Remote Raman Spectroscopy for Planetary Exploration: A Review

Angel, S. M.; Gomer, Nathaniel R.; Sharma, Shiv K.; McKay, C. P.

doi:10.1366/11-06535

Cited by 115 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 72 publications

(151 reference statements)

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“…outside, during daylight) [74]. The retrieval of information from a remote distance not only removes the need for rover relocation (saving time, power and other resources) but also allows the exploration of what would normally be inaccessible regions of a planet [35]. In fact, in addition to the prospect of deploying a stand-off Raman instrument on Mars, a recent Science Definition Report has identified Raman analysis as a key element in the exploration of Europa [76], and it is reported that a stand-off Raman instrument, similar to existing prototypes, would be capable of measuring and identifying various salts, organic and CO 2 ice on the surface of Europa, potentially to a depth of a few centimetres [77].…”

Section: (B) Stand-off Ramanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Raman spectroscopy on Mars: identification of geological and bio-geological signatures in Martian analogues using miniaturized Raman spectrometers

Hutchinson

Ingley

Edwards

et al. 2014

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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The first Raman spectrometers to be used for in situ analysis of planetary material will be launched as part of powerful, rover-based analytical laboratories within the next 6 years. There are a number of significant challenges associated with building spectrometers for space applications, including limited volume, power and mass budgets, the need to operate in harsh environments and the need to operate independently and intelligently for long periods of time (due to communication limitations). Here, we give an overview of the technical capabilities of the Raman instruments planned for future planetary missions and give a review of the preparatory work being pursued to ensure that such instruments are operated successfully and optimally. This includes analysis of extremophile samples containing pigments associated with biological processes, synthetic materials which incorporate biological material within a mineral matrix, planetary analogues containing low levels of reduced carbon and samples coated with desert varnish that incorporate both geo-markers and biomarkers. We discuss the scientific importance of each sample type and the challenges using portable/flight-prototype instrumentation. We also report on technical development work undertaken to enable the next generation of Raman instruments to reach higher levels of sensitivity and operational efficiency.

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Section: (B) Stand-off Ramanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Raman spectroscopy on Mars: identification of geological and bio-geological signatures in Martian analogues using miniaturized Raman spectrometers

Hutchinson

Ingley

Edwards

et al. 2014

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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“…Raman spectrometers have been proposed for exploration of a diverse range of extraterrestrial targets including asteroids, [1] Europa, [2,3] Mars, [4][5][6] the Moon, [7] and Venus. [8] A Raman laser spectrometer (RLS) is part of the science instrument payload of the European Space Agency 2018 ExoMars mission; the RLS instrument will target mineralogical and astrobiological investigations on the surface and subsurface of Mars.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Machine learning tools formineral recognition and classification from Raman spectroscopy

Carey

Boucher

Mahadevan

et al. 2015

J Raman Spectroscopy

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Tools for mineral identification based on Raman spectroscopy fall into two groups: those that are largely based on fits to diagnostic peaks associated with specific phases, and those that use the entire spectral range for multivariate analyses. In this project, we apply machine learning techniques to improve mineral identification using the latter group. We test the effects of common spectrum preprocessing steps, such as intensity normalization, smoothing, and squashing, and found that the last is superior. Next, we demonstrate that full-spectrum matching algorithms exhibit excellent performance in classification tasks, without requiring time-intensive dimensionality reduction or model training. This class of algorithms supports both vector and trajectory input formats, exploiting all available spectral information. By combining these insights, we find that optimal mineral spectrum matching performance can be achieved using careful preprocessing and a weighted-neighbors classifier based on a vector similarity metric. IntroductionUse of Raman spectroscopy in the geosciences is growing rapidly, as evidenced by burgeoning publications in the fields of geology, cultural anthropology, environmental science, and, in particular, planetary science. Raman spectrometers have been proposed for exploration of a diverse range of extraterrestrial targets including asteroids, [1] Europa, [2,3] Mars, [4][5][6] the Moon, [7] and Venus. [8] A Raman laser spectrometer (RLS) is part of the science instrument payload of the European Space Agency 2018 ExoMars mission; the RLS instrument will target mineralogical and astrobiological investigations on the surface and subsurface of Mars. [9,10] Raman will also be used on the upcoming NASA Mars 2020 mission as part of the SuperCam and SHERLOC instruments. [11] What all these applications have in common is their dependence on software and mineralogical databases for phase identification and quantification of relative abundances of mineral components. Because of the structural diversity and chemical complexity of naturally occurring minerals, optimal applications for these purposes require an infusion of work into development of appropriate software and mineral databases.In practice, users commonly depend on a combination of matching software distributed by spectrometer manufacturers and one-on-one comparisons with database spectra for their identifications, but these types of identification have two critical limitations. First, identifications are only as good as the databases used to match them. No database can be entirely comprehensive, so it cannot be unequivocally claimed that any spectrum is a 'perfect match' to exactly one other phase.The RRUFF database was founded in 2006 at Arizona State University by Robert Downs to remedy this situation by providing coverage of all known mineral species. [12] It has quickly become the preeminent resource available for Raman spectra of minerals. RRUFF currently contains over 20 378 spectra acquired at several different laser wavelengths from orien...

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“…Its wide applicability comes from the fact that each band in a Raman spectrum represents interaction of incident light with a vibrational mode in the molecule or crystal; it is therefore highly material specific and can be used for identification and structural characterization of unknown samples. For planetary science, laser Raman spectroscopy offers an attractive in situ method for robotic exploration of planetary surfaces that can combine capabilities for the identification of minerals present in geological materials, with capabilities to detect organic matter [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Additionally, Raman is a nondestructive technique that requires no sample preparation and is well suited for deployment on a planetary rover or lander.…”

Section: Introduction a Raman Spectroscopy For Planetary Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

Miniaturized time-resolved Raman spectrometer for planetary science based on a fast single photon avalanche diode detector array

et al. 2016

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We present recent developments in time-resolved Raman spectroscopy instrumentation and measurement techniques for in situ planetary surface exploration, leading to improved performance and identification of minerals and organics. The time-resolved Raman spectrometer uses a 532 nm pulsed microchip laser source synchronized with a single photon avalanche diode array to achieve sub-nanosecond time resolution. This instrument can detect Raman spectral signatures from a wide variety of minerals and organics relevant to planetary science while eliminating pervasive background interference caused by fluorescence. We present an overview of the instrument design and operation and demonstrate high signal-to-noise ratio Raman spectra for several relevant samples of sulfates, clays, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Finally, we present an instrument design suitable for operation on a rover or lander and discuss future directions that promise great advancement in capability.

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Remote Raman Spectroscopy for Planetary Exploration: A Review

Cited by 115 publications

References 72 publications

Raman spectroscopy on Mars: identification of geological and bio-geological signatures in Martian analogues using miniaturized Raman spectrometers

Raman spectroscopy on Mars: identification of geological and bio-geological signatures in Martian analogues using miniaturized Raman spectrometers

Machine learning tools formineral recognition and classification from Raman spectroscopy

Miniaturized time-resolved Raman spectrometer for planetary science based on a fast single photon avalanche diode detector array

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