Ciència i Tecnologia Aeroespacials, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. CommSensLab-UPC - Centre Específic de Recerca en Comunicació i Detecció UPC
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Atmospheric Science ,Sand ,Desert dust ,Enginyeria de la telecomunicació [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Sorra - Abstract
An intense and long-lasting Saharan dust outbreak crossed the Iberian Peninsula (IP) from the southwest (SW) to the northeast (NE) from 25 March until 7 April 2021. This work aims to assess the optical and mass contribution of both fine and coarse dust particles along their transport. Five Iberian lidar stations were monitoring the transport and evolution of the Saharan dust particles, i.e. El Arenosillo/Huelva, Granada, Torrejon/Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, and evora in Portugal. The particular meteorological conditions determined the aerosol scenario along the overall dust event, differing in the first part of the event (25-31 March), in which the strongest dust incidence occurred on 29-31 March at the south and central stations and 1 April at Barcelona, from the second one (1-7 April). The use of the two-step POLIPHON algorithm showed the relevance of using polarized lidar measurements for separating the aerosol properties of dust fine and coarse particles as an added value. Both the fine dust (Df) and coarse dust (Dc) components of the total particle backscatter coefficient (total dust, DD = Dc + Df) were separately derived. The dust plume was well-mixed with height and no significant differences were found in the vertical structure of both the Dc and Df particle backscatter coefficients. From the beginning of the dust outbreak until 1 April, the vertical Df / DD mass ratio was nearly constant in time at each station and also in altitude with values of & SIM; 10 %. Moreover, the mean dust optical depth at 532 nm was decreasing along that dust pathway, reporting values from SW to NE stations of 0.34 at El Arenosillo/Huelva, 0.28 at Granada, 0.20 at evora, 0.28 at Torrejon/Madrid, and 0.14 at Barcelona, although its Df / DD ratio remained almost constant (28 %-30 %). A similar pattern was found for the total dust mass loading and its Df / DD ratio, i.e. mostly decreasing mean mass values were reported, being constant in its Df / DD ratio (& SIM; 10 %) along the SW-NE dust pathway. In addition, the episode-mean centre-of-mass height increased with latitude overall, showing a high variability, being greater than 0.5 km at the southern sites (El Arenosillo/Huelva, Granada, evora) and & SIM; 1.0 km at Torrejon/Madrid and Barcelona. However, despite the relatively high intensity of the dust intrusion, the expected ageing of the dust particles was hardly observed, by taking into account the minor changes found in the contribution and properties of the coarse and fine dust particles. This is on the basis that the IP is relatively close to the Saharan dust sources and then, under certain dust transport conditions, any potential ageing processes in the dust particles remained unappreciated. The following must be highlighted: the different relative contribution of the fine dust particles to the total dust found for their optical properties (& SIM; 30 %) associated with the radiative effect of dust, with respect to that for the mass features (& SIM; 10 %) linked to air quality issues, along the overall dust event by crossing the IP., Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain (MICINN) Spanish Government PID2019-104205GB-C21/AEI/10.13039/501100011033
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- 2023
6. Brine-Induced Tribocorrosion Accelerates Wear on Stainless Steel: Implications for Mars Exploration
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Javier Martín‐Torres, María‐Paz Zorzano‐Mier, Erik Nyberg, Abhilash Vakkada-Ramachandran, and Anshuman Bhardwaj
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Astronomy ,QB1-991 - Abstract
Tribocorrosion is a degradation phenomenon of material surfaces subjected to the combined action of mechanical loading and corrosion attack caused by the environment. Although corrosive chemical species such as materials like chloride atoms, chlorides, and perchlorates have been detected on the Martian surface, there is a lack of studies of its impact on materials for landed spacecraft and structures that will support surface operations on Mars. Here, we present a series of experiments on the stainless-steel material of the ExoMars 2020 Rosalind Franklin rover wheels. We show how tribocorrosion induced by brines accelerates wear on the materials of the wheels. Our results do not compromise the nominal ExoMars mission but have implications for future long-term surface operations in support of future human exploration or extended robotic missions on Mars.
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- 2021
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7. Experimental Investigation of the Atmosphere-Regolith Water Cycle on Present-Day Mars
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Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, María-Paz Zorzano, and Javier Martín-Torres
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Mars ,pure liquid water ,water cycle simulation ,habitability ,planetary protection ,ISRU ,Chemical technology ,TP1-1185 - Abstract
The water content of the upper layers of the surface of Mars is not yet quantified. Laboratory simulations are the only feasible way to investigate this in a controlled way on Earth, and then compare it with remote and in situ observations of spacecrafts on Mars. Describing the processes that may induce changes in the water content of the surface is critical to determine the present-day habitability of the Martian surface, to understand the atmospheric water cycle, and to estimate the efficiency of future water extraction procedures from the regolith for In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). This paper illustrates the application of the SpaceQ facility to simulate the near-surface water cycle under Martian conditions. Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) observations at Gale crater show a non-equilibrium situation in the atmospheric H2O volume mixing ratio (VMR) at night-time, and there is a decrease in the atmospheric water content by up to 15 g/m2 within a few hours. This reduction suggests that the ground may act at night as a cold sink scavenging atmospheric water. Here, we use an experimental approach to investigate the thermodynamic and kinetics of water exchange between the atmosphere, a non-porous surface (LN2-chilled metal), various salts, Martian regolith simulant, and mixtures of salts and simulant within an environment which is close to saturation. We have conducted three experiments: the stability of pure liquid water around the vicinity of the triple point is studied in experiment 1, as well as observing the interchange of water between the atmosphere and the salts when the surface is saturated; in experiment 2, the salts were mixed with Mojave Martian Simulant (MMS) to observe changes in the texture of the regolith caused by the interaction with hydrates and liquid brines, and to quantify the potential of the Martian regolith to absorb and retain water; and experiment 3 investigates the evaporation of pure liquid water away from the triple point temperature when both the air and ground are at the same temperature and the relative humidity is near saturation. We show experimentally that frost can form spontaneously on a surface when saturation is reached and that, when the temperature is above 273.15 K (0 °C), this frost can transform into liquid water, which can persist for up to 3.5 to 4.5 h at Martian surface conditions. For comparison, we study the behavior of certain deliquescent salts that exist on the Martian surface, which can increase their mass between 32% and 85% by absorption of atmospheric water within a few hours. A mixture of these salts in a 10% concentration with simulant produces an aggregated granular structure with a water gain of approximately 18- to 50-wt%. Up to 53% of the atmospheric water was captured by the simulated ground, as pure liquid water, hydrate, or brine.
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- 2021
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8. Self-Assembled Structures Formed in CO2-Enriched Atmospheres: A Case-Study for Martian Biomimetic Forms
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Elizabeth Escamilla-Roa, María-Paz Zorzano, Javier Martin-Torres, Claro Ignacio Sainz-Díaz, and Julyan H.E. Cartwright
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Space and Planetary Science ,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) - Published
- 2022
9. Seasonal Variations in Atmospheric Composition as Measured in Gale Crater, Mars
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Melissa G. Trainer, Michael H. Wong, Timothy H. Mcconnochie, Heather B. Franz, Sushil K. Atreya, Pamela G. Conrad, Franck Lefèvre, Paul R. Mahaffy, Charles A. Malespin, Heidi L. K. Manning, Javier Martín‐Torres, Germán M. Martínez, Christopher P. Mckay, Rafael Navarro‐González, Álvaro Vicente‐Retortillo, Christopher R. Webster, and María‐Paz Zorzano
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Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration - Abstract
The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover measures the chemical composition of major atmospheric species (CO2, N2, 40Ar,O2, and CO) through a dedicated atmospheric inlet. We report here measurements of volume mixing ratios in Gale Crater using the SAM quadrupole mass spectrometer, obtained over a period of nearly 5 years (3 Mars years) from landing. The observation period spans the northern summer of MY31 and solar longitude (L(sub S)) of 175° through spring of MY 34, L(sub S) = 12°. This work expands upon prior reports of the mixing ratios measured by SAM QMS in the first 105 sols of the mission. The SAM QMS atmospheric measurements were taken periodically, with a cumulative coverage of four or five experiments per season on Mars. Major observations include the seasonal cycle of CO2, N2, and Ar, which lags approximately 20–40° of L(sub S) behind the pressure cycle driven by CO2 condensation and sublimation from the winter poles. This seasonal cycle indicates that transport occurs on faster timescales than mixing. The mixing ratio of O2 shows significant seasonal and interannual variability, suggesting an unknown atmospheric or surface process at work. The O2 measurements are compared to several parameters, including dust optical depth and trace CH4 measurements by Curiosity. We derive annual mean volume mixing ratios for the atmosphere in Gale Crater: CO2 = 0.951 (±0.003), N2 = 0.0259 (±0.0006), 40Ar = 0.0194 (±0.0004), O2 = 1.61 (±0.09) x 10(exp ‐3), and CO = 5.8 (±0.8) x 10(exp ‐4).
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- 2019
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10. Martian slope streaks as plausible indicators of transient water activity
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Anshuman Bhardwaj, Lydia Sam, F. Javier Martín-Torres, María-Paz Zorzano, and Ricardo M. Fonseca
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Abstract Slope streaks have been frequently observed in the equatorial, low thermal inertia and dusty regions of Mars. The reason behind their formation remains unclear with proposed hypotheses for both dry and wet mechanisms. Here, we report an up-to-date distribution and morphometric investigation of Martian slope streaks. We find: (i) a remarkable coexistence of the slope streak distribution with the regions on Mars with high abundances of water-equivalent hydrogen, chlorine, and iron; (ii) favourable thermodynamic conditions for transient deliquescence and brine development in the slope streak regions; (iii) a significant concurrence of slope streak distribution with the regions of enhanced atmospheric water vapour concentration, thus suggestive of a present-day regolith-atmosphere water cycle; and (iv) terrain preferences and flow patterns supporting a wet mechanism for slope streaks. These results suggest a strong local regolith-atmosphere water coupling in the slope streak regions that leads to the formation of these fluidised features. Our conclusions can have profound astrobiological, habitability, environmental, and planetary protection implications.
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- 2017
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11. Initial Results of the Relative Humidity Observations by MEDA Instrument Onboard the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover
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Víctor Apéstigue, Hannu Savijärvi, Daniel Toledo, María-Paz Zorzano, Iina Jaakonaho, Maria Hieta, and Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)
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Instrument performance ,Geophysics ,Near surface ,Space and Planetary Science ,Geochemistry and Petrology ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Mars ,Humidity ,114 Physical sciences ,Observations ,Water vapor - Published
- 2023
12. The COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy for robotic missions to Mars: A review of current scientific knowledge and future perspectives
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Karen Olsson-Francis, Peter T. Doran, Vyacheslav Ilyin, Francois Raulin, Petra Rettberg, Gerhard Kminek, María-Paz Zorzano Mier, Athena Coustenis, Niklas Hedman, Omar Al Shehhi, Eleonora Ammannito, James Bernardini, Masaki Fujimoto, Olivier Grasset, Frank Groen, Alex Hayes, Sarah Gallagher, Praveen Kumar K, Christian Mustin, Akiko Nakamura, Elaine Seasly, Yohey Suzuki, Jing Peng, Olga Prieto-Ballesteros, Silvio Sinibaldi, Kanyan Xu, and Maxim Zaitsev
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Astrophysics and Astronomy ,Radiation ,Ecology ,COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Physics ,Mars ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,Planetatry Protection ,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) - Abstract
Planetary protection guidance for martian exploration has become a notable point of discussion over the last decade. This is due to increased scientific interest in the habitability of the red planet with updated techniques, missions becoming more attainable by smaller space agencies, and both the private sector and governments engaging in activities to facilitate commercial opportunities and human-crewed missions. The international standards for planetary protection have been developed through consultation with the scientific community and the space agencies by the Committee on Space Research's (COSPAR) Panel on Planetary Protection, which provides guidance for compliance with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. In 2021, the Panel evaluated recent scientific data and literature regarding the planetary protection requirements for Mars and the implications of this on the guidelines. In this paper, we discuss the COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy for Mars, review the new scientific findings and discuss the next steps required to enable the next generation of robotic missions to Mars.
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- 2023
13. Metabolt: An In-Situ Instrument to Characterize the Metabolic Activity of Microbial Soil Ecosystems Using Electrochemical and Gaseous Signatures
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Miracle Israel Nazarious, María-Paz Zorzano, and Javier Martín-Torres
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Metabolt ,space ,electrical conductivity ,redox potential ,gas monitoring ,microbial metabolism ,Chemical technology ,TP1-1185 - Abstract
Metabolt is a portable soil incubator to characterize the metabolic activity of microbial ecosystems in soils. It measures the electrical conductivity, the redox potential, and the concentration of certain metabolism-related gases in the headspace just above a given sample of regolith. In its current design, the overall weight of Metabolt, including the soils (250 g), is 1.9 kg with a maximum power consumption of 1.5 W. Metabolt has been designed to monitor the activity of the soil microbiome for Earth and space applications. In particular, it can be used to monitor the health of soils, the atmospheric-regolith fixation, and release of gaseous species such as N2, H2O, CO2, O2, N2O, NH3, etc., that affect the Earth climate and atmospheric chemistry. It may be used to detect and monitor life signatures in soils, treated or untreated, as well as in controlled environments like greenhouse facilities in space, laboratory research environments like anaerobic chambers, or simulating facilities with different atmospheres and pressures. To illustrate its operation, we tested the instrument with sub-arctic soil samples at Earth environmental conditions under three different conditions: (i) no treatment (unperturbed); (ii) sterilized soil: after heating at 125 °C for 35.4 h (thermal stress); (iii) stressed soil: after adding 25% CaCl2 brine (osmotic stress); with and without addition of 0.5% glucose solution (for control). All the samples showed some distinguishable metabolic response, however there was a time delay on its appearance which depends on the treatment applied to the samples: 80 h for thermal stress without glucose, 59 h with glucose; 36 h for osmotic stress with glucose and no significant reactivation in the pure water case. This instrument shows that, over time, there is a clear observable footprint of the electrochemical signatures in the redox profile which is complementary to the gaseous footprint of the metabolic activity through respiration.
