Pyrolysis of Oxalate, Acetate, and Perchlorate Mixtures and the Implications for Organic Salts on Mars

Organic salts, such as Fe, Ca, and Mg oxalates acetates, may be widespread radiolysis oxidation products of organic matter in Martian surface sediments. Such salts are challenging to identify by evolved gas analysis but the ubiquitous CO2 CO pyrolysis data from Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on Curiosity rover indirectly points their presence. Here, we examined laboratory results SAM?like analyses pure phases, trace phases mixed with silica, mixtures Ca perchlorates. Pure CO, while acetates a diverse range dominated acetone acetic acid. Dispersal within silica caused minor peak shifting, decreased amounts acetate standards, altered relative abundances pyrolysis. The perchlorate scrubbed Fe oxalate releases shifted peaks lower temperatures, whereas oxalate, weaker release was observed initial evolutions were largely unchanged. perchlorates induced stronger expense other products. Oxalates ?47% more yielded ?69% when abundant. most compelling fits between our salt SAM included samples acquired modern eolian deposits sedimentary rocks evidence for low?temperature alteration.