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1.
The LIDAR instrument operating from the surface of Mars on the Phoenix Mission measured vertical profiles of atmospheric dust and water ice clouds at temperatures around −65 °C. An equivalent lidar system was utilized for measurements in the atmosphere of Earth where dust and cloud conditions are similar to Mars. Coordinated aircraft in situ sampling provided a verification of lidar measurement and analysis methods and also insight for interpretation of lidar derived optical parameters in terms of the dust and cloud microphysical properties. It was found that the vertical distribution of airborne dust above the Australian desert is quite similar to what is observed in the planetary boundary layer above Mars. Comparison with the in situ sampling is used to demonstrate how the lidar derived optical extinction coefficient is related to the dust particle size distribution. The lidar measurement placed a constraint on the model size distribution that has been used for Mars. Airborne lidar measurements were also conducted to study cirrus clouds that form in the Earth’s atmosphere at a similar temperature and humidity as the clouds observed with the lidar on Mars. Comparison with the in situ sampling provides a method to derive the cloud ice water content (IWC) from the Mars lidar measurements.  相似文献   

2.
We have an unique opportunity to compare the magnetospheres of two non-magnetic planets as Mars and Venus with identical instrument sets Aspera-3 and Aspera-4 on board of the Mars Express and Venus Express missions. We have performed both statistical and case studies of properties of the magnetosheath ion flows and the flows of planetary ions behind both planets. We have shown that the general morphology of both magnetotails is generally identical. In both cases the energy of the light (H+) and the heavy (O+, etc.) ions decreases from the tail periphery (several keV) down to few eV in the tail center. At the same time the wake center of both planets is occupied by plasma sheet coincident with the current sheet of the tail. Both plasma sheets are filled by accelerated (500-1000 eV) heavy planetary ions. We report also the discovery of a new feature never observed before in the tails of non-magnetic planets: the plasma sheet is enveloped by consecutive layers of He+ and H+ with decreasing energies.  相似文献   

3.
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4.
A considerable investment has been made by NASA and other space agencies to develop instrumentation suitable for in situ analytical investigation of extra terrestrial bodies including various mass spectrometers (time-of-flight, quadrupole ion trap, quadrupole mass filters, etc.). However, the front-end sample handling that is needed to collect and prepare samples for interrogation by such instrumentation remains underdeveloped. Here we describe a novel approach tailored to the exploration of Mars where ions are created in the ambient atmosphere via laser ablation and then efficiently transported into a mass spectrometer for in situ analysis using an electrodynamic ion funnel. This concept would enable elemental and isotopic analysis of geological samples with the analysis of desorbed organic material a possibility as well. Such an instrument would be suitable for inclusion on all potential missions currently being considered such as the Mid-Range Rover, the Astrobiology Field Laboratory, and Mars Sample Return (i.e., as a sample pre-selection triage instrument), among others.  相似文献   

5.
To approach basic scientific questions on the origin and evolution of planetary bodies such as planets, their satellites and asteroids, one needs data on their chemical composition. The measurements of gamma-rays, X-rays and neutrons emitted from their surface materials provide information on abundances of major elements and naturally radioactive gamma-ray emitters. Neutron spectroscopy can provide sensitive maps of hydrogen-and carbon-containing compounds, even if buried, and can uniquely identify layers of carbon-dioxide frost. Nuclear spectroscopy, as a means of compositional analysis, has been applied via orbital and lander spacecraft to extrater-restrial planetary bodies:the Moon, Venus, Mars, Mercury and asteroids. The knowledge of their chemical abundances, especially concerning the Moon and Mars, has greatly increased in recent years. This paper describes the principle of nuclear spectroscopy, nuclear planetary instruments carried on planetary missions so far, and the nature of observational results and findings of the Moon and Mars, recently obtained by nuclear spectroscopy.  相似文献   

