Elemental Composition of Analogs to Mars Return Samples Studied with X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging at NSLS-II

Journal Article · Fri Aug 10 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Microscopy and Microanalysis

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1017/s1431927618014721· OSTI ID:1768766

Thieme, Juergen ^[1]; Hurowitz, Joel ^[2]; Schoonen, Martin ^[3]; Farley, K. A. ^[4]; Sherman, S. ^[4]; Hill, John ^[1]

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1. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
2. Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States)
3. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States)
4. California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

In 2020, NASA will launch out into the first step of what may be an ambitious, multi-mission campaign with the goal to bring back for analysis in laboratories here to Earth a collection of rock, regolith, and atmosphere samples from Mars. It is the main objective of this endeavor to determine whether or not Mars was ever host to ancient microbial life. Finding evidence for extinct (or extant) life on Mars has the potential to fundamentally alter our view of the origin and evolution of life. It would provide proof for Earth being just one amongst others regarding the question of biological activity in the Solar System. Furthermore, returned Martian samples would provide a rich repository of information on the history of planetary accretion and differentiation, geochronology, atmospheric evolution, and the paleo-environmental history of Mars, adding tremendous additional value to such a mission beyond the issue of extraterrestrial life. Here the potential knowledge to be obtained by such a collection of samples will equal or exceed that of the Apollo lunar sample archive, which even today yields new insights on the history of the Solar System, over 40 years after they were returned to Earth.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0012704
• OSTI ID: 1768766
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1777432
• Report Number(s): BNL-221087-2021-JAAM; BNL-221257-2021-JAAM
• Journal Information: Microscopy and Microanalysis, Vol. 24, Issue S2; ISSN 1431-9276
• Publisher: Microscopy Society of America (MSA)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE