Organic molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars
The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on board the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover is designed to conduct inorganic and organic chemical analyses of the atmosphere and the surface regolith and rocks to help evaluate the past and present habitability potential of Mars at Gale Crater. C...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2014
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ftmit:oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/109264 2023-06-11T04:17:34+02:00 Organic molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars Freissinet, C. Glavin, D. P. Mahaffy, P. R. Eigenbrode, J. L. Brunner, A. E. Buch, A. Szopa, C. Archer, P. D. Franz, H. B. Atreya, S. K. Brinckerhoff, W. B. Cabane, M. Coll, P. Conrad, P. G. Des Marais, D. J. Dworkin, J. P. Fairén, A. G. François, P. Grotzinger, J. P. Kashyap, S. ten Kate, I. L. Leshin, L. A. Malespin, C. A. Martin, M. G. Martin-Torres, F. J. McAdam, A. C. Ming, D. W. Navarro-González, R. Pavlov, A. A. Prats, B. D. Squyres, S. W. Steele, A. Stern, J. C. Sumner, D. Y. Sutter, B. Zorzano, M.-P. Miller, Kristen Summons, Roger E Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Miller, Kristen Summons, Roger E 2014-10 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/109264 en_US eng American Geophysical Union (AGU) http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014je004737 Journal of Geophysical Research Planets 2169-9100 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/109264 Freissinet, C.; Glavin, D. P.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Miller, K. E.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Summons, R. E.; Brunner, A. E. et al. “Organic Molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 120, no. 3 (March 2015): 495–514 ©2015 The Authors orcid:0000-0002-7144-8537 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ American Geophysical Union Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 2014 ftmit https://doi.org/10.1002/2014je004737 2023-05-29T07:24:57Z The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on board the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover is designed to conduct inorganic and organic chemical analyses of the atmosphere and the surface regolith and rocks to help evaluate the past and present habitability potential of Mars at Gale Crater. Central to this task is the development of an inventory of any organic molecules present to elucidate processes associated with their origin, diagenesis, concentration, and long-term preservation. This will guide the future search for biosignatures. Here we report the definitive identification of chlorobenzene (150–300 parts per billion by weight (ppbw)) and C2 to C4 dichloroalkanes (up to 70 ppbw) with the SAM gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) and detection of chlorobenzene in the direct evolved gas analysis (EGA) mode, in multiple portions of the fines from the Cumberland drill hole in the Sheepbed mudstone at Yellowknife Bay. When combined with GCMS and EGA data from multiple scooped and drilled samples, blank runs, and supporting laboratory analog studies, the elevated levels of chlorobenzene and the dichloroalkanes cannot be solely explained by instrument background sources known to be present in SAM. We conclude that these chlorinated hydrocarbons are the reaction products of Martian chlorine and organic carbon derived from Martian sources (e.g., igneous, hydrothermal, atmospheric, or biological) or exogenous sources such as meteorites, comets, or interplanetary dust particles. Article in Journal/Newspaper Yellowknife DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Yellowknife Yellowknife Bay ENVELOPE(-114.336,-114.336,62.367,62.367) Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 120 3 495 514 |
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Open Polar |
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DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftmit |
language |
English |
description |