6.
A suite of instruments on the Beagle 2 Mars lander was designed and built in order to investigate the environmental conditions at the landing site. The sensor suite was capable of measuring air temperature at two heights, surface level pressure, wind speed and direction, saltated particle momentum, UV flux (diffuse and direct at five wavelengths), the total accumulated radiation dose and investigating the nature of the oxidising environment. The scientific goals of the instruments are discussed within the context of current understanding of the environmental conditions on Mars, and the instruments themselves are described in detail. Beagle 2 landed on Mars in late 2003, as part of the ESA Mars Express mission. The expected lifetime of the lander on the surface was 180 sols, with a landing site in Isidis Planitia, but has not responded to attempts to contact it, and has now been declared lost. The Environmental Sensor Suite (ESS) was intended to monitor and characterise the current local meteorological parameters, investigating specific areas of scientific interest raised from previous missions, most notably dust transport and transient phenomena, and additionally to add context to the conditions that any possible martian micro-organisms would have to face. The design of the instrument suite was strongly influenced by mass limitations, with eight sensor subsystems having a total mass of approximately 100 g. Although Beagle 2 has been now declared lost, the scientific goals of an Environmental Sensors Suite still remain a valid target for any future astrobiology orientated missions.  相似文献   

7.
We have performed a numerical simulation to analyze the energy spectra of escaping planetary O+ and O2+ ions at Mars. The simulated time-energy spectrograms were generated along orbit no. 555 (June 27, 2004) of Mars Express when its Ion Mass Analyzer (IMA)/ASPERA-3 ion instrument detected escaping planetary ions. The simulated time-energy spectrograms are in general agreement with the hypothesis that planetary O+ and O2+ ions far from Mars are accelerated by the convective electric field. The HYB-Mars hybrid model simulation also shows that O+ ions originating from the ionized hot oxygen corona result in a high-energy (E>1 keV) O+ ion population that exists very close to Mars. In addition, the simulation also results in a low-energy (E<0.1 keV) planetary ion population near the pericenter. In the analyzed orbit, IMA did not observe a clear high-energy planetary ion or a clear low-energy planetary ion population near Mars. One possible source for this discrepancy may be the Martian magnetic crustal anomalies because MEX passed over a strong crustal field region near the pericenter, but the hybrid model does not include the magnetic crustal anomalies.  相似文献   

8.
Mariner 9 has provided a refutation or reinterpretation of several historical claims for Martian biology, and has permitted an important further characterization of the environmental constraints on possible Martian organisms. Four classes of conceivable Martian organisms are identified, depending on the environmental temperature, T, and water activity, aw: Class I, high T, high aw; Class II, low T, high aw; Class III, high T, low aw; and Class IV, low T, low aw. The Viking lander biology experiments are essentially oriented toward Class I organisms, although arguments are given for the conceivable presence on Mars of organisms in any of the four classes. Organisms which extract their water requirements from hydrated minerals or from ice are considered possible on Mars, and the high ultraviolet flux and low oxygen partial pressure are considered to be negligible impediments to Martian biology. Large organisms, possibly detectable by the Viking lander cameras, are not only possible on Mars; they may be favored. The surface distribution of Martian organisms and future search strategies for life on Mars are discussed.  相似文献   

9.
Hf‐W isotopic systematics of Martian meteorites have provided evidence for the early accretion and rapid core formation of Mars. We present the results of numerical simulations performed to study the early thermal evolution and planetary scale differentiation of Mars. The simulations are confined to the initial 50 Myr (Ma) of the formation of solar system. The accretion energy produced during the growth of Mars and the decay energy due to the short‐lived radio‐nuclides 26Al, 60Fe, and the long‐lived nuclides, 40K, 235U, 238U, and 232Th are incorporated as the heat sources for the thermal evolution of Mars. During the core‐mantle differentiation of Mars, the molten metallic blobs were numerically moved using Stoke's law toward the center with descent velocity that depends on the local acceleration due to gravity. Apart from the accretion and the radioactive heat energies, the gravitational energy produced during the differentiation of Mars and the associated heat transfer is also parametrically incorporated in the present work to make an assessment of its contribution to the early thermal evolution of Mars. We conclude that the accretion energy alone cannot produce widespread melting and differentiation of Mars even with an efficient consumption of the accretion energy. This makes 26Al the prime source for the heating and planetary scale differentiation of Mars. We demonstrate a rapid accretion and core‐mantle differentiation of Mars within the initial ~1.5 Myr. This is consistent with the chronological records of Martian meteorites.  相似文献   