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- 2020
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14. Space Environmental Chamber for Planetary Studies
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Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, Miracle Israel Nazarious, Thasshwin Mathanlal, María-Paz Zorzano, and Javier Martín-Torres
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space ,environmental chamber ,Mars simulation ,vacuum ,planetary atmosphere ,space instrumentation ,Chemical technology ,TP1-1185 - Abstract
We describe a versatile simulation chamber that operates under representative space conditions (pressures from < 10−5 mbar to ambient and temperatures from 163 to 423 K), the SpaceQ chamber. This chamber allows to test instrumentation, procedures, and materials and evaluate their performance when exposed to outgassing, thermal vacuum, low temperatures, baking, dry heat microbial reduction (DHMR) sterilization protocols, and water. The SpaceQ is a cubical stainless-steel chamber of 27,000 cm3 with a door of aluminum. The chamber has a table which can be cooled using liquid nitrogen. The chamber walls can be heated (for outgassing, thermal vacuum, or dry heat applications) using an outer jacket. The chamber walls include two viewports and 12 utility ports (KF, CF, and Swagelok connectors). It has sensors for temperature, relative humidity, and pressure, a UV–VIS–NIR spectrometer, a UV irradiation lamp that operates within the chamber as well as a stainless-steel syringe for water vapor injection, and USB, DB-25 ports to read the data from the instruments while being tested inside. This facility has been specifically designed for investigating the effect of water on the Martian surface. The core novelties of this chamber are: (1) its ability to simulate the Martian near-surface water cycle by injecting water multiple times into the chamber through a syringe which allows to control and monitor precisely the initial relative humidity inside with a sensor that can operate from vacuum to Martian pressures and (2) the availability of a high-intensity UV lamp, operating from vacuum to Martian pressures, within the chamber, which can be used to test material curation, the role of the production of atmospheric radicals, and the degradation of certain products like polymers and organics. For illustration, here we present some applications of the SpaceQ chamber at simulated Martian conditions with and without atmospheric water to (i) calibrate the ground temperature sensor of the Engineering Qualification Model of HABIT (HabitAbility: Brines, Irradiation and Temperature) instrument, which is a part of ExoMars 2022 mission. These tests demonstrate that the overall accuracy of the temperature retrieval at a temperature between −50 and 10 °C is within 1.3 °C and (ii) investigate the curation of composite materials of Martian soil simulant and binders, with added water, under Martian surface conditions under dry and humid conditions. Our studies have demonstrated that the regolith, when mixed with super absorbent polymer (SAP), water, and binders exposed to Martian conditions, can form a solid block and retain more than 80% of the added water, which may be of interest to screen radiation while maintaining a low weight.
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- 2020
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15. Supplementary material to 'Vertical characterization of the dust fine and coarse particles during an intense Saharan dust outbreak over the Iberian Peninsula in springtime 2021'
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María-Ángeles López-Cayuela, Carmen Córdoba-Jabonero, Diego Bermejo-Pantaleón, Michaël Sicard, Vanda Salgueiro, Francisco Molero, Clara Violeta Carvajal-Pérez, María José Granados-Muñoz, Adolfo Comerón, Flavio T. Couto, Rubén Barragán, María-Paz Zorzano, Juan Antonio Bravo-Aranda, Constantino Muñoz-Pocar, Maria Joao Costa, Begoña Artíñano, Alejandro Rodríguez-Gómez, Daniele Bortoli, Manuel Pujadas, Jesús Abril-Gago, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, and Juan Luis Guerrero-Rascado
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- 2022
16. Enantioselective Crystallization of Sodium Chlorate in the Presence of Racemic Hydrophobic Amino Acids and Static Magnetic Fields
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María-Paz Zorzano, Susana Osuna-Esteban, Marta Ruiz-Bermejo, Cesar Menor-Salván, and Sabino Veintemillas-Verdaguer
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astrobiology ,prebiotic organic reactions in water ,homochirality ,magnetic field ,racemic hydrophobic amino acids ,geomagnetic field ,terrestrial planets ,Technology ,Science (General) ,Q1-390 - Abstract
We study the bias induced by a weak (200 mT) external magnetic field on the preferred handedness of sodium chlorate crystals obtained by slow evaporation at ambient conditions of its saturated saline solution with 20 ppm of added racemic (dl) hydrophobic amino acids. By applying the Fisher test to pairs of experiments with opposing magnetic field orientation we conclude, with a confidence level of 99.7%, that at the water-air interface of this saline solution there is an enantioselective magnetic interaction that acts upon racemic mixtures of hydrophobic chiral amino acids. This interaction has been observed with the three tested racemic hydrophobic amino acids: dl-Phe, dl-Try and dl-Trp, at ambient conditions and in spite of the ubiquitous chiral organic contamination. This enantioselective magnetic dependence is not observed when there is only one handedness of added chiral amino-acid, if the added amino acid is not chiral or if there is no additive. This effect has been confirmed with a double blind test. This novel experimental observation may have implications for our view of plausible initial prebiotic scenarios and of the roles of the geomagnetic field in homochirality in the biosphere.
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- 2014
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17. UAV Imaging of a Martian Brine Analogue Environment in a Fluvio-Aeolian Setting
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Anshuman Bhardwaj, Lydia Sam, F. Javier Martín-Torres, María-Paz Zorzano, and Juan Antonio Ramírez Luque
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unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) ,photogrammetry ,salt flat ,geomorphometry ,analogue research ,Science - Abstract
Understanding extraterrestrial environments and landforms through remote sensing and terrestrial analogy has gained momentum in recent years due to advances in remote sensing platforms, sensors, and computing efficiency. The seasonal brines of the largest salt plateau on Earth in Salar de Uyuni (Bolivian Altiplano) have been inadequately studied for their localized hydrodynamics and the regolith volume transport across the freshwater-brine mixing zones. These brines have recently been projected as a new analogue site for the proposed Martian brines, such as recurring slope lineae (RSL) and slope streaks. The Martian brines have been postulated to be the result of ongoing deliquescence-based salt-hydrology processes on contemporary Mars, similar to the studied Salar de Uyuni brines. As part of a field-site campaign during the cold and dry season in the latter half of August 2017, we deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at two sites of the Salar de Uyuni to perform detailed terrain mapping and geomorphometry. We generated high-resolution (2 cm/pixel) photogrammetric digital elevation models (DEMs) for observing and quantifying short-term terrain changes within the brines and their surroundings. The achieved co-registration for the temporal DEMs was considerably high, from which precise inferences regarding the terrain dynamics were derived. The observed average rate of bottom surface elevation change for brines was ~1.02 mm/day, with localized signs of erosion and deposition. Additionally, we observed short-term changes in the adjacent geomorphology and salt cracks. We conclude that the transferred regolith volume via such brines can be extremely low, well within the resolution limits of the remote sensors that are currently orbiting Mars, thereby making it difficult to resolve the topographic relief and terrain perturbations that are produced by such flows on Mars. Thus, the absence of observable erosion and deposition features within or around most of the proposed Martian RSL and slope streaks cannot be used to dismiss the possibility of fluidized flow within these features.
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- 2019
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18. Seasonal variability of dust on Mars: Lessons learned from Earth for dust mass estimation
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María-Ángeles López-Cayuela, María-Paz Zorzano, Carmen Córdoba-Jabonero, Clara Violeta Carvajal-Pérez, and Juan Luis Guerrero-Rascado
- Abstract
The study of dust transport on Mars is crucial to understanding the dust climatic implications. The dust mass loading is one of the main proxies to evaluate indeed the role of dust on the atmospheric dynamics.Earth studies on dust can serve to estimate the dust mass concentration from the opacity observations on Mars. Nine years of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) data on Martian weather patterns are available. In particular, the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) database with Martian dust opacity observations is used in this work to assess the seasonal dust mass variability.First, the space-time variability of the Martian dust opacity is yearly studied using averages in bins of 2° latitude x 5° longitude and 5° aerocentric longitude (Ls). This information allows for estimating the potential planetary dust liftings and depositions. Second, extinction-to-mass conversion factors for dust particles, as obtained from different dust desert regions on Earth (Sahara, Arabian Peninsula, Gobi, …), are applied to Mars dust opacity (i.e., dust extinction) retrievals in order to determine the variability of the dust mass loading during the dust transport on Mars. Third, a seasonal study is performed. Results present an overall dust dynamic scenario in terms of the seasonal dust mass variation across the planet.
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- 2022
19. Simple Organics and Biomonomers Identified in HCN Polymers: An Overview
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Susana Osuna-Esteban, María-Paz Zorzano, and Marta Ruiz-Bermejo
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HCN polymers ,prebiotic synthesis ,nucleobases ,amino acids ,carboxylic acids ,chromatographic techniques ,Science - Abstract
Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is a ubiquitous molecule in the Universe. It is a compound that is easily produced in significant yields in prebiotic simulation experiments using a reducing atmosphere. HCN can spontaneously polymerise under a wide set of experimental conditions. It has even been proposed that HCN polymers could be present in objects such as asteroids, moons, planets and, in particular, comets. Moreover, it has been suggested that these polymers could play an important role in the origin of life. In this review, the simple organics and biomonomers that have been detected in HCN polymers, the analytical techniques and procedures that have been used to detect and characterise these molecules and an exhaustive classification of the experimental/environmental conditions that favour the formation of HCN polymers are summarised. Nucleobases, amino acids, carboxylic acids, cofactor derivatives and other compounds have been identified in HCN polymers. The great molecular diversity found in HCN polymers encourages their placement at the central core of a plausible protobiological system.
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- 2013
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20. The Infinite Learning Chain. Flipped Professional Labs for Learning and Knowledge Co-Creation
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María Paz Zorzano Mier, José Antonio Gordillo Martorell, David Cuartielles, Javier Martin-Torres, Thasshwin Mathanlal, and Mattis Johansson
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open hardware ,Open science ,project based learning ,fab lab ,maker space ,02 engineering and technology ,Education ,World Wide Web ,flipped learning ,open source ,Chain (algebraic topology) ,open software ,citizen science ,open science ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,Developmental and Educational Psychology ,Co-creation ,Citizen science ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Sociology ,learning co-creation ,stem ,Fab lab ,050107 human factors ,05 social sciences ,Flipped learning ,020207 software engineering ,Project-based learning ,Open source ,knowledge co-creation ,Social Sciences (miscellaneous) ,sensing science - Abstract
Nowadays universities and other classical research institutions are changing their role in knowledge creation. In general terms we can characterize this transition as the path from “Closed Science” to “Open Science” as a part of a deeper and structural phenomenon known as “knowledge democratization”, where different stakeholders as students, makers and other tech and science enthusiasts are able to create knowledge learning from the researchers and cooperating with them. In this process, science engagement of these new actors is a key point to stimulate their creativity, get some important research skills learnt directly from the researchers and be able to apply these skills teaching others in a continuous “learning chain”. In this article, we introduce some main features and preliminary results of an experiment called “The infinite learning chain” done in cooperation with Arduino, focused on sensing science and based in a real research project of Group of Atmospheric Science (GAS) called Luleå Environmental Monitoring Stations (LEMS). We debate some interesting questions related to the impact of the format in terms of science engagement, STEM skills acquisition and cooperative learning involvement. We used as “learning ecosystem” a professional Lab, the INSPIRE Lab a complete multidisciplinary facility for space and environmental research and exploration.
