HR: 1330h
AN: B52B-1035    [PDF]
TI: Definitive Mineralogical Analysis of Martian Rocks and Soil Using the CheMin XRD/XRF Instrument
AU: * Blake, D F
EM: dblake@mail.arc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Ames Research Center, MS 239-4, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000 United States
AU: Sarrazin, P
EM: psarrazin@mail.arc.nasa.gov
AF: Bryson Consulting, 19270 Quinn Ct., Morgan Hill, CA 95037 United States
AU: Bish, D L
EM: bish@indiana.edu
AF: Los Alamos National Laboratories, MS D469, Hydrology, Geochemistry, and Geology, Los Alamos, NM 87545 United States
AU: Vaniman, D
EM: vaniman@lanl.gov
AF: Los Alamos National Laboratories, MS D469, Hydrology, Geochemistry, and Geology, Los Alamos, NM 87545 United States
AU: Chipera, S
EM: chipera@lanl.gov
AF: Los Alamos National Laboratories, MS D469, Hydrology, Geochemistry, and Geology, Los Alamos, NM 87545 United States
AU: Collins, S
EM: stewart.a.collins@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CCD Imaging Group MS 300-315L, Pasadena, CCA 91109 United States
AU: Bryson, C
EM: cbryson@att.net
AF: Bryson Consulting, 19270 Quinn Ct., Morgan Hill, CA 95037 United States
AB: The search for evidence of life, prebiotic chemistry or volatiles on Mars will require the identification of rock types that could have preserved these. Anything older than a few million years will either be a rock, or will only be interpretable in the context of the rocks that contain it. The key role that definitive mineralogy plays is a consequence of the fact that minerals are thermodynamic phases, having known and specific ranges of temperature, pressure and composition within which they are stable. More than simple compositional analysis, definitive mineralogical analysis can provide information about conditions of formation, past climate, water activity, the fugacity (activity) of biologically significant gases and the like. The CheMin XRD/XRF instrument is capable of definitive mineralogical analysis. A wide variety of minerals and rocks has been analyzed utilizing 40 KV accelerating voltage and 0.25 æamps beam current (10 watts). Interpretable patterns of single minerals can be obtained in a few minutes and quantifiable patterns of complex rocks can be obtained in a few hours. A CheMin flight prototype is being designed for the Mars '09 MSL opportunity. It will utilize a CCD detector based on the MER '03 camera and a miniaturized, low-power carbon nanotube field emission X-ray tube. The CheMin flight prototype will weigh less than a kilogram and will operate with as little as five watts of power (although increased power will result in shorter data acquisition times).
DE: 0400 Biogeosciences
DE: 1060 Planetary geochemistry (5405, 5410, 5704, 5709, 6005, 6008)
DE: 1094 Instruments and techniques
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting