1. Preservation of organics at Mars' near-surface
- Author
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Freissinet, Caroline, Glavin, Daniel P., Buch, Arnaud, Szopa, Cyril, Archer Jr., P. D., Brinckerhoff, William B., Brunner, Anna E., Eigenbrode, Jennifer L., Franz, Heather B., Kashyap, S., Malespin, Charles A., Millan, Maeva, Miller, Kristen E., Navarro-González, Rafael, Prats, B. D., Summons, Roger E., Teinturier, Samuel, Mahaffy, Paul R., Center for Space Sciences and Technology (CSST), University of Maryland [Baltimore County] (UMBC), University of Maryland System-University of Maryland System, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés et Matériaux - EA 4038 (LGPM), CentraleSupélec, Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (M.E.N.E.S.R.), PLANETO - LATMOS, Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Jacobs Technology ESCG, Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology [GSFC] (CRESST), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares [Mexico], Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences [MIT, Cambridge] (EAPS), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México = National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and Cardon, Catherine
- Subjects
[SDU.ASTR]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] ,[SDU.ASTR] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] - Abstract
International audience; One of the biggest concerns for the in situ detection of organic molecules onextraterrestrial environment is the preservation potential of the molecules at the surface and subsurface given the harsh radiative environment and oxidants they are exposed to.The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission hosts Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM), a 40 kg suite of instruments which is devoted to make the inventory of organic and inorganic compounds in Mars’ atmosphere and subsurface, and understanding their processes of preservation.To date, SAM has detected and identified several organic molecules in the Martian subsuface, such as chloroalkanes, chlorobenzene at various states of chlorination, sulphur-containaing molecules and functionalized aromatic hydrocarbons.The presence of organic molecules opens up habitability to another level, where the building blocks of life were available. Understanding their windows of preservation of organics will help in the search for prebiotic or biological signature on Mars.
- Published
- 2016