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- 2019
21. Subsurface robotic exploration for geomorphology, astrobiology and mining during MINAR6 campaign, Boulby Mine, UK: part I (Rover development)
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María Paz Zorzano, Thomas W. D. Edwards, Sean Paling, Javier Martin-Torres, Thasshwin Mathanlal, Anshuman Bhardwaj, Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, Charles S. Cockell, Martín Torres, J. [0000-0001-6479-2236], Zorzano, M. P. [0000-0002-4492-9650], Bhardwaj, A. [0000-0002-2502-6384], Vakkada Ramachandran, A. [0000-0003-0499-6370], Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Martin Torres, Javier, Zorzano, M-P., Martin Torres, Javier [0000-0001-6479-2236], and Zorzano, M-P. [0000-0002-4492-9650]
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Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) ,Payload ,COTS ,Geomorphological mapping ,Geomorphology ,Mars Exploration Program ,Astrobiology ,Mining ,Monitoring temperature ,3D-mapping ,Gas leak ,Mining engineering ,Space and Planetary Science ,Environmental monitoring ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Environmental science ,Rover development ,Robotic arm ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Search and rescue ,3D-Mapping - Abstract
Autonomous exploration requires the use of movable platforms that carry a payload of instruments with a certain level of autonomy and communication with the operators. This is particularly challenging in subsurface environments, which may be more dangerous for human access and where communication with the surface is limited. Subsurface robotic exploration, which has been to date very limited, is interesting not only for science but also for cost-effective industrial exploitation of resources and safety assessments in mines. Furthermore, it has a direct application to exploration of extra-terrestrial subsurface environments of astrobiological and geological significance such as caves, lava tubes, impact or volcanic craters and subglacial conduits, for deriving in-situ mineralogical resources and establishing preliminary settlements. However, the technological solutions are generally tailor-made and are therefore considered as costly, fragile and environment-specific, further hindering their extensive and effective applications. To demonstrate the advantages of rover exploration for a broad-community, we have developed KORE (KOmpact Rover for Exploration); a low-cost, re-usable, rover multi-purpose platform. The rover platform has been developed as a technological demonstration for extra-terrestrial subsurface exploration and terrestrial mining operations pertaining to geomorphological mapping, environmental monitoring, gas leak detections and search and rescue operations in case of an accident. The present paper, the first part of a series of two, focuses on describing the development of a robust rover platform to perform dedicated geomorphological, astrobiological and mining tasks. KORE was further tested in the Mine Analogue Research 6 (MINAR6) campaign during September 2018 in the Boulby mine (UK), the second deepest potash mine in Europe at a subsurface depth of 1.1 km, the results of which will be presented in the second paper of this series. KORE is a large, semi-autonomous rover weighing 160 kg with L × W × H dimensions 1.2 m × 0.8 m × 1 m and a payload carrying capacity of 100 kg using 800 W traction power that can power to a maximum speed of 8.4 km h−1. The rover can be easily dismantled in three parts facilitating its transportation to any chosen site of exploration. Presently, the main scientific payloads on KORE are: (1) a three-dimensional mapping camera, (2) a methane detection system, (3) an environmental station capable of monitoring temperature, relative humidity, pressure and gases such as NO2, SO2, H2S, formaldehyde, CO, CO2, O3, O2, volatile organic compounds and particulates and (4) a robotic arm. Moreover, the design of the rover allows for integration of more sensors as per the scientific requirements in future expeditions. At the MINAR6 campaign, the technical readiness of KORE was demonstrated during 6 days of scientific research in the mine, with a total of 22 h of operation., The authors thank the University of Isfahan (Isfahan, Iran) and the Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (IACT, Granada, Spain) for their support in field work and sample preparation and for providing geochemical analyses facilities. We are grateful to Prof. Kristoffer Szilas, Prof. Tomo Morishita and two anonymous reviewers for their useful and constructive comments that improved the manuscript.
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- 2019
22. Orbital Context and In Situ Observations of Nili Fossae Olivine-Carbonate
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Sarah A. Fagents, María Paz Zorzano, Stéphane Le Mouélic, Arya Udry, Fred Calef, Roger C. Wiens, Alberto G. Fairén, Briony Horgan, Lucia Mandon, L. E. Mayhew, Edward A. Cloutis, Clément Royer, Sylvestre Maurice, Nathalie Turenne, Thierry Fouchet, Patrick Pinet, Adrian J. Brown, and Eleni Ravanis
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In situ ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Olivine ,chemistry ,Impact crater ,engineering ,Geochemistry ,Carbonate ,Context (language use) ,engineering.material ,Geology - Abstract
Perseverance landed at the Octavia E. Butler landing site next to the Seitah dune region in Jezero crater on 18 February 2021, in close proximity...
- Published
- 2021
23. Experimental Investigation of the Atmosphere-Regolith Water Cycle on Present-Day Mars
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F. Javier Martín-Torres, Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, María Paz Zorzano, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Kempestiftelserna, and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)
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ISRU ,Extraterrestrial Environment ,Pure liquid water ,Habitability ,Water cycle simulation ,Mineralogy ,Mars ,TP1-1185 ,Biochemistry ,Article ,Analytical Chemistry ,Atmosphere ,Water Cycle ,Martian surface ,Electrical and Electronic Engineering ,Water cycle ,Spacecraft ,Instrumentation ,Water content ,Planetary protection ,Martian ,pure liquid water ,Chemical technology ,Water ,In situ resource utilization ,Water extraction ,Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics ,habitability ,Martian regolith simulant ,Environmental science ,planetary protection ,water cycle simulation - Abstract
The water content of the upper layers of the surface of Mars is not yet quantified. Laboratory simulations are the only feasible way to investigate this in a controlled way on Earth, and then compare it with remote and in situ observations of spacecrafts on Mars. Describing the processes that may induce changes in the water content of the surface is critical to determine the present-day habitability of the Martian surface, to understand the atmospheric water cycle, and to estimate the efficiency of future water extraction procedures from the regolith for In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). This paper illustrates the application of the SpaceQ facility to simulate the near-surface water cycle under Martian conditions. Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) observations at Gale crater show a non-equilibrium situation in the atmospheric H2O volume mixing ratio (VMR) at night-time, and there is a decrease in the atmospheric water content by up to 15 g/m2 within a few hours. This reduction suggests that the ground may act at night as a cold sink scavenging atmospheric water. Here, we use an experimental approach to investigate the thermodynamic and kinetics of water exchange between the atmosphere, a non-porous surface (LN2-chilled metal), various salts, Martian regolith simulant, and mixtures of salts and simulant within an environment which is close to saturation. We have conducted three experiments: the stability of pure liquid water around the vicinity of the triple point is studied in experiment 1, as well as observing the interchange of water between the atmosphere and the salts when the surface is saturated, in experiment 2, the salts were mixed with Mojave Martian Simulant (MMS) to observe changes in the texture of the regolith caused by the interaction with hydrates and liquid brines, and to quantify the potential of the Martian regolith to absorb and retain water, and experiment 3 investigates the evaporation of pure liquid water away from the triple point temperature when both the air and ground are at the same temperature and the relative humidity is near saturation. We show experimentally that frost can form spontaneously on a surface when saturation is reached and that, when the temperature is above 273.15 K (0 °C), this frost can transform into liquid water, which can persist for up to 3.5 to 4.5 h at Martian surface conditions. For comparison, we study the behavior of certain deliquescent salts that exist on the Martian surface, which can increase their mass between 32% and 85% by absorption of atmospheric water within a few hours. A mixture of these salts in a 10% concentration with simulant produces an aggregated granular structure with a water gain of approximately 18- to 50-wt%. Up to 53% of the atmospheric water was captured by the simulated ground, as pure liquid water, hydrate, or brine.
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- 2021
24. Measuring Electrical Conductivity to Study the Formation of Brines Under Martian Conditions
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Miracle Israel Nazarious, Javier Martin-Torres, Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, María Paz Zorzano, Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA), and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)
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Martian ,Engineering Qualification Model (EQM) of Habitability ,Extraterrestrial Environment ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,General Chemical Engineering ,General Neuroscience ,Electric Conductivity ,Mars ,Mineralogy ,Mars Exploration Program ,Exploration of Mars ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Atmosphere ,Brine ,Electrical resistivity and conductivity ,Electrode ,ExoMars 2022 mission ,Salts ,Relative humidity - Abstract
This paper describes a protocol to design experiments to study the formation of brines under Martian conditions and monitor the process with electrical conductivity measurements. We used the Engineering Qualification Model (EQM) of Habitability: Brines, Irradiation, and Temperature (HABIT)/ExoMars 2022 instrument for the experiment setup but we provide a brief account of constructing a simple and inexpensive electrical conductivity measurement setup. The protocol serves to calibrate the electrical conductivity measurements of the salt deliquescence into brine in a simulated Martian environment. The Martian conditions of temperature (-70 °C to 20 °C), relative humidity (0% to 100%) and pressure (7 - 8 mbar) with carbon-dioxide atmosphere were simulated in the SpaceQ Mars simulation chamber, a facility at the Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. The hydrate form of the known amount of salt accommodated between a pair of electrodes and thus the electrical conductivity measured depends predominantly on its water content and the temperature and relative humidity of the system. Electrical conductivity measurements were carried out at 1 Hz while exposing salts to a continuously increasing relative humidity (to force transitioning through various hydrates) at different Martian temperatures. For demonstration, a day-night cycle at Oxia Planum, Mars (the landing site of ExoMars 2022 mission) was recreated. The HABIT Engineering Qualification Model (EQM) that was used for the experiments was fabricated by Omnisys, Sweden, as part of the HABIT project development, under the supervision of MPZ and JMT, and funded by the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). HABIT and BOTTLE are the original ideas of MPZ and JMT. SpaceQ Mars simulation chamber is a Luleå University of Technology facility situated in Luleå, Sweden. The Kempe Foundation funded the design and fabrication of the SpaceQ chamber. The SpaceQ chamber was manufactured by Kurt J. Lesker Company, U.K., under the supervision of MPZ. MPZ has been partially funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) Project No. MDM-2017-0737 Unidad de Excelencia “María de Maeztu”- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC) and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-104205GB-C21). AVR and JMT acknowledge support from the Wallenberg Foundation. Peerreview
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- 2021
25. Water activity in Venus’s uninhabitable clouds and other planetary atmospheres
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Tiffany D. Dallas, Juergen Burkhardt, John E. Hallsworth, Olga V. Golyshina, Christopher P. McKay, Javier Martin-Torres, Philip Ball, Thomas Koop, María Paz Zorzano, Marcus K. Dymond, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), European Commission, and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UK)
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Solar System ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,biology ,Venus ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,Mars Exploration Program ,biology.organism_classification ,01 natural sciences ,Exoplanet ,Astrobiology ,Atmosphere ,Jupiter ,Planet ,0103 physical sciences ,Environmental science ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,Stratosphere ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
The recent suggestion of phosphine in Venus’s atmosphere has regenerated interest in the idea of life in clouds. However, such analyses usually neglect the role of water activity, which is a measure of the relative availability of water, in habitability. Here we compute the water activity within the clouds of Venus and other Solar System planets from observations of temperature and water-vapour abundance. We find water-activity values of sulfuric acid droplets, which constitute the bulk of Venus’s clouds, of ≤0.004, two orders of magnitude below the 0.585 limit for known extremophiles. Considering other planets, ice formation on Mars imposes a water activity of ≤0.537, slightly below the habitable range, whereas conditions are biologically permissive (>0.585) at Jupiter’s clouds (although other factors such as their composition may play a role in limiting their habitability). By way of comparison, Earth’s troposphere conditions are, in general, biologically permissive, whereas the atmosphere becomes too dry for active life above the middle stratosphere. The approach used in the current study can also be applied to extrasolar planets., We are grateful to S. L. Clegg (University of East Anglia, England, UK) for helpful discussions on the use of the E-AIM at low water activity and the provision of some code; C. S. Cockell (University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK), D. Y. Sorokin (Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Russia) and A. Ventosa (University of Seville, Spain) for providing information about thermotolerance of halophiles; M. S. Marley (NASA Ames Research Center, CA, USA) for information on Jupiter and exoplanets; A. Méndez (University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico) for inputs relating to analysis of Earth’s atmosphere; J. R. Lobry (University of Lyons, France) who helped with use of the cardinal pH model; N. J. Tosca (University of Cambridge, England, UK) for discussions about thermodynamic properties of aqueous sulfuric acid solutions; and E. L. J. Watkin (Curtin University, Australia) who provided information about stress tolerance of Acidihalobacter. J.E.H. was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, United Kingdom) project BBF003471; M.-P.Z. was supported by projects PID2019-104205GB-C21 of Ministry of Science and Innovation and MDM-2017-0737 Unidad de Excelencia ‘María de Maeztu’- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA) (Spain); and O.V.G. was supported by the Centre of Environmental Biotechnology Project (grant 810280) funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Welsh Government.
