251
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Mustard JF, Poulet F, Head JW, Mangold N, Bibring JP, Pelkey SM, Fassett CI, Langevin Y, Neukum G. Mineralogy of the Nili Fossae region with OMEGA/Mars Express data: 1. Ancient impact melt in the Isidis Basin and implications for the transition from the Noachian to Hesperian. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. F. Mustard
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - F. Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
| | - J. W. Head
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - N. Mangold
- Laboratoire IDES; UMR8148 CNRS and Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - J.-P. Bibring
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
| | - S. M. Pelkey
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - C. I. Fassett
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - Y. Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris Sud; Orsay France
| | - G. Neukum
- Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften; Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin Germany
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252
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Mangold N, Poulet F, Mustard JF, Bibring JP, Gondet B, Langevin Y, Ansan V, Masson P, Fassett C, Head JW, Hoffmann H, Neukum G. Mineralogy of the Nili Fossae region with OMEGA/Mars Express data: 2. Aqueous alteration of the crust. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Mangold
- Laboratoire IDES; UMR8148 CNRS and Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - F. Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - J. F. Mustard
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - J.-P. Bibring
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - B. Gondet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - Y. Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - V. Ansan
- Laboratoire IDES; UMR8148 CNRS and Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - Ph. Masson
- Laboratoire IDES; UMR8148 CNRS and Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - C. Fassett
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - J. W. Head
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - H. Hoffmann
- Institut für Weltraumsensorik; DLR; Berlin Germany
| | - G. Neukum
- Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften; Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin Germany
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253
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Karunatillake S, Keller JM, Squyres SW, Boynton WV, Brückner J, Janes DM, Gasnault O, Newsom HE. Chemical compositions at Mars landing sites subject to Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer constraints. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - John M. Keller
- Physics Department; California Polytechnic State University; San Luis Obispo California USA
| | | | - William V. Boynton
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory; University of Arizona; Tucson Arizona USA
| | | | - Daniel M. Janes
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory; University of Arizona; Tucson Arizona USA
| | - Olivier Gasnault
- Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse; Toulouse France
| | - Horton E. Newsom
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
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254
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Beegle LW, Wilson MG, Abilleira F, Jordan JF, Wilson GR. A concept for NASA's Mars 2016 astrobiology field laboratory. ASTROBIOLOGY 2007; 7:545-77. [PMID: 17723090 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2007.0153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Program Plan includes an integrated and coordinated set of future candidate missions and investigations that meet fundamental science objectives of NASA and the Mars Exploration Program (MEP). At the time this paper was written, these possible future missions are planned in a manner consistent with a projected budget profile for the Mars Program in the next decade (2007-2016). As with all future missions, the funding profile depends on a number of factors that include the exact cost of each mission as well as potential changes to the overall NASA budget. In the current version of the Mars Program Plan, the Astrobiology Field Laboratory (AFL) exists as a candidate project to determine whether there were (or are) habitable zones and life, and how the development of these zones may be related to the overall evolution of the planet. The AFL concept is a surface exploration mission equipped with a major in situ laboratory capable of making significant advancements toward the Mars Program's life-related scientific goals and the overarching Vision for Space Exploration. We have developed several concepts for the AFL that fit within known budget and engineering constraints projected for the 2016 and 2018 Mars mission launch opportunities. The AFL mission architecture proposed here assumes maximum heritage from the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). Candidate payload elements for this concept were identified from a set of recommendations put forth by the Astrobiology Field Laboratory Science Steering Group (AFL SSG) in 2004, for the express purpose of identifying overall rover mass and power requirements for such a mission. The conceptual payload includes a Precision Sample Handling and Processing System that would replace and augment the functionality and capabilities provided by the Sample Acquisition Sample Processing and Handling system that is currently part of the 2009 MSL platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luther W Beegle
