Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Dec 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.p13f..01s&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #P13F-01
Mathematics
Logic
5400 Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets, 5405 Atmospheres (0343, 1060), 5422 Ices, 5470 Surface Materials And Properties
Scientific paper
After a thrilling landing on May 25, 2008, Phoenix has conducted a series of science experiments designed to unlock the secrets of the northern, ice-rich plains. The overarching goals are to determine the history of the water ice, to check for the signatures of a habitable zone, and to monitor the polar weather from Summer to late Fall. These goals are achieved in three ways: geologically with cameras and a robotic arm to image and interact with the surface, analytically using three instruments on the deck to assess the chemistry and mineralogy of samples, and observationally using a powerful weather station operating around the clock. Phoenix landed on the fluidized ejecta from the nearby Heimdal crater where the surface is molded into polygonal shapes characteristic of icy polar terrain. After trenching several inches beneath the surface to an ice table and examining samples from each layer, samples from different depths were collected and studied. The chemistry is alkaline with calcium carbonate associated with the ice; this is very different from the sulfate-rich acidic soil seen by the MER rovers. A surprisingly large amount of perchlorate, likely magnesium perchlorate, is seen in the wet chemistry lab. Microscopic images reveal three classes of soil particles: iron- rich clay-sized particles with larger grains of two types. These are compared with the phyllosilicates and carbonates discovered in the TEGA experiment. The transition of the seasons is recorded in the detailed data sets collected with our weather station. Ice clouds and ground fogs are evident with frost in the coldest areas late at night. Taken together a new understanding of the complex interaction of atmosphere, dry soil, and ice is revealed.
Smith Paul H.
Team P. S.
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