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- 2021
26. Toward More Realistic Simulation and Prediction of Dust Storms on Mars
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Tanguy Bertrand, Daniel Viudez Moreiras, Peter L. Read, Michael Mischna, German Martinez, Christopher Lee, Lori K. Fenton, Danika Wellington, Orkun Temel, Alexey A. Pankine, Ralph D. Lorenz, Steven J. Greybush, J. M. Battalio, Mathieu G.A. Lapotre, Isaac B. Smith, J. Pla-Garcia, Meredith Elrod, C. Swann, Claire E. Newman, Melinda A. Kahre, Javier Martin-Torres, Claus Gebhardt, Manuel de la Torre Juárez, Stephen R. Lewis, Aymeric Spiga, Scott D. Guzewich, Francesca Esposito, Özgür Karatekin, Alejandro Soto, Henrik Kahanpää, Paulina Wolkenberg, Michael D. Smith, María Paz Zorzano, Brian Jackson, Lynn D. V. Neakrase, Mackenzie Day, Leslie K. Tamppari, Gerhard Wurm, Luca Montabone, Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering, Aalto-yliopisto, and Aalto University
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media_common.quotation_subject ,Art ,Humanities ,media_common - Abstract
Written by: Claire E. Newman (Aeolis Res.) Tanguy Bertrand (NASA Ames) Joseph Battalio (Yale Univ.) Mackenzie Day (UCLA) Manuel de la Torre Juarez (JPL) Meredith K. Elrod (NASA GSFC) Francesca Esposito (INAF-OAC) Lori Fenton (SETI Inst.) Claus Gebhardt (UAEU) Steven J. Greybush (Penn. State) Scott D. Guzewich (NASA GSFC) Henrik Kahanpaa (FMI) Melinda Kahre (NASA Ames) Ozgur Karatekin (Royal Obs. Belg.) Brian Jackson (Boise State Univ.) Mathieu Lapotre (Stanford Univ.) Christopher Lee (Aeolis Res.) Stephen R. Lewis (Open Univ.) Ralph D. Lorenz (APL) German Martinez Martinez (LPI) Javier Martin-Torres (Aberdeen U.) Michael A. Mischna (JPL) Luca Montabone (SSI) Lynn Neakrase (New Mexico State) Alexey Pankine (SSI) Jorge Pla-Garcia (CAB/SwRI/SSI) Peter L. Read (Univ. of Oxford) Isaac B. Smith (PSI/York Univ.) Michael D. Smith (NASA GSFC) Alejandro Soto (SwRI) Aymeric Spiga (Sorbonne Univ.) Christy Swann (NRL SSC) Leslie Tamppari (JPL) Orkun Temel (Royal Obs. Belgium) Daniel Viudez Moreiras (CAB) Danika Wellington (Ariz. State) Paulina Wolkenberg (INAF) Gerhard Wurm (Duisburg-Essen) Maria-Paz Zorzano (CAB)
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- 2021
27. MARSWRF Prediction of Entry Descent Landing Profiles: Applications to Mars Exploration
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María Paz Zorzano, Ricardo Fonseca, Javier Martin-Torres, and European Commission
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EDL ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Computer science ,lcsh:Astronomy ,Mars ,Environmental Science (miscellaneous) ,010502 geochemistry & geophysics ,Cluster (spacecraft) ,Exploration of Mars ,01 natural sciences ,lcsh:QB1-991 ,ExoMars 2020 ,Aeronautics ,MarsWRF ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Atmosphere ,European research ,Mars 2020 ,lcsh:QE1-996.5 ,Mars Exploration Program ,Supercomputer ,ExoMars ,lcsh:Geology ,atmosphere ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences - Abstract
In this paper we use the Mars implementation of the Planet Weather Research and Forecasting model, MarsWRF, to simulate the Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) vertical profiles from six past missions: Pathfinder, Mars Exploration Rovers Opportunity and Spirit, Phoenix, Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, and ExoMars 2016 (Schiaparelli), and compare the results with observed data. In order to investigate the sensitivity of the model predictions to the atmospheric dust distribution, MarsWRF is run with two prescribed dust scenarios. It is concluded that the MarsWRF EDL predictions can be used for guidance into the design and planning stage of future missions to the planet, as it generally captures the observed EDL profiles, although it has a tendency to underestimate the temperature and overestimate the density for heights above 15 km. This could be attributed to an incorrect representation of the observed dust loading. We have used the model to predict the EDL conditions that may be encountered by two future missions: ExoMars 2020 and Mars 2020. When run for Oxia Planum and Jezero Crater for the expected landing time, MarsWRF predicts a large sensitivity to the dust loading in particular for the horizontal wind speed above 10-15 km with maximum differences of up to ±30 m/s for the former and ±15 m/s for the latter site. For both sites, the best time for EDL, that is, when the wind speed is generally the weakest with smaller shifts in direction, is predicted to be in the late morning and early afternoon., We are grateful to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for making the EDL vertical profiles of past Mars missions available online through the Planetary Atmospheres Node of the PDS (http://pds‐atmospheres.nmsu.edu/). Alessio Aboudan from the University of Padova is also acknowledged for providing the reconstructed vertical profiles for the Schiaparelli EDL. The simulations presented in this paper were performed on resources provided by the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing (SNIC) at the High Performance Computing Center North (HPC2N) Abisko cluster. This work was partially funded by the European Research Foundation (ERF). We would like to thank an anonymous reviewer and Claire Newman for their many detailed and insightful comments and suggestions that helped to improve significantly the quality of the paper. The model data used to generate the figures presented in this paper can be obtained from the authors. We have uploaded the data to the following website (https://atmospheres.research.ltu.se/owncloud/index.php/s/PlZWyxd1T24vl16).
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- 2019
28. Deep Trek: Science of Subsurface Habitability & Life on Mars
- Author
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Daniel P. Glavin, Katarina Miljković, Joseph R. Michalski, Kristopher Sherrill, Heather Graham, Seth Krieger, Brian D. Wade, Charles D. Edwards, Louis Giersch, Beth N. Orcutt, Doris Breuer, William B. Brinckerhoff, J. Andy Spry, Thomas L. Kieft, Kalind Carpenter, Penelope J. Boston, Magdalena R. Osburn, Tilman Spohn, Atsuko Kobayashi, Fumio Inagaki, Matthew O. Schrenk, Jennifer G. Blank, Ákos Kereszturi, John D. Rummel, Hermes Hernan Bolivar-Torres, Christopher R. Webster, Shino Suzuki, John Hernlund, Jennifer C. McIntosh, Devanshu Jha, M. S. Bell, Velibor Cormarkovic, Ryan Timoney, Janice L. Bishop, Stalport Fabien, Michael A. Mischna, Robert E. Grimm, Lewis M. Ward, Matthias Grott, Kennda Lynch, Kris Zacny, Elodie Gloesener, Stewart Gault, Raju Manthena, Vincent Chevrier, Anthony Freeman, Vlada Stamenkovic, Giuseppe Etiope, Tullis C. Onstott, Yasuhito Sekine, Nathan Barba, Ceth W. Parker, Alexis S. Templeton, Larry Matthies, Varun Paul, Marc A. Hesse, John F. Mustard, Snehamoy Chatterjee, Cara Magnabosco, Roberto Orosei, Donald Ruffatto, María Paz Zorzano, Haley M. Sapers, A. F. C. Haldemann, Nigel Smith, Brian H. Wilcox, Kyle Uckert, Jorge Andres Torres Celis, S. Shkolyar, Sushil K. Atreya, Luther W. Beegle, Joseph L. Kirschvink, Jeffrey J. McDonnell, Eloise Marteau, Essam Heggy, J. D. Tarnas, Alberto G. Fairén, Morgan L. Cable, James W. Head, David A. Paige, Sharon Kedar, Renyu Hu, Woodward W. Fischer, Orkun Temel, Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Scott Howe, Rachel L. Harris, Tomohiro Usui, Travis Gabriel, Ana-Catalina Plesa, Ryan Woolley, Barbara Sherwood-Lollar, Oliver Warr, Edgard G. Rivera-Valentín, Charles S. Cockell, Bernadett Pál, Cedric Schmelzbach, Sarah Stewart Johnson, Ali-akbar Agha-mohammadi, Michael Malaska, Mariko Burgin, and Patrick McGarey
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Habitability ,Life on Mars ,GeneralLiterature_REFERENCE(e.g.,dictionaries,encyclopedias,glossaries) ,Geology ,Astrobiology - Abstract
Bulletin of the AAS, 53 (4)
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- 2021
29. PACKMAN – A portable instrument to investigate space weather
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Thasshwin Mathanlal, María Paz Zorzano, Javier Martin-Torres, Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)
- Subjects
Earth observation ,Open-source ,Science (General) ,Meteorology ,Space weather ,COTS ,Magnetic anomaly ,Biomedical Engineering ,Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering ,Atmosphere ,Q1-390 ,Citizen science ,Instrumentation ,Stratosphere ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,Open Source ,Radiation ,Payload ,Mechanical Engineering ,Open source ,Environmental science ,Earth Observation ,Space Weather ,Magnetic Anomaly - Abstract
PACKMAN (PArticle Counter k-index Magnetic ANomaly) is an autonomous, light and robust space weather instrument for operation within the subsurface, surface and atmosphere (as payload in stratospheric balloons) of the Earth. It has been designed using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components to reduce the cost of each unit and to allow to have multiple units monitoring simultaneously at different sites and also incorporate an open-access citizen science approach. The hardware-core of each PACKMAN units, weights around 600 g and consumes about 500 mA of current at 12 V. PACKMAN has been deployed at multiple latitudes and altitudes ranging from stratospheric heights (corroborating its TRL8 maturity) to subsurface depths of around 1 km. The data from PACKMAN have been compared with the state-of-the-art ground-based observatories, and satellites and scientific observations have been documented. A 3-D network of PACKMAN units operating continuously around the globe, from the subsurface to the stratosphere, would help to improve the understanding of the space weather phenomena, and its implications on the climate and infrastructures. PACKMAN is also an excellent tool for education and outreach. This article outlines the building instructions of two types of PACKMAN units: PACKMAN-S for ground-based measurements and PACKMAN-B for stratospheric measurements aboard high-altitude balloons., The authors of the paper would like to acknowledge the Dark Matter Research facility, Boulby Mine, UK Center for Astrobiology, Zero2Infinity, Esrange and the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) for their support to this collaborative initiative. The results presented in this paper have been compared with data collected at magnetic observatories. We thank the British Geological Survey for the open-access data from the magnetic observatories and GFZ Postdam for the Kp index data. The authors of the paper would also like to thank Miracle Israel Nazarious for his help with graphs. MPZ has been partially funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) Project No. MDM-2017-0737 Unidad de Excelencia “María de Maeztu”- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-104205GB-C21).
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- 2021
30. Characterizing Dust-Radiation Feedback and Refining the Horizontal Resolution of the MarsWRF Model Down to 0.5 Degree
- Author
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María Paz Zorzano, Ricardo Fonseca, Abdelgadir Abuelgasim, Claus Gebhardt, Javier Martin-Torres, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Gebhardt, C. [0000-0003-4811-6267], Abuelgasim, A. [0000-0001-8897-4181], Fonseca, R. [0000-0002-8562-7368], Zorzano, M. P. [0000-0002-4492-9650], United Arab Emirates University (UAE University), and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)
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Interactive dust ,Radiation feedback ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Development team ,Library science ,Prescribed dust ,Dust‐radiation feedback ,Geochemistry and Petrology ,Excellence ,Political science ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Quality (business) ,media_common ,Horizontal resolution ,business.industry ,Dust cycle ,MarsWRF model ,Information technology ,Associate editor ,Geophysics ,Work (electrical) ,Space and Planetary Science ,Christian ministry ,Model resolution ,business - Abstract
In this study, three simulations by the Mars Weather Research and Forecasting Model are compared: two 10 Martian year (MY) 2° × 2° simulations with (i) fully radiatively active dust and (ii) a prescribed dust scenario, and a (iii) 1 MY 0.5° × 0.5° simulation with prescribed dust as in (ii). From comparing (i) and (ii), we found that the impact of dust-radiation feedback is individually different for any region. The most striking evidence are major dust lifting activities to the south of Chryse Planitia (S-CP) seen in (i) but not in (ii). By contrast, dust lifting and deposition on the southern slopes and inside the Hellas Basin are similar in both simulations. The latter, in turn, points toward a similar near-surface atmospheric circulation. In (iii), the total global amount of wind stress lifted dust is by a factor of ∼8 higher than in (ii), with S-CP being a major lifting region as in (i). Nonetheless, the surface dust lifting by wind stress in (iii) may be also reduced regionally, as seen at the peak of Elysium Mons because of its unique topography. The zonal mean circulation in (i) is generally of a comparable strength to that in (ii), with exceptions in global dust storm years, when it is clearly stronger in (i), in line with a dustier atmosphere. The differences in the zonal mean circulation between (ii) and (iii) are mostly at lower altitudes and may arise because of differences in the representation of the topography., M.-P. Z. has been partially funded by the AEI (MDM-2017-0737, Unity of Excellence “María de Maeztu” - Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA)) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2019-104205GB-C219)
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- 2021
31. Deep Trek: Mission Concepts for Exploring Subsurface Habitability & Life on Mars — A Window into Subsurface Life in the Solar System
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Daniel P. Glavin, Kristopher Sherrill, Lewis M. Ward, Tomohiro Usui, Jennifer G. Blank, Atsuko Kobayashi, Matthias Grott, Janice L. Bishop, Rachel L. Harris, Charles D. Edwards, Orkun Temel, Alexis S. Templeton, Travis Gabriel, Larry Matthies, Haley M. Sapers, Vincent Chevrier, Eloise Marteau, Ceth W. Parker, Sarah Stewart Johnson, Patrick McGarey, Vlada Stamenkovic, Ana-Catalina Plesa, Joseph R. Michalski, Ryan Woolley, Seth Krieger, Michael Mischna, John D. Rummel, Sharon Kedar, Devanshu Jha, Sushil K. Atreya, Heather Graham, Roberto Orosei, Brian D. Wade, Louis Giersch, Matthew O. Schrenk, Alberto G. Fairén, Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Ákos Kereszturi, Beth N. Orcutt, Doris Breuer, Kalind Carpenter, Snehamoy Chatterjee, Velibor Cormarkovic, Cara Magnabosco, Anthony Freeman, Scott Howe, Donald Ruffatto, Oliver Warr, Robert E. Grimm, Kris Zacny, Shino Suzuki, Hermes Hernan Bolivar-Torres, Penelope J. Boston, John Hernlund, Jeffrey J. McDonnell, Barbara Sherwood-Lollar, Stewart Gault, Joseph L. Kirschvink, Yasuhito Sekine, Jennifer C. McIntosh, Morgan L. Cable, Cedric Schmelzbach, Renyu Hu, Fumio Inagaki, Stalport Fabien, Nigel Smith, John F. Mustard, William B. Brinckerhoff, Nathan Barba, Ali-akbar Agha-mohammadi, Michael Malaska, Mariko Burgin, Varun Paul, Essam Heggy, J. D. Tarnas, Jorge Andres Torres Celis, Katarina Miljković, Bernadett Pál, Woodward W. Fischer, A. F. C. Haldemann, Kennda Lynch, Elodie Gloesener, Edgard G. Rivera-Valentín, J. Andy Spry, Charles S. Cockell, Magdalena R. Osburn, Marc A. Hesse, Luther W. Beegle, Tilman Spohn, Tullis C. Onstott, M. S. Bell, Kyle Uckert, María Paz Zorzano, S. Shkolyar, David A. Paige, Ryan Timoney, Raju Manthena, Giuseppe Etiope, Chris Webster, Brian H. Wilcox, Thomas L. Kieft, and James W. Head
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Solar System ,Habitability ,Window (computing) ,Life on Mars ,GeneralLiterature_REFERENCE(e.g.,dictionaries,encyclopedias,glossaries) ,Jet propulsion ,Geology ,Astrobiology - Abstract
Charles D. Edwards (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology). Co-Authors: 1. Vlada Stamenkovic Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; 2. Penelope Boston NASA Ames; 3. Kennda Lynch LPI/USRA … et al.