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
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255
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Parnell J, Cullen D, Sims MR, Bowden S, Cockell CS, Court R, Ehrenfreund P, Gaubert F, Grant W, Parro V, Rohmer M, Sephton M, Stan-Lotter H, Steele A, Toporski J, Vago J. Searching for life on Mars: selection of molecular targets for ESA's aurora ExoMars mission. ASTROBIOLOGY 2007; 7:578-604. [PMID: 17723091 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2006.0110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The European Space Agency's ExoMars mission will seek evidence of organic compounds of biological and non-biological origin at the martian surface. One of the instruments in the Pasteur payload may be a Life Marker Chip that utilizes an immunoassay approach to detect specific organic molecules or classes of molecules. Therefore, it is necessary to define and prioritize specific molecular targets for antibody development. Target compounds have been selected to represent meteoritic input, fossil organic matter, extant (living, recently dead) organic matter, and contamination. Once organic molecules are detected on Mars, further information is likely to derive from the detailed distribution of compounds rather than from single molecular identification. This will include concentration gradients beneath the surface and gradients from generic to specific compounds. The choice of biomarkers is informed by terrestrial biology but is wide ranging, and nonterrestrial biology may be evident from unexpected molecular distributions. One of the most important requirements is to sample where irradiation and oxidation are minimized, either by drilling or by using naturally excavated exposures. Analyzing regolith samples will allow for the search of both extant and fossil biomarkers, but sequential extraction would be required to optimize the analysis of each of these in turn.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Parnell
- Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
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256
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Loizeau D, Mangold N, Poulet F, Bibring JP, Gendrin A, Ansan V, Gomez C, Gondet B, Langevin Y, Masson P, Neukum G. Phyllosilicates in the Mawrth Vallis region of Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. Loizeau
- Laboratoire IDES; Université Paris XI; Orsay France
| | - N. Mangold
- Laboratoire IDES; Université Paris XI; Orsay France
| | - F. Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Université Paris XI; Orsay France
| | - J.-P. Bibring
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Université Paris XI; Orsay France
| | - A. Gendrin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Université Paris XI; Orsay France
| | - V. Ansan
- Laboratoire IDES; Université Paris XI; Orsay France
| | - C. Gomez
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Université Paris XI; Orsay France
| | - B. Gondet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Université Paris XI; Orsay France
| | - Y. Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Université Paris XI; Orsay France
| | - P. Masson
- Laboratoire IDES; Université Paris XI; Orsay France
| | - G. Neukum
- Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften; Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin Germany
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257
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Zolotov MY, Mironenko MV. Timing of acid weathering on Mars: A kinetic-thermodynamic assessment. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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258
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Di Achille G, Ori GG, Reiss D. Evidence for late Hesperian lacustrine activity in Shalbatana Vallis, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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259
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Pelkey SM, Mustard JF, Murchie S, Clancy RT, Wolff M, Smith M, Milliken R, Bibring JP, Gendrin A, Poulet F, Langevin Y, Gondet B. CRISM multispectral summary products: Parameterizing mineral diversity on Mars from reflectance. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 267] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. M. Pelkey
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - J. F. Mustard
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - S. Murchie
- Applied Physics Laboratory; Laurel Maryland USA
| | | | - M. Wolff
- Space Science Institute; Boulder Colorado USA
| | - M. Smith
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Greenbelt Maryland USA
| | - R. Milliken
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | | | - A. Gendrin
- Department of Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - F. Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Orsay France
| | - Y. Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Orsay France
| | - B. Gondet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Orsay France
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260
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Poulet F, Gomez C, Bibring JP, Langevin Y, Gondet B, Pinet P, Belluci G, Mustard J. Martian surface mineralogy from Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activité on board the Mars Express spacecraft (OMEGA/MEx): Global mineral maps. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - C. Gomez
