OLYMPIA - a compact laboratory Orbitrap-based high-resolution mass spectrometer laboratory set-up: Performance studies for gas composition measurement in analogues of planetary environments

Abstract

<p>In situ composition measurements at Saturn and its moons (Cassini-Huygens<sup>1,2</sup>) and at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (Rosetta<sup>3,4</sup>) unveiled the complexity of the atmospheric chemical composition and high abundance of organic compounds in the environments of Solar System bodies. The deciphering of the measurements, obtained by current state-of-the-art instruments, to obtain the composition of complex gas mixtures that include polyatomic molecules and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) often requires having recourse to instrument response modeling supplemented by theoretical chemical models.</p><p>One of the limitations in currently flown mass spectrometers is their limited mass resolving power. High mass-resolving power offers the capability to identify unambiguously almost all complex organic compounds. Such technique offers identification of almost all complex organic compounds without application of complementary separation techniques, e.g. chromatography, spectroscopy or collision induced dissociation. A new generation of space mass spectrometers under development (MASPEX<sup>5</sup>, MULTUM<sup>6</sup>, CORALS<sup>7</sup>, CRATER<sup>7</sup>, among others), aims at reaching mass resolution of > 50 000. CORALS and CRATER are Orbitrap-based instruments using CosmOrbitrap elements.</p><p>In collaboration with J. Herovsky institute, the Laboratoire de Physique et de Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E) has developed a new laboratory test-bench based on the Orbitrap™ technology OLYMPIA (Orbitrap anaLYseur MultiPle IonisAtion) to evaluate several space applications of an Orbitrap-based space instrument using different ionization techniques. OLYMPIA is a compact, transportable set-up and is intended to be used as a stand-alone device (currently with an EI ionization source), but later intended to be coupled to different sources of ions. The next step in the next few months is to couple it with the LLILBID set-up in Berlin<sup>8</sup>.</p><p>OLYMPIA is currently directly coupled with a first prototype of a compact electron impact ionization source. A single shot provides a useful signal duration of 200-250ms second before it decays to the noise level, and provide mass resolution for Kr ion isotopes of the order of 30 000 and on C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub> on fragments of the order of 40 000. Kr is mostly being used to characterize the isotopic measurement capability of OLYMPIA and mixtures of C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>, CO and N<sub>2</sub>gases in different proportions.  In this presentation we concentrate on the capability to detect low ethylene lighter VOC concentration in different mixtures of CO and N<sub>2</sub>. Sensitivity of the instrument is sufficient to detect traces of the carbon dioxide gas in mixture with molecular nitrogen abundant in less than 1% volume ratio.</p><p><strong>1</strong> Waite, J. H. et al. Space Sci. Rev. 114, 113–231 (2004)</p><p><strong>2</strong> Coates, A. J. et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 34, (2007)</p><p><strong>3</strong> Balsiger, H. et al. Space Sci. Rev. 128, 745–801 (2007)</p><p><strong>4</strong> Le Roy, L. et al. A&A 583, (2015)</p><p><strong>5</strong> Brockwell, T. G. et al. in 2016 IEEE Aerospace Conference 1–17 (2016)</p><p><strong>6</strong> Shimma, S. et al. Anal. Chem. 82, 8456–8463 (2010)</p><p><strong>7</strong> Arevalo Jr, R. et al. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 32, 1875–1886 (2018)</p><p><strong>8</strong> Klenner, F. et al. Astrobiology 20, 179–189 (2019)</p>

OLYMPIA-LILBID: A New Laboratory Setup to Calibrate Spaceborne Hypervelocity Ice Grain Detectors Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

“…A C-trap is used as an intermediate storage device from which the ions are injected into the Orbitrap, in a spatially and energetically well-defined ion packet. As a first stage of development, OLYMPIA has been used with an electron ionization (EI) ion source to test each subsystem and to study gas samples relevant for planetary atmospheres . OLYMPIA is composed of a commercial D30 cell from Thermo Fisher, which is around 60 mm long for 40 mm diameter.…”

“…Coupled with a laser ablation ionization system, the CosmOrbitrap achieved mass resolution performances varying from 474 000 at m / z 9 to 90 000 at m / z 208 for a 830 ms signal duration . The CosmOrbitrap is intended to be the mass analyzer of various laser ionization instruments currently under development for future planetary body missions. − In this work, we coupled the LILBID technique with a newly built laboratory Orbitrap-based mass spectrometer not intended for space applications, the Orbitrap anaLYzer MultiPle IonizAtion (OLYMPIA) . OLYMPIA was designed to be easily coupled with different ionization techniques, either continuous or pulsed.…”

OLYMPIA-LILBID: High Resolution Mass Spectrometry for the Calibration of Spaceborne Hypervelocity Ice Grain Detector

“…In this context, OLYMPIA -Orbitrap anaLYser MultiPle IonisAtion -has been develop to be used as a new laboratory test bench, and is adaptable to different ionisation methods. After a successful study of planetary atmosphere analogues using Electron Ionisation (EI) 5 , we now coupled OLYMPIA with the Laser Induced Liquid Beam Ion Desorption technique to analyse liquid water samples. For example, LILBID is able to accurately reproduce hypervelocity impact ionisation icy grains mass spectra 6 , such as those recorded by the Comic Dust Analyser 7 (CDA) onboard Cassini in the vicinity of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus.…”