The Sample Analysis at Mars Investigation and Instrument Suite
Исследование и комплекс приборов для анализа образцов на Марсе
2012-04-26
SCID: 54.1/bm4q8ypn
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Curiosity roverSample Analysis at Marsgas chromatographquadrupole mass spectrometertunable laser spectrometer
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Abstract (AI)
The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) addresses the chemical and isotopic composition of the atmosphere and volatiles extracted from solid samples. The SAM investigation is designed to contribute substantially to the mission goal of quantitatively assessing the habitability of Mars as an essential step in the search for past or present life on Mars. SAM is a 40 kg instrument suite located in the interior of MSL’s Curiosity rover. The SAM instruments are a quadrupole mass spectrometer, a tunable laser spectrometer, and a 6-column gas chromatograph all coupled through solid and gas processing systems to provide complementary information on the same samples. The SAM suite is able to measure a suite of light isotopes and to analyze volatiles directly from the atmosphere or thermally released from solid samples. In addition to measurements of simple inorganic compounds and noble gases SAM will conduct a sensitive search for organic compounds with either thermal or chemical extraction from sieved samples delivered by the sample processing system on the Curiosity rover’s robotic arm.
Key Findings
1
SAM can analyze atmospheric volatiles directly and thermally released volatiles from solid samples collected and processed by Curiosity.
2
SAM integrates a quadrupole mass spectrometer, tunable laser spectrometer, and six-column gas chromatograph with shared solid- and gas-processing systems.
3
The SAM investigation characterizes the chemical and isotopic composition of Mars’s atmosphere and volatiles released from solid samples.
4
The instrument suite provides complementary analyses of the same samples, including light isotopes, inorganic compounds, and noble gases.
5
The suite performs sensitive searches for organic compounds using thermal or chemical extraction from sieved Martian samples to assess habitability.
Research Object
Mars atmosphere and volatiles extracted from solid samples
Research Subject
Chemical and isotopic composition, including inorganic compounds, noble gases, and organic compounds
Publication Details
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2012-04-26
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