Volatile, isotope, and organic analysis of martian fines with the Mars curiosity rover

MSL Science Team

doi:10.1126/science.1238937

Volatile, isotope, and organic analysis of martian fines with the Mars curiosity rover

MSL Science Team

Geosciences

Stony Brook University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
California Institute of Technology
CNRS
CNRS
NASA Johnson Space Center
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Maryland, College Park
Ecole Centrale Paris
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Cornell University
Carnegie Institution of Washington
University of California at Davis
Jacobs Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

415 Scopus citations

Abstract

Samples from the Rocknest aeolian deposit were heated to ∼835°C under helium flow and evolved gases analyzed by Curiosity 's Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite. H₂O, SO₂, CO₂, and O₂ were the major gases released. Water abundance (1.5 to 3 weight percent) and release temperature suggest that H₂O is bound within an amorphous component of the sample. Decomposition of fine-grained Fe or Mg carbonate is the likely source of much of the evolved CO₂. Evolved O₂ is coincident with the release of Cl, suggesting that oxygen is produced from thermal decomposition of an oxychloride compound. Elevated δD values are consistent with recent atmospheric exchange. Carbon isotopes indicate multiple carbon sources in the fines. Several simple organic compounds were detected, but they are not definitively martian in origin.

Original language	English
Article number	1238937
Journal	Science
Volume	341
Issue number	6153
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1238937
State	Published - 2013

Access to Document

10.1126/science.1238937

Cite this

@article{b5bbaf5f90c7436498ff27d96eef0a40,

title = "Volatile, isotope, and organic analysis of martian fines with the Mars curiosity rover",

abstract = "Samples from the Rocknest aeolian deposit were heated to ∼835°C under helium flow and evolved gases analyzed by Curiosity 's Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite. H2O, SO2, CO2, and O2 were the major gases released. Water abundance (1.5 to 3 weight percent) and release temperature suggest that H2O is bound within an amorphous component of the sample. Decomposition of fine-grained Fe or Mg carbonate is the likely source of much of the evolved CO2. Evolved O2 is coincident with the release of Cl, suggesting that oxygen is produced from thermal decomposition of an oxychloride compound. Elevated δD values are consistent with recent atmospheric exchange. Carbon isotopes indicate multiple carbon sources in the fines. Several simple organic compounds were detected, but they are not definitively martian in origin.",

author = "\{MSL Science Team\} and Leshin, \{L. A.\} and Mahaffy, \{P. R.\} and Webster, \{C. R.\} and M. Cabane and P. Coll and Conrad, \{P. G.\} and Archer, \{P. D.\} and Atreya, \{S. K.\} and Brunner, \{A. E.\} and A. Buch and Eigenbrode, \{J. L.\} and Flesch, \{G. J.\} and Franz, \{H. B.\} and C. Freissinet and Glavin, \{D. P.\} and McAdam, \{A. C.\} and Miller, \{K. E.\} and Ming, \{D. W.\} and Morris, \{R. V.\} and R. Navarro-Gonz{\'a}lez and Niles, \{P. B.\} and T. Owen and Pepin, \{R. O.\} and S. Squyres and A. Steele and Stern, \{J. C.\} and Summons, \{R. E.\} and Sumner, \{D. Y.\} and B. Sutter and C. Szopa and S. Teinturier and Trainer, \{M. G.\} and Wray, \{J. J.\} and Grotzinger, \{J. P.\} and Leshin, \{L. A.\} and Mahaffy, \{P. R.\} and Webster, \{C. R.\} and M. Cabane and P. Coll and Conrad, \{P. G.\} and Archer, \{P. D.\} and Brunner, \{A. E.\} and A. Buch and Eigenbrode, \{J. L.\} and Flesch, \{G. J.\} and Franz, \{H. B.\} and C. Freissinet and Glavin, \{D. P.\} and McAdam, \{A. C.\} and Joel Hurowitz",

year = "2013",

doi = "10.1126/science.1238937",

language = "English",

volume = "341",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

number = "6153",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Volatile, isotope, and organic analysis of martian fines with the Mars curiosity rover

AU - MSL Science Team

AU - Leshin, L. A.

AU - Mahaffy, P. R.

AU - Webster, C. R.

AU - Cabane, M.

AU - Coll, P.

AU - Conrad, P. G.

AU - Archer, P. D.

AU - Atreya, S. K.

AU - Brunner, A. E.

AU - Buch, A.

AU - Eigenbrode, J. L.

AU - Flesch, G. J.

AU - Franz, H. B.

AU - Freissinet, C.

AU - Glavin, D. P.

AU - McAdam, A. C.

AU - Miller, K. E.

AU - Ming, D. W.

AU - Morris, R. V.

AU - Navarro-González, R.

AU - Niles, P. B.

AU - Owen, T.

AU - Pepin, R. O.

AU - Squyres, S.

AU - Steele, A.

AU - Stern, J. C.

AU - Summons, R. E.

AU - Sumner, D. Y.

AU - Sutter, B.

AU - Szopa, C.

AU - Teinturier, S.

AU - Trainer, M. G.

AU - Wray, J. J.

AU - Grotzinger, J. P.

AU - Leshin, L. A.

AU - Mahaffy, P. R.

AU - Webster, C. R.

AU - Cabane, M.

AU - Coll, P.

AU - Conrad, P. G.

AU - Archer, P. D.

AU - Brunner, A. E.

AU - Buch, A.

AU - Eigenbrode, J. L.

AU - Flesch, G. J.

AU - Franz, H. B.

AU - Freissinet, C.

AU - Glavin, D. P.

AU - McAdam, A. C.

AU - Hurowitz, Joel

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Samples from the Rocknest aeolian deposit were heated to ∼835°C under helium flow and evolved gases analyzed by Curiosity 's Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite. H2O, SO2, CO2, and O2 were the major gases released. Water abundance (1.5 to 3 weight percent) and release temperature suggest that H2O is bound within an amorphous component of the sample. Decomposition of fine-grained Fe or Mg carbonate is the likely source of much of the evolved CO2. Evolved O2 is coincident with the release of Cl, suggesting that oxygen is produced from thermal decomposition of an oxychloride compound. Elevated δD values are consistent with recent atmospheric exchange. Carbon isotopes indicate multiple carbon sources in the fines. Several simple organic compounds were detected, but they are not definitively martian in origin.

AB - Samples from the Rocknest aeolian deposit were heated to ∼835°C under helium flow and evolved gases analyzed by Curiosity 's Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite. H2O, SO2, CO2, and O2 were the major gases released. Water abundance (1.5 to 3 weight percent) and release temperature suggest that H2O is bound within an amorphous component of the sample. Decomposition of fine-grained Fe or Mg carbonate is the likely source of much of the evolved CO2. Evolved O2 is coincident with the release of Cl, suggesting that oxygen is produced from thermal decomposition of an oxychloride compound. Elevated δD values are consistent with recent atmospheric exchange. Carbon isotopes indicate multiple carbon sources in the fines. Several simple organic compounds were detected, but they are not definitively martian in origin.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84885641974

U2 - 10.1126/science.1238937

DO - 10.1126/science.1238937

M3 - Article

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 341

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6153

M1 - 1238937

ER -

Volatile, isotope, and organic analysis of martian fines with the Mars curiosity rover

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this