Journal
PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE
Volume 59, Issue 5-6, Pages 387-393Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.pss.2011.01.004
Keywords
Ion funnel; Laser ablation; Mars; Mass spectrometry
Categories
Funding
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- DOE [DE-AC05-76RLO 1830]
- NASA
- JPL
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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. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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