Laser Absorption Biosignatures On Mars And Earth

Details Laser Absorption Biosignatures On Mars And Earth Laser Absorption Biosignatures On Mars And Earth

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p41b..07v&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P41B-07

Biology

[0322] Atmospheric Composition And Structure / Constituent Sources And Sinks, [0406] Biogeosciences / Astrobiology And Extraterrestrial Materials, [1034] Geochemistry / Hydrothermal Systems, [5220] Planetary Sciences: Astrobiology / Hydrothermal Systems And Weathering On Other Planets

Scientific paper

The Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) is one of three instruments (QMS, GC, TLS) that comprise the Sample Acquisition Mission (SAM) on NASA's 2011 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). TLS has unprecedented capability for measuring methane, water and carbon dioxide abundances in the martian atmosphere and in gas evolved from heated soil samples. In addition, TLS will measure the 12 C/13 C isotope ratios in both CH4 and CO2 and the 16 O/ 17 O / 18 O isotope ratios in CO2 and H2 O. Comparison among atmospheric and soil isotope ratios promises insight into the role of water in the interior of Mars, and potentially life-sustaining uid-rock interactions. We present measurements of absolute and isotopic compositions from spring samples collected at The Cedars, a site of active serpentinization and possibly an analog to Nili Fossae and other sites of aqueous alteration on Mars, using tunable laser spectroscopy with instrumentation similar to TLS. In addition, we present initial laboratory measurements and discuss characterization of a new biomarker molecule, methyl mercaptan, or CH3SH, in the 3.27 micron spectral region interrogated by the methane laser on TLS. CH3SH is a biproduct of basic metabolic processes linked to serpentinizing systems. Its presence reduces ambiguity about the biogenicity of methane moderately enriched in light carbon (δ13C > -40 per mil). These initial measurements permit detection at the level of parts per million. Measurements similar to the ones discussed here can be made by TLS when MSL reaches its destination.

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