Investigating the Deliquescence Relative Humidity of Perchlorate Salts as a Function of Temperature: Implications for Mars

Details Investigating the Deliquescence Relative Humidity of Perchlorate Salts as a Function of Temperature: Implications for Mars Investigating the Deliquescence Relative Humidity of Perchlorate Salts as a Function of Temperature: Implications for Mars

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p23a1230g&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P23A-1230

Biology

[5200] Planetary Sciences: Astrobiology, [5470] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Surface Materials And Properties, [6225] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Mars

Scientific paper

Recent observations suggest perchlorate salts are present in the regolith at the polar regions of Mars. Perchlorates are deliquescent, meaning they absorb significant water from the atmosphere and become an aqueous solution. Deliquescence of perchlorate salts is a possible explanation for the appearance and growth of droplet-like spheroids on a strut of the Phoenix lander. The relative humidity at which this deliquescence occurs (DRH) is often temperature-dependent, and the only value reported thus far is DRH = 44% for sodium perchlorate at room temperature. However, the deliquescence of perchlorate salts at Martian temperatures has not been studied, and the temperature dependence of this process is important for predicting the ability of liquid water to be stable on the Martian surface and in the shallow subsurface. To study the deliquescence of perchlorate at Martian temperatures, we are using a Raman microscope paired with an environmental cell. Deliquescence can be detected both spectrally and by visual inspection. We have determined that the DRH of pure perchlorate salts is independent of temperature. However, the DRH of pure perchlorate may be affected by the presence of minerals known to exist on Mars, such as phyllosilicates. Some clay minerals have unique water adsorption properties, and these competing water adsorption mechanisms may inhibit the ability of perchlorate salts to deliquesce, effectively shrinking the proposed window of aqueous perchlorate solution stability. For this reason, we also report DRH values for perchlorate mixed with analog minerals. These studies will help determine the likelihood of liquid water on present-day Mars and constrain the latitudes, seasons, and times of day in which it could exist.

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