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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

Astrobiological Significance of Definitive Mineralogical Analysis of Martian Surface Samples Using the CheMin XRD/XRF Instrument

The search for evidence of habitability, or of extant or extinct life on Mars, will initially be a search for evidence of past or present conditions supportive of life. The three key requirements for the emergence of life are thought to be liquid water; a suitable energy source; and chemical building blocks. CheMin is a miniaturized XRD/XRF (X-Ray diffraction / X-ray fluorescence) instrument which has been developed for definitive mineralogic analysis of soils and rocks on the Martian surface. The CheMin instrument can provide information that is highly relevant to each of these habitability requirements as summarized below.

Feldman, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Mineralogy of the Martian Surface: Crustal Composition to Surface Processes

Over the course of this award we have: 1) Completed and published the results of a study of the effects of hyperfine particles on reflectance spectra of olivine and quartz, which included the development of scattering codes. Research has also progressed in the analysis of the effects of fine particle sizes on clay spectra. 2) Completed the analysis of the mineralogy of dark regions, showed the insitu compositions are highly correlated to the SNC meteorites, and determined that the martian mantle was depleted in aluminum prior to 2-3 GA ago; Studies of the mineralogic heterogeneity of surficial materials on Mars have also been conducted. and 3) Performed initial work on the study of the physical and chemical processes likely to form and modify duricrust. This includes assessments of erosion rates, solubility and transport of iron in soil environments, and models of pedogenic crust formation.

Mustard, John F.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Temperature dependence of Fe/++/ crystal field spectra - Implications to mineralogical mapping of planetary surfaces

Results are reported of Fe(++) crystal field spectral measurements for olivines and pyroxenes up to 400 C. The results are correlated with crystal structure data at elevated temperatures, and the validity of remote-sensed identifications of minerals on hot surfaces of the moon and Mercury is assessed. Two techniques were used to obtain spectra of minerals at elevated temperatures using a spectrophotometer. One employed a diamond cell assembly or a specially designed sample holder to measure polarized absorption spectra of heated single crystals. For the other technique, a sample holder was designed to attach to a diffuse reflectance accessory to produce reflectance spectra of heated powdered samples. Polarized absorption spectra of forsterite at 20-400 C are shown in a graph. Other graphs show the temperature dependence of Fe(++) crystal field bands in olivines, the diffuse reflectance spectra of olivine at 40-400 C, the polarization absorption spectra of orthopyroxene at 30-400 C, the diffuse reflectance spectra of pigeonite at 40-400 C, and unpolarized absorption spectra of lunar pyroxene from Apollo 15 rock 15058.

Sung, C.-M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Mineralogy of the Martian surface from Mariner 6/7 infrared spectrometer data

The Mariner 6/7 Infrared Spectrometer (IRS) experiment data from the 1969 Mars flyby encounters represent a valuable source of information about the IR reflection/emission spectrum of Mars in the 1.9 and 14.4 micron region. During 1990, the wavelength calibration of the IRS data was completely redone, using information from inflight spectra of Mars taken through a polystyrene film and from the locations of Martian CO2 bands. The response functions of the two instruments were then rederived using laboratory black body spectra. Also, a particular approach was taken to study the IRS data in which the effects of uncertain wavelength and intensity calibration can be minimized. This involves doing ratios of spectra. These are of particular value when applied to study contrasts between various albedo domains on the Mars surface and between spectra with differing emission angle. The latter provide a means of assessing the contribution of the atmosphere and airborne dust to the spectra. Given here are graphs showing two near infrared radiance spectra for very different albedo regions and a ratio of two spectra obtained at very different total solar pathlength (airmass).

Martin, T. Z.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A DTA/GC for the in Situ Identification of the Martian Surface Material

The composition and mineralogy of the Martian surface material remain largely unknown. To determine its composition and mineralogy, several techniques are being considered for in situ analyses of the Martian surface material during missions to Mars. We have successfully developed, constructed, and tested a laboratory DTA/GC. The DTA is a Dupont model 1600 high temperature DTA coupled with a GC equipped with a MID detector. The system is operated by a Sun Sparc 11 workstation. When gas evolves during a thermal chemical event, it is shunted into the GC and the temperature is recorded in association with the specific thermal event. We have used this laboratory instrument to define experimental criteria necessary for determining the composition and mineralogy of the Martian surface in situ (e.g., heating of sample to 1100 C to distinguish clays). Our studies indicate that DTA/GC will provide a broad spectrum of mineralogical and evolved gas data pertinent to exobiology, geochemistry, and geology.

