The microscope for Beagle 2

Thomas, N.; Lüthi, Benjamin; Hviid, S. F.; Keller, H. U.; Markiewicz, W. J.; Blümchen, T.; Basilevsky, A. T.; Smith, Peter H.; Tanner, R.; Oquest, C.; Reynolds, R.; Josset, Jean-Luc; Beauvivre, S.; Hofmann, Beda A.; Ruffer, P.; Pillinger, C. T.

doi:10.1016/j.pss.2004.02.008

Cited by 24 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…[15] The OM is the product of a collaboration between the University of Arizona, which developed the optical and illumination system, the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), which provided the CCD and image processing electronics, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which was responsible for mechanical, electronic, and software integration. With heritage from the Pathfinder and MVACS cameras (which it shares with the Beagle 2 Optical Microscope [Thomas et al, 2004]), the OM uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) in four colors for sample illumination, and the fixed-focus 6x optics (4 mm/pixel) is a compromise between resolution and depth-of-field. Sharing the Robot Arm Camera (RAC) electronics, the OM's CCD array acquires a 1 Â 2 mm image.…”

Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microscopy capabilities of the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer

et al. 2008

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[1] The Phoenix microscopy station, designed for the study of Martian dust and soil, consists of a sample delivery system, an optical microscope, and an atomic force microscope. The combination of microscopies facilitates the study of features from the millimeter to nanometer scale. Light-emitting diode illumination allows for full color optical imaging of the samples as well as imaging of ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence. The atomic force microscope uses an array of silicon tips and can operate in both static and dynamic mode.

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Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microscopy capabilities of the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer

et al. 2008

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“…These instruments are also used to study physical properties of the material including optical reflectance and infrared (IR) emission. Further improvements were made by combining a microscope with the camera for investigation of the surface structure with a spatial resolution in the micrometre range (Herkenhoff et al 2003, Thomas et al 2004). These measurements are essential for morphological and mineralogical analyses, and in the search for biological activity on planetary surfaces (Thomas et al 2004).…”

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confidence: 99%

CAMAM: A Miniature Laser Ablation Ionisation Mass Spectrometer and Microscope‐Camera System for In Situ Investigation of the Composition and Morphology of Extraterrestrial Materials

Tulej

Riedo

Neuland

et al. 2014

Geostandard Geoanalytic Res

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Performance studies of a microscope‐camera system (MCS) and a laser ablation/ionisation mass spectrometer (LIMS) instrument (referred to here as a laser mass spectrometer or LMS) are presented. These two instruments were designed independently for in situ analysis of solids on planetary surfaces and will be combined to a single miniature instrument suite for in situ chemical and morphological analysis of surface materials on planetary bodies. LMS can perform sensitive chemical (elemental, isotope and molecular) analyses with spatial resolution close to micrometre‐sized grains. It allows for studies with mass resolution (M/ΔM) up to 800 in ablation mode (elemental composition) and up to 1500 in desorption mode (molecular analysis). With an effective dynamic range of at least eight orders of magnitude, sensitive and quantitative measurements can be conducted of almost all elements and isotopes with a concentration larger than a few ppb atoms. Hence, in addition to the major element composition, which is important for the determination of mineralogical constituents of surface materials, trace elements can also be measured to provide information on mineral formation processes. Highly accurate isotope ratio measurements can be used to determine in situ geochronology of sample material and for investigations of various isotope fractionation processes. MCS can conduct optical imagery of mm‐sized objects at several wavelengths with micrometre spatial resolution for the characterisation of morphological surface details and to provide insight into surface mineralogy. Furthermore, MCS can help in the selection of sample surface areas for further mass spectrometric analysis of the chemical composition. Surface auto‐fluorescence measurements and images in polarised light are additional capabilities of the MCS, to identify either fluorescing minerals or organic materials, if present on the analysed surface, for further investigation by LMS. The results obtained by investigations of NIST reference materials, amino acid films and a natural graphite sample embedded in silicate rock are presented to illustrate the performance of the instruments and their potential to deliver chemical information for mineral and organic phases in their geological context.

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“…The concept for the microscope is a development of the device provided for the Beagle 2 mission. 28 A measuring cycle will start by generating a depth profile for the whole microscope field of view. By recording images at different focal positions, the real morphology of the investigated surface will be obtained.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%