Engineering topics

Grady, M. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Grady, M. M..

14 records

NASA NTRS2020

Potential Alteration of Analogue Regolith by X-Ray Computed Tomography

The Mars 2020 rover mission will collect and cache samples from the martian surface for possible retrieval and subsequent return to Earth. Mars Returned Samples may provide definitive information about the presence of organic compounds that could shed light on the existence of past or present life on Mars. Post-mission analyses will depend on the development of a set of reliable sample handling and analysis procedures that cover the full range of materials which may or may not contain evidence of past or present martian life [1].

Welzenbach, L. C.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Report of the iMOST Study

UNKNOWN

Zorzano, M.P.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Seeking Signs of Life on Mars: A Strategy for Selecting and Analyzing Returned Samples from Hydrothermal Deposits

Highly promising locales for biosignature prospecting on Mars are ancient hydrothermal deposits, formed by the interaction of surface water with heat from volcanism or impacts. On Earth, they occur throughout the geological record (to at least approx. 3.5 Ga), preserving robust mineralogical, textural and compositional evidence of thermophilic microbial activity. Hydrothermal systems were likely present early in Mars' history, including at two of the three finalist candidate landing sites for M2020, Columbia Hills and NE Syrtis Major. Hydrothermal environments on Earth's surface are varied, constituting subaerial hot spring aprons, mounds and fumaroles; shallow to deep-sea hydrothermal vents (black and white smokers); and vent mounds and hot-spring discharges in lacustrine and fluvial settings. Biological information can be preserved by rapid, spring-sourced mineral precipitation, but also could be altered or destroyed by postdepositional events. Thus, field observations need to be followed by detailed laboratory analysis to verify potential biosignatures. See Attachment

Campbell, K. A.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Seeking Signs of Life on Mars: the Importance of Sedimentary Suites as Part of a Mars Sample Return Campaign

Seeking the signs of life on Mars is often considered the "first among equal" objectives for any potential Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign. Among the geological settings considered to have the greatest potential for recording evidence of ancient life or its pre-biotic chemistry on Mars are lacustrine (and marine, if ever present) sedimentary depositional environments. This potential, and the possibility of returning samples that could meaningfully address this objective, have been greatly enhanced by investigations of an ancient redox stratified lake system in Gale crater by the Curiosity rover.

Mangold, N.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Identifying the Effects of X-Ray Computed Tomography on Mars 2020 Tier I Organic Compounds

Mars sample return presents unique challenges for the clean collection, containment, curation and processing of samples. The related issues of life detection and Planetary Protection are of particular importance when developing successful strategies for the acquisition and handling of Mars returned samples. In order to achieve the Mars Sample Return (MSR) science goals, reliable analyses will depend on overcoming some challenging signal/noise-related issues, such that sparse Martian organic compounds will need to be reliably analyzed against the contamination background arising from the complicated MSR campaign. Reliable analyses will depend on clean acquisition, as well as robust documentation of all aspects of both the development and management of the cache.

Weizenbach, L. C.↗

NASA NTRS2017

X-Ray Computed Tomography: The First Step in Mars Sample Return Processing

The Mars 2020 rover mission will collect and cache samples from the martian surface for possible retrieval and subsequent return to Earth. If the samples are returned, that mission would likely present an opportunity to analyze returned Mars samples within a geologic context on Mars. In addition, it may provide definitive information about the existence of past or present life on Mars. Mars sample return presents unique challenges for the collection, containment, transport, curation and processing of samples [1] Foremost in the processing of returned samples are the closely paired considerations of life detection and Planetary Protection. In order to achieve Mars Sample Return (MSR) science goals, reliable analyses will depend on overcoming some challenging signal/noise-related issues where sparse martian organic compounds must be reliably analyzed against the contamination background. While reliable analyses will depend on initial clean acquisition and robust documentation of all aspects of developing and managing the cache [2], there needs to be a reliable sample handling and analysis procedure that accounts for a variety of materials which may or may not contain evidence of past or present martian life. A recent report [3] suggests that a defined set of measurements should be made to effectively inform both science and Planetary Protection, when applied in the context of the two competing null hypotheses: 1) that there is no detectable life in the samples; or 2) that there is martian life in the samples. The defined measurements would include a phased approach that would be accepted by the community to preserve the bulk of the material, but provide unambiguous science data that can be used and interpreted by various disciplines. Fore-most is the concern that the initial steps would ensure the pristine nature of the samples. Preliminary, non-invasive techniques such as computed X-ray tomography (XCT) have been suggested as the first method to interrogate and characterize the cached samples without altering the materials [1,2]. A recent report [4] indicates that XCT may minimally alter samples for some techniques, and work is needed to quantify these effects, maximizing science return from XCT initial analysis while minimizing effects.