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- 2021
32. Subsurface robotic exploration for geomorphology, astrobiology and mining during MINAR6 campaign, Boulby Mine, UK: Part II (Results and Discussion)
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María Paz Zorzano, Javier Martin-Torres, Thasshwin Mathanlal, Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, Charles S. Cockell, Anshuman Bhardwaj, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Kempe Foundation, Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Zorzano, M. P. [0000-0002-4492-9650], Bhardwaj, A. [0000-0002-2502-6384], and Martín Torres, J. [0000-0001-6479-2236]
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Martian ,Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) ,Habitability ,Payload ,COTS ,Point cloud ,Geomorphology ,Mars Exploration Program ,Simultaneous localization and mapping ,Astrobiology ,Space exploration ,Mining ,3D-mapping ,Space and Planetary Science ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Rover development ,Scale (map) ,3D Mapping ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Geology - Abstract
Geomorphological studies of the hidden and protected subsurface environments are crucial to obtain a greater insight into the evolution of planetary landforms, hydrology, climate, geology and mineralogy. From an astrobiological point of view subsurface environments are of interest for their potential habitability as they are local environments that are partially or fully shielded from the high levels of space and solar radiation. Furthermore, in the case of Mars, there is an increasing interest in searching for the presence of past or extant life in its subsurface. These applications make it mandatory to investigate equipment and instrumentation that allow for the study of subsurface geomorphology, as well as organic chemical biomarkers, such as biomolecules, carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopes, and other biologically significant minerals and gases. Mines on Earth can be used as analogues to investigate the geomorphology of Martian subsurface environments and perform astrobiology studies. With that goal, we have developed a low-cost, robust, remotely operable subsurface rover called KORE (KOmpact Rover for Exploration). This work illustrates the studies of a terrestrial analogue for the exploration of Mars using KORE during the Mine Analogue Research 6 (MINAR 6) campaign with the low-cost 3D mapping technology InXSpace 3D (In situ 3D mapping tool eXploration of space 3D). InXSpace 3D utilizes an RGB-D camera that captures depth information in addition to the RGB data of an image, operating based on the structured light principle capable of providing depth information in mm scale resolution at sub 3 m mapping range. InXSpace 3D is used to capture point clouds of natural and artificial features, thereby obtaining information about geologically relevant structures and also to incorporate them in earth mining safety. We tested two of the dense simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms: Kintinuous and Real-Time Appearance-Based Mapping (RTAB-Map) to check the performance of InXSpace 3D in a dark mine environment. Also, the air accumulation of volatiles such as methane and formaldehyde due to thermogenic and mining process was measured with the environmental station payload on the rover platform, which caters to both astrobiological significance and mine safety. The main conclusions of this work are: (1) a comparison made between the RTAB-Map algorithm and Kintinuous algorithm showed the superiority of Kintinuous algorithm in providing better 3D reconstruction; although RTAB-Map algorithm captured more points than the Kintinuous algorithm in the dark mine environment; (2) a comparison of point cloud images captured with and without lighting conditions had a negligible effect on the surface density of the point clouds; (3) close-range imaging of the polygonal features occurring on the halite walls using InXSpace 3D provided mm-scale resolution to enable further characterization; (4) heuristic algorithms to quickly post-process the 3D point cloud data provided encouraging results for preliminary analyses; (5) we successfully demonstrated the application of KORE to mine safety; and (6) the multi-sensors platform on KORE successfully monitored the accumulated volatiles in the mine atmosphere during its operation. The findings obtained during this KORE campaign could be incorporated in designing and planning future subsurface rover explorations to potential planetary bodies such as Mars with synergistic applications to subsurface environments in mines on Earth., The authors of this paper would like to thank Kempe Foundation for its generous funding support to develop KORE, the workshop at the Teknikens Hus, Luleå, for their invaluable and unconditional support in helping with the fabrication of the KORE components and the organizers of the MINAR campaign comprising the UK Centre of Astrobiology, ICL Boulby Mine and STFC Boulby Underground Laboratory, UK. MPZ has been partially funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) Project No. MDM-2017-0737 Unidad de Excelencia ‘María de Maeztu’- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC).
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- 2021
33. Gender Balance in Mars Exploration: Lessons Learned from the Mars Science Laboratory
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María Paz Zorzano
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solar system exploration ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Process (engineering) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Geography, Planning and Development ,TJ807-830 ,Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law ,Exploration of Mars ,TD194-195 ,01 natural sciences ,gender balance ,Space exploration ,Renewable energy sources ,Promotion (rank) ,0103 physical sciences ,GE1-350 ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,media_common ,Sustainable development ,sustainable goals ,Environmental effects of industries and plants ,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment ,business.industry ,mars science laboratory ,Mars Exploration Program ,Public relations ,Popularity ,Environmental sciences ,business ,Diversity (politics) - Abstract
There is, recently, a global concern about the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas, starting from education role models, student applications, through the academic, industrial and management career progression. Given the high visibility and popularity of all subjects related to space exploration, female participation in this field may be used to change the existing stereotypes and provide role models to the younger generations, thus having a positive influence on education while also demonstrating to other organizations how to promote diversity in the working environment. Previous studies on spacecraft science teams, considering only principal and co-Investigators, PIs and co-investigators (CoIs), respectively, show that the percentage of women in the role of investigators has remained flat at 15.8% since 2000. The NASA Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission is taken here as an example to perform a statistical analysis of the gender profile for the period 2004&ndash, 2018. The results are compared with: (1) data from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) about gender distribution in STEM postdoctoral profiles and faculty members, (2) the trend of planetary exploration team profiles, (3) research and innovation statistics in Europe, (4) proposals of the EU FP6 funding program, and (5) the percentage of female researchers from the Elsevier status report. This analysis shows that the process of continually holding open calls for Participating Scientists based on individual merit and the application of a flat working structure have allowed gender balance within the MSL team to improve naturally while maximizing individual and team performance. Women represent approximately 30.6% of the team, in agreement with the current percentage of female planetary exploration researchers and senior faculty members in academia. Interestingly, the percentage of female-led articles has been above the MSL women percentage trend. While the percentage of women in planetary science appears to be increasing, their role on the proposing teams is still low. As in other STEM fields, attention should be paid to secure the adequate promotion of younger generations to achieve the United Nation&rsquo, s Sustainable Development Goal 5 of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls by 2030.
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- 2020
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34. Cirrus-induced shortwave radiative effects depending on their optical and physical properties: Case studies using simulations and measurements
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José Manuel Vilaplana, Laura Gómez-Martín, Ana del Águila, Carmen Córdoba-Jabonero, María Paz Zorzano, María-Ángeles López-Cayuela, Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), European Research Council (ERC), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), Gómez, L. [000-0002-6655-7659], Zorzano, M. P. [0000-0002-4492-9650], López Cayuela, M. A. [0000-0002-8825-830X], Córdoba Jabonero, C. [0000-0003-4859-471X], Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO), CGL2014-55230-R CGL2014-56255-C2-2-R RTI2018-097332-B-C21 INTA13-1E-2696, European Union's H2020 Research and Innovation Programme through ACTRIS-2 Project, GA 654109, MINECO / MCIU, CTM2013-41311-P CTM201783199-P, MINECO support (Programa de Ayudas a la Promocion del Empleo Joven e Implantacion de la Garantia Juvenil en i+D+i), PEJ-2014-A-52129, Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu del Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), ARL, and FEDER
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Effective radius ,Earth's energy budget ,Atmospheric Science ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Cloud optical depth ,CALIPSO ,Optical radar ,010501 environmental sciences ,Shortwave radiative effects ,Atmospheric sciences ,Cirrus clouds ,01 natural sciences ,Lidar ,13. Climate action ,Linear regression ,Radiative transfer ,Environmental science ,Cirrus ,Micro pulse lidar ,Ice Crystal ,Ice water path ,Shortwave ,Zenith ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
Cirrus (Ci) clouds play an important role in the atmospheric radiative balance, and hence in Climate Change. In this work, a polarized Micro-Pulse Lidar (P-MPL), standard NASA/Micro Pulse NETwork (MPLNET) system, deployed at the INTA/El Arenosillo station in Huelva (SW Iberian Peninsula) is used for Ci detection and characterization for the first time at this site. Three days were selected on the basis of the predominantly detected Ci clouds in dependence on their cloud optical depth (COD). Hence, three Ci cloud categories were examined at day-times for comparison with solar radiation issues: 19 cases of sub-visuals (svCi, COD: 0.01–0.03) on 1 October 2016, 7 cases of semitransparents (stCi, COD: 0.03–0.30) on 8 May 2017, and 17 cases of opaques (opCi, COD: 0.3–3.0) on 28 October 2016. Their radiative-relevant optical, macro- and micro-physical properties were retrieved. The mean COD for the svCi, stCi and opCi groups was 0.02 ± 0.01, 0.22 ± 0.08 and 0.93 ± 0.40, respectively; in overall, their lidar ratio ranged between 25 and 35 sr. Ci clouds were detected at 11–13 km height (top boundaries) with geometrical thicknesses of 1.7–2.0 km. Temperatures reported at those altitudes corresponded to lower values than the thermal threshold for homogenous ice formation. Volume linear depolarization ratios of 0.3–0.4 (and normalized backscattering ratios higher than 0.9) also confirmed Ci clouds purely composed of ice particles. Their effective radius was within the interval of 9–15 μm size, and the ice water path ranged from 0.02 (svCi) to 9.9 (opCi) g m. The Cirrus Cloud Radiative Effect (CCRE) was estimated using a Radiative Transfer (RT) model for Ci-free conditions and Ci-mode (Ci presence) scenarios. RT simulations were performed for deriving the CCRE at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) and on surface (SRF), and also the atmospheric CCRE, for the overall shortwave (SW) range and their spectral sub-intervals (UV, VIS and NIR). A good agreement was first obtained for the RT simulations as validated against solar radiation measurements under clean conditions for solar zenith angles less than 75° (differences were mainly within ±20 W m and correlation coefficients close to 1). By considering all the Ci clouds, independently on their COD, the mean SW CCRE values at TOA and SRF were, respectively, −30 ± 26 and − 24 ± 19 W m, being the mean atmospheric CCRE of −7 ± 7 W m; these values are in good agreement with global annual estimates found for Ci clouds. By using linear regression analysis, a Ci-induced enhancing cooling radiative effect was observed as COD increased for all the spectral ranges, with high correlations. In particular, the SW CCRE at TOA and SRF, and the atmospheric CCRE, presented COD-dependent rates of −74 ± 4, −55 ± 5, −19 ± 2 W mτ, respectively. Additionally, increasing negative rates are found from UV to NIR for each Ci category, reflecting a higher cooling NIR contribution w.r.t. UV and VIS ranges to the SW CCRE, and being also more pronounced at the TOA w.r.t. on SRF, as expected. The contribution of the SW CCRE to the net (SW + LW) radiative balance can be also potentially relevant. These results are especially significant for space-borne photometric/radiometric instrumentation and can contribute to validation purposes of the next ESA's EarthCARE mission, whose principal scientific goal is focused on radiation-aerosol-cloud interaction research., With funding from the Spanish government through the "María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence" accreditation (MDM-2017-0737)
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- 2020
35. Aerosol radiative effect during the summer 2019 heatwave produced partly by an inter-continental Saharan dust outbreak. 1. Shortwave dust-induced direct impact
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Michaël Sicard, Carmen Córdoba-Jabonero, María-Ángeles López-Cayuela, Albert Ansmann, Alejandro Rodríguez-Gómez, Constantino Muñoz-Pocar, María Paz Zorzano, and Adolfo Comerón
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Radiative effect ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Radiative transfer ,Outbreak ,Environmental science ,Mineral dust ,Atmospheric sciences ,01 natural sciences ,Shortwave ,Optical depth ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,AERONET ,Aerosol - Abstract
The shortwave (SW) direct radiative effect during the summer 2019 heatwave produced partly by a moderate, long-lasting Saharan dust outbreak over Europe is analysed in this study. Two European sites (periods) are considered: Barcelona, Spain, (23–30 June) and Leipzig, Germany (29–30 June). Major data are obtained from AERONET and MPLNET observations. Modelling is used to describe the different dust pathways. The dust coarse (Dc) and fine (Df) components (total dust, DD = Dc + Df) are separated in the profiles of the total particle backscatter coefficient using the POLIPHON method in synergy with MPLNET measurements. This information is used to calculate the relative mass loading and the centre-of-mass height, as well as the contribution of each dust mode to the DD radiative effect (DRE). The mean dust optical depth and its Df / DD ratios are, respectively, 0.153 and 24 % in Barcelona and 0.039 and 38 % in Leipzig. The dust produced a cooling effect on the surface with a daily mean DRE (Df / DD DRE ratio) of −9.1 W m−2 (37 %) in Barcelona and −2.5 W m−2 (52 %) in Leipzig. Although less intense than on surface, a cooling is also observed at the top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA), where the Df / DD DRE ratio is even though higher (45 % and 60 %, respectively, in Barcelona and Leipzig). Despite the predominance of Dc particles under dusty conditions, the SW radiative impact of Df particles can be comparable to, even higher than, that induced by the Dc ones. In particular, the Df / DD DRE ratio in Barcelona increases by +2.4 % (surface) and +2.9 % (TOA) day−1 along the dusty period. These results are especially relevant for the next ESA EarthCARE mission (planned in 2022), as devoted to aerosol-cloud-radiation interaction research.
