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Oxychlorine Detection in Gale Crater, Mars and Implications for past Environmental ConditionsThe Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover has detected oxychlorine compounds such as perchlorate or chlorate in Gale Crater samples. Two potential pathways for oxychlorine formation on Mars are UV-induced interaction between chlorine and metal oxides or atmospheric oxygen and radiolysis of Cl-containing surface materials by galactic cosmic rays, with the chlorine being volcanically derived in both cases. Oxychlorine compounds are identified by a diagnostic release of O2 at temperatures <600 °C and an HCl release from ~350-850 °C during sample pyrolysis. Of the 16 samples analyzed by SAM as of July 2018, 12 have contained oxychlorine compounds, including all four scooped samples and 8 of the 12 drilled samples.
Document ID
20180008469
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Archer, P. Douglas, Jr. (Jacobs Technology, Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Ming, Douglas W. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Sutter, Brad (Jacobs Technology, Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Morris, Richard V. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Clark, B. C. (Space Science Inst. (SSI) Boulder, CO, United States)
Mahaffy, P. R. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Wray, J .J. (Georgia Inst. of Technology Atlanta, GA, United States)
Fairen, A .G. (Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA) Madrid, Spain)
Gellert, Ralf (University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
Yen, Albert (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Blake, David F. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Vaniman, David T. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Glavin, Daniel P. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Eigenbrode, Jen (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Trainer, M .G. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Navarro-González, Rafael (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico Mexico City, Mexico)
McKay, Christopher P. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Freissinet, Caroline (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Martin, Peter (California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
December 17, 2018
Publication Date
December 10, 2018
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
JSC-E-DAA-TN62114
Meeting Information
Meeting: American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting
Location: Washington, DC
Country: United States
Start Date: December 10, 2018
End Date: December 14, 2018
Sponsors: American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNJ13HA01C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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