SETI Talks: Jen Blank - ChemCam on Mars Science Lab Rover
<p>Jun 6, 2010 8:59 PM  JEN BLANK
 
Chem Cam  Instrument on the MARS Science Lab Mission  preparing for LIBS
 
staff sci at SETI
 
Roger Wiens  collabor.
 
Overview of ChemCam
 
LIBS  is the<b> Laser-Induced  Breakdown  Spectroscopy</b>.
 
launch next year.
 
high temp plasma  to 30k Kelvin   from  short pusles of laser.
each element has a unique LIBS spectral ine.
 
Laser fires and see a spark at the target  and then look with spectrogram.
 
invented abt  15 yrs ago... new to planet exploration.
 
removes dust and weathering,
rapid analysis,  simple
able to detect high and low Z elements.
relat littel power.
 
distance is abt  7 meters from target.
 
laser spot is only 1 mm or less;  sensitive to grain size and atm and temp.
 
detects nearly all elements  including H Li Be B C N O.
light elements;
 
MSL  =  Mars Science Lab   sched for 2011;
 
3X larger than oppor and spirit... like a Mini Cooper.
 
9 onbd experiements... (instrum suite)
 
to assess past and present habitab. on Mars
 
search for water;  ID ing organic cmpds;
biosigs;
light elements;XR diffrac
alpha particle spectrom  tle detect elements down to Na.
GCMS for organics
 
PI is Roger Wiens;
 
10 years to develop this project.
 
ChemCam  is first ET  LIBS
 
REmote Micro Imager;
 
RMI  is  Remote Micro Imager  down to resolution at 5 m.
500 micron  point size to see where  laser is pointed.
 
hit  various rocks   olivine,  dolomite;  calcite  and gypsum
anaylize  PC1 vs PC2...  do multivar analy  MVA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 </p>