Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (LIFE): Searching for Mars Organics with a UV-Enhanced PanCam
The European Space Agency will launch the ExoMars mission in 2016 with a primary goal of surveying the martian subsurface for evidence of organic material. We have recently investigated the utility of including either a 365nm light-emitting diode or a 375 nm laser light source in the ExoMars rover p...
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ftucl:oai:eprints.ucl.ac.uk.OAI2:141349 2023-05-15T14:00:38+02:00 Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (LIFE): Searching for Mars Organics with a UV-Enhanced PanCam Storrie-Lombardi, MC Muller, JP Fisk, MR Cousins, C Sattler, B Griffiths, AD Coates, AJ 2009-12 http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/141349/ unknown MARY ANN LIEBERT INC ASTROBIOLOGY , 9 (10) 953 - 964. (2009) Extreme environments Mars Planetary instrumentation Prebiotic chemistry Radiation POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS TO-CONSUMER RATIO COMMUNITIES ADJUST TEMPERATURE OPTIMA RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY SULFATE MINERALS MICROBIAL LIFE ICE MOLECULES TARGETS Article 2009 ftucl 2016-01-15T03:25:11Z The European Space Agency will launch the ExoMars mission in 2016 with a primary goal of surveying the martian subsurface for evidence of organic material. We have recently investigated the utility of including either a 365nm light-emitting diode or a 375 nm laser light source in the ExoMars rover panoramic camera (PanCam). Such a modification would make it feasible to monitor rover drill cuttings optically for the fluorescence signatures of aromatic organic molecules and map the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as a function of depth to the 2m limit of the ExoMars drill. The technique described requires no sample preparation, does not consume irreplaceable resources, and would allow mission control to prioritize deployment of organic detection experiments that require sample destruction, expenditure of non-replaceable consumables, or both. We report here for the first time laser-induced fluorescence emission (L. I. F. E.) imaging detection limits for anthracene, pyrene, and perylene targets doped onto a Mars analog granular peridotite with a 375nm Nichia laser diode in optically uncorrected wide-angle mode. Data were collected via the Beagle 2 PanCam backup filter wheel fitted with original blue (440 nm), green (530 nm), and red (670 nm) filters. All three PAH species can be detected with the PanCam green (530 nm) filter. Detection limits in the green band for signal-to-noise ratios (S/N)>10 are 49 parts per million (ppm) for anthracene, 145 ppm for pyrene, and 20ppm for perylene. The anthracene detection limit improves to 7ppm with use of the PanCam blue filter. We discuss soil-dependent detection limit constraints; use of UV excitation with other rover cameras, which provides higher spatial resolution; and the advantages of focused and wide-angle laser modes. Finally, we discuss application of L. I. F. E. techniques at multiple wavelengths for exploration of Mars analog extreme environments on Earth, including Icelandic hydrothermally altered basalts and the ice-covered lakes and glaciers of Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Dronning Maud Land University College London: UCL Discovery Dronning Maud Land |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University College London: UCL Discovery |
op_collection_id |
ftucl |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Extreme environments Mars Planetary instrumentation Prebiotic chemistry Radiation POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS TO-CONSUMER RATIO COMMUNITIES ADJUST TEMPERATURE OPTIMA RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY SULFATE MINERALS MICROBIAL LIFE ICE MOLECULES TARGETS |
spellingShingle |
Extreme environments Mars Planetary instrumentation Prebiotic chemistry Radiation POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS TO-CONSUMER RATIO COMMUNITIES ADJUST TEMPERATURE OPTIMA RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY SULFATE MINERALS MICROBIAL LIFE ICE MOLECULES TARGETS Storrie-Lombardi, MC Muller, JP Fisk, MR Cousins, C Sattler, B Griffiths, AD Coates, AJ Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (LIFE): Searching for Mars Organics with a UV-Enhanced PanCam |
topic_facet |
Extreme environments Mars Planetary instrumentation Prebiotic chemistry Radiation POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS TO-CONSUMER RATIO COMMUNITIES ADJUST TEMPERATURE OPTIMA RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY SULFATE MINERALS MICROBIAL LIFE ICE MOLECULES TARGETS |
description |
The European Space Agency will launch the ExoMars mission in 2016 with a primary goal of surveying the martian subsurface for evidence of organic material. We have recently investigated the utility of including either a 365nm light-emitting diode or a 375 nm laser light source in the ExoMars rover panoramic camera (PanCam). Such a modification would make it feasible to monitor rover drill cuttings optically for the fluorescence signatures of aromatic organic molecules and map the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as a function of depth to the 2m limit of the ExoMars drill. The technique described requires no sample preparation, does not consume irreplaceable resources, and would allow mission control to prioritize deployment of organic detection experiments that require sample destruction, expenditure of non-replaceable consumables, or both. We report here for the first time laser-induced fluorescence emission (L. I. F. E.) imaging detection limits for anthracene, pyrene, and perylene targets doped onto a Mars analog granular peridotite with a 375nm Nichia laser diode in optically uncorrected wide-angle mode. Data were collected via the Beagle 2 PanCam backup filter wheel fitted with original blue (440 nm), green (530 nm), and red (670 nm) filters. All three PAH species can be detected with the PanCam green (530 nm) filter. Detection limits in the green band for signal-to-noise ratios (S/N)>10 are 49 parts per million (ppm) for anthracene, 145 ppm for pyrene, and 20ppm for perylene. The anthracene detection limit improves to 7ppm with use of the PanCam blue filter. We discuss soil-dependent detection limit constraints; use of UV excitation with other rover cameras, which provides higher spatial resolution; and the advantages of focused and wide-angle laser modes. Finally, we discuss application of L. I. F. E. techniques at multiple wavelengths for exploration of Mars analog extreme environments on Earth, including Icelandic hydrothermally altered basalts and the ice-covered lakes and glaciers of Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Storrie-Lombardi, MC Muller, JP Fisk, MR Cousins, C Sattler, B Griffiths, AD Coates, AJ |
author_facet |
Storrie-Lombardi, MC Muller, JP Fisk, MR Cousins, C Sattler, B Griffiths, AD Coates, AJ |
author_sort |
Storrie-Lombardi, MC |
title |
Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (LIFE): Searching for Mars Organics with a UV-Enhanced PanCam |
title_short |
Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (LIFE): Searching for Mars Organics with a UV-Enhanced PanCam |
title_full |
Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (LIFE): Searching for Mars Organics with a UV-Enhanced PanCam |
title_fullStr |
Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (LIFE): Searching for Mars Organics with a UV-Enhanced PanCam |
title_full_unstemmed |
Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (LIFE): Searching for Mars Organics with a UV-Enhanced PanCam |
title_sort |
laser-induced fluorescence emission (life): searching for mars organics with a uv-enhanced pancam |
publisher |
MARY ANN LIEBERT INC |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/141349/ |
geographic |
Dronning Maud Land |
geographic_facet |
Dronning Maud Land |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Dronning Maud Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Dronning Maud Land |
op_source |
ASTROBIOLOGY , 9 (10) 953 - 964. (2009) |
_version_ |
1766269870947696640 |