10.
A series of calculated thermal histories of Mars is presented, and their possible relation to surface tectonic history is discussed. The models include convective heat transport through an empirical approximation, and heating by radioactivity and core segregation. Initial temperature, Ti, and the timing and duration of core segregation are treated as free parameters. Ti is the main determinant of Martian thermal evolution: as it is varied from 20 to 100% of the present mean temperature, the maximum in surface heat flux moves from very recent to very early in Martian history. For the latter cases, the details of core segregation control the detailed timing of a peak in the thermal flux that exceeded 100 mW/m2. It is suggested that the early disruption of cratered terrain crust in the northern hemisphere and subsequent volcanic resurfacing may have been related to core segregation. This would be consistent with a scenario in which an early period of core segregation generated a marked peak in the thermal flux that may have lead to extensivev partial melting and volcanism. This scenario would require Mars to have had an initial mean temperature comparable to the present value.  相似文献   

11.
We describe a compact, highly integrated instrument concept for the detection and identification of a wide range of molecules associated with extinct/extant life or potential life processes. The Specific Molecular Identification of Life Experiment (SMILE) will be sensitive to the presence of a range of target molecules using both electrical and optical transduction techniques, and incorporates molecular imprinted polymers in addition to traditional biological receptors such as antibodies. A number of versions of the concept are possible depending on available resources e.g. mass, volume, etc. The full concept utilises a novel imaging interferometer where a large number of molecular receptors are deposited on the measurement plane of an imaging interferometer and read out by an imaging detector, enabling multiple targets—biomarkers—within a sample to be measured simultaneously. The optics can also form the basis of an UV-NIR imaging Fourier spectrometer allowing basic mineralogy studies to be conducted using optical properties to assist in the determination of the geological context of the samples. By incorporating micro-fabricated transducer arrays, micro-fluidics and artificial molecular recognition systems, as well as recombinant antibody technology with appropriate integration methods, SMILE forms a compact and robust “Life Marker Chip” which has been proposed for future planetary missions including ESA's ExoMars mission, where the instrument offers the possibility of conducting a direct in situ search for signs of past or present biological activity on Mars. In addition to its role in planetary exploration, derivatives of SMILE have multiple terrestrial applications in fields such as forensic analysis and environmental monitoring.  相似文献   

12.
Data on thermophysical properties measured on lunar material returned by Apollo missions are reviewed. In particular, the effects of temperature and interstitial gaseous pressure on thermal conductivity and diffusivity have been studied. For crystalline rocks, breccias and fines, the thermal conductivity and diffusivity decrease as the interstitial gaseous pressure decreases from 1 atm to 10–4T. Below 10–4T, these properties become insensitive to the pressure. At a pressure of 10–4T or below, the thermal conductivity of fines is more temperature dependent than that of crystalline rocks and breccias. The bulk density also affects the thermal conductivity of the fines. An empirical relationship between thermal conductivity, bulk density and temperature derived from the study of terrestrial material is shown to be consistent with the data on lunar samples. Measurement of specific heat shows that, regardless of the differences in mineral composition, crystalline rocks and fines have almost identical specific heat in the temperature range between 100 and 340K. The thermal parameter calculated from thermal conductivity, density and specific heat shows that the thermal properties estimated by earth-based observations are those characteristic only of lunar fines and not of crystalline rocks and breccias. The rate of radioactive heat generation calculated from the content of K, Th and U in lunar samples indicates that the surface layer of the lunar highland is more heat-producing than the lunar maria. This may suggest fundamental differences between the two regions.Now at Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York, U.S.A.  相似文献   

13.
NASA and ESA have outlined visions for solar system exploration that will include a series of lunar robotic precursor missions to prepare for, and support a human return to the Moon, and future human exploration of Mars and other destinations, including possibly asteroids. One of the guiding principles for exploration is to pursue compelling scientific questions about the origin and evolution of life. The search for life on objects such as Mars will require careful operations, and that all systems be sufficiently cleaned and sterilized prior to launch to ensure that the scientific integrity of extraterrestrial samples is not jeopardized by terrestrial organic contamination. Under the Committee on Space Research’s (COSPAR’s) current planetary protection policy for the Moon, no sterilization procedures are required for outbound lunar spacecraft, nor is there a different planetary protection category for human missions, although preliminary COSPAR policy guidelines for human missions to Mars have been developed. Future in situ investigations of a variety of locations on the Moon by highly sensitive instruments designed to search for biologically derived organic compounds would help assess the contamination of the Moon by lunar spacecraft. These studies could also provide valuable “ground truth” data for Mars sample return missions and help define planetary protection requirements for future Mars bound spacecraft carrying life detection experiments. In addition, studies of the impact of terrestrial contamination of the lunar surface by the Apollo astronauts could provide valuable data to help refine future Mars surface exploration plans for a human mission to Mars.  相似文献   

