Standoff Raman spectroscopy for future Europa Lander missions
Abstract
Near Infrared Mapping Spectrograph data from the Galileo spacecraft and cryogenic laboratory reflectance measurements on hydrated compounds identified the presence of mixtures of hydrous magnesium sulfate, sulfuric acid, and hydrogen peroxide on the surface of Europa. Standoff Raman spectroscopy is ideally suited for exploring terrestrial Europa analog sites and Europa because of its ability to unambiguously identify minerals, organic compounds, and biomarkers inside ice. In the present work, we evaluated the performance of a standoff Raman system at various distances by measuring Raman spectra of hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid, and hydrous sulfate minerals, which are predicted to be present on Europa's surface. To simulate Europa's surface environment, Raman spectra of MgSO4·7H2O, FeSO4·7H2O, gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O), dry ice (CO2‐ice), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) naphthalene and anthracene inside crushed H2O‐ice, shaved H2O‐ice, and a clear H2O‐ice block have also been measured. The PAHs were selected in this study because of their presence in the interstellar medium, comets, and meteorites. The results show that it will be possible to map out the non‐ice components on the surface and subsurface of Europa analog sites and Europa up to a distance of 120 m from a static lander and to a depth of ~10 cm inside ice.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Feb 11, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1002/jrs.5814
Entities
People
- A.k. Misra
- C.p. Mckay
- J.n. Porter
- S.m. Angel
- Shiv K. Sharma
- T.e. Acosta‐maeda
Organizations
- Ames Research Center
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Office of Naval Research
- University of Hawaiʻi System
- University of South Carolina