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- 2020
36. Numerical heat transfer study of a space environmental testing facility using COMSOL Multiphysics
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Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, María-Paz Zorzano, and Javier Martin-Torres
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Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes - Published
- 2022
37. Tribocorrosion on Mars
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Erik Nyberg, Anshuman Bhardwaj, María Paz Zorzano, Javier Martin-Torres, and Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran
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Tribocorrosion is a degradation phenomenon of material surfaces subjected to the combined action of mechanical loading and corrosion attack caused by the environment. Although corrosive chemical species such as materials like chloride atoms, chlorides and perchlorates have been detected on the Martian surface, there is a lack of studies of its impact on materials for landed spacecraft and structures that will support surface operations on Mars. Here we present a series of experiments on the stainless-steel material of the ExoMars 2020 Rosalind Franklin rover wheels. We show how tribocorrosion induced by brines accelerate wear on the materials of the wheels. Our results do not compromise the nominal ExoMars mission but have implications for future long-term surface operations in support of future human exploration or extended robotic missions on Mars.
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- 2020
38. The HABIT (HabitAbility: Brine Irradiation and Temperature) environmental instrument for the ExoMars 2022 Surface Platform
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Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, Samuel Konatham, Miracle Israel Nazarious, Roberto Mantas-Nakhai, Javier Martin-Torres, Juan Antonio Ramírez-Luque, Thasshwin Mathanlal, Álvaro Soria-Salinas, María Paz Zorzano, Luleå University of Technology, Swedish National Space Agency, Kempe Foundation, and Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (España)
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ISRU ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Habitability ,Mars ,Surface platform ,Atmospheric sciences ,Exploration of Mars ,01 natural sciences ,Regolith ,Martian surface ,0103 physical sciences ,Thermal ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,Instrumentation ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Martian ,Brines ,Atmosphere ,Environmental chamber ,Water ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,In situ resource utilization ,Atmosphere of Mars ,Mars Exploration Program ,Astrobiology ,ExoMars ,Space and Planetary Science ,Environmental science - Abstract
The HABIT (HabitAbility: Brine Irradiation and Temperature) instrument is a European payload of the ExoMars 2022 Surface Platform Kazachok that will characterize the present-day habitability at its landing place in Oxia Planum, Mars. HABIT consists of two modules: (i) EnvPack (Environmental Package) that monitors the thermal environment (air and ground), the incident ultraviolet radiation, the near-surface winds and the atmospheric dust cycle; and (ii) BOTTLE (Brine Observation Transition To Liquid Experiment), an In-situ Resource Utilization instrument to produce liquid water for future Mars exploration. BOTTLE will be used also to investigate the electrical conductivity properties of the martian atmosphere, the present-day atmospheric-ground water cycle and to evaluate if liquid water can exist on Mars in the form of brines, and for how long. These variables measured by HABIT are critical to determine the present and future habitability of the martian surface. In this paper, we describe in detail the HABIT instrument and sensors, together with the calibration of its Flight Model (FM) and the Engineering Qualification Model (EQM) versions. The EnvPack module has heritage from previous missions operating on the surface of Mars, and the environmental observations of its sensors will be directly comparable to those delivered by those missions. HABIT can provide information of the local temperature with ±0.2 °C accuracy, local winds with ±0.3 m/s, surface brightness temperature with ±0.8 °C, incident UV irradiance with 10% error of its absolute value in the UV-A, UV-B, UV-C ranges, as well as in the total UV-ABC range, and two additional wavebands, dedicated to ozone absorption. The UV observations can be used to derive the total opacity column and thus monitor the dust and ozone cycles. BOTTLE can demonstrate the hydration state of a set of four deliquescent salts, which have been found on Mars (calcium chloride, ferric sulphate, magnesium perchlorate and sodium perchlorate) by monitoring their electric conductivity (EC). The EC of the air and the dry salts under Earth ambient, clean room conditions is of the order of 0.1 μScm. We have simulated HABIT operations, within an environmental chamber, under martian conditions similar to those expected at Oxia Planum. For dry, CO atmospheric conditions at martian pressures, the air EC can be as low as 10 μScm, however it increases with the relative humidity (RH) percentage. The laboratory experiments show that after an increase from 0 to 60% RH within a few hours, the EC of the air increased up to 10 μScm, magnesium perchlorate hydrated and reached values of 10 μScm1, whereas calcium chloride deliquesced forming a liquid state with EC of 10 μScm. HABIT will operate with a regular cadence, through day and night. The Electronic Unit (EU) is protected with a heater that is activated when its temperature is below −33 °C and disabled if the temperature of the surface platform rises above −30 °C. Additionally, the heaters of the BOTTLE unit can be activated to dehydrate the salts and reset the experiment. HABIT weighs only 918 g. Its power consumption depends on the operation mode and internal temperature, and it varies between 0.7 W, for nominal operation, and 13.1 W (when heaters are turned on at full intensity). HABIT has a baseline data rate of 1.5 MB/sol. In addition to providing critical environmental observations, this light and robust instrument, will be the first demonstrator of a water capturing system on the surface of Mars, and the first European In-Situ Resource Utilization in the surface of another planet., HABIT is an instrument of the Luleå University of Technology (LTU), led by J. Martín-Torres (PI) and M-P. Zorzano (co-PI). The international list of Co-Is and collaborators of the science team of HABIT is given in (https://atmospheres.research.ltu.se/habit/pages/team.php). HABIT engineering team: A. Soria-Salinas, M. I. Nazarious, S. Konatham, T. Mathanlal and A. Vakkada Ramachandran. HABIT IT team: J. –A. Ramirez-Luque and R. Mantas-Nakhai. ASS acknowledges the support of the LTU Graduate School of Space. M-P. Z’s contribution has been partially supported by the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aerospacial (INTA) Project No. MDM-2017-0737 Unidad de Excelencia “María de Maeztu” - Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC). The HABIT FM and EQM were fabricated by Omnisys Instruments AB, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, under advice of LTU as part of the HABIT project development and funded by the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). We thank the ExoMars project team, European Space Agency (ESA), Roscosmos, Space Research Institute (IKI) and Omnisys Instruments AB for their hard work on the ExoMars mission. We thank Petra Rettberg and Carina Fink from DLR for their planetary protection analysis of HABIT samples. We acknowledge the Luleå University of Technology, the Wallenberg Foundation and the Kempe Foundation for support of the Mars research activities. We thank the support of the Swedish Institute for Space Physics (IRF) for the TVAC tests. The Oxia Planum environmental conditions research was partially funded by the European Research Foundation. The SpaceQ chamber has been developed together with Kurt J. Lesker Company and was funded by the Kempe Foundation.
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- 2020
39. Author Correction: Aeolian transport of viable microbial life across the Atacama Desert, Chile: Implications for Mars
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Miguel Ángel Fernández-Martínez, Maite Fernández-Sampedro, Alberto G. Fairén, Carlos González-Silva, Armando Azua-Bustos, María Paz Zorzano, Ricardo Fonseca, Cristián Arenas-Fajardo, and F. Javier Martín-Torres
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Time Factors ,Movement ,Oceans and Seas ,Photoperiod ,Earth science ,Mars ,lcsh:Medicine ,Wind ,X-Ray Diffraction ,Exobiology ,Chile ,Author Correction ,lcsh:Science ,Soil Microbiology ,Multidisciplinary ,Desert (philosophy) ,Bacteria ,lcsh:R ,Fungi ,Dust ,Mars Exploration Program ,Models, Theoretical ,RNA, Ribosomal ,Aeolian processes ,lcsh:Q ,Desert Climate ,Geology - Abstract
Here we inspect whether microbial life may disperse using dust transported by wind in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, a well-known Mars analog model. By setting a simple experiment across the hyperarid core of the Atacama we found that a number of viable bacteria and fungi are in fact able to traverse the driest and most UV irradiated desert on Earth unscathed using wind-transported dust, particularly in the later afternoon hours. This finding suggests that microbial life on Mars, extant or past, may have similarly benefited from aeolian transport to move across the planet and find suitable habitats to thrive and evolve.
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- 2020
40. Pressure Optimized PowEred Respirator (PROPER): A miniaturized wearable cleanroom and biosafety system for aerially transmitted viral infections such as COVID-19
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María Paz Zorzano, Miracle Israel Nazarious, Thasshwin Mathanlal, Javier Martin-Torres, Luleå University of Technology, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), CSIC-INTA - Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Nazarious, M. I. [0000-0002-7148-8803], Mathanlal, T. [0000-0003-2691-3855], Zorzano, M. P. [0000-0002-4492-9650], Martín Torres, J. [0000-0001-6479-2236], Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation project, and Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC
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business.product_category ,Do-It-Yourself ,Cleanroom-aerosol-respiration-mask-biosaf ,Computer science ,Ety ,Biomedical Engineering ,Wearable computer ,Reuse ,PAPR ,01 natural sciences ,Article ,Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering ,03 medical and health sciences ,Cleanroom ,Biosafety level ,ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION ,Instrumentation (computer programming) ,Cleanroom-aerosol-respiration-mask-biosafety ,Respirator ,lcsh:Science (General) ,Instrumentation ,Personal protective equipment ,Personal Protective Equipment ,030304 developmental biology ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,0303 health sciences ,Powered air-purifying respirator ,Mechanical Engineering ,010401 analytical chemistry ,COVID-19 ,Covid 19 ,PAPRBSL-3 ,0104 chemical sciences ,Reliability engineering ,BSL-3 ,Overpressure ,business ,lcsh:Q1-390 - Abstract
The authors of the paper would like to acknowledge Andreas Nilsson from Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering of the Luleå University of Technology (LTU), Sweden., The supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in hospitals to keep the Health Care Professionals (HCP) safe taking care of patients may be limited, especially during the outbreak of a new disease. In particular, the face and body protective equipment is critical to prevent the wearer from exposure to pathogenic biological airborne particulates. This situation has been now observed worldwide during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As concern over shortages of PPE at hospitals grows, we share with the public and makers’ community the Pressure Optimized PowEred Respirator (PROPER) equipment, made out of COTS components. It is functionally equivalent to a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR). PROPER, a hood-based system which uses open source and easily accessible components is low-cost, relatively passive in terms of energy consumption and mechanisms, and easy and fast to 3D print, build and assemble. We have adapted our experience on building clean room environments and qualifying the bioburden of space instruments to this solution, which is in essence a miniaturized, personal, wearable cleanroom. PROPER would be able to offer better protection than an N95 respirator mask, mainly because it is insensitive to seal fit and it shields the eyes as well. The PROPER SMS fabric is designed for single-use and not intended for reuse, as they may start to tear and fail but the rest of the parts can be disinfected and reused. We provide a set of guidelines to build a low-cost 3D printed solution for an effective PAPR system and describe the procedures to validate it to comply with the biosafety level 3 requirements. We have validated the prototype of PROPER unit for air flow, ISO class cleanliness level, oxygen and carbon-dioxide gas concentrations during exhalation, and present here these results for illustration. We demonstrate that the area inside the hood is more than 200 times cleaner than the external ambient without the operator and more than 175 times with the operator and in an aerosol exposed environment. We also include the procedure to clean and disinfect the equipment for reuse. PROPER may be a useful addition to provide protection to HCPs against the SARSCoV-2 virus or other potential future viral diseases that are transmitted aerially., Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) Project No. MDM-2017-0737 Unidad de Excelencia ‘‘María de Maeztu”- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation project (ref. PID2019-104205 GB-C21)
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- 2020
41. Ar+ ion bombardment dictates glycine adsorption on pyrite (1 0 0) surface: X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and DFT approach
- Author
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Elizabeth Escamilla-Roa, Santos Gálvez-Martínez, María Paz Zorzano, Eva Mateo-Martí, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu del Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Zorzano, M. P. [0000-0002-4492-9650], Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), and Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)
- Subjects
Materials science ,Photoemission spectroscopy ,Glycine ,Sputtering process ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Pyrite surface ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,Photochemistry ,01 natural sciences ,Ion ,Adsorption ,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ,Sputtering ,Vacancy defect ,Reactivity ,Surfaces and Interfaces ,General Chemistry ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Condensed Matter Physics ,X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) ,0104 chemical sciences ,Surfaces, Coatings and Films ,Chemical species ,Density Functional Theory (DFT) ,Density functional theory ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
Ar ion sputtering on pyrite surfaces leads to the generation of sulfur vacancies and metallic iron. Our research shows that sputtering and annealing processes drive electrostatic changes on the pyrite surface, which play an important role in the molecular adsorption of glycine. While both chemical species (anion and zwitterion) adsorb on a sputtered pyrite surface, the anionic form of glycine is favoured. Nevertheless, in both treatments (sputtered or annealed surfaces), molecules evolve from zwitterionic to anionic species over time. Quantum mechanical calculations based in Density Functional Theory (DFT) suggest the energy required to generate vacancies increases with the number of vacancies produced, and the atomic charge of the Fe atoms that is next to a vacancy increases linearly with the number of vacancies. This leads to enhanced redox processes on the sputtered pyrite surface that favour the adsorption of glycine, which is confirmed experimentally by X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS). We have investigated theoretically the efficiency of the adsorption process of the zwitterionic glycine onto vacancies sites: this reaction is exothermic, i.e. is energetically favoured and its energy increases with the number of defects, confirming the increased reactivity observed experimentally. The experiments show a treatment-dependent molecular selectivity of the pyrite surface., This work has been supported by the MINECO projects ESP2017- 89053 and PCIN-2017-098. The Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial supported the work performed at CAB and the S.G.M PhD Thesis. This Project has been partially funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) Project No. MDM-2017-0737 Unidad de Excelencia “María de Maeztu”- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA).
