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NASA NTRS1975

Looking forward to the present

The present understanding of the origin of life based on Oparin's (1924) conception of life as a manifestation of matter in a special stage of its development is outlined. The results of chemical analyses of lunar samples are discussed, and their implications regarding chemical reactions beginning with carbonaceous dust are considered. Amino acids isolated from lunar samples taken from different sites show a high degree of similarity, in agreement with the hypothesis that carbon compounds, including amino acid precursors, were implanted on the lunar surface by components of the solar wind. The amino acid precursors are most likely a cyanide compound. Overlapping amino acid/carbon ratios from lunar samples and samples of meteorites suggest a common cosmochemical state of carbon in the solar system.

Fox, S. W.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Nuts and Bolts - Techniques for Genesis Sample Curation

The Genesis curation staff at NASA Johnson Space Center provides samples and data for analysis to the scientific community, following allocation approval by the Genesis Oversight Committee, a sub-committee of CAPTEM (Curation Analysis Planning Team for Extraterrestrial Materials). We are often asked by investigators within the scientific community how we choose samples to best fit the requirements of the request. Here we will demonstrate our techniques for characterizing samples and satisfying allocation requests. Even with a systematic approach, every allocation is unique. We are also providing updated status of the cataloging and characterization of solar wind collectors as of January 2011. The collection consists of 3721 inventoried samples consisting of a single fragment, or multiple fragments containerized or pressed between post-it notes, jars or vials of various sizes.

Burkett, Patti J.↗

NASA NTRS1977

The record of solar and galactic radiations in the ancient lunar regolith and their implications for the early history of the sun and moon

The paper reviews research into the nature and history of the lunar environment, as recorded in rocks and core samples, performed by studying effects produced by the energetic nuclear particles constituting the solar wind, solar flares, and galactic cosmic rays. Results obtained with lunar rocks are discussed which suggest a remarkable constancy of the lunar environment at least over the last several million years. Analyses of lunar core samples are examined which indicate an apparent secular change in the N-15/N-14 ratio with time in solar-wind-related nitrogen, possibly due to greatly enhanced solar flare activity in the past. Lunar and meteoritic breccias are proposed as obvious candidates for extending the radiation record much further back in time, perhaps even close to the beginning of the solar system.

Grozaz, G.↗

NASA NTRS1972

K-Ar dating of lunar fines - Apollo 12, Apollo 14, and Luna 16.

K-Ar ages were determined on a 6-in. double-focus mass spectrometer in fines of less than 1 mm from Apollo 14 and 16, and Luna 16 lunar soil samples. Age estimates of about 2.8 AE and about 4.0 AE are suggested for the two low-K components whose presence in the samples must be assumed to accommodate the age data. An average value of 0.1849 plus or minus 0.0008 was obtained for the Ar-18/Ar-36 ratio in the solar wind from ordinate intercept correlations for the Apollo 14 and Luna 16 samples. Cosmic ray exposure ages were close to 440 m.y. for both Apollo 14 samples and close to 840 m.y. for both Luna 16 samples.

Pepin, R. O.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Marshall Space Flight Center's Solar Wind Facility

Historically, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has operated a Solar Wind Facility (SWF) to provide long term particle and photon exposure to material samples. The requirements on the particle beam details were not stringent as the cumulative fluence level is the test goal. Motivated by development of the faraday cup instrument on the NASA Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission, the MSFC SWF has been upgraded to included high fidelity particle beams providing broadbeam ions, broadbeam electrons, and narrow beam protons or ions, which cover a wide dynamic range of solar wind velocity and flux conditions. The large vacuum chamber with integrated cryo-shroud, combined with a 3-axis positioning system, provides an excellent platform for sensor development and qualification. This short paper provides some details of the SWF charged particle beams characteristics in the context of the Solar Probe Plus program requirements. Data will be presented on the flux and energy ranges as well as beam stability.

Wright, K. H.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Spacecraft measurements of the elemental and isotopic composition of solar energetic particles

Within the past few years, instruments flown on satellites and space probes have made significant progress in measuring the elemental and isotopic composition of energetic heavy nuclei accelerated in solar flares. These new observations are discussed, focusing on: (1) the energy dependence of the elemental composition at energies not greater than 1 MeV/nucleon; (2) flare to flare variations in the composition; and (3) comparisons of the average solar particle abundances (Z not less than 2 and not greater than 28) with other measures of the solar composition, including photospheric, coronal, and solar wind observations. These comparisons have led to the suggestion that solar flares sample the composition of the corona. Isotopic measurements of heavy solar flare nuclei have recently added a new dimension to these studies. In particular, the isotopic composition of solar flare neon has been found to be significantly different from that measured in the solar wind, but consistent with the meteoritic component neon-A.

Mewaldt, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS2017

The Statistical Mechanics of Solar Wind Hydroxylation at the Moon, Within Lunar Magnetic Anomalies, and at Phobos

We present a new formalism to describe the outgassing of hydrogen initially implanted by the solar wind protons into exposed soils on airless bodies. The formalism applies a statistical mechanics approach similar to that applied recently to molecular adsorption onto activated surfaces. The key element enabling this formalism is the recognition that the interatomic potential between the implanted H and regolith-residing oxides is not of singular value but possess a distribution of trapped energy values at a given temperature, F(U,T). All subsequent derivations of the outward diffusion and H retention rely on the specific properties of this distribution. We find that solar wind hydrogen can be retained if there are sites in the implantation layer with activation energy values exceeding 0.5eV. We especially examine the dependence of H retention applying characteristic energy values found previously for irradiated silica and mature lunar samples. We also apply the formalism to two cases that differ from the typical solar wind implantation at the Moon. First, we test for a case of implantation in magnetic anomaly regions where significantly lower-energy ions of solar wind origin are expected to be incident with the surface. In magnetic anomalies, H retention is found to be reduced due to the reduced ion flux and shallower depth of implantation. Second, we also apply the model to Phobos where the surface temperature range is not as extreme as the Moon. We find the H atom retention in this second case is higher than the lunar case due to the reduced thermal extremes (that reduces outgassing).

Solar Wind↗

NASA NTRS1977

12054 and 76215 - New measurements of interplanetary dust and solar flare fluxes

The mass distribution and flux of micrometeoroids, variations in solar activity, solar-wind erosion and solar-flare track production are discussed on the basis of lunar sample analyses. A bimodal size frequency distribution of micrometeorites is found; the ratio of the density of craters larger than 0.1 micron to the density of those larger than 500 microns is 50 to 100 million. Solar cosmic-ray track ages determined for the lunar samples through use of the model of Blanford et al. (1975) indicate no variation in solar activity over a period of 2 million years. Solar wind erosion is set at no more than 0.03 A per year.

Morrison, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Solar Ion Processing of Itokawa Grains: Reconciling Model Predictions with Sample Observations

Analytical TEM observations of Itokawa grains reported to date show complex solar wind ion processing effects in the outer 30-100 nm of pyroxene and olivine grains. The effects include loss of long-range structural order, formation of isolated interval cavities or "bubbles", and other nanoscale compositional/microstructural variations. None of the effects so far described have, however, included complete ion-induced amorphization. To link the array of observed relationships to grain surface exposure times, we have adapted our previous numerical model for progressive solar ion processing effects in lunar regolith grains to the Itokawa samples. The model uses SRIM ion collision damage and implantation calculations within a framework of a constant-deposited-energy model for amorphization. Inputs include experimentally-measured amorphization fluences, a Pi steradian variable ion incidence geometry required for a rotating asteroid, and a numerical flux-versus-velocity solar wind spectrum.

Christoffersen, Roy↗

NASA NTRS1986

Discovery of solar wind neon in the Allende meteorite

Insert gases have been measured in seven sieve fractions of a disaggregated sample of the Allende meteorite. The disaggregation was done by ultrasonic treatment in water and by freeze-thawing. This sample consititutes the first gas-rich portion known to occur in the Allende meteorite. The composition of the trapped neon is solar, i.e., Neon-B, and the gas-rich samples contain more trapped Ne-20 than Ar-36. The set of sieve fractions show an anticorrelation of Ne-20 content and grain size. Gas-richness seems to be quite common among the CV3 meteorites with Allende added to the earlier known cases of Mokoia, Vigarano, and Efremovka.

Heymann, D.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Noble gases in ancient asteroidal atmospheres

Analytical and numerical results presented here suggest that acceleration of photoions by the solar wind motional field is a significant loss process for Xe on asteroids about 200 km in radius or larger, if the Xe is thermalized by its interactions with the surface. For Ar, photoion acceleration can only become important for asteroids nearly 500 km in radius. Thus photoion acceleration, previously invoked for lunar samples, could be responsible for excess fission-produced Xe found associated with solar wind Xe in howarditic meteorites. The lack of such Xe in other types of meteorites may reflect either smaller parent bodies or later times of regolith exposure. Similarly, the failure to observe solar-wind-associated radiogenic Ar-40 in meteorites is consistent with the much smaller likelihood that Ar will be photoionized.

Swindle, Timothy D.↗

NASA NTRS1968

Space Sciences Division

Spacecraft instrumentation, biological sampling of Martian soil, Jupiter red spot data and solar wind variations, dielectric function of cold electron gas, and microwave spectra of ion radical

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1992

Techniques for the remote sensing of space plasma in the heliosphere via energetic neutral atoms - A review

A survey is conducted for state-of-the-art techniques for detecting energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) in the 100-300 keV range, in regions from the heliospheric boundary to the auroral zones where the solar wind plays a crucial role. While ENA spectrometry allows sampling of the mass and energy distributions of a distant plasma, ENA imaging gives a global view of the structures and dynamics of an extended plasma. The ENA instrument designs discussed share many components which exhibit excellent flight performance as elements in charged-particle analyzers for space missions.

Hsieh, K. C.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Entry, Descent, and Landing Operations Analysis for the Genesis Entry Capsule

On September 8, 2004, the Genesis spacecraft returned to Earth after spending 29 months about the sun-Earth libration point (L1) collecting solar wind particles. Four hours prior to Earth arrival, the sample return capsule containing the samples was released for entry and subsequent landing at the Utah Test and Training Range. This paper provides an overview of the entry, descent, and landing trajectory analysis that was performed during the mission operations phase leading up to final approach to Earth. The final orbit determination solution produced an inertial entry flight-path angle of -8.002 deg (which was the desired nominal value) with a 3-sigma error of +/-0.0274 deg (a third of the requirement). The operations effort accurately delivered the entry capsule to the desired landing site. The final landing location was 8.3 km from the target, and was well within the allowable landing area. Overall, the Earth approach operation procedures worked well and there were no issues (logistically or performance based) that arose. As a result, the process of targeting a capsule from deep space and accurately landing it on Earth was successfully demonstrated.

Desai, Prasun N.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Cleaning Surface Particle Contamination with Ultrapure Water (UPW) Megasonic Flow on Genesis Array Collectors

The hard landing experienced by the Genesis sample return capsule breached the science canister containing the solar wind collectors. This impact into the damp lakebed contaminated collector surfaces with pulverized collector and spacecraft materials and Utah sediment and brine residue. The gold foil, polished aluminum, and bulk metallic glass remained intact, but the solar wind bulk and regime-specific array collectors were jarred loose from their frames and fractured into greater than 10,000 specimens. After a year of investigation and cleaning experimentation, the Genesis Science Team determined that array collectors had 4 classes of contaminants: particles, molecular film, submicron inorganic particulate ("aerosol"), and pre-launch surface contamination. We discuss here use of megasonically energized ultrapure water (UPW) for removing particulate debris from array collector fragments.