Mancinelli, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

An Integrated XRF/XRD Instrument for Mars Exobiology and Geology Experiments

By employing an integrated x-ray instrument on a future Mars mission, data obtained will greatly augment those returned by Viking; details characterizing the past and present environment on Mars and those relevant to the possibility of the origin and evolution of life will be acquired. A combined x-ray fluorescence/x-ray diffraction (XRF/XRD) instrument was breadboarded and demonstrated to accommodate important exobiology and geology experiment objectives outlined for MESUR and future Mars missions. Among others, primary objectives for the exploration of Mars include the intense study of local areas on Mars to establish the chemical, mineralogical, and petrological character of different components of the surface material; to determine the distribution, abundance, and sources and sinks of volatile materials, including an assessment of the biologic potential, now and during past epoches; and to establish the global chemical and physical characteristics of the Martian surface. The XRF/XRD breadboard instrument identifies and quantifies soil surface elemental, mineralogical, and petrological characteristics and acquires data necessary to address questions on volatile abundance and distribution. Additionally, the breadboard is able to characterize the biogenic element constituents of soil samples providing information on the biologic potential of the Mars environment. Preliminary breadboard experiments confirmed the fundamental instrument design approach and measurement performance.

Koppel, L. N.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Feasibility of an integrated X-ray instrument for Mars exobiology and geology

By employing an integrated X-ray instrument on a future Mars mission, data obtained will greatly augment those returned by Viking; details relevant to the possibility of the origin and evolution of life on Mars will be acquired. An integrated combined X Ray Fluorescence/X Ray Detection (XRF/XRD) instrument has been breadboarded and demonstrated to accommodate important exobiology and geology experiment objectives outlined for Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) and future Mars missions. Among others, primary objectives for the exploration of Mars include: the intense study of local areas on Mars to 'establish the chemical, mineralogical, and petrological character of different components of the surface material; to determine the distribution, abundance and sources and sinks of volatile materials, including an assessment of the biologic potential, now and during past epochs; and to establish the global chemical and physical characteristics of the Martian surface'. The XRF/XRD breadboard instrument identifies and quantifies soil surface elemental, mineralogical, and petrological characteristics and acquires data necessary to address questions on volatile abundance and distribution. Additionally, the breadboard is able to characterize the biogenic element constituents of soil samples providing information on the biologic potential of the Mars environment.

Fonda, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The mineralogic evolution of the Martian surface through time: Implications from chemical reaction path modeling studies

Chemical reaction path calculations were used to model the minerals that might have formed at or near the Martian surface as a result of volcano or meteorite impact driven hydrothermal systems; weathering at the Martian surface during an early warm, wet climate; and near-zero or sub-zero C brine-regolith reactions in the current cold climate. Although the chemical reaction path calculations carried out do not define the exact mineralogical evolution of the Martian surface over time, they do place valuable geochemical constraints on the types of minerals that formed from an aqueous phase under various surficial and geochemically complex conditions.

Plumlee, G. S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A Moessbauer spectrometer for the mineralogical analysis of the Mars surface: First temperature dependent tests of the detector and drive system

Part of the scientific payload of the Mars-96 mission is a Fe-(57)Mossbauer (MB) spectrometer installed on a small rover to be placed on the surface of Mars. The instrument is under development at the University of Darmstadt. This instrument, with some modifications, is also included in the scientific payload of the proposed MARSNET mission of the European Space Agency (ESA). A similar instrument is currently under development in the US. The reason for developing a Mossbauer spectrometer for space applications is the high abundance of the element iron, especially on the surface of Mars. The elemental composition of Martian soil was determined during the Viking mission in 1976 but not it's mineralogical composition. One believes that it is composed mainly of iron-rich clay minerals, with an iron content of about 14 (plus or minus 2) wt-percent, partly magnetic. Of extremely great interest are the oxidation state of the iron, the magnetic phases and the mineral composition of the Mars surface. To these questions MB spectroscopy can provide important information, which are not available by other methods. We report on first tests of the experimental setup in the temperature range plus 20 C to -70 C, roughly corresponding to the temperature range on the surface of Mars. Also questions concerning the signal/noise ratio (S/N) are discussed.

