Mössbauer spectroscopy on the surface of Mars. Why?

Knudsen, J. M.; Madsen, M. B.; Olsen, M.; Vistisen, L.; Koch, Christian; Mørup, Steen; Kankeleit, E.; Klingelhöfer, G.; Evlanov, E. N.; Khromov, V. N.; Mukhin, L. M.; Prilutski, O. F.; Zubkov, B. V.; Смирнов, Г. В.; Juchniewicz, J.

doi:10.1007/bf02396454

Cited by 29 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…A decade ago, we and others recognized the utility of miniature Mtssbauer spectrometers as in situ instruments for landed spacecraft [Morris et al, 1988, 1989a; Shelfer, 1992; Knudsen, 1989;Knudsen et al, 1990Knudsen et al, , 1991Evlanov et al, 1991;Klingelhdifer et al, 1992] and furthermore that in addition to conventional mineralogy, Mtssbauer spectroscopy has a role to play in exobiological investigations [Agresti and Wdowiak, 1992;Agresti et al, 1994;Wdowiak et al, 1995]. Deposits of putative Martian hydrothermal environments would likely be rich in iron, making them amenable to Mtssbauer spectroscopy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Mössbauer investigation of iron‐rich terrestrial hydrothermal vent systems: Lessons for Mars exploration

Wade¹,

Agresti²,

Wdowiak³

et al. 1999

J. Geophys. Res.

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Abstract. Hydrothermal spring systems may well have been present on early Mars and could have served as a habitat for primitive life. The integrated instrument suite of the Athena Rover has, as a component on the robotic arm, a M6ssbauer spectrometer. In the context of future Mars exploration we present results of M6ssbauer analysis of a suite of samples from an iron-rich thermal spring in the Chocolate Pots area of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and from Obsidian Pool (YNP) and Manitou Springs, Colorado. We have found that M6ss-bauer spectroscopy can discriminate among the iron-bearing minerals in our samples. Those near the vent and on the surface are identified as ferrihydrite, an amorphous ferric mineraloid. Subsurface samples, collected from cores, which are likely to have undergone inorganic and/or biologically mediated alteration (diagenesis), exhibit spectral signatures that include nontronite (a smectite clay), hematite (ot-Fe203), small-particle/nanophase goethite FeOOH), and siderite (FeCO3). We find for iron minerals that M6ssbauer spectroscopy is at least as efficient in identification as X-ray diffraction. This observation is important from an exploration standpoint. As a planetary surface instrument, M6ssbauer spectroscopy can yield high-quality spectral data without sample preparation (backscatter mode). We have also used field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), in conjunction with energydispersive X ray (EDX) fluorescence spectroscopy, to characterize the microbiological component of surface sinters and the relation between the microbiological and the mineralogical framework. Evidence is presented that the minerals found in these deposits can have multibillion-year residence times and thus may have survived their possible production in a putative early Martian hot spring up to the present day. Examples include the nanophase property and the M6ssbauer signature for siderite, which has been identified in a 2.09-billion-year old hematite-rich chert stromatolite. Our research demonstrates that in situ M6ssbauer spectroscopy can help determine whether hydrothermal mineral deposits exist on Mars, which is significant for exobiology because of the issue of whether that world ever had conditions conducive to the origin of life. As a useful tool for selection of samples suitable for transport to Earth, M6ssbauer spectroscopy will not only serve geological interests but will also have potential for exopaleontology.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Mössbauer investigation of iron‐rich terrestrial hydrothermal vent systems: Lessons for Mars exploration

Wade¹,

Agresti²,

Wdowiak³

et al. 1999

J. Geophys. Res.

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“…Iron is abundant at the surface of Mars (Knudsen, 1989;Knudsen et al, 1990Knudsen et al, , 1992Rieder et al, 1997). In recent years, Mössbauer spectroscopy has contributed much to our understanding of the properties of martian rocks and soils (Morris et al, , 2006Klingelhöfer et al, 2004) and has been cited as a useful tool for in situ astrobiology (Wilson, 1999;Schröder et al, 2005).…”

Section: X-ray Diffraction (Xrd)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of Morphological Biosignatures in Martian Analogue Field Specimens Using In Situ Planetary Instrumentation

et al. 2008

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We have investigated how morphological biosignatures (i.e., features related to life) might be identified with an array of viable instruments within the framework of robotic planetary surface operations at Mars. This is the first time such an integrated lab-based study has been conducted that incorporates space-qualified instrumentation designed for combined in situ imaging, analysis, and geotechnics (sampling).Specimens were selected on the basis of feature morphology, scale, and analogy to Mars rocks. Two types of morphological criteria were considered: potential signatures of extinct life (fossilized microbial filaments) and of extant life (crypto-chasmoendolithic microorganisms). The materials originated from a variety of topical martian analogue localities on Earth, including impact craters, high-latitude deserts, and hydrothermal deposits.Our in situ payload included a stereo camera, microscope, Mössbauer spectrometer, and sampling device (all space-qualified units from Beagle 2), and an array of commercial instruments, including a multi-spectral imager, an X-ray spectrometer (calibrated to the Beagle 2 instrument), a micro-Raman spectrometer, and a bespoke (custom-designed) X-ray diffractometer. All experiments were conducted within the engineering constraints of in situ operations to generate realistic data and address the practical challenges of measurement.

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“…identification of the mineralogy and chemical composition of the dust, and in particular the magnetic phase, could give information on the formation conditions [3][4][5]. For this reason, both Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) Spirit and Opportunity [6] were equipped with a series of permanent magnets [7] that sample the dust suspended in the atmosphere for investigation with Mö ssbauer spectroscopy [8] and elemental analysis [9].…”

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confidence: 99%