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Reconciling the Differences between the Measurements of CO2 Isotopes by the Phoenix and MSL LandersPrecise stable isotope measurements of the CO2 in the martian atmosphere have the potential to provide important constraints for our understanding of the history of volatiles, the carbon cycle, current atmospheric processes, and the degree of water/rock interaction on Mars. There have been several different measurements by landers and Earth based systems performed in recent years that have not been in agreement. In particular, measurements of the isotopic composition of martian atmospheric CO2 by the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) instrument on the Mars Phoenix Lander and the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) are in stark disagreement. This work attempts to use measurements of mass 45 and mass 46 of martian atmospheric CO2 by the SAM and TEGA instruments to search for agreement as a first step towards reaching a consensus measurement that might be supported by data from both instruments.
Document ID
20140012908
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Niles, P. B.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Mahaffy, P. R.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Atreya, S.
(Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)
Pavlov, A. A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Trainer, M.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Webster, C. R.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Wong, M.
(Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)
Date Acquired
October 8, 2014
Publication Date
March 17, 2014
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-30541
Meeting Information
Meeting: Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: March 17, 2014
End Date: March 21, 2014
Sponsors: Lunar and Planetary Inst., Universities Space Research Association, NASA Johnson Space Center
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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