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The first X-ray diffraction measurements on Mars

Journal Article · · IUCrJ
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8];  [9];  [10];  [11];  [12];  [13];  [13];  [14];  [13];  [13];  [13]
  1. Indiana University (United States). Geological Sciences; DOE/OSTI
  2. Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States). NASA
  3. Planetary Science Institute (United States)
  4. inXitu (United States)
  5. Indiana University (United States). Geological Sciences
  6. University of Hawaii at Manoa (United States)
  7. Chesapeake Energy (United States).
  8. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (United States)
  9. University of Arizona (United States)
  10. Arizona State University (United States)
  11. CNRS (France)
  12. Johnson Space Center (United States). NASA
  13. Jet Propulsion Laboratory (United States). NASA
  14. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

The Mars Science Laboratory landed in Gale crater on Mars in August 2012, and the Curiosity rover then began field studies on its drive toward Mount Sharp, a central peak made of ancient sediments. CheMin is one of ten instruments on or inside the rover, all designed to provide detailed information on the rocks, soils and atmosphere in this region. CheMin is a miniaturized X-ray diffraction/X-ray fluorescence (XRD/XRF) instrument that uses transmission geometry with an energy-discriminating CCD detector. CheMin uses onboard standards for XRD and XRF calibration, and beryl:quartz mixtures constitute the primary XRD standards. Four samples have been analysed by CheMin, namely a soil sample, two samples drilled from mudstones and a sample drilled from a sandstone. Rietveld and full-pattern analysis of the XRD data reveal a complex mineralogy, with contributions from parent igneous rocks, amorphous components and several minerals relating to aqueous alteration. In particular, the mudstone samples all contain one or more phyllosilicates consistent with alteration in liquid water. In addition to quantitative mineralogy, Rietveld refinements also provide unit-cell parameters for the major phases, which can be used to infer the chemical compositions of individual minerals and, by difference, the composition of the amorphous component.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11358
OSTI ID:
1625818
Journal Information:
IUCrJ, Journal Name: IUCrJ Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 1; ISSN 2052-2525; ISSN IUCRAJ
Publisher:
International Union of Crystallography
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (14)

GSAS-II : the genesis of a modern open-source all purpose crystallography software package journal March 2013
Curiosity at Gale Crater, Mars: Characterization and Analysis of the Rocknest Sand Shadow journal September 2013
Two-dimensional detector software: From real detector to idealised image or two-theta scan journal January 1996
High pressure single-crystal micro X-ray diffraction analysis with GSE_ADA/RSV software journal August 2013
Mineralogy of a Mudstone at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars journal December 2013
Collecting Samples in Gale Crater, Mars; an Overview of the Mars Science Laboratory Sample Acquisition, Sample Processing and Handling System journal June 2012
Sequence of infilling events in Gale Crater, Mars: Results from morphology, stratigraphy, and mineralogy: SEDIMENTARY INFILLING IN GALE CRATER journal December 2013
FULLPAT : a full-pattern quantitative analysis program for X-ray powder diffraction using measured and calculated patterns journal November 2002
Gale crater: the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Rover Landing Site journal September 2012
Mars Science Laboratory Mission and Science Investigation journal July 2012
Characterization and Calibration of the CheMin Mineralogical Instrument on Mars Science Laboratory journal June 2012
X-ray Diffraction Results from Mars Science Laboratory: Mineralogy of Rocknest at Gale Crater journal September 2013
A Habitable Fluvio-Lacustrine Environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars journal December 2013
Stability of hydrous minerals on the martian surface journal July 2003

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Related Subjects

Chemistry
Crystallography
Materials Science