HR: 1340h
AN: P43A-0899    [Abstracts]
TI: In-Situ Mineralogical Analysis using a Miniaturized Onboard Petrograph
AU: * Anderson, R C
EM: robert.c.anderson@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Inst. of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109
AU: Willis, P B
EM: Paul.B.Willis@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Inst. of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109
AB: Recent planetary missions (Mars Pathfinder, Mars Exploration Rovers: Spirit, Opportunity) have flown devices capable of doing some degree of in-situ geology, such as the AXPS. These devices provide clues as to the elemental content of a rock specimen, but fail to give a definitive mineralogical analysis of the measured sample. Properties such as elemental composition, grain sizes, water content, crystallization rates, shock metamorphosis, temperature history, secondary weathering processes, and other definitive mineralogical typing can not be determined by elemental composition alone. For terrestrial studies, these properties are routinely determined by thin-slice petrography, and are essential to understanding composition and evolution of planetary bodies. Our goal is to demonstrate the critical operations of a portable miniaturized petrograph. This instrument consists of the following components: (a) specimen collection, (b) sample mounting on a carousel tray, (c) thin-slice preparation with a diamond impregnated cutter and polisher, (d) polarized light analysis, and finally, (e) telemetry to transmit the images to a ground station. To collect the desired science data the petrograph will be carried by a mobile landing system (eg. rover) for in-situ mineralogical analyses.
DE: 5494 Instruments and techniques
DE: 3694 Instruments and techniques
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting