Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Fei Wang, Jinping He
Summary: Studying the diurnal variability of Vegetation Red Edge (VRE) in Earth and Earth analogs can improve detectability of extraterrestrial light-harvesting vegetation and retrieve planetary information accurately.
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Isis Criouet, Jean-Christophe Viennet, Etienne Balan, Fabien Baron, Arnaud Buch, Feriel Skouri-Panet, Maxime Guillaumet, Ludovic Delbes, Laurent Remusat, Sylvain Bernard
Summary: This study investigates the biopreservation potential of an Mg-rich smectite mineral called saponite. The research shows that saponite can partially delay the degradation of organic materials, but it is not highly efficient in protecting them from thermal degradation over a long period of time.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Jonathan Gomez Barrientos, Ryan J. MacDonald, Nikole K. Lewis, Lisa Kaltenegger
Summary: Reflection spectroscopy shows potential in characterizing atmospheres and surfaces of habitable exoplanets. A new albedo parameterization for surface reflection can accurately retrieve the wavelength location of unknown edge-like features. Wavelength-dependent surface models outperform uniform models in retrieving atmospheric composition, even in the presence of Earth-like clouds. The red edge location on the modern Earth can be precisely constrained, suggesting that future space missions can infer surface compositions of rocky exoplanets, including those with spectral edges caused by life.
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Bih H. Chendi, Candice I. Snyders, Kristian Tonby, Synne Jenum, Martin Kidd, Gerhard Walzl, Novel N. Chegou, Anne M. Dyrhol-Riise
Summary: Multiple host markers showed diagnostic potential for TB in both the Norwegian and South African cohorts, with a site-independent 5-marker biosignature identified as having high accuracy for diagnosing TB, regardless of geographical setting. This suggests that the 5-marker host plasma biosignature may have diagnostic potential for TB disease across different TB settings.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Yongda Li, Keith D. Rochfort, David Collins, Konstantinos Grintzalis
Summary: The study presents a comparison of optimized protocols for the quantification of DNA using common intercalator dyes, allowing for fast and accurate detection. The methods were successfully applied to DNA detection in soil samples.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Charles A. Schutte, Vladimir A. Samarkin, Marshall W. Bowles, Brian Peters, Karen L. Casciotti, Michael T. Madigan, Samantha B. Joye
Summary: The presence of biogenic gases, such as oxygen, methane, and nitrous oxide (N2O), in the atmospheres of extraterrestrial bodies has been suggested as a sign of life. However, recent research has demonstrated the possibility of abiotic N2O production in a Mars analog environment in Antarctica. The study shows that N2O production is driven by temperature and the availability of reduced Fe-bearing minerals, rather than nitrate. Therefore, the presence of atmospheric N2O on Mars and other extraterrestrial bodies should not be seen as a direct indicator of microbial life.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yongda Li, David Collins, Konstantinos Grintzalis
Summary: The possibility of microbial life beyond Earth is a significant question in astrobiology, and the development of confirmatory tests is crucial for identifying potential habitats for life. In this study, a novel methodology for detecting microorganisms in Martian soil simulants through spiking and recovery experiments is described. The use of miniaturized techniques enables rapid and sensitive assessment of microbial presence in soil samples. The results suggest that this methodology could be valuable for identifying potential habitats for microbial life on Mars and other extraterrestrial bodies.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGICAL METHODS
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Jan Spacek, Steven A. Benner
Summary: This article introduces a device called Agnostic Life Finder (ALF), which can be used inexpensively for the collection of martian water-ice and life detection, allowing for the integration of life detection into in situ resource utilization (ISRU) missions.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
A. Roussel, A. C. McAdam, H. Graham, A. A. Pavlov, C. N. Achilles, C. A. Knudson, A. Steele, D. Foustoukos, S. S. Johnson
Summary: Research findings suggest that the impact of ionizing radiation on organic-rich samples exceeds current predictions and challenges our understanding of complex biosignatures.
FRONTIERS IN ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Alexander A. Pavlov, Hannah L. McLain, Daniel P. Glavin, Anais Roussel, Jason P. Dwork, Jamie E. Elsila, Katarina M. Yocum
Summary: Amino acids on the surface of Mars could degrade due to exposure to cosmic rays, especially in the presence of hydrated silicate minerals or perchlorates. The search for ancient amino acids and other organic biosignatures on Mars' surface faces significant challenges.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chunhua Jiang, Rong Tian, Lehui Wei
Summary: Many Mars missions have been conducted to study the Martian atmosphere and improve our understanding of the ionosphere. Observations show that the Martian ionosphere consists of an M2 layer at around 140 km altitude and an M1 layer at around 110 km altitude, ionized by solar radiation. However, there are still many unresolved questions, such as the formation of the transient topside layer (M3 layer) and its description/modeling method. This study used a one-dimensional model to simulate the M3 layer and found that the vertical transport process of plasma plays a crucial role in its formation.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Thomas Ruedas, Doris Breuer
Summary: Synthetic electrical conductivity, seismic velocity, and density distributions are derived from martian mantle convection models affected by basin-forming meteorite impacts. The detectability of impact subsurface traces suggests that efficient melt extraction from shock-molten targets could make their signatures visible in observables. Electromagnetic sounding offers a potential way to investigate mantle properties, particularly in regions of impact structures.
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
A. Noullez, K. Tsiganis
Summary: The study focuses on nearly circular frozen orbits or quasi-circular periodic orbits around axisymmetric or non-axisymmetric bodies, specifically examining very low-altitude orbits in the Martian gravity field model. By using Prony's Frequency Analysis and a filtering algorithm, the authors accurately characterize the time variation of orbital elements and compute the locations of POs/FOs. The construction of "dynamical fate maps" aids in efficient mission planning for low-altitude orbits.
ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Lidia Caros, Oliver Buxton, Tsuyoshi Shigeta, Takayuki Nagata, Taku Nonomura, Keisuke Asai, Peter Vincent
Summary: This study uses high-order direct numerical simulations (DNS) to investigate the flow over triangular airfoils under Martian conditions. The results show that increasing the spanwise domain size in spanwise periodic DNS leads to better agreement with wind-tunnel data, while full-span DNS captures blockage and wall boundary-layer effects more accurately.
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Akinyinka Omigbodun, J. Y. Vaishnav, Scott S. Hsieh
Summary: A new framework for objectively characterizing low contrast detectability (LCD) in computed tomography (CT) imaging was introduced, producing a machine LCD metric with more representative results. Experimental scans demonstrated the feasibility of the technique in measuring machine LCD with tight error bars using only a single scan, which could facilitate routine quality assurance and comparisons between different protocols and scanners.
Article
Physics, Atomic, Molecular & Chemical
Salome Gruchola, Coenraad P. de Koning, Reto Wiesendanger, Peter Keresztes Schmidt, Andreas Riedo, Valentine Grimaudo, Rustam A. Lukmanov, Niels F. W. Ligterink, Marek Tulej, Peter Wurz
Summary: Laser Ablation Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (LIMS) is an important quantitative method for chemical analysis of solids. This study presents the implementation of mass-selective beam blanking in the Laser Mass Spectrometer -Gran Turismo (LMS-GT) to improve the instruments' detection limit. The installation of the mass-selective blanking device pushed the detection limit of LMS-GT from the ppm level to the lower ppb range without compromising its initial performance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY
(2022)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
S. Barabash, A. Fedorov, J. J. Sauvaud, R. Lundin, C. T. Russell, Y. Futaana, T. L. Zhang, H. Andersson, K. Brinkfeldt, A. Grigoriev, M. Holmstrom, M. Yamauchi, K. Asamura, W. Baumjohann, H. Lammer, A. J. Coates, D. O. Kataria, D. R. Linder, C. C. Curtis, K. C. Hsieh, B. R. Sandel, M. Grande, H. Gunell, H. E. J. Koskinen, E. Kallio, P. Riihela, T. Sales, W. Schmidt, J. Kozyra, N. Krupp, M. Franz, J. Woch, J. Luhmann, S. McKenna-Lawlor, C. Mazelle, J. -j. Thocaven, S. Orsini, R. Cerulli-Irelli, A. Mura, A. Milillo, M. Maggi, E. Roelof, P. Brandt, K. Szego, J. D. Winningham, R. A. Frahm, J. Scherrer, J. R. Sharber, P. Wurz, P. Bochsler
Review
Astronomy & Astrophysics
P. Wurz, S. Fatemi, A. Galli, J. Halekas, Y. Harada, N. Jaeggi, J. Jasinski, H. Lammer, S. Lindsay, M. N. Nishino, T. M. Orlando, J. M. Raines, M. Scherf, J. Slavin, A. Vorburger, R. Winslow
Summary: This review discusses the direct exposure of airless bodies such as the Moon and Mercury to exogenic sources, including the impact on their chemical composition and optical properties, and the formation of a neutral gas exosphere.
SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Correction
Instruments & Instrumentation
Jonathan Gasser, Andre Galli, Peter Wurz
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
S. Orsini, A. Milillo, H. Lichtenegger, A. Varsani, S. Barabash, S. Livi, E. De Angelis, T. Alberti, G. Laky, H. Nilsson, M. Phillips, A. Aronica, E. Kallio, P. Wurz, A. Olivieri, C. Plainaki, J. A. Slavin, I. Dandouras, J. M. Raines, J. Benkhoff, J. Zender, J. -J. Berthelier, M. Dosa, G. C. Ho, R. M. Killen, S. McKenna-Lawlor, K. Torkar, O. Vaisberg, F. Allegrini, I. A. Daglis, C. Dong, C. P. Escoubet, S. Fatemi, M. Fraenz, S. Ivanovski, N. Krupp, H. Lammer, Francois Leblanc, V. Mangano, A. Mura, R. Rispoli, M. Sarantos, H. T. Smith, M. Wieser, F. Camozzi, A. M. Di Lellis, G. Fremuth, F. Giner, R. Gurnee, J. Hayes, H. Jeszenszky, B. Trantham, J. Balaz, W. Baumjohann, M. Cantatore, D. Delcourt, M. Delva, M. Desai, H. Fischer, A. Galli, M. Grande, M. Holmstrom, I. Horvath, K. C. Hsieh, R. Jarvinen, R. E. Johnson, A. Kazakov, K. Kecskemety, H. Krueger, C. Kuerbisch, Frederic Leblanc, M. Leichtfried, E. Mangraviti, S. Massetti, D. Moissenko, M. Moroni, R. Noschese, F. Nuccilli, N. Paschalidis, J. Ryno, K. Seki, A. Shestakov, S. Shuvalov, R. Sordini, F. Stenbeck, J. Svensson, S. Szalai, K. Szego, D. Toublanc, N. Vertolli, R. Wallner, A. Vorburger
Summary: This study describes the observations of Mercury's southern inner magnetosphere during the first flyby of the BepiColombo mission. The study identifies high-energy signals and low-energy ions, as well as signs of magnetosphere erosion. Different ion populations are observed inside the magnetosphere, providing important insights into the behavior of a weak magnetosphere close to the Sun.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Robert F. Wimmer-Schweingruber, Nicolas Andre, Stanislav Barabash, Pontus C. Brandt, Timothy S. Horbury, Luciano Iess, Benoit Lavraud, Ralph L. McNutt, Elena A. Provornikova, Eric Quemerais, Robert Wicks, Martin Wieser, Peter Wurz
Summary: The discovery of exoplanets has revolutionized our understanding of our place in the Universe. Studying the interaction between interstellar medium and stellar wind is crucial in understanding astrospheres and the shielding they provide to planetary systems. Research on this topic has been submitted to NASA and ESA, highlighting possible European contributions to a NASA-led Interstellar Probe project.
FRONTIERS IN ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Optics
Valentine Grimaudo, Diego Monserrat Lopez, Giulia Prone, Thomas Luthi, Alexander Flisch, Alena Cedeno Lopez, Vitali Grozovski, Marek Tulej, Andreas Riedo, Robert Zboray, Emanuel Lortscher, Peter Broekmann, Peter Wurz
Summary: Laser ablation is widely used in probing the chemical composition of solid materials. This study uses three different imaging methods to analyze the shape of ablation craters and provides accurate information for depth calibration in chemical depth profiling.
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Jonathan Gasser, Andre Galli, Peter Wurz
Summary: Scientific detection and imaging instruments for low-energetic neutral atoms (ENA) require thorough pre-flight laboratory calibration against a well-characterized neutral atom beam source. A test facility equipped with a plasma ion source and an ion beam neutralization stage at the University of Bern is available for this calibration purpose. By using surface neutralization, low-energy neutral atom beams can be produced in a wide range of energy with various gas species. The calibration and characterization of the neutral atom beam source are conducted using an Absolute Beam Monitor (ABM) as the primary calibration standard.
