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Rho, J. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Rho, J. H..

Examination of Apollo 17 surface fines for porphyrins and aromatic hydrocarbons

An Apollo 17 surface fines sample 75081,78, collected from Station 5, was extracted and examined fluorometrically. No porphyrins were found with fluorometric methods capable of detecting 2 times 10 to the minus 14th moles/g of Ni-mesoporphyrin IX in the sample. Also aromatic hydrocarbons were undetected.

Rho, J. H.

A search for porphyrin biomarkers in Nonesuch Shale and extraterrestrial samples.

An organic solvent extract of billion year old Nonesuch Shale was examined for porphyrins by means of fluorometry and high resolution mass spectrometry. It appears to contain at least three or more classes of porphyrins, one similar to tetraphenyl porphin and the others more complex. Many are apparently chelated with copper, nickel, zinc, iron and vanadyl and are highly aromatic. We have also examined the extracts of Apollo 11, 12 and 14 surface fines for porphyrins by spectrophotofluorometry, but we found none.

Rho, J. H.

Fluorescence spectroscopy.

Some practical aspects of the use of spectrophotofluorometers as applied to the organic analyses of returned lunar samples and other geological materials have been discussed. Because of the single beam nature of spectrophotofluorometers many instrumental artifacts such as grating anomalies, irregular spectral output of light sources and response characteristics of photodetectors are apparent in sample spectra. In order to avoid some of these instrumental artifacts from influencing sample spectra, the performance characteristics of each optical component have been described and the necessity of instrumental calibration has been emphasized.

Rho, J. H.

Analyses of the returned lunar surface fines for porphyrins.

Apollo 11, 12, and 14 lunar surface fines were examined for the presence of porphyrins by a sensitive fluorescent technique. The returned lunar samples studied were of bulk fines collected from the Sea of Tranquillity by Apollo 11, from the Ocean of Storms by Apollo 12, and from the nonmare Fra Mauro formation by Apollo 14. It was found that no porphyrins are present in lunar surface fines which have been extensively irradiated and sorted.

Rho, J. H.