A Sensitive Search for Multiple Biomarker Gases on Mars, and Discovery of a New Band of Isotopic Co2 in the Prime Search Region for Hydrocarbons

Details A Sensitive Search for Multiple Biomarker Gases on Mars, and Discovery of a New Band of Isotopic Co2 in the Prime Search Region for Hydrocarbons A Sensitive Search for Multiple Biomarker Gases on Mars, and Discovery of a New Band of Isotopic Co2 in the Prime Search Region for Hydrocarbons

Oct 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007dps....39.3101v&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #31.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.471

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We present results from an extensive and comprehensive search for multiple biomarker gases on Mars. The data span more than 10 years covering different Mars seasons and local conditions. The searches were performed using high-resolution spectrometers (λ/Δλ = 40,000, NIRSPEC and CSHELL) at very powerful infrared telescopes (Keck-2 and NASA-IRTF). The long-slit spectra enabled simultaneous searches for multiple species, over spatially extended regions.
Many molecules of possible biological and geothermal interest have strong signatures in the 2-5 µm spectral region. Moreover, many targeted species have no allowed transitions at radio wavelengths, so searches for them are only possible through their ro-vibrational transitions at infrared wavelengths. The 3.2 - 3.6 µm range is especially important for symmetric hydrocarbons owing to their strong ro-vibrational C-H stretching modes in this region. Results will be presented for H2O, HDO, CO2, C2H6, H2CO, CH3OH, C2H2, C2H4, SO2, OCS, N2O, NH3, HCN and CH3Cl.
In addition, we will present our discovery of a new band-system of isotopic CO2 near 3.3 µm, with multiple bright P, Q and R lines in the prime spectral region used to search for Mars methane. Implications for previous and future searches of biomarker gases will be presented.
GLV was supported by the NASA Postdoctoral Program. MJM was supported by Grants from NASA's Planetary Astronomy Program (344-32-51-96) and Astrobiology Program (344-53-51), and REN by NSF RUI Grant AST-0505765.

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