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Noah Jaggi, Andreas Mutzke, Herbert Biber, Johannes Broetzner, Paul Stefan Szabo, Friedrich Aumayr, Peter Wurz, Andre Galli
Summary: Rocky planets and moons are constantly emitting neutral atoms into their surrounding exospheres due to solar wind sputtering. Previously used Monte Carlo codes like TRIM have been challenged by improved models and new experimental data. We introduce a hybrid model that combines previous surface binding approaches with a new bulk binding model, and expand the model implementation to include distinctions between different mineral compounds.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Audrey Vorburger, Shahab Fatemi, Shane R. Carberry Mogan, Andre Galli, Lucas Liuzzo, Andrew R. Poppe, Lorenz Roth, Peter Wurz
Summary: The study presents new model results for the composition of Ganymede's atmosphere, finding that sublimation remains the major source process for H2O, while radiolysis induced by auroral electrons dominates the source fluxes for O2 and H2.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
P. S. Szabo, A. R. Poppe, A. Mutzke, S. Fatemi, A. Vorburger, P. Wurz
Summary: The reflection of solar wind protons as energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) from the lunar surface has been used to study the plasma-surface interaction at the Moon, but there is still a lack of knowledge about the scattering process. Similar ENA emission is expected to occur at Mercury and will be studied by BepiColombo. Understanding solar wind backscattering will provide insights into the plasma environment of Mercury and the properties of its surface.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Salome Gruchola, Andreas Riedo, Peter Keresztes Schmidt, Coenraad P. de Koning, Luca N. Knecht, Marek Tulej, Frances Westall, Peter Wurz
Summary: In femtosecond Laser Ablation Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (fs-LIMS), short laser pulses are used to ablate, atomise, and ionise solid sample material. Surface charging can occur when ablating non-conductive samples, affecting the quality of the ablation plume. This study investigated methods to reduce surface charging, such as pausing between laser bursts and sputter coating the sample with a thin gold layer. Coating the sample with gold improved the mass spectrometric results by preventing charge build-up and allowed high laser pulse energies for better sensitivity and faster measurement acquisition.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL ATOMIC SPECTROMETRY
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
O. Mousis, A. Bouquet, Y. Langevin, N. Andre, H. Boithias, G. Durry, F. Faye, P. Hartogh, J. Helbert, L. Iess, S. Kempf, A. Masters, F. Postberg, J. -B. Renard, P. Vernazza, A. Vorburger, P. Wurz, D. H. Atkinson, S. Barabash, M. Berthomier, J. Brucato, M. Cable, J. Carter, S. Cazaux, A. Coustenis, G. Danger, V. Dehant, T. Fornaro, P. Garnier, T. Gautier, O. Groussin, L. Z. Hadid, J. -C. Ize, I. Kolmasova, J. -P. Lebreton, S. Le Maistre, E. Lellouch, J. I. Lunine, K. E. Mandt, Z. Martins, D. Mimoun, Q. Nenon, G. M. Munoz Caro, P. Rannou, H. Rauer, P. Schmitt-Kopplin, A. Schneeberger, M. Simons, K. Stephan, T. Van Hoolst, J. Vaverka, M. Wieser, L. Woerner
Summary: Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, has an internal water ocean and expels ocean material into space. The Moonraker mission aims to investigate the composition of the plume formed by the ocean jets to understand the moon's habitability and origin. This proposed mission will use advanced instruments to pave the way for future landed missions.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
K. A. Kipfer, N. F. W. Ligterink, J. Bouwman, L. Schwander, V. Grimaudo, C. P. de Koning, N. J. Boeren, P. Keresztes Schmidt, R. Lukmanov, M. Tulej, P. Wurz, A. Riedo
Summary: This study measured PAHs on various planetary surfaces using the ORIGIN system and demonstrated its detection capabilities. The chemical processing of PAHs during measurement was limited, and the parent mass could be detected in most cases. The instrument achieved a detection limit of femtomol mm(-2) for all four PAHs, showing its potential for detecting molecules related to the emergence or presence of life. ORIGIN could be used for future missions to solar system targets.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Nikita J. Boeren, Salome Gruchola, Coenraad P. de Koning, Peter Keresztes Schmidt, Kristina A. Kipfer, Niels F. W. Ligterink, Marek Tulej, Peter Wurz, Andreas Riedo
Summary: This article introduces a feasible method for detecting lipids in the search for extraterrestrial life using laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. The research shows that the method already meets the requirements of the Enceladus Orbilander mission concept and has the potential to be applied in future space exploration missions.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2022)