Allton, J. H.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Proceedings of the 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

The 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference included sessions on: Phoenix: Exploration of the Martian Arctic; Origin and Early Evolution of the Moon; Comet Wild 2: Mineralogy and More; Astrobiology: Meteorites, Microbes, Hydrous Habitats, and Irradiated Ices; Phoenix: Soil, Chemistry, and Habitability; Planetary Differentiation; Presolar Grains: Structures and Origins; SPECIAL SESSION: Venus Atmosphere: Venus Express and Future Missions; Mars Polar Caps: Past and Present; SPECIAL SESSION: Lunar Missions: Results from Kaguya, Chang'e-1, and Chandrayaan-1, Part I; 5 Early Nebula Processes and Models; SPECIAL SESSION: Icy Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn: Cosmic Gymnasts; Mars: Ground Ice and Climate Change; SPECIAL SESSION: Lunar Missions: Results from Kaguya, Chang'e-1, and Chandrayaan-1, Part II; Chondrite Parent-Body Processes; SPECIAL SESSION: Icy Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn: Salubrious Surfaces; SNC Meteorites; Ancient Martian Crust: Primary Mineralogy and Aqueous Alteration; SPECIAL SESSION: Messenger at Mercury: A Global Perspective on the Innermost Planet; CAIs and Chondrules: Records of Early Solar System Processes; Small Bodies: Shapes of Things to Come; Sulfur on Mars: Rocks, Soils, and Cycling Processes; Mercury: Evolution and Tectonics; Venus Geology, Volcanism, Tectonics, and Resurfacing; Asteroid-Meteorite Connections; Impacts I: Models and Experiments; Solar Wind and Genesis: Measurements and Interpretation; Mars: Aqueous Processes; Magmatic Volatiles and Eruptive Conditions of Lunar Basalts; Comparative Planetology; Interstellar Matter: Origins and Relationships; Impacts II: Craters and Ejecta Mars: Tectonics and Dynamics; Mars Analogs I: Geological; Exploring the Diversity of Lunar Lithologies with Sample Analyses and Remote Sensing; Chondrite Accretion and Early History; Science Instruments for the Mars Science Lander; . Martian Gullies: Morphology and Origins; Mars: Dunes, Dust, and Wind; Mars: Volcanism; Early Solar System Chronology; Seek Out and Explore: Upcoming and Future Missions; Mars: Early History and Impact Processes; Mars Analogs II: Chemical and Spectral; Achondrites and their Parent Bodies; and Planning for Future Exploration of the Moon The poster sessions were: Lunar Missions: Results from Kaguya, Chang'e-1, and Chandrayaan-1; LRO and LCROSS; Geophysical Analysis of the Lunar Surface and Interior; Remote Observation and Geologic Mapping of the Lunar Surface; Lunar Spectroscopy; Venus Geology, Geophysics, Mapping, and Sampling; Planetary Differentiation; Bunburra and Buzzard Coulee: Recent Meteorite Falls; Meteorites: Terrestrial History; CAIs and Chondrules: Records of Early Solar System Processes; Volatile and Organic Compounds in Chondrites; Crashing Chondrites: Impact, Shock, and Melting; Ureilite Studies; Petrology and Mineralogy of the SNC Meteorites; Martian Meteorites; Phoenix Landing Site: Perchlorate and Other Tasty Treats; Mars Polar Atmospheres and Climate Modeling; Mars Polar Investigations; Mars Near-Surface Ice; Mars: A Volatile-Rich Planet; Mars: Geochemistry and Alteration Processes; Martian Phyllosilicates: Identification, Formation, and Alteration; Astrobiology; Instrument Concepts, Systems, and Probes for Investigating Rocks and Regolith; Seeing is Believing: UV, VIS, IR, X- and Gamma-Ray Camera and Spectrometer Instruments; Up Close and Personal: In Situ Analysis with Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry; Jupiter and Inscrutable Io; Tantalizing Titan; Enigmatic Enceladus and Intriguing Iapetus; Icy Satellites: Cryptic Craters; Icy Satellites: Gelid Geology/Geophysics; Icy Satellites: Cool Chemistry and Spectacular Spectroscopy; Asteroids and Comets; Comet Wild 2: Mineralogy and More; Hypervelocity Impacts: Stardust Models, LDEF, and ISPE; Presolar Grains; Early Nebular Processes: Models and Isotopes; Solar Wind and Genesis: Measurements and Interpretation; Education and Public Outreach; Mercury; Pursuing Lunar Exploration; Sources and Eruptionf Lunar Basalts; Chemical and Physical Properties of the Lunar Regolith; Lunar Dust and Transient Surface Phenomena; Lunar Databases and Data Restoration; Meteoritic Samples of the Moon; Chondrites, Their Clasts, and Alteration; Achondrites: Primitive and Not So Primitive; Iron Meteorites; Meteorite Methodology; Antarctic Micrometeorites; HEDs and Vesta; Dust Formation and Transformation; Interstellar Organic Matter; Early Solar System Chronology; Comparative Planetology; Impacts I: Models and Experiments; Impacts II: Craters and Ejecta; Mars: Volcanism; Mars: Tectonics and Dynamics; Martian Stratigraphy: Understanding the Geologic History of Mars Through the Sedimentary Rock Record; Mars: Valleys and Valley Networks; Mars: Aqueous Processes in Valles Marineris and the Southern Highlands; Mars: Aqueous Geomorphology; Martian Gullies: Morphology and Origins; Mars: Dunes, Dust, and Wind; Mars: Remote Sensing; Mars: Geologic Mapping, Photogrammetry, and Cratering; Martian Mineralogy: Constraints from Missions and Laboratory Investigations; Mars Analogs: Chemical and Physical; Mars Analogs: Sulfates and Sulfides; Missions: Approaches, Architectures, Analogs, and Actualities; Not Just Skin Deep: Electron Microscopy, Heat Flow, Radar, and Seismology Instruments and Planetary Data Systems, Techniques, and Interpretation.