Welzenbach, L. C.↗

NASA NTRS2015

The Mineralogy and Petrology of Anomalous Eucrite Emmaville

It has long been known that certain basaltic achondrites share similarities with eucrites. These eucrite-like achondrites have distinct isotopic compositions and petrologic characteristics indicative of formation on a separate parent body from the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) clan (e.g., Ibitira, Northwest Africa (NWA) 011). Others show smaller isotopic variations but are otherwise petrologically and compositionally indistinguishable from basaltic eucrites (e.g., Pasamonte, Pecora Escarpment (PCA) 91007). The Emmaville eucrite has a delta O-17 value of -0.137 plus or minus 0.024 per mille (1 sigma), which is substantially different from the eucrite mean of -0.246 plus or minus 0.014 per mille (2 sigma), but similar to those of A-881394 and Bunburra Rockhole (BR). Currently little data exist for Emmaville in terms of petrology or bulk composition. Studying anomalous eucrites allows us to more completely understand the numbers of asteroids represented by eucrite- like basalts and thus constrain the heterogeneity of the HED suite. In this study, we present our preliminary petrological and mineral composition results for Emmaville.

Barrett, T. J.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Chinguetti: Terrestrial Age and Pre-Atmospheric Radius

The Chinguetti mesosiderite was found in the Adrar region of Mauretania in 1916. The finder claimed it be only a small fragment of a much larger mass, on the order of 10's of meters across. Our data indicate that, in fact, the pre-atmospheric size of the meteorite was < 1m.

Welten, K. C.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Record of fluid-rock interactions on Mars from the meteorite ALH84001

Allan Hills (ALH) 84001 is the most recently recognized member of a suite of meteorites--the SNCs--that almost certainly originated on Mars. Several factors distinguish ALH84001 from the other SNC meteorites. Preliminary studies suggest that it may be older than other martian meteorites. Moreover, it contains abundant, zoned domains of calcium-iron-magnesium carbonate that are indigenous to the sample and thus may hold important clues regarding near-surface processes on Mars and the evolution of the martian atmosphere. We report here analyses of the carbon and oxygen stable-isotope compositions of the carbonates that place constraints on their formation conditions. Our results imply the presence of at least two chemically distinct carbonates--one Ca,Fe-rich, the other Mg-rich--that are enriched in 13C relative to terrestrial carbonates (delta 13C approximately +41/1000), consistent with martian atmospheric CO2 as the carbon source. The oxygen isotope compositions of the carbonates indicate that they precipitated from a low-temperature fluid in the martian crust. Combined with textural and bulk geochemical considerations, the isotope data suggest that carbonate deposition took place in an open-system environment in which the ambient temperature fluctuated.

Carbonates/analysis↗

NASA NTRS1993

Carbonates, surfates, phosphates, nitrates, and organic materials: Their association in a Martian meteorite

The debate concerning the evolution of CO2 on Mars continues. It would appear that in order to explain the valley networks and other relict fluvial landforms it is necessary to accept that liquid water was once present at the surface of Mars. This in turn requires, at some point in the planet's history, a higher surface temperature than exists today, proposition explained traditionally by an early dense CO2, atmosphere. However, there are a number of problems with this notion: for instance, CO2 alone is not an efficient greenhouse gas because of its tendency to form clouds. Moreover, if there was an early dense CO2 atmosphere, it is necessary to explain where the elemental constituents now reside. There are two possibilities for the latter, namely loss to outer space of atmospheric CO2 or the formation of vast carbonate deposits. While some models of atmospheric loss predict that up to 0.4 bar of CO2 could be removed from the Martian surface, this is still not enough to account for the original atmospheric inventory, usually considered to have been in the range of 1-5 bar. Thus, most models of the evolution of the Martian surface require removal of CO2 from the atmosphere and into carbonate deposits. However, as yet, the evidence for the existence of carbonates on Mars is fairly scant. This is an issue that would have been resolved by results obtained from Mars Observer.

