NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
The Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE): Design ConceptsThe absolute ages of geologic events are fundamental information for understanding the timing and duration of surface processes on planetary bodies. Absolute ages can place a planet's history in the context of the solar system evolution. For example, "when was Mars warm and wet?" is one of the key questions of planetary science. If Mars was warm and wet until 3.7 billion years ago, for instance, it suggests that Mars was still warm and wet when life appeared on Earth. Mars history has been discussed so far based on crater chronology, but the current constraints for Martian chronology models come from the cratering history of the Moon [1]. Moreover, the lunar chronology model itself is fraught with uncertainty because our understanding of lunar chronology is constrained only in a few time periods and itself needs further investigation relating crater-counting ages to absolute ages [2]. Although sample return missions would provide highly accurate radiometric ages of returned samples, they are very expensive and technically challenging. In situ geochronology is highly valuable because they would have larger number of mission opportunities and the capability of iterative measurements for multiple rocks from multiple geologic units. The capability of flight instruments to perform in situ dating is required in the NASA Planetary Science Decadal Survey and the NASA Technology Roadmap. Beagle 2 is the only mission launched to date with the explicit aim to perform in situ potassium-argon (K-Ar) dating [3], but it did not happen because of the communication failure to the spacecraft. The first in situ K-Ar dating on Mars, using SAM and APXS measurements on the Cumberland mudstone [4], yielded an age of 4.21 +/- 0.35 Ga and validated the idea of K-Ar dating on other planets. However, the Curiosity method is not purposebuilt for dating and requires many assumptions that degrade its accuracy. To obtain more accurate and meaningful ages, multiple groups are developing dedicated in situ dating instruments [5-8].
Document ID
20170002469
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Cho, Y.
(Alabama Univ. Huntsville, AL, United States)
Cohen, B. A.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Date Acquired
March 23, 2017
Publication Date
March 20, 2017
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
MSFC-E-DAA-TN38550
Meeting Information
Meeting: Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: March 20, 2017
End Date: March 24, 2017
Sponsors: Universities Space Research Association
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNM11AA01A
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
design
KArLE
No Preview Available