14.
For planetary landing missions, the capability to acquire samples of soil and rock is of high importance whenever complex analyses (e.g. isotopic studies) on these materials are to be carried out, or when samples are to be returned to Earth. Not only surface samples are of relevance, but in recent concepts at least for Mars landing missions also subsurface samples are required. Subsurface material on Mars is believed to have been protected from the inferred oxidants at the immediate surface while also being protected from the UV influx. Therefore, there is considerable hope that in subsurface soil samples on Mars, at least organic matter delivered by meteorites may be detected, and possibly also relics of earlier simple microbial life on the planet. Likewise, samples from the inside of Martian surface rocks promise to have been protected from weathering and for the same reason they are important for organic chemistry studies. In this paper, an overview is given of the development and science of two different subsurface sampling devices for the Beagle 2 lander of ESA's Mars Express mission, being a “Mole” subsurface soil sampler and a small rock coring and sampling mechanism. Besides their sampling function, both the Mole and the Corer/Grinder will provide data on physical properties of Martian soils and rock, respectively, through the way they interact with the sampled materials. Details of the Mole and Corer/Grinder design are presented, along with results of recent tests with prototypes in the laboratory on physically analogous sample materials.  相似文献   

15.
We synthesize multivariate correlation and regression methods to characterize unique relationships among compositional and physical properties of a planetary surface locally, regionally, and globally. Martian data including elemental mass fractions, areal fractions of mineral types, and thermal inertia constitute our case study. We incorporate techniques to address the effects of spatial autocorrelation and heteroscedasticity. We also utilize method and fit diagnostics. While the Mars Odyssey and Mars Global Surveyor missions provide the exploratory context in our discussion, our approach is applicable whenever the interrelationships of spatially binned data of continuous-valued planetary attributes are sought. For example, our regional-scale case study reinforces the strength of the spatial correlation among K, Th, and the dominant mineralogic type within northern low albedo regions (surface type 2) of Mars. Recent chemical and mineralogic data from the MESSENGER mission at Mercury and Dawn at Vesta may be analyzed effectively with these hierarchical regression methods to constrain geochemical processes. Likewise, our algorithm could be applied locally with the wide variety of compositional data expected from the MSL mission at Gale Crater in general, and the ChemCam sampling grids in particular.  相似文献   

16.
The sunlit portion of planetary ionospheres is sustained by photoionization. This was first confirmed using measurements and modelling at Earth, but recently the Mars Express, Venus Express and Cassini-Huygens missions have revealed the importance of this process at Mars, Venus and Titan, respectively. The primary neutral atmospheric constituents involved (O and CO2 in the case of Venus and Mars, O and N2 in the case of Earth and N2 in the case of Titan) are ionized at each object by EUV solar photons. This process produces photoelectrons with particular spectral characteristics. The electron spectrometers on Venus Express and Mars Express (part of ASPERA-3 and 4, respectively) were designed with excellent energy resolution (ΔE/E=8%) specifically in order to examine the photoelectron spectrum. In addition, the Cassini CAPS electron spectrometer at Saturn also has adequate resolution (ΔE/E=16.7%) to study this population at Titan. At Earth, photoelectrons are well established by in situ measurements, and are even seen in the magnetosphere at up to 7RE. At Mars, photoelectrons are seen in situ in the ionosphere, but also in the tail at distances out to the Mars Express apoapsis (∼3RM). At both Venus and Titan, photoelectrons are seen in situ in the ionosphere and in the tail (at up to 1.45RV and 6.8RT, respectively). Here, we compare photoelectron measurements at Earth, Venus, Mars and Titan, and in particular show examples of their observation at remote locations from their production point in the dayside ionosphere. This process is found to be common between magnetized and unmagnetized objects. We discuss the role of photoelectrons as tracers of the magnetic connection to the dayside ionosphere, and their possible role in enhancing ion escape.  相似文献   

