Studies of a Lacustrine‐Volcanic Mars Analog Field Site With Mars‐2020‐Like Instruments

Martin, P.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Thomas, N.; Wiens, Roger C.; Hollis, Joseph J. Razzell; Beegle, L. W.; Bhartia, R.; Clegg, S. M.; Blaney, D. L.

doi:10.1029/2019ea000720

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…This data fusion can be applied within the SuperCam investigations, or at the level of all techniques on the Mars 2020 rover (Farley et al 2020). Studies to date include one early field study by a small team representing various instruments (Martin et al 2020), an exercise on a "mystery rock" within the SuperCam team (Ollila et al 2019), and several remote operations and science team training (ROASTT) events organized within the Mars 2020 project (Lawson et al, in preparation). All of these were much more limited in scope than is expected to be experienced with the Perseverance rover covering multiple outcrops over a large field area (Sun and Stack 2020).…”

Section: Conclusion and Prospectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies to date include one early field study by a small team representing various instruments (Martin et al. 2020 ), an exercise on a “mystery rock” within the SuperCam team (Ollila et al. 2019 ), and several remote operations and science team training (ROASTT) events organized within the Mars 2020 project (Lawson et al, in preparation).…”

Section: Conclusion and Prospectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…ChemCam uses laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to obtain semi-quantitative elemental abundances from rasters of small observation points 350-550 µm in diameter (Maurice et al 2012). While ChemCam is limited mostly to chemical compositions rather than mineralogy, its ability to detect and quantify hydrogen is important for understanding the hydration state of the soils and for identifying some hydrated minerals (Schröder et al 2015;Rapin et al 2016Rapin et al , 2018Thomas et al 2020). ChemCam's chemistry is complemented by visible-range ("VIS") reflectance spectroscopy to ∼ 850 nm that allowed to constrain the mineralogy of iron-bearing materials (e.g., hematite, olivine, and ferric sulfates).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The SuperCam Instrument Suite on the NASA Mars 2020 Rover: Body Unit and Combined System Tests

et al. 2020

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The SuperCam instrument suite provides the Mars 2020 rover, Perseverance, with a number of versatile remote-sensing techniques that can be used at long distance as well as within the robotic-arm workspace. These include laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), remote time-resolved Raman and luminescence spectroscopies, and visible and infrared (VISIR; separately referred to as VIS and IR) reflectance spectroscopy. A remote micro-imager (RMI) provides high-resolution color context imaging, and a microphone can be used as a stand-alone tool for environmental studies or to determine physical properties of rocks and soils from shock waves of laser-produced plasmas. SuperCam is built in three parts: The mast unit (MU), consisting of the laser, telescope, RMI, IR spectrometer, and associated electronics, is described in a companion paper. The on-board calibration targets are described in another companion paper. Here we describe SuperCam’s body unit (BU) and testing of the integrated instrument.The BU, mounted inside the rover body, receives light from the MU via a 5.8 m optical fiber. The light is split into three wavelength bands by a demultiplexer, and is routed via fiber bundles to three optical spectrometers, two of which (UV and violet; 245–340 and 385–465 nm) are crossed Czerny-Turner reflection spectrometers, nearly identical to their counterparts on ChemCam. The third is a high-efficiency transmission spectrometer containing an optical intensifier capable of gating exposures to 100 ns or longer, with variable delay times relative to the laser pulse. This spectrometer covers 535–853 nm ($105\text{--}7070~\text{cm}^{-1}$ 105 – 7070 cm − 1 Raman shift relative to the 532 nm green laser beam) with $12~\text{cm}^{-1}$ 12 cm − 1 full-width at half-maximum peak resolution in the Raman fingerprint region. The BU electronics boards interface with the rover and control the instrument, returning data to the rover. Thermal systems maintain a warm temperature during cruise to Mars to avoid contamination on the optics, and cool the detectors during operations on Mars.Results obtained with the integrated instrument demonstrate its capabilities for LIBS, for which a library of 332 standards was developed. Examples of Raman and VISIR spectroscopy are shown, demonstrating clear mineral identification with both techniques. Luminescence spectra demonstrate the utility of having both spectral and temporal dimensions. Finally, RMI and microphone tests on the rover demonstrate the capabilities of these subsystems as well.

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Section: Conclusion and Prospectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conclusion and Prospectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The SuperCam Instrument Suite on the NASA Mars 2020 Rover: Body Unit and Combined System Tests

et al. 2020

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“…During the Early Noachian prior to the Isidis basin impact, rocks and sediments that would eventually form parts of unit Nnp 1 were emplaced in the map region. Discerning whether the pre-Isidis components of unit Nnp 1 were volcanic and (or) sedimentary in origin is not possible without rover-scale observations of micro-scale textures and composition (for example, Martin and others, 2020). From orbital data, a lack of obvious volcanic vents or fluvial features associated with unit Nnp 1 precludes distinguishing between these origins, and subsequent modification by the Isidis and Jezero impacts confounds the distinction of primary emplacement processes.…”

Section: Early To Middle Noachianmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geologic map of Jezero crater and the Nili Planum region, Mars

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Morgan²

2020

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For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit https://store.usgs.gov. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.

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“…SHERLOC's combined functionality for both Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy provides sensitivity to chemical structure and detection of organics even at low concentrations. The specificity of Raman peaks to molecular vibrations produces effectively unique spectra that allow structurally similar molecules to be distinguished spectroscopically, even in the presence of mineral phases (Asher, 1984;Tarcea et al, 2007;Sapers et al, 2019;Razzell Hollis et al, 2020b;Martin et al, 2020). SHERLOC uses a DUV laser as an excitation source (l ex = 248.56 nm), which coincides with the strong ultraviolet (UV) absorption band of many aromatic organic molecules that are relevant to biological processes on Earth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection and Degradation of Adenosine Monophosphate in Perchlorate-Spiked Martian Regolith Analog, by Deep-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy

et al. 2021

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The search for organic biosignatures on Mars will depend on finding material protected from the destructive ambient radiation. Solar ultraviolet can induce photochemical degradation of organic compounds, but certain clays have been shown to preserve organic material. We examine how the SHERLOC instrument on the upcoming Mars 2020 mission will use deep-ultraviolet (UV) (248.6 nm) Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy to detect a plausible biosignature of adenosine 5¢-monophosphate (AMP) adsorbed onto Ca-montmorillonite clay. We found that the spectral signature of AMP is not altered by adsorption in the clay matrix but does change with prolonged exposure to the UV laser over dosages equivalent to 0.2-6 sols of ambient martian UV. For pure AMP, UV exposure leads to breaking of the aromatic adenine unit, but in the presence of clay the degradation is limited to minor alteration with new Raman peaks and increased fluorescence consistent with formation of 2-hydroxyadenosine, while 1 wt % Mg perchlorate increases the rate of degradation. Our results confirm that clays are effective preservers of organic material and should be considered high-value targets, but that pristine biosignatures may be altered within 1 sol of martian UV exposure, with implications for Mars 2020 science operations and sample caching.

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Studies of a Lacustrine‐Volcanic Mars Analog Field Site With Mars‐2020‐Like Instruments

Cited by 22 publications

References 55 publications

The SuperCam Instrument Suite on the NASA Mars 2020 Rover: Body Unit and Combined System Tests

The SuperCam Instrument Suite on the NASA Mars 2020 Rover: Body Unit and Combined System Tests

Geologic map of Jezero crater and the Nili Planum region, Mars

Detection and Degradation of Adenosine Monophosphate in Perchlorate-Spiked Martian Regolith Analog, by Deep-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy

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