Held, P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Moessbauer spectrometer for mineralogical analysis of the Mars surface: Moessbauer source considerations

Development of space rocketry and cosmic instrument making has made it possible to create interplanetary stations to be sent to the solar system bodies. In the last decade of the century the planet Mars will be in the focus of planetary science problems. Russia, USA (the NASA) and Europe (the ESA) plan to do a new step in the study of the planetary system by spacecraft missions to Mars. One part of the programs of these missions is Martian surface measurements of iron, which is a dominant element in both the Martian soil and rocks (about 13 percent by weight). The chemistry of iron in space is strongly coupled to the chemistry of abundant elements (to begin with hydrogen, carbon, oxygen) and it is this coupling of chemical cycles of abundant elements that gives us the possibility of understanding some features of the chemical evolution of matter. In this connection of extremely great importance for the understanding of the evolution of the solar system are the oxidation state of the iron and its mineral composition of the Mars surface. Being highly successful, the Viking landers had no instrumentation to answer these questions. Such instrumentation has to be specifically sensitive to mineralogy. For this purpose the back scattering Moessbauer spectrometer (MS-96) was proposed to be installed on a rover to be launched on board the Russian spacecraft Mars-96 mission to Mars. Due to power and mass restrictions three systems of the device MS-96 (velocity transducer, detector and electronic components) have been extremely miniaturized in comparison to a standard system. In this paper we intend to place for consideration a radioactive source to find out what characteristics it should have to be suitable for purposes of the experiment.

Evlanov, E. N.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Vesta Mineralogy: VIR maps Vesta's surface

The Dawn mission will have completed Survey orbit around 4 Vesta by the end of August 2011. We present a preliminary analysis of data acquired by the Visual and InfraRed Spectrometer (VIR) to map Vesta mineralogy. Thermal properties and mineralogical data are combined to provide constraints on Vesta's formation and thermal evolution. delivery of exogenic materials, space weathering processes, and origin of the howardite. eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites.

Coradina, A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Mineralogy of three slightly palagonitized basaltic tephra samples from the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii

The paper characterizes the mineralogy and spectral properties of three slightly palagonitized basaltic tephra samples collected near the summit of Mauna Kea in order to contribute to the basis for inferring mineralogy and processes for Martian surface materials. The mineralogy of size fractions of these samples is examined by diffuse reflectance and FIR spectroscopy, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Moessbauer spectroscopy, magnetic analysis, EMPA, TEM, and SEM. For the 20-1000 micron size fraction, sample HWMK11 (red) is essentially completely oxidized and has a hematite (Ti-hematite) pigment dispersed throughout the silicate matrix. Sample HWMK12 (black) has the lowest proportion of ferric-bearing phases and is thus least weathered. For HWMK11, the amount of hematite is essentially constant, and mica is present only in the coarse clay-sized fraction; smectites are low in structural Fe.

Golden, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Atmospheric Entry Studies and the Smallest Impact Craters on Mars

High-resolution images from the Mars Orbiter Camera reveal impact craters as small as 10 m [1], and still smaller craters (< 0.5 m) have been inferred from surface boulders at the Pathfinder landing site [2]. Any small-scale impact environment at scales of meters or smaller would obviously be a potent contributor to erosive processes on Mars, to the small-scale evolution of its surface, and to mineralogic/ compositional alterations of its surface materials. It is not very clear from the analysis of Viking and Pathfinder images, however, what the smallest craters are on Mars. As a consequence, it might be informative to consult atmospheric-entry calculations that specify the smallest meteoroid able to survive passage through the present martian atmosphere. We conducted such calculations and perceive them as providing useful constraints for understanding small-scale surface processes on Mars and as possible guides for the interpretation of surface images from past and future lander missions.

Hoerz, F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Quantitative investigations of geologic surfaces utilizing airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) and polarimetric radar (AIRSAR) data for Death Valley, California

Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and polarimetric radar (AIRSAR) data were collected over Death Valley, California, USA, in September 1989. These two data sets were used to quantitatively characterize both the mineralogy and surface structure of the valley floor. Field mapping and characterization of the salt flats across the valley identified 16 separate units. The AVIRIS data were calibrated using the 'empirical line' method, and spectra extracted for the 16 units. A water vapor map was generated from the AVIRIS data and showed spatial variations in its distribution due to evaporation of surface water. Unmixing of the 16 spectral units produced maps of endmember abundance.

Kierein-Young, Kathryn S.↗