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - J.-P. Bibring
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - Y. Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - B. Gondet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; CNRS/Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - P. Pinet
- Laboratoire Dynamique Terrestre et Planétaire/UMR5562; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Toulouse France
| | - G. Belluci
- Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofiscia dello Spazio Interplanetario; Rome Italy
| | - J. Mustard
- Geological Sciences; Brown University; Providence Rhode Island USA
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261
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Fishbaugh KE, Poulet F, Chevrier V, Langevin Y, Bibring JP. On the origin of gypsum in the Mars north polar region. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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262
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Chevrier V, Poulet F, Bibring JP. Early geochemical environment of Mars as determined from thermodynamics of phyllosilicates. Nature 2007; 448:60-3. [PMID: 17611538 DOI: 10.1038/nature05961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2006] [Accepted: 05/22/2007] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Images of geomorphological features that seem to have been produced by the action of liquid water have been considered evidence for wet surface conditions on early Mars. Moreover, the recent identification of large deposits of phyllosilicates, associated with the ancient Noachian terrains suggests long-timescale weathering of the primary basaltic crust by liquid water. It has been proposed that a greenhouse effect resulting from a carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere sustained the temperate climate required to maintain liquid water on the martian surface during the Noachian. The apparent absence of carbonates and the low escape rates of carbon dioxide, however, are indicative of an early martian atmosphere with low levels of carbon dioxide. Here we investigate the geochemical conditions prevailing on the surface of Mars during the Noachian period using calculations of the aqueous equilibria of phyllosilicates. Our results show that Fe3+-rich phyllosilicates probably precipitated under weakly acidic to alkaline pH, an environment different from that of the following period, which was dominated by strongly acid weathering that led to the sulphate deposits identified on Mars. Thermodynamic calculations demonstrate that the oxidation state of the martian surface was already high, supporting early escape of hydrogen. Finally, equilibrium with carbonates implies that phyllosilicate precipitation occurs preferentially at a very low partial pressure of carbon dioxide. We suggest that the possible absence of Noachian carbonates more probably resulted from low levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, rather than primary acidic conditions. Other greenhouse gases may therefore have played a part in sustaining a warm and wet climate on the early Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Chevrier
- W. M. Keck Laboratory for Space Simulation, Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences, MUSE 202, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA.
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263
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264
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Andrews-Hanna JC, Phillips RJ, Zuber MT. Meridiani Planum and the global hydrology of Mars. Nature 2007; 446:163-6. [PMID: 17344848 DOI: 10.1038/nature05594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2006] [Accepted: 01/08/2007] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover found evidence for groundwater activity in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars in the form of aeolian and fluvial sediments composed of sulphate-rich grains. These sediments appear to have experienced diagenetic modification in the presence of a fluctuating water table. In addition to the extensive secondary aqueous alteration, the primary grains themselves probably derive from earlier playa evaporites. Little is known, however, about the hydrologic processes responsible for this environmental history-particularly how such extensive evaporite deposits formed in the absence of a topographic basin. Here we investigate the origin of these deposits, in the context of the global hydrology of early Mars, using numerical simulations, and demonstrate that Meridiani is one of the few regions of currently exposed ancient crust predicted to have experienced significant groundwater upwelling and evaporation. The global groundwater flow would have been driven primarily by precipitation-induced recharge and evaporative loss, with the formation of the Tharsis volcanic rise possibly playing a role through the burial of aquifers and induced global deformation. These results suggest that the deposits formed as a result of sustained groundwater upwelling and evaporation, rather than ponding within an enclosed basin. The evaporite formation coincided with a transition to more arid conditions that increased the relative impact of a deep-seated, global-scale hydrology on the surface evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Andrews-Hanna
- McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences and the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.
