Development of a novel material and casting method for in situ construction on Mars
23
Citation
45
Reference
10
Related Paper
Citation Trend
The Martian interaction with the solar wind is unique due to the influence of remanent crustal magnetic fields. The recent studies by the Mars Express and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution missions underline the strong and complex influence of the crustal magnetic fields on the Martian environment and its interaction with the solar wind. Among them is the influence on the dynamic plasma boundaries that shape this interaction and on the bow shock in particular.Compared to other drivers of the shock location (e.g. solar dynamic pressure, extreme ultraviolet fluxes), the influence of crustal magnetic fields are less understood, with essentially differences observed between the southern and northern hemispheres attributed to the crustal fields. In this presentation we analyze in detail the influence of the crustal fields on the Martian shock location by combining for the first time datasets from two different spacecraft (MAVEN/MEX). An application of machine learning techniques will also be used to increase the list of MAVEN shocks published to date. We show in particular the importance for analyzing biases due to multiple parameters of influence through a partial correlation approach. We also compare the impact of crustal fields with the other parameters of influence, and show that the main drivers of the shock location are by order of importance extreme ultraviolet fluxes and magnetosonic Mach number, crustal fields and then solar wind dynamic pressure.
Atmosphere of Mars
Dynamic pressure
Cite
Citations (0)
Liquid water
Life on Mars
Extraterrestrial Life
Subsurface Flow
Regolith
Cite
Citations (28)
Planet Mars past environmental conditions were similar to the early Earth, but nowadays they are similar to those of a very cold desert, irradiated by intense solar UV light. However, some terrestrial lifeform showed the capability to adapt to very harsh environments, similar to the extreme condition of the Red Planet. In addition, recent discoveries of water in the Martian permafrost and of methane in the Martian atmosphere, have generated optimism regarding a potentially active subsurface Mars' biosphere. These findings increase the possibility of finding traces of life on a planet like Mars. However, before landing on Mars with dedicated biological experiments, it is necessary to understand the possibilities of finding life in the present Martian conditions. Finding a lifeform able to survive in Martian environment conditions may have a double meaning: increasing the hope of discovering extraterrestrial life and defining the limits for a terrestrial contamination of planet Mars. In this paper we present the Martian environment simulators LISA and mini-LISA, operating at the Astronomical Observatory of Padua, Italy. They have been designed to simulate the conditions on the surface of planet Mars (atmospheric pressure,0.6-0.9 kPa; temperature from -120 to 20 {\deg}C, Martian-like atmospheric composition and UV radiation). In particular, we describe the mini-LISA simulator, that allows to perform experiments with no time limits, by weekly refueling the liquid nitrogen reservoir. Various kind of experiments may be performed in the simulators, from inorganic chemistry to biological activity. They are offered as experimental facilities to groups interested in studying the processes that happen on the Martian surface or under its dust cover.
Extraterrestrial Life
Atmosphere of Mars
Mars landing
Life on Mars
Planetary habitability
Martian soil
Cite
Citations (2)
The physical state of water on Mars has fundamental ramifications for both climatology and astrobiology. The widespread presence of “softened” Martian landforms (such as impact craters) can be attributed to viscous creep of subsurface ground ice. We present laboratory experiments designed to determine the minimum amount of ice necessary to mobilize topography within Martian permafrost. Our results show that the jammed‐to‐mobile transition of icy sand packs neither occurs at fixed ice content nor is dependent on temperature or stress, but instead correlates strongly with the maximum dry packing density of the sand component. Viscosity also changes rapidly near the mobility transition. The results suggest a potentially lower minimum volatile inventory for the impact‐pulverized megaregolith of Mars. Furthermore, the long‐term preservation of partially relaxed craters implies that the ice content of Martian permafrost has remained close to that at the mobility transition throughout Martian history.
Landform
Martian soil
Cite
Citations (29)
Active Ionospheric Sounding data (AIS) of MARSIS instrument on board Mars Express mission have been used to analyze the effect of the irregular Martian topography on the electron density and altitude of the main ionospheric peak.
Ionospheric sounding
Atmosphere of Mars
Cite
Citations (0)
Cite
Citations (16)
Crystalline hematite deposits detected by Mars Global Surveyor are thought to have formed aqueously on early Mars. The formation of such deposits is discussed with regard to the overall redox implications for the early environment and early life. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
Life on Mars
Cite
Citations (1)
Atmosphere of Mars
Cite
Citations (0)
Laboratory simulation is the only feasible way to achieve Martian environmental conditions on Earth, establishing a key link between the laboratory and Mars exploration. The mineral phases of some Martian surface materials (especially hydrated minerals), as well as their spectral features, are closely related to environmental conditions. Therefore, Martian environment simulation is necessary for Martian mineral detection and analysis. A Mars environment chamber (MEC) coupled with multiple in situ spectral sensors (VIS (visible)-NIR (near-infrared) reflectance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and UV-VIS emission spectroscopy) was developed at Shandong University at Weihai, China. This MEC is a comprehensive research platform for Martian environmental parameter simulation, regulation, and spectral data collection. Here, the structure, function and performance of the MEC and the coupled spectral sensors were systematically investigated. The spectral characteristics of some geological samples were recorded and the effect of environmental parameter variations (such as gas pressure and temperature) on the spectral features were also acquired by using the in situ spectral sensors under various simulated Martian conditions. CO2 glow discharge plasma was generated and its emission spectra were assigned. The MEC and its tested functional units worked well with good accuracy and repeatability. China is implementing its first Mars mission (Tianwen-1), which was launched on 23 July 2020 and successfully entered into a Mars orbit on 10 February 2021. Many preparatory works such as spectral databases and prediction model building are currently underway using MECs, which will help us build a solid foundation for real Martian spectral data analysis and interpretation.
Atmosphere of Mars
Cite
Citations (21)
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) was launched in 2016 and began science operations in April 2018. NOMAD (Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery) [1] is one of four instruments onboard, made up of three spectrometers built to probe the atmosphere and surface of Mars in the infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths using solar occultation, limb and nadir viewing geometries. The main objective is to characterize the composition and structure of the Martian atmosphere, including the seasonal trends of atmospheric gases, dust and clouds.The GEM-