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- 2020
42. Development of a wind retrieval method for low-speed low-pressure flows for ExoMars
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Álvaro Soria-Salinas, Javier Martin-Torres, Roberto Mantas-Nakhai, María Paz Zorzano, Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Zorzano, M. P. [0000-0002-4492-9650], Martín Torres, J. [0000-0001-6479-2236], and Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC
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Convective heat transfer ,020209 energy ,Prandtl number ,Energy Engineering and Power Technology ,Mars ,02 engineering and technology ,Heat transfer coefficient ,Mechanics ,Nusselt number ,Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering ,Wind speed ,Forced convection ,symbols.namesake ,020401 chemical engineering ,Heat transfer ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,symbols ,Environmental science ,0204 chemical engineering ,Experiments ,Wind tunnel - Abstract
Forced convective heat transfer from three horizontally inclined rectangular-based cylinders (rods) has been studied experimentally under representative Martian near-surface air flows in the Aarhus Wind Tunnel Simulator (AWTS), Denmark. The testing campaign was developed for the HABIT (Habitability: Brines, Irradiation and Temperature) instrument, European payload on board the ExoMars 2022 Kazachok surface platform. The average heat transfer coefficient was determined from steady CO flows at a pressure of 9.9 mbar, an ambient temperature of ∼25 °C, and for horizontal free-stream velocities between 0.8 and 12 m/s. A retrieval algorithm to derive the wind speed from the average heat transfer coefficient estimated at each of the three HABIT Air Temperature Sensors (ATS) rods was calibrated within the AWTS. The ATS rods are placed one at the front of the instrument structure (ATS) and two on the sides (ATS and ATS); and under Martian atmospheric conditions these rods serve as cooling fins. Several relationships between the Nusselt number and the Reynolds and Prandtl numbers reported in the literature were evaluated to model convective heat transfer from the ATS rods. Where needed, corrections to account for radiative heat transfer within the AWTS were implemented. The final retrieval method demonstrated that wind speed can be retrieved for frontal winds in the range of 0–10 m/s, with an error of ±0.3 m/s, using the cooling profile of the ATS rod 3, and for lateral winds in the range of 0–6 m/s, with an error of ±0.3 m/s, using the ATS rod 2 cooling profile., The HABIT FM and EQM were manufactured by Omnisys Instruments AB, Sweden, in cooperation with the Luleå University of Technology (LTU). The HABIT project was funded by the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). We thank the ExoMars project team, European Space Agency (ESA), Roscosmos, Space Research Institute (IKI) and Omnisys Instruments AB for their hard work on the ExoMars 2022 mission. We acknowledge the Luleå University of Technology, the Wallenberg Foundation and the Kempe Foundation for support of the Mars research activities. ASS acknowledges the support of the LTU Graduate School of Space Technology. MPZ has been partially funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) Project No. MDM-2017-0737 Unidad de Excelencia “María de Maeztu”-Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC). We acknowledge the support of Mr. Jens Jacob Iversen and Dr. Jonathan P. Merrison from the Aarhus Wind Tunnel of the Aarhus University (Denmark).
- Published
- 2020
43. DFT study of the reduction reaction of calcium perchlorate on olivine surface: Implications to formation of Martian's regolith
- Author
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María Paz Zorzano, Alfonso Hernández-Laguna, Elizabeth Escamilla-Roa, Javier Martin-Torres, C. Ignacio Sainz-Díaz, European Commission, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), Escamilla Roa, E. [0000-0003-2286-8380], Zorzano, M. P. [0000-0002-4492-9650], Martín Torres, J. [0000-0001-6479-2236], Hernández Laguna, A. [0000-0003-0413-0761], Sainz Diaz, C. I. [0000-0002-3872-0455], and European Commission (EC)
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Inorganic chemistry ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Mars ,Chemisorption ,02 engineering and technology ,engineering.material ,010402 general chemistry ,01 natural sciences ,Magnesium peroxide ,Regolith ,Redox ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Perchlorate ,Ozone ,Martian surface ,Physisorption ,Infrared spectroscopy ,Reduction ,Martian ,Olivine ,Chlorate ,Water ,Calcium perchlorate ,Surfaces and Interfaces ,General Chemistry ,Mars Exploration Program ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Condensed Matter Physics ,0104 chemical sciences ,Surfaces, Coatings and Films ,Oxygen ,Density Functional Theory (DFT) ,chemistry ,engineering ,0210 nano-technology ,Chlorite - Abstract
Perchlorates have been found widespread on the surface of Mars, their origin and degradation pathways are not understood to date yet. We investigate here, from a theoretical point of view, the potential redox processes that take place in the interaction of Martian minerals such as olivine, with anhydrous and hydrated perchlorates. For this theoretical study, we take as mineral substrate the (1 0 0) surface of forsterite and calcium perchlorate salt as adsorbate. Our DFT calculations suggests a reduction pathway to chlorate and chlorite. When the perchlorate has more than 4 water molecules, this mechanism, which does not require high-temperature or high energy sources, results in parallel with the oxidation of the mineral surface, forming magnesium peroxide, MgO, and in the formation of ClO, which through photolysis is known to form ClO-O. Because of the high UV irradiance that reaches the surface of Mars, this may be a source of O on Mars. Our results suggest that this process may be a natural removal pathway for perchlorates from the Martian regolith, which in the presence of atmospheric water for salt hydration, can furthermore lead to the production of oxygen. This mechanism may thus have implications on the present and future habitability of the Martian surface., Authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of the European COST Action CA17120 supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020, and the Spanish MINECO projects CGL2014-55230-R, FIS2016-77692-C2, PCIN-2017-098. MPZ acknowledges the partial support of the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) Project No. MDM-2017-0737. E. E. acknowledges to Rafael Esteso for his help with the Graphical Abstract.
- Published
- 2020
44. Implementing bioburden reduction and control on the deliquescent hydrogel of the HABIT/ExoMars 2022 instrument
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María Paz Zorzano, Javier Martin-Torres, Miracle Israel Nazarious, Petra Rettberg, Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran, Thasshwin Mathanlal, Swedish National Space Agency, Australian Government, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Martin Torres, Javier [0000-0001-6479-2236], Zorzano, M-P. [0000-0002-4492-9650], Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Rettberg, P. [0000-0003-4439-2395], Zorzano, M. P. [0000-0002-4492-9650], Martín Torres, J. [0000-0001-6479-2236], Vakkada Ramachandran, A. [0000-0003-0499-6370], Martin Torres, Javier, and Zorzano, M-P.
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Bioburden control ,020301 aerospace & aeronautics ,business.product_category ,Planetary protection ,business.industry ,Dry heat microbuial reduction ,Aerospace Engineering ,In situ resource utilization ,02 engineering and technology ,Mars Exploration Program ,Bioburden assay ,Sterilization (microbiology) ,01 natural sciences ,Bioburden ,0203 mechanical engineering ,Cleanroom ,HEPA ,0103 physical sciences ,Bottle ,Environmental science ,Process engineering ,business ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics - Abstract
The HabitAbility: Brines, Irradiation and Temperature (HABIT) instrument will be part of the ExoMars 2022 mission (ESA/Roscosmos) and will be the first European In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) instrument capable of producing liquid water on Mars. HABIT is composed by two modules: Environmental Package (EnvPack) and Brine Observation Transition To Liquid Experiment (BOTTLE). EnvPack will help to study the current habitability conditions on Mars investigating the air and surface thermal ranges and Ultraviolet (UV) irradiance; and BOTTLE is a container with four independent vessels housing deliquescent salts, which are known to be present on Mars, where the liquid water will be produced after deliquescence. In order to prevent capillarity of deliquescent or hydrated salts, a mixture of deliquescent salts with Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) based on polyacrylamide is utilized. This mixture has deliquescent and hydrogel properties and can be reused by applying a thermal cycle, complying thus with the purpose of the instrument. A High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) grade filter made of polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE) porous membrane sandwiched between spunbounded non-woven fabric stands as a physical barrier allowing interaction between the gaseous molecules of the Martian atmosphere and the salt mixtures, and at the same time preventing the passage of any potential biological contamination from the cells to the outside or vice-versa. In addition to the physical barrier, a strict bioburden reduction and analysis procedure is applied to the hardware and the contained salt mixtures adhering to the European Cooperation for Space Standardization protocol of microbial examination of flight hardware (ECSS-Q-ST-70-55C). The deliquescent salts and the SAP products need to be properly treated independently to adhere to the planetary protection protocols. In this manuscript, we describe the bioburden reduction process utilized to sterilize the salt mixtures in BOTTLE and the assays adopted to validate the sterilization. We also describe the construction of a low-cost, portable ISO 7 cleanroom tent, exclusively designed for planetary protection tests. The sterilization process involves Dry Heat Microbial Reduction (DHMR) of the deliquescent salts and the SAP mixtures. The performance of SAP after DHMR is validated to ensure its working efficiency after sterilization. A slightly modified version of the standard swab assay is used in the validation process and a comparison is made between samples exposed to a thermal shock treatment and those without thermal shock, to determine the best assay to be applied for future space hardware utilizing such salt mixtures for planetary investigation and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). The demonstration of the compatibility of these products with the processes commonly required for space applications has implications for the future exploration of Mars., The authors of the paper would like to thank the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, DLR , Germany for their support to analyse the bioburden assay of the HABIT BOTTLE salt mixtures. The authors would also like to acknowledge Roberto Mantas-Nakhai for his contribution during the bioburden assay validation. HABIT is an instrument of the Luleå University of Technology (LTU), led by J. Martín-Torres (PI) and M-P. Zorzano (co-PI). The HABIT FM and EQM were fabricated by Omnisys, Sweden, under advice of LTU as part of the HABIT project development and funded by the Swedish National Space Agency ( SNSA ). M-P. Z's contribution has been partially supported by the Spanish State Research Agency ( AEI ) Project No. MDM-2017-0737 Unidad de Excelencia “María de Maeztu” - Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC). We acknowledge the Luleå University of Technology, the Wallenberg Foundation and the Kempe Foundation for support of the Mars research activities. We thank the ExoMars project team, European Space Agency (ESA), Roscosmos, Space Research Institute (IKI) and Omnisys Instruments AB for their hard work on the ExoMars 2022 mission. We acknowledge the Luleå University of Technology, the Wallenberg Foundation and the Kempe Foundation for support of the Mars research activities. The SpaceQ chamber has been developed together with Kurt J. Lesker Company and was funded by the Kempe Foundation.
