Raman Spectroscopy—A Powerful Tool for in situ Planetary Science

Tarcea, N.; Frosch, Torsten; Rösch, Petra; Hilchenbach, M.; Stuffler, T.; Höfer, Stefan; Thiele, Hans; Hochleitner, Rupert; Popp, Jürgen

doi:10.1007/s11214-007-9279-y

Cited by 43 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…For organic molecules, these Raman shifts relate primarily to vibrational modes and so are determined by the molecular structure, including bond types and functional groups. The Raman spectrum of a particular molecule represents a unique fingerprint of the bonds between its atoms and functional groups [1,2] and with several corroborative bands the identification of molecular species can be precise [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Destruction of Raman biosignatures by ionising radiation and the implications for life detection on Mars

et al. 2012

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Raman spectroscopy has proven to be a very effective approach for the detection of microorganisms colonising hostile environments on Earth. The ExoMars rover, due for launch in 2018, will carry a Raman laser spectrometer to analyse samples of the martian subsurface collected by the probe's 2-m drill in a search for similar biosignatures. The martian surface is unprotected from the flux of cosmic rays, an ionising radiation field that will degrade organic molecules and so diminish and distort the detectable Raman signature of potential martian microbial life. This study employs Raman spectroscopy to analyse samples of two model organisms, the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and the extremely radiation resistant polyextremophile Deinococcus radiodurans, that have been exposed to increasing doses of ionising radiation. The three most prominent peaks in the Raman spectra are from cellular carotenoids: deinoxanthin in D. radiodurans and β-carotene in Synechocystis. The degradative effect of ionising radiation is clearly seen, with significant diminishment of carotenoid spectral peak heights after 15 kGy and complete erasure of Raman biosignatures by 150 kGy of ionising radiation. The Raman signal of carotenoid in D. radiodurans diminishes more rapidly than that of Synechocystis, believed to be due to deinoxanthin acting as a superior scavenger of radiolytically produced reactive oxygen species, and so being destroyed more quickly than the less efficient antioxidant β-carotene. This study highlights the necessity for further experimental work on the manner and rate of degradation of Raman biosignatures by ionising radiation, as this is of prime importance for the successful detection of microbial life in the martian near subsurface.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Destruction of Raman biosignatures by ionising radiation and the implications for life detection on Mars

et al. 2012

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“…These techniques are the vibrational (Raman) spectroscopic technique (Tarcea et al, 2008), the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopic technique, and the laser-induced time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). In the case of the latter, application for space exploration has been proposed (Brinckerhoff et al, 2000;Rohner et al, 2003) and realized for the RSA's Phobos-Grunt Sample Return mission (see Phobos-Grunt website).…”

Section: Complementary Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Miniaturized laser-induced plasma spectrometry for planetary in situ analysis – The case for Jupiter’s moon Europa

Pavlov

Jeßberger

Hübers

et al. 2011

Advances in Space Research

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“…Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS), currently at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 under the ISO scale, is one of the Pasteur Payload instruments of the 2020 ExoMars Rover, within the ESA's Aurora Exploration Programme . It will perform for the first time in an out planetary mission Raman spectroscopy …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After the study of the first Long Pass filters family (LPF A, from a first manufacturer) OD as a function of the distance from the filtering stage to a detector, simulating the filtering to collimation optics distance in the real working configuration, a set of Notch filters was decided to be evaluated as well as a second family of Long Pass filters (LPF B, from a second manufacturer different from the first). These elements, notch and LPF, were selected as commonly in the design and manufacturing of laboratory Raman spectrometers as well as of different out‐planetary Raman spectrometers proposals . At the end of the LPFs (A and B) and Notch filters OD characterization, a set of three dichroics were selected to be tested in order to evaluate the dichroic response in transmittance and reflectance as a function of the laser beam Angle Of Incidence (AOI).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

RLS iOH: ExoMars Raman laser spectrometer optical head bread board to flight model design and performance evolutions

Ramos

Sanz-Palomino

Moral

et al. 2019

J Raman Spectroscopy

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Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) is the Pasteur Payload instrument of the ExoMars mission that will perform Raman spectroscopy for the first time in a planetary space mission. RLS main units are: SPU (SPectrometer Unit), iOH (internal Optical Head), and ICEU (Instrument Control and Excitation Unit), that includes the laser for samples excitation purposes. The iOH focuses the excitation laser into the crushed samples (located at the ALD, Analytical Laboratory Drawer, carrousel) through the excitation path, and collects the Raman emission from the sample (collection path). Its original design presented a high laser trace reaching to the SPU detector, and although a certain level was required for instrument calibration, the found level was expected to be capable of degrading the acquired spectra confounding some Raman peaks. So, the iOH optical and opto‐mechanical designs were needed to be updated from the BB (Bread Board) to the engineering and qualification model (iOH EQM), in order to fix the desired amount of laser trace, and after the fabrication and the commitment of the commercial elements, the assembly and integration verification (AIV) process was carried out. Considering the results obtained during the EQM integration verification and the first functional tests, the RLS calibration target (CT) emission analysis, additional changes were found to be required for the Flight Model, FM. In this paper, the RLS iOH designs and functional tests evolutions for the different models are summarized, focusing on the iOH AIV process and emphasizing on the iOH performance evaluation (by using CT spectra) from the re‐design activities.

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Raman Spectroscopy—A Powerful Tool for in situ Planetary Science

Cited by 43 publications

References 20 publications

Destruction of Raman biosignatures by ionising radiation and the implications for life detection on Mars

Destruction of Raman biosignatures by ionising radiation and the implications for life detection on Mars

Miniaturized laser-induced plasma spectrometry for planetary in situ analysis – The case for Jupiter’s moon Europa

RLS iOH: ExoMars Raman laser spectrometer optical head bread board to flight model design and performance evolutions

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