The Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) Instrument: Characterization of Organic Material in Martian Sediments

Characterization of Organic Compounds in Martian Sediments: a Case Study Imitating Moma Pyrolysis & Derivatization Onboard the Exomars Rover

Oxygenic photosynthesis and the oxidation state of Mars.

The oxidation state of the Earth's surface is one of the most obvious indications of the effect of life on this planet. The surface of Mars is highly oxidized, as evidenced by its red color, but the connection to life is less apparent. Two possibilities can be considered. First, the oxidant may be photochemically produced in the atmosphere. In this case the fundamental source of O2 is the l...

The Effect of Impact Gardening and Impact-induced Pyrolysis on the Concentration of Organic Molecules

Introduction: Every year, organic material is delivered to Mars primarily in the form of interplanetary dust and other particles smaller than about 1 mm in diameter [1]. These objects are small enough that the organic material they carry is not pyrolized and destroyed in the atmosphere [2]. By modeling the flux of such particles at Earth using satellite, radar, and visual meteor measurements an...

Planning considerations related to the organic contamination of Martian samples and implications for the Mars 2020 Rover.

s and papers in preparation describe the ‘‘tentative’’ detection of dichloropropane and chlorobenzene at levels of a few tens of nanograms per gram in a core drilled into a mudstone at Yellowknife Bay (e.g.. Summons et al., 2014a,b). A significant caveat here is that all three missions used thermolysis and pyrolysis to volatilize organic compounds so that they are amenable to gas chromatographi...

Organic molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars

The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on board the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover is designed to conduct inorganic and organic chemical analyses of the atmosphere and the surface regolith and rocks to help evaluate the past and present habitability potential of Mars at Gale Crater. Central to this task is the development of an inventory of any organic molecules present to elucid...