- Published
- 2020
45. Space Environmental Chamber for Planetary Studies
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Abhilash, Vakkada Ramachandran, Miracle Israel, Nazarious, Thasshwin, Mathanlal, María-Paz, Zorzano, Javier, Martín-Torres, Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Australian Government, Ramachandran, Abhilash Vakkada [0000-0003-0499-6370], Nazarious, Miracle Israel [0000-0002-7148-8803], Paz Zorzano, María [0000-0002-4492-9650], Martín Torres, F. Javier [0000-0001-6479-2236], Agencia Estatal de Investigación, España, and Gobierno de Australia
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planetary atmosphere ,Vacuum ,Physics::Instrumentation and Detectors ,Planetary atmosphere ,vacuum ,Aerospace Engineering ,Space ,space ,lcsh:Chemical technology ,Article ,Space instrumentation ,Rymd- och flygteknik ,space instrumentation ,lcsh:TP1-1185 ,Environmental chamber ,environmental chamber ,Mars simulation - Abstract
We describe a versatile simulation chamber that operates under representative space conditions (pressures from <, 10&minus, 5 mbar to ambient and temperatures from 163 to 423 K), the SpaceQ chamber. This chamber allows to test instrumentation, procedures, and materials and evaluate their performance when exposed to outgassing, thermal vacuum, low temperatures, baking, dry heat microbial reduction (DHMR) sterilization protocols, and water. The SpaceQ is a cubical stainless-steel chamber of 27,000 cm3 with a door of aluminum. The chamber has a table which can be cooled using liquid nitrogen. The chamber walls can be heated (for outgassing, thermal vacuum, or dry heat applications) using an outer jacket. The chamber walls include two viewports and 12 utility ports (KF, CF, and Swagelok connectors). It has sensors for temperature, relative humidity, and pressure, a UV&ndash, VIS&ndash, NIR spectrometer, a UV irradiation lamp that operates within the chamber as well as a stainless-steel syringe for water vapor injection, and USB, DB-25 ports to read the data from the instruments while being tested inside. This facility has been specifically designed for investigating the effect of water on the Martian surface. The core novelties of this chamber are: (1) its ability to simulate the Martian near-surface water cycle by injecting water multiple times into the chamber through a syringe which allows to control and monitor precisely the initial relative humidity inside with a sensor that can operate from vacuum to Martian pressures and (2) the availability of a high-intensity UV lamp, operating from vacuum to Martian pressures, within the chamber, which can be used to test material curation, the role of the production of atmospheric radicals, and the degradation of certain products like polymers and organics. For illustration, here we present some applications of the SpaceQ chamber at simulated Martian conditions with and without atmospheric water to (i) calibrate the ground temperature sensor of the Engineering Qualification Model of HABIT (HabitAbility: Brines, Irradiation and Temperature) instrument, which is a part of ExoMars 2022 mission. These tests demonstrate that the overall accuracy of the temperature retrieval at a temperature between &minus, 50 and 10 °, C is within 1.3 °, C and (ii) investigate the curation of composite materials of Martian soil simulant and binders, with added water, under Martian surface conditions under dry and humid conditions. Our studies have demonstrated that the regolith, when mixed with super absorbent polymer (SAP), water, and binders exposed to Martian conditions, can form a solid block and retain more than 80% of the added water, which may be of interest to screen radiation while maintaining a low weight.
- Published
- 2020
46. Quantifying the Congruence between Air and Land Surface Temperatures for Various Climatic and Elevation Zones of Western Himalaya
- Author
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Mayank Shekhar, María Paz Zorzano, Lydia Sam, Anshuman Bhardwaj, F. Javier Martín-Torres, Atar Singh, Shaktiman Singh, Swedish Research Council, Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737, Martín Torres, J. [0000-0001-6479-2236], Shingh, S. [0000-0003-4304-388X], Zorzano, M. P. [0000-0002-4492-9650], Sam, L. [0000-0003-3181-2960], and Bhardwaj, A. [0000-0002-2502-6384]
- Subjects
Topography ,Historical climatology ,Land surface temperature ,Himalaya ,Elevation ,Snow ,Air temperature ,land surface temperature ,air temperature ,topography ,MODIS ,Geography ,Research council ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,Physical geography - Abstract
The surface and near-surface air temperature observations are primary data for glacio-hydro-climatological studies. The in situ air temperature (Ta) observations require intense logistic and financial investments, making it sparse and fragmented particularly in remote and extreme environments. The temperatures in Himalaya are controlled by a complex system driven by topography, seasons, and cryosphere which further makes it difficult to record or predict its spatial heterogeneity. In this regard, finding a way to fill the observational spatiotemporal gaps in data becomes more crucial. Here, we show the comparison of Ta recorded at 11 high altitude stations in Western Himalaya with their respective land surface temperatures (Ts) recorded by Moderate Resolution Imagining Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua and Terra satellites in cloud-free conditions. We found remarkable seasonal and spatial trends in the Ta vs. Ts relationship: (i) Ts are strongly correlated with Ta (R2 = 0.77, root mean square difference (RMSD) = 5.9 °C, n = 11,101 at daily scale and R2 = 0.80, RMSD = 5.7 °C, n = 3552 at 8-day scale); (ii) in general, the RMSD is lower for the winter months in comparison to summer months for all the stations, (iii) the RMSD is directly proportional to the elevations; (iv) the RMSD is inversely proportional to the annual precipitation. Our results demonstrate the statistically strong and previously unreported Ta vs. Ts relationship and spatial and seasonal variations in its intensity at daily resolution for the Western Himalaya. We anticipate that our results will provide the scientists in Himalaya or similar data-deficient extreme environments with an option to use freely available remotely observed Ts products in their models to fill-up the spatiotemporal data gaps related to in situ monitoring at daily resolution. Substituting Ta by Ts as input in various geophysical models can even improve the model accuracy as using spatially continuous satellite derived Ts in place of discrete in situ Ta extrapolated to different elevations using a constant lapse rate can provide more realistic estimates. © 2019 by the authors., The authors would like to acknowledge National Snow and Ice Data Centre, USA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA for providing freely available MODIS satellite products and Global Historical Climatology Network station data, respectively. The authors are also grateful to India Meteorology Department (IMD), India, Bhakhra Beas Management Board (BBMB), India and Hendrik Wulf, University of Zurich, Switzerland for providing the station data. A.B. acknowledges the Swedish Research Council for supporting his research in Himalaya. M.S. acknowledges Director, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences and Birbal Sahni Research Associate fellowship.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. A Review of Sample Analysis at Mars-Evolved Gas Analysis Laboratory Analog Work Supporting the Presence of Perchlorates and Chlorates in Gale Crater, Mars
- Author
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Brad Sutter, Paul R. Mahaffy, María Paz Zorzano, P. Douglas Archer, Javier Martin-Torres, S. J. Ralston, Rafael Navarro-González, Douglas W. Ming, Jennifer L. Eigenbrode, Richard V. Morris, J. V. Clark, V. Tu, Amy McAdam, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Daniel P. Glavin, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
- Subjects
Oxychiorines ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Evolved gas analysis ,Analytical chemistry ,01 natural sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Perchlorate ,Chlorides ,Oxychlorines ,0103 physical sciences ,MSL ,Curiosity Gale crater ,Hydrogen chloride ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Perchlorates ,Chlorate ,Thermal decomposition ,Sample Analysis at Mars ,Geology ,Mars Exploration Program ,Mineralogy ,Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology ,Decomposition ,chemistry ,Curiosity gale crater ,Chlorates ,QE351-399.2 - Abstract
The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Curiosity rover has detected evidence of oxychlorine compounds (i.e., perchlorates and chlorates) in Gale crater, which has implications for past habitability, diagenesis, aqueous processes, interpretation of in situ organic analyses, understanding the martian chlorine cycle, and hazards and resources for future human exploration. Pure oxychlorines and mixtures of oxychlorines with Mars-analog phases have been analyzed for their oxygen (O ) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) releases on SAM laboratory analog instruments in order to constrain which phases are present in Gale crater. These studies demonstrated that oxychlorines evolve O releases with peaks between ~200 and 600 C, although the thermal decomposition temperatures and the amount of evolved O decrease when iron phases are present in the sample. Mg and Fe oxychlorines decompose into oxides and release HCl between ~200 and 542 C. Ca, Na, and K oxychlorines thermally decompose into chlorides and do not evolve HCl by themselves. However, the chlorides (original or from oxychlorine decomposition) can react with water-evolving phases (e.g., phyllosilicates) in the sample and evolve HCl within the temperature range of SAM (, The research reviewed in this paper was funded by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) project office. M.-P.Z. acknowledges funding from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (ref. PID2019-104205GB-C21).
- Published
- 2021
48. Analysis of wind-induced dynamic pressure fluctuations during one and a half Martian years at Gale Crater
- Author
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Ari-Matti Harri, F. J. Martin-Torres, María Paz Zorzano, Sara Navarro, Aurora Ullán, Patricia Valentin-Serrano, Javier Gómez-Elvira, and Henrik Kahanpää
- Subjects
Convection ,Daytime ,ta115 ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Planetary boundary layer ,Mars ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,Sunset ,Winds ,Atmospheric sciences ,01 natural sciences ,Wind speed ,Gale Crater ,Impact crater ,Space and Planetary Science ,Solar time ,0103 physical sciences ,Sunrise ,Environmental science ,Planetary boundary layer (PBL) ,REMS ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,Pressure fluctuations ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) instrument on-board the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) has acquired unprecedented measurements of key environmental variables at the base of Gale Crater. The pressure measured by REMS shows modulations with a very structured pattern of short-time scale (of the order of seconds to several minutes) mild fluctuations (typically up to 0.2 Pa at daytime and 1 Pa at night-time). These dynamic pressure oscillations are consistent with wind, air and ground temperature modulations measured simultaneously by REMS. We detect the signals of a repetitive pattern of upslope/downslope winds, with maximal speeds of about 21 m/s, associated with thermal changes in the air and surface temperatures, that are initiated after sunset and finish with sunrise proving that Gale, a 4.5 km deep impact crater, is an active Aeolian environment. At nighttime topographic slope winds are intense with maximal activity from 17:00 through 23:00 Local Mean Solar Time, and simultaneous changes of surface temperature are detected. During the day, the wind modulations are related to convection of the planetary boundary layer, winds are softer with maximum wind speed of about 14 m/s. The ground temperature is modulated by the forced convection of winds, with amplitudes between 0.2 K and 0.5 K, and the air temperatures fluctuate with amplitudes of about 2 K. The analysis of more than one and a half Martian years indicates the year-to-year repeatability of these environmental phenomena. The wind pattern minimizes at the beginning of the south hemisphere winter (Ls 90) season and maximizes during late spring and early summer (Ls 270). The procedure that we present here is a useful tool to investigate in a semi-quantitative way the winds by: i) filling both seasonal and diurnal gaps where wind measurements do not exist, ii) providing an alternative way for comparisons through different measuring principia and, iii) filling the gap of observation of short-time wind variability, where the REMS wind sensor is blind.
- Published
- 2017
49. The COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection Role, Structure and Activities
- Author
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S. Tsuneta, J. Green, François Raulin, Alexander G. Hayes, E. Ammannito, L. Lei, M. Zaitsev, Michel Viso, P. Sreekumar, E. Deshevaya, Niklas Hedman, María-Paz Zorzano-Mier, Athena Coustenis, Peter T. Doran, Olivier Grasset, A. Nakamura, Gerhard Kminek, Olga Prieto-Ballesteros, Petra Rettberg, Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique (LESIA (UMR_8109)), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), European Space Agency (ESA), and PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
Committee on Space Research ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Planetary protection ,media_common.quotation_subject ,International standard ,Aerospace Engineering ,Outer space ,Context (language use) ,International law ,16. Peace & justice ,01 natural sciences ,Planetary Protection ,COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection ,Space and Planetary Science ,[SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] ,Law ,Political science ,0103 physical sciences ,Treaty ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,Outer Space Treaty ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,media_common - Abstract
The exploration and use of outer space is the province of all humankind. This principle in Article I of the UN Outer Space Treaty guarantees the freedom to explore outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, without discrimination, and to carry out scientific investigations. This freedom, however, comes with a responsibility described in Article IX of the same Treaty. It states that space activities have to be conducted with due regard to the corresponding interests of all other States Parties to the Treaty. The avoidance of potentially harmful interference with activities of other States Parties is central. The harmful contamination of the Moon and other celestial bodies and the need to ensure safety of the Earth are highlighted in this context. With the entry into force of the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, planetary protection became part of international law. In observance of those treaty obligations, an international standard for planetary protection has been developed by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) which provides a forum for international consultation and has formulated a Planetary Protection Policy with associated requirements that are put in place after examination of the most updated relevant scientific studies and recommendations made by the COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection.
- Published
- 2019
50. Aeolian transport of viable microbial life across the Atacama Desert, Chile: Implications for Mars
- Author
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Carlos González-Silva, F. Javier Martín-Torres, Ricardo Fonseca, María Paz Zorzano, Miguel Ángel Fernández-Martínez, Cristián Arenas-Fajardo, Alberto G. Fairén, Armando Azua-Bustos, Maite Fernández-Sampedro, and European Research Council
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Multidisciplinary ,Desert climate ,Air microbiology ,lcsh:R ,Desert (particle physics) ,lcsh:Medicine ,Mars Exploration Program ,Life on Mars ,Astrobiology ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,030104 developmental biology ,0302 clinical medicine ,Habitat ,Extant taxon ,13. Climate action ,Environmental science ,Aeolian processes ,lcsh:Q ,lcsh:Science ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Here we inspect whether microbial life may disperse using dust transported by wind in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, a well-known Mars analog model. By setting a simple experiment across the hyperarid core of the Atacama we found that a number of viable bacteria and fungi are in fact able to traverse the driest and most UV irradiated desert on Earth unscathed using wind-transported dust, particularly in the later afternoon hours. This finding suggests that microbial life on Mars, extant or past, may have similarly benefited from aeolian transport to move across the planet and find suitable habitats to thrive and evolve., A.B. and A.G.F. thank the Project “icyMARS”, funded by the European Research Council, ERC Starting Grant No. 307496. M.P.Z., C.G.S., R.F. and F.J.M.T. thank the funding received from the Dubai Future Foundation through the Guaana.com open research platform (https://www.guaana.com/projects/jeGEimuX6DLCLsbQP).
- Published
- 2019
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