First Detection of Non-Chlorinated Organic Molecules Indigenous to a Martian Sample

Caroline Freissinet; Daniel P. Glavin; Arnaud Buch; Cyril Szopa; Roger E. Summons; Jennifer L. Eigenbrode; P. D. Archer Jr.; William B. Brinckerhoff; Anna E. Brunner; Michel Cabane; Heather B. Franz; S. Kashyap; Charles A. Malespin; M. Martin; Maeva Millan; K. Miller; Rafael Navarro-González; B. D. Prats; A. Steele; S. Teinturier; Paul R. Mahaffy

First Detection of Non-Chlorinated Organic Molecules Indigenous to a Martian Sample

Caroline Freissinet ^{1, 2} Daniel P. Glavin ¹ Arnaud Buch ³ Cyril Szopa ⁴ Roger E. Summons ⁵ Jennifer L. Eigenbrode ¹ P. D. Archer Jr. ^{6, 7} William B. Brinckerhoff ¹ Anna E. Brunner ¹ Michel Cabane ⁴ Heather B. Franz ¹ S. Kashyap ⁸ Charles A. Malespin ¹ M. Martin ¹ Maeva Millan ⁴ K. Miller ⁵ Rafael Navarro-González ⁹ B. D. Prats ¹ A. Steele ¹⁰ S. Teinturier ¹ Paul R. Mahaffy ¹

1 GSFC - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

2 CRESST - Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology [GSFC]

3 LGPM - Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés et Matériaux - EA 4038

4 IMPEC - LATMOS

LATMOS - Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales

5 EAPS - Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences [MIT, Cambridge]

6 JSC - NASA Johnson Space Center

7 Jacobs Technology ESCG

8 UMass Amherst - University of Massachusetts [Amherst]

9 UNAM - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

10 Geophysical Laboratory [Carnegie Institution]

Abstract : The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard Curiosity can perform pyrolysis of martian solid samples, and analyze the volatiles by direct mass spectrometry in evolved gas analysis (EGA) mode, or separate the components in the GCMS mode (coupling the gas chromatograph and the mass spectrometer instruments). In addition, SAM has a wet chemistry laboratory designed for the extraction and identification of complex and refractory organic molecules in the solid samples [1]. The chemical derivatization agent used, N-methyl-N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-trifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA – Fig. 1), was sealed inside seven Inconel metal cups present in SAM. Although none of these foil-capped derivatization cups have been punctured on Mars for a full wet chemistry experiment, an MTBSTFA leak was detected and the resultant MTBSTFA vapor inside the instrument has been used for a multi-sol MTBSTFA derivatization (MD) procedure instead of direct exposure to MTBSTFA liquid by dropping a solid sample directly into a punctured wet chemistry cup [2]. Pyr-EGA, Pyr-GCMS and Der-GCMS experiments each led to the detection and identification of a variety of organic molecules in diverse formations of Gale Crater.

Document type :

Conference papers

Domain :

Sciences of the Universe [physics] / Astrophysics [astro-ph] / Earth and Planetary Astrophysics [astro-ph.EP]

Complete list of metadatas

https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01281788
Contributor : Catherine Cardon <>
Submitted on : Wednesday, March 2, 2016 - 6:03:14 PM
Last modification on : Tuesday, August 6, 2019 - 11:38:50 AM
Long-term archiving on : Friday, June 3, 2016 - 11:42:17 AM

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