Analytical techniques for retrieval of atmospheric composition with the quadrupole mass spectrometer of the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on Mars Science Laboratory

作者：Franz Heather B^*; Trainer Melissa G; Wong Michael H; Manning Heidi L K; Stern Jennifer C; Mahaffy Paul R; Atreya Sushil K; Benna Mehdi; Conrad Pamela G; Harpold Dan N; Leshin Laurie A; Malespin Charles A; McKay Christopher P; Nolan J Thomas; Raaen Eric

来源：Planetary and Space Science, 2014, 96: 99-113.

DOI：10.1016/j.pss.2014.03.005

• Mars
• Atmosphere
• Isotopes
• Mars Science Laboratory
• Curiosity Rover
• Sample Analysis at Mars investigation

The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite is the largest scientific payload on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover, which landed in Mars%26apos; Gale Crater in August 2012. As a miniature geochemical laboratory, SAM is well-equipped to address multiple aspects of MSL%26apos;s primary science goal, characterizing the potential past or present habitability of Gale Crater. Atmospheric measurements support this goal through compositional investigations relevant to martian climate evolution. SAM instruments include a quadrupole mass spectrometer, a tunable laser spectrometer, and a gas chromatograph that are used to analyze martian atmospheric gases as well as volatiles released by pyrolysis of solid surface materials (Mahaffy et al., 2012). This report presents analytical methods for retrieving the chemical and isotopic composition of Mars%26apos; atmosphere from measurements obtained with SAM%26apos;s quadrupole mass spectrometer. It provides empirical calibration constants for computing volume mixing ratios of the most abundant atmospheric species and analytical functions to correct for instrument artifacts and to characterize measurement uncertainties. Finally, we discuss differences in volume mixing ratios of the martian atmosphere as determined by SAM (Mahaffy et al., 2013) and Viking (Owen et al., 1977; Oyama and Berdahl, 1977) from an analytical perspective. Although the focus of this paper is atmospheric observations, much of the material concerning corrections for instrumental effects also applies to reduction of data acquired with SAM from analysis of solid samples.

• 出版日期2014-6