Volatile, Isotope, and Organic Analysis of Martian Fines with the Mars Curiosity Rover

L. A. Leshin; P. R. Mahaffy; C. R. Webster; M. Cabane; P. Coll; P. G. Conrad; P. D. Archer Jr.; S. K. Atreya; A. E. Brunner; A. Buch; J. L. Eigenbrode; G. J. Flesch; H. B. Franz; C. Freissinet; D. P. Glavin; A. C. McAdam; K. E. Miller; D. W. Ming; R. V. Morris; R. Navarro-González; P. B. Niles; T. Owen; R. O. Pepin; S. Squyres; A. Steele; J. C. Stern; R. E. Summons; D. Y. Sumner; B. Sutter; C. Szopa; S. Teinturier; M. G. Trainer; J. J. Wray; J.P. Grotzinger; MSL Science Team

doi:10.1126/science.1238937

Volatile, Isotope, and Organic Analysis of Martian Fines with the Mars Curiosity Rover

L. A. Leshin^*, P. R. Mahaffy, C. R. Webster, M. Cabane, P. Coll, P. G. Conrad, P. D. Archer Jr., S. K. Atreya, A. E. Brunner, A. Buch, J. L. Eigenbrode, G. J. Flesch, H. B. Franz, C. Freissinet, D. P. Glavin, A. C. McAdam, K. E. Miller, D. W. Ming, R. V. Morris, R. Navarro-GonzálezP. B. Niles, T. Owen, R. O. Pepin, S. Squyres, A. Steele, J. C. Stern, R. E. Summons, D. Y. Sumner, B. Sutter, C. Szopa, S. Teinturier, M. G. Trainer, J. J. Wray, J.P. Grotzinger, MSL Science Team

^*Corresponding author for this work

Geology and Geophysics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

363 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Samples from the Rocknest aeolian deposit were heated to ~835°C under helium flow and evolved gases analyzed by Curiosity’s Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite. H2O, SO2, CO2, and O2 were the major gases released. Water abundance (1.5 to 3 weight percent) and release temperature suggest that H2O is bound within an amorphous component of the sample. Decomposition of fine-grained Fe or Mg carbonate is the likely source of much of the evolved CO2. Evolved O2 is coincident with the release of Cl, suggesting that oxygen is produced from thermal decomposition of an oxychloride compound. Elevated δD values are consistent with recent atmospheric exchange. Carbon isotopes indicate multiple carbon sources in the fines. Several simple organic compounds were detected, but they are not definitively martian in origin.

Original language	English
Article number	1238937
Number of pages	9
Journal	Science
Volume	341
Issue number	6153
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1238937
Publication status	Published - 27 Sept 2013

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgments: NASA provided support for the development and operation of SAM, and for the SAM Science Team, led out of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The GC-TCD subsystem for SAM was developed in France, with the support of CNES. The TLS subsystem for SAM was developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA. Data
from the SAM experiment are archived in the Planetary Data System (pds.nasa.gov). The SAM development, operations, and testbed teams provided essential contributions to the successful operation of SAM on Mars and the acquisition of these data.

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Leshin, L. A., Mahaffy, P. R., Webster, C. R., Cabane, M., Coll, P., Conrad, P. G., Archer Jr., P. D., Atreya, S. K., Brunner, A. E., Buch, A., Eigenbrode, J. L., Flesch, G. J., Franz, H. B., Freissinet, C., Glavin, D. P., McAdam, A. C., Miller, K. E., Ming, D. W., Morris, R. V., ... MSL Science Team (2013). Volatile, Isotope, and Organic Analysis of Martian Fines with the Mars Curiosity Rover. Science, 341(6153), Article 1238937. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1238937

Leshin, LA, Mahaffy, PR, Webster, CR, Cabane, M, Coll, P, Conrad, PG, Archer Jr., PD, Atreya, SK, Brunner, AE, Buch, A, Eigenbrode, JL, Flesch, GJ, Franz, HB, Freissinet, C, Glavin, DP, McAdam, AC, Miller, KE, Ming, DW, Morris, RV, Navarro-González, R, Niles, PB, Owen, T, Pepin, RO, Squyres, S, Steele, A, Stern, JC, Summons, RE, Sumner, DY, Sutter, B, Szopa, C, Teinturier, S, Trainer, MG, Wray, JJ, Grotzinger, JP & MSL Science Team 2013, 'Volatile, Isotope, and Organic Analysis of Martian Fines with the Mars Curiosity Rover', Science, vol. 341, no. 6153, 1238937. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1238937

@article{c2357791651f45b5b7607e360258bf4c,

title = "Volatile, Isotope, and Organic Analysis of Martian Fines with the Mars Curiosity Rover",

abstract = "Samples from the Rocknest aeolian deposit were heated to ~835°C under helium flow and evolved gases analyzed by Curiosity{\textquoteright}s Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite. H2O, SO2, CO2, and O2 were the major gases released. Water abundance (1.5 to 3 weight percent) and release temperature suggest that H2O is bound within an amorphous component of the sample. Decomposition of fine-grained Fe or Mg carbonate is the likely source of much of the evolved CO2. Evolved O2 is coincident with the release of Cl, suggesting that oxygen is produced from thermal decomposition of an oxychloride compound. Elevated δD values are consistent with recent atmospheric exchange. Carbon isotopes indicate multiple carbon sources in the fines. Several simple organic compounds were detected, but they are not definitively martian in origin.",

author = "Leshin, {L. A.} and Mahaffy, {P. R.} and Webster, {C. R.} and M. Cabane and P. Coll and Conrad, {P. G.} and {Archer Jr.}, {P. D.} and Atreya, {S. K.} and Brunner, {A. E.} and A. Buch and Eigenbrode, {J. L.} and Flesch, {G. J.} and Franz, {H. B.} and C. Freissinet and Glavin, {D. P.} and McAdam, {A. C.} and Miller, {K. E.} and Ming, {D. W.} and Morris, {R. V.} and R. Navarro-Gonz{\'a}lez and Niles, {P. B.} and T. Owen and Pepin, {R. O.} and S. Squyres and A. Steele and Stern, {J. C.} and Summons, {R. E.} and Sumner, {D. Y.} and B. Sutter and C. Szopa and S. Teinturier and Trainer, {M. G.} and Wray, {J. J.} and J.P. Grotzinger and {MSL Science Team} and Javier Martin-Torres",

note = "Acknowledgments: NASA provided support for the development and operation of SAM, and for the SAM Science Team, led out of NASA{\textquoteright}s Goddard Space Flight Center. The GC-TCD subsystem for SAM was developed in France, with the support of CNES. The TLS subsystem for SAM was developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA. Data from the SAM experiment are archived in the Planetary Data System (pds.nasa.gov). The SAM development, operations, and testbed teams provided essential contributions to the successful operation of SAM on Mars and the acquisition of these data.",

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T1 - Volatile, Isotope, and Organic Analysis of Martian Fines with the Mars Curiosity Rover

AU - Leshin, L. A.

AU - Mahaffy, P. R.

AU - Webster, C. R.

AU - Cabane, M.

AU - Coll, P.

AU - Conrad, P. G.

AU - Archer Jr., P. D.

AU - Atreya, S. K.

AU - Brunner, A. E.

AU - Buch, A.

AU - Eigenbrode, J. L.

AU - Flesch, G. J.

AU - Franz, H. B.

AU - Freissinet, C.

AU - Glavin, D. P.

AU - McAdam, A. C.

AU - Miller, K. E.

AU - Ming, D. W.

AU - Morris, R. V.

AU - Navarro-González, R.

AU - Niles, P. B.

AU - Owen, T.

AU - Pepin, R. O.

AU - Squyres, S.

AU - Steele, A.

AU - Stern, J. C.

AU - Summons, R. E.

AU - Sumner, D. Y.

AU - Sutter, B.

AU - Szopa, C.

AU - Teinturier, S.

AU - Trainer, M. G.

AU - Wray, J. J.

AU - Grotzinger, J.P.

AU - MSL Science Team

AU - Martin-Torres, Javier

N1 - Acknowledgments: NASA provided support for the development and operation of SAM, and for the SAM Science Team, led out of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The GC-TCD subsystem for SAM was developed in France, with the support of CNES. The TLS subsystem for SAM was developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA. Data from the SAM experiment are archived in the Planetary Data System (pds.nasa.gov). The SAM development, operations, and testbed teams provided essential contributions to the successful operation of SAM on Mars and the acquisition of these data.

PY - 2013/9/27

Y1 - 2013/9/27

N2 - Samples from the Rocknest aeolian deposit were heated to ~835°C under helium flow and evolved gases analyzed by Curiosity’s Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite. H2O, SO2, CO2, and O2 were the major gases released. Water abundance (1.5 to 3 weight percent) and release temperature suggest that H2O is bound within an amorphous component of the sample. Decomposition of fine-grained Fe or Mg carbonate is the likely source of much of the evolved CO2. Evolved O2 is coincident with the release of Cl, suggesting that oxygen is produced from thermal decomposition of an oxychloride compound. Elevated δD values are consistent with recent atmospheric exchange. Carbon isotopes indicate multiple carbon sources in the fines. Several simple organic compounds were detected, but they are not definitively martian in origin.

AB - Samples from the Rocknest aeolian deposit were heated to ~835°C under helium flow and evolved gases analyzed by Curiosity’s Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite. H2O, SO2, CO2, and O2 were the major gases released. Water abundance (1.5 to 3 weight percent) and release temperature suggest that H2O is bound within an amorphous component of the sample. Decomposition of fine-grained Fe or Mg carbonate is the likely source of much of the evolved CO2. Evolved O2 is coincident with the release of Cl, suggesting that oxygen is produced from thermal decomposition of an oxychloride compound. Elevated δD values are consistent with recent atmospheric exchange. Carbon isotopes indicate multiple carbon sources in the fines. Several simple organic compounds were detected, but they are not definitively martian in origin.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1238937

DO - 10.1126/science.1238937

M3 - Article

C2 - 24072926

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 341

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6153

M1 - 1238937

ER -

Volatile, Isotope, and Organic Analysis of Martian Fines with the Mars Curiosity Rover

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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