NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
MapX An In Situ, Full-frame X-Ray Spectroscopic Imager for Planetary Science and AstrobiologyMicrobial life exploits micron-scale disequilibria at boundaries where valence, chemical potential, pH, Eh, etc. vary on a length scale commensurate with the organisms - 10's to 100's of microns. The detection of accumulations of the biogenic elements C,N,O,P,S at appropriate concentrations on or in a mineral/ice substrate would constitute permissive evidence of extant life, but context is also required. Does the putative biosignature exist under habitable conditions? Under what conditions of P, T, and chemical potential was the host mineralogy formed? MapX is an in situ robotic spacecraft instrument that images the biogenic elements C, N, O, P, S, as well as the cations of the rock-forming minerals (Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe) and important anions such as Cl, Fl. MapX provides element maps with less than or equal to100 microns resolution over a 2.5 cm X 2.5 cm area, as well as quantitative XRF spectra from ground- or instrument-selected Regions of Interest (ROI). XRF spectra are converted to mineralogies using ground- or instrument-based algorithms. Either X-ray tube or radioisotope sources such as 244Cm (Alpha-particle and gamma- ray fluorescence) can be used. Fluoresced sample Xrays are imaged onto an X-ray sensitive CCD through an X-ray MicroPore Optic (MPO). The MapX design as well as baseline performance requirements for a MapX instrument intended for life detection / identification of habitable environments will be presented.
Document ID
20170007763
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Blake, David
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Sarrazin, Philippe
(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Mountain View, CA, United States)
Thompson, Kathleen
(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Mountain View, CA, United States)
Bristow, Thomas
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 17, 2017
Publication Date
August 13, 2017
Subject Category
Instrumentation And Photography
Exobiology
Report/Patent Number
ARC-E-DAA-TN42124
Meeting Information
Meeting: International GOLDSCHMIDT Conference 2017
Location: Paris
Country: France
Start Date: August 13, 2017
End Date: August 18, 2017
Sponsors: Geochemical Society, European Association of Geochemistry
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
Astrobiology
No Preview Available