The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on board the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover is designed to conduct inorganic and organic chemical analyses of the atmosphere and the surface regolith and rocks to help evaluate the past and present habitability potential of Mars at Gale Crater. Central to this task is the development of an inventory of any organic molecules present to elucidate processes associated with their origin, diagenesis, concentration, and long-term preservation. This will guide the future search for biosignatures. Here we report the definitive identification of chlorobenzene (150–300 parts per billion by weight (ppbw)) and C2 to C4 dichloroalkanes (up to 70 ppbw) with the SAM gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) and detection of chlorobenzene in the direct evolved gas analysis (EGA) mode, in multiple portions of the fines from the Cumberland drill hole in the Sheepbed mudstone at Yellowknife Bay. When combined with GCMS and EGA data from multiple scooped and drilled samples, blank runs, and supporting laboratory analog studies, the elevated levels of chlorobenzene and the dichloroalkanes cannot be solely explained by instrument background sources known to be present in SAM. We conclude that these chlorinated hydrocarbons are the reaction products of Martian chlorine and organic carbon derived from Martian sources (e.g., igneous, hydrothermal, atmospheric, or biological) or exogenous sources such as meteorites, comets, or interplanetary dust particles. |
author2 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Miller, Kristen Summons, Roger E |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Freissinet, C. Glavin, D. P. Mahaffy, P. R. Eigenbrode, J. L. Brunner, A. E. Buch, A. Szopa, C. Archer, P. D. Franz, H. B. Atreya, S. K. Brinckerhoff, W. B. Cabane, M. Coll, P. Conrad, P. G. Des Marais, D. J. Dworkin, J. P. Fairén, A. G. François, P. Grotzinger, J. P. Kashyap, S. ten Kate, I. L. Leshin, L. A. Malespin, C. A. Martin, M. G. Martin-Torres, F. J. McAdam, A. C. Ming, D. W. Navarro-González, R. Pavlov, A. A. Prats, B. D. Squyres, S. W. Steele, A. Stern, J. C. Sumner, D. Y. Sutter, B. Zorzano, M.-P. Miller, Kristen Summons, Roger E |
spellingShingle |
Freissinet, C. Glavin, D. P. Mahaffy, P. R. Eigenbrode, J. L. Brunner, A. E. Buch, A. Szopa, C. Archer, P. D. Franz, H. B. Atreya, S. K. Brinckerhoff, W. B. Cabane, M. Coll, P. Conrad, P. G. Des Marais, D. J. Dworkin, J. P. Fairén, A. G. François, P. Grotzinger, J. P. Kashyap, S. ten Kate, I. L. Leshin, L. A. Malespin, C. A. Martin, M. G. Martin-Torres, F. J. McAdam, A. C. Ming, D. W. Navarro-González, R. Pavlov, A. A. Prats, B. D. Squyres, S. W. Steele, A. Stern, J. C. Sumner, D. Y. Sutter, B. Zorzano, M.-P. Miller, Kristen Summons, Roger E Organic molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars |
author_facet |
Freissinet, C. Glavin, D. P. Mahaffy, P. R. Eigenbrode, J. L. Brunner, A. E. Buch, A. Szopa, C. Archer, P. D. Franz, H. B. Atreya, S. K. Brinckerhoff, W. B. Cabane, M. Coll, P. Conrad, P. G. Des Marais, D. J. Dworkin, J. P. Fairén, A. G. François, P. Grotzinger, J. P. Kashyap, S. ten Kate, I. L. Leshin, L. A. Malespin, C. A. Martin, M. G. Martin-Torres, F. J. McAdam, A. C. Ming, D. W. Navarro-González, R. Pavlov, A. A. Prats, B. D. Squyres, S. W. Steele, A. Stern, J. C. Sumner, D. Y. Sutter, B. Zorzano, M.-P. Miller, Kristen Summons, Roger E |
author_sort |
Freissinet, C. |
title |
Organic molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars |
title_short |
Organic molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars |
title_full |
Organic molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars |
title_fullStr |
Organic molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars |
title_full_unstemmed |
Organic molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars |
title_sort |
organic molecules in the sheepbed mudstone, gale crater, mars |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/109264 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-114.336,-114.336,62.367,62.367) |
geographic |
Yellowknife Yellowknife Bay |
geographic_facet |
Yellowknife Yellowknife Bay |
genre |
Yellowknife |
genre_facet |
Yellowknife |
op_source |
American Geophysical Union |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014je004737 Journal of Geophysical Research Planets 2169-9100 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/109264 Freissinet, C.; Glavin, D. P.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Miller, K. E.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Summons, R. E.; Brunner, A. E. et al. “Organic Molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 120, no. 3 (March 2015): 495–514 ©2015 The Authors orcid:0000-0002-7144-8537 |
op_rights |
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/2014je004737 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |
container_volume |
120 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
495 |
op_container_end_page |
514 |
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1768376872809267200 |