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265
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Newsom HE, Crumpler LS, Reedy RC, Petersen MT, Newsom GC, Evans LG, Taylor GJ, Keller JM, Janes DM, Boynton WV, Kerry KE, Karunatillake S. Geochemistry of Martian soil and bedrock in mantled and less mantled terrains with gamma ray data from Mars Odyssey. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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266
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Abstract
Color observations from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal zones of localized fluid alteration (cementation and bleaching) along joints within layered deposits in western Candor Chasma, Mars. This fluid alteration occurred within the subsurface in the geologic past and has been exposed at the surface through subsequent erosion. These findings demonstrate that fluid flow along fractures was a mechanism by which subsurface fluids migrated through these layered deposits. Fractured layered deposits are thus promising sites for investigating the geologic history of water on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris H Okubo
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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267
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Bush MF, Saykally RJ, Williams ER. Evidence for water rings in the hexahydrated sulfate dianion from IR spectroscopy. J Am Chem Soc 2007; 129:2220-1. [PMID: 17266315 DOI: 10.1021/ja068357b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F Bush
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1460, USA
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268
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Morris RV, Klingelhöfer G, Schröder C, Rodionov DS, Yen A, Ming DW, de Souza PA, Wdowiak T, Fleischer I, Gellert R, Bernhardt B, Bonnes U, Cohen BA, Evlanov EN, Foh J, Gütlich P, Kankeleit E, McCoy T, Mittlefehldt DW, Renz F, Schmidt ME, Zubkov B, Squyres SW, Arvidson RE. Mössbauer mineralogy of rock, soil, and dust at Meridiani Planum, Mars: Opportunity's journey across sulfate-rich outcrop, basaltic sand and dust, and hematite lag deposits. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - G. Klingelhöfer
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - C. Schröder
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - D. S. Rodionov
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
- Space Research Institute IKI; Moscow Russia
| | - A. Yen
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - D. W. Ming
- NASA Johnson Space Center; Houston Texas USA
| | - P. A. de Souza
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
- CVRD Group; Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - T. Wdowiak
- Department of Physics; University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham Alabama USA
| | - I. Fleischer
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - R. Gellert
- Department of Physics; University of Guelph; Guelph, Ontario Canada
| | - B. Bernhardt
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - U. Bonnes
- Darmstadt University of Technology; Darmstadt Germany
| | - B. A. Cohen
- Institute of Meteoritics; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque, NM USA
| | | | - J. Foh
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
- Darmstadt University of Technology; Darmstadt Germany
| | - P. Gütlich
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - E. Kankeleit
- Darmstadt University of Technology; Darmstadt Germany
| | - T. McCoy
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; Washington, DC USA
| | | | - F. Renz
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - M. E. Schmidt
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; Washington, DC USA
| | - B. Zubkov
- Space Research Institute IKI; Moscow Russia
| | - S. W. Squyres
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University; Ithaca New York USA
| | - R. E. Arvidson
- Department Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University; St. Louis Missouri USA
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269
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Golombek MP, Grant JA, Crumpler LS, Greeley R, Arvidson RE, Bell JF, Weitz CM, Sullivan R, Christensen PR, Soderblom LA, Squyres SW. Erosion rates at the Mars Exploration Rover landing sites and long-term climate change on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. P. Golombek
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - J. A. Grant
- Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum; Smithsonian Institution; Washington, DC USA
| | - L. S. Crumpler
- New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | - R. Greeley
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | - R. E. Arvidson
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University; St. Louis Missouri USA
| | - J. F. Bell
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University; Ithaca New York USA
| | - C. M. Weitz
- Planetary Science Institute; Tucson Arizona USA
| | - R. Sullivan
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University; Ithaca New York USA
| | - P. R. Christensen
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | | | - S. W. Squyres
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University; Ithaca New York USA
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270
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Skelley AM, Cleaves HJ, Jayarajah CN, Bada JL, Mathies RA. Application of the Mars Organic Analyzer to nucleobase and amine biomarker detection. ASTROBIOLOGY 2006; 6:824-37. [PMID: 17155883 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2006.6.824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Organic Analyzer (MOA), a portable microfabricated capillary electrophoresis instrument being developed for planetary exploration, is used to analyze a wide variety of fluorescamine-labeled amine-containing biomarker compounds, including amino acids, mono and diaminoalkanes, amino sugars, nucleobases, and nucleobase degradation products. The nucleobases cytosine and adenine, which contain an exocyclic primary amine, were effectively labeled, separated, and detected at concentrations <500 nM. To test the general applicability of the MOA for biomarker detection, amino acids and mono- and diamines were extracted from bacterial cells using both hydrolysis and sublimation followed by analysis. The extrapolated limit of detection provided by the valine biomarker was approximately 4 x 10(3) cells per sample. Products of an NH(4)CN polymerization that simulate a prebiotic synthesis were also successfully isolated via sublimation and analyzed. Adenine and alanine/serine were detected with no additional sample cleanup at 120 +/- 13 microM and 4.1 +/- 1 microM, respectively, corresponding to a reaction yield of 0.04% and 0.0003%, respectively. This study demonstrates that the MOA provides sensitive detection and analysis of low levels of a wide variety of amine-containing organic compounds from both biological and abiotic sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Skelley
- Department of Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley, 94720, USA
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