17.
Abstract— Research on extraterrestrial materials plays a critical role in formulating the science rationale and design for spacecraft missions, and, conversely, spaceflight holds great promise for solving perplexing problems in meteoritics. The connections between meteoritics and sample-return missions are obvious: Meteorite research can define sampling strategies, the capabilities of sampling devices, acceptable levels of chemical contamination and physical alteration of samples, and the conditions under which samples are stored prior to and during recovery. For their part, sample-return missions can provide geologic context for meteorites, increased sampling diversity (including materials not sampled as meteorites, such as unconsolidated regolith, ices, and atmosphere), calibration for crater-counting chronology, and ground truth for remote sensing measurements of meteorite parent bodies. Meteoritics also relates to spacecraft flyby, rendezvous, and lander missions that do not necessarily return samples. Specific illustrations of this mutual relationship, based on a selection of recent or planned spacecraft missions include: Identifying source asteroid classes for ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites and reconstructing their thermal and collisional histories (Galileo, NEAR, Clementine II, and Muses-C); determining the extent to which cometary dust and interstellar grains are found as interplanetary dust particles and assessing volatile abundances, isotopic compositions, and molecular species in cometary nuclei (Stardust and Rosetta); understanding the compositions of ancient Martian crust and the mantle sources for SNC meteorites, as well as inventorying the planet's volatile reservoirs and interactions (Mars Pathfinder, Mars Global Surveyor, and Mars Volatiles and Climate Surveyor); assessing whether lunar meteorites provide a more representative chemical sampling of the highlands crust and of mare volcanism than do Apollo samples (Galileo, Clementine, and Lunar Prospector). Spaceflight is the first priority of the space agencies that fund most research on extraterrestrial materials, and the continued level of support for such research may be linked, in part, to its use in exploration by spacecraft.  相似文献   

18.
New measurements of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn at 3.1 and 8.6 mm wavelengths are given. The temperatures reported for the planets at 3.1 mm wavelength are higher than previous measurements in this wavelength range and change the interpretation of some planetary spectra. For Mercury, it is found that the mean brightness temperature is independent of wavelength and that a temperature dependent thermal conductivity is not required to match the observations. In the case of Mars, the spectrum is shown to rise in the millimeter region as simple models predict. For Jupiter, the need to recalculate the spectrum with recent models is demonstrated. The flux density scale proposed by Dent (1972) has been revised according to a more accurate determination of the millimeter brightness temperature of Jupiter.  相似文献   

19.
The landers of the Soviet Venera series—from Venera-9 to Venera-14—designed at the Lavochkin Association are a man-made monument to spectacular achievements of Soviet space research. For more than 40 years, they have remained the uneclipsed Soviet results in space studies of the Solar System. Within the last almost half a century, the experiments carried out by the Venera-9 to Venera-14 probes for studying the surface of the planet have not been repeated by any space agency in the world, mainly due to quite substantial technical problems. Since that time, no Russian missions with landers have been sent to Venus either. On Venus, there is an anoxic carbon dioxide atmosphere, where the pressure is 9.2 MPa and the temperature is 735 K near the surface. A long-lived lander should experience these conditions for an appreciable length of time. What technical solutions could provide a longer operation time for a new probe investigating the surface of Venus, if its thermal scheme is constructed similar to that of the Venera series? Onboard new landers, there should be a sealed module, where the physical conditions required for operating scientific instruments are maintained for a long period. At the same time, new high-temperature electronic equipment that remains functional under the above-mentioned conditions have appeared. In this paper, we consider and discuss different variants of the system for a long-lived sealed lander, in particular, the absorption of the penetrating heat due to water evaporation and the thermal protection construction for the instruments with intermediate characteristics.  相似文献   

20.
Abstract— In the framework of international planetary exploration programs, several space missions are planned to search for organics and bio‐signatures on Mars. Previous attempts have not detected any organic compounds in the Martian regolith. It is therefore critical to investigate the processes that may affect organic molecules on and below the planet's surface. Laboratory simulations can provide useful data about the reaction pathways of organic material at Mars' surface. We have studied the stability of amino acid thin films against ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and use those data to predict the survival time of these compounds on and in the Martian regolith. We show that thin films of glycine and D‐alanine are expected to have half‐lives of 22 ± 5 hr and of 3 ± 1 hr, respectively, when irradiated with Mars‐like UV flux levels. Modelling shows that the half‐lives of the amino acids are extended to the order of 107 years when embedded in regolith. These data suggest that subsurface sampling must be a key component of future missions to Mars dedicated to organic detection.  相似文献   

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