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Light Isotopes and Trace Organics Analysis of Mars Samples with Mass SpectrometryPrecision measurement of light isotopes in Mars surface minerals and comparison of this isotopic composition with atmospheric gas and other, well-mixed reservoirs such as surface dust are necessary to understand the history of atmospheric evolution from a possibly warmer and wetter Martian surface to the present state. Atmospheric sources and sinks that set these ratios are volcanism, solar wind sputtering, photochemical processes, and weathering. Measurement of a range of trace organic species with a particular focus on species such as amino acids that are the building blocks of terrestrial life are likewise important to address the questions of prebiotic and present or past biological activity on Mars. The workshop topics "isotopic mineralogy" and "biology and pre-biotic chemistry" will be addressed from the point of view of the capabilities and limitations of insitu mass spectrometry (MS) techniques such as thermally evolved gas analysis (TEGA) and gas chromatography (GC) surface experiments using MS, in both cases, as a final chemical and isotopic composition detector. Insitu experiments using straightforward adaptations of existing space proven hardware can provide a substantial improvement in the precision and accuracy of our present knowledge of isotopic composition both in molecular and atomic species in the atmosphere and those chemically bound in rocks and soils. Likewise, detection of trace organic species with greatly improved sensitivity from the Viking GCMS experiment is possible using gas enrichment techniques. The limits to precision and accuracy of presently feasible insitu techniques compared to laboratory analysis of returned samples will be explored. The insitu techniques are sufficiently powerful that they can provide a high fidelity method of screening samples obtained from a diverse set of surface locations such as the subsurface or the interior of rocks for selection of those that are the most interesting for return to Earth.
Document ID
20010089224
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Mahaffy, P.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Niemann, Hasso
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 20, 2001
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Meeting Information
Meeting: MEPAG Workshop
Location: Pasadena, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: August 15, 2001
End Date: August 16, 2001
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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