Wright, I. P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

On the isotopic composition of magmatic carbon in SNC meteorites

SNC meteorites are thought, from many lines of evidence, to come from Mars. A line of investigation which has been pursued in our laboratory over the years involves measurement of the stable isotopic composition of carbon, in its various forms, in SNC meteorites. In order to establish a firm basis for studying the isotopic systematics of carbon in the martian surface environment, it is first necessary to try and constrain the delta C-13 of bulk Mars. Taking all of the available information, it would seem that the delta C-13 of the Earth's mantle lies somewhere in the range of -5 to -7 percent. Preliminary assessment of magnetic carbon in SNC meteorites, would tend to suggest a delta C-13 of 20 to 30 percent, which is conspicuously different from that of the terrestrial mantle. It is not obvious why there should be such a difference between the two planets, although many explanations are possible. One of these possibilities, that previous delta C-13 measurements for magnetic carbon in SNC meteorites are in error to some degree, is being actively investigated. The most recent results seem to constrain the theta C-13 of the magnetic carbon in SNC meteorites to about -20 percent, which is not at odds with previous estimates. As such, it is considered that a detailed investigation of the carbon isotopic systematics of martian surface materials does have the necessary information with which to proceed.

Wright, I. P.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Isotopic anomalies of Ne, Xe, and C in meteorites. I - Separation of carriers by density and chemical resistance

The carriers of presolar noble gases were studied by isotopically analyzing 19 separates from the Murray and Murchison C2 chondrites for Ne, Xe, C, and N. It is found that the carriers of Ne-E(H) and Xe-S are resistant to HCl, HF, boiling HClO4, and CrO3-H2SO4, and thus must be either diamond or some resistant carbide or oxide. The carrier of Ne-E(L) may be some form of amorphous carbon with delta C13 of about +340 percent. A new carbon component, C theta, found as 0.2-2-micron inclusions in Murchison spinel, is amorphous and contains little or no noble gas. A new heavy nitrogen component is found which has an abundance of about 1 ppm in the bulk meteorite, combusts at 450-500 C, and may be associated wtih isotopically normal carbon or with C-alpha.

Ming, Tang↗

NASA NTRS1988

Nature and origin of C-rich ordinary chondrites and chondritic clasts

The abundance and the isotopic compositions of C, O, and noble gases were investigated together with the petrologic characteristics of four carbon-rich ordinary chondrites (Sharps and Allan Hills A77011, A78119, and A81024) and three C-rich chondritic clasts. The results of the analyses suggest that all of the chondrites and clasts analyzed belong to petrologic type 3 and contain abundant carbon-rich aggregates, which, in at least two of these samples, consist of poorly graphitized carbon commonly associated with metallic Fe,Ni. The data also suggest that the four C-rich chondrites originated on the H, L, and LL parental bodies, but that clasts in Dimmitt and Plainview and other regolith breccias may come from different bodies. The results obtained are consistent with the view that graphite is not a common nebular phase.

Scott, E. R. D.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Interstellar carbon in meteorites

The Murchison and Allende chondrites contain up to 5 parts per million carbon that is enriched in carbon-13 by up to +1100 per mil (the ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-13 is approximately 42, compared to 88 to 93 for terrestrial carbon). This 'heavy' carbon is associated with neon-22 and with anomalous krypton and xenon showing the signature of the s-process (neutron capture on a slow time scale). It apparently represents interstellar grains ejected from late-type stars. A second anomalous xenon component ('CCFXe') is associated with a distinctive, light carbon (depleted in carbon-13 by 38 per mil), which, however, falls within the terrestrial range and hence may be of either local or exotic origin.

Swart, P. K.↗