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NASA NTRS2008

Extraction of Thermal Performance Values from Samples in the Lunar Dust Adhesion Bell Jar

A simulation chamber has been developed to test the performance of thermal control surfaces under dusty lunar conditions. The lunar dust adhesion bell jar (LDAB) is a diffusion pumped vacuum chamber (10(exp -8) Torr) built to test material samples less than about 7 cm in diameter. The LDAB has the following lunar dust simulant processing capabilities: heating and cooling while stirring in order to degas and remove adsorbed water; RF air-plasma for activating the dust and for organic contaminant removal; RF H/He-plasma to simulate solar wind; dust sieving system for controlling particle sizes; and a controlled means of introducing the activated dust to the samples under study. The LDAB is also fitted with an in situ Xe arc lamp solar simulator, and a cold box that can reach 30 K. Samples of thermal control surfaces (2.5 cm diameter) are introduced into the chamber for calorimetric evaluation using thermocouple instrumentation. The object of this paper is to present a thermal model of the samples under test conditions and to outline the procedure to extract the absorptance, emittance, and thermal efficiency from the pristine and sub-monolayer dust covered samples.

Gaier, James R.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Extraction of Thermal Performance Values from Samples in the Lunar Dust Adhesion Bell Jar

A simulation chamber has been developed to test the performance of thermal control surfaces under dusty lunar conditions. The lunar dust adhesion bell jar (LDAB) is a diffusion pumped vacuum chamber (10-8 Torr) built to test material samples less than about 7 cm in diameter. The LDAB has the following lunar dust stimulant processing capabilities: heating and cooling while stirring in order to degas and remove absorbed water; RF air-plasma for activating the dust and for organic contaminant removal; RF H/He-plasma to simulate solar wind; dust sieving system for controlling particle sizes; and a controlled means of introducing the activated dust to the samples under study. The LDAB is also fitted with an in situ Xe arc lamp solar simulator, and a cold box that can reach 30 K. Samples of thermal control surfaces (2.5 cm diameter) are introduced into the chamber for calorimetric evaluation using thermocouple instrumentation. The object of this paper is to present a thermal model of the samples under test conditions, and to outline the procedure to extract the absorptance, emittance, and thermal efficiency from the pristine and sub-monolayer dust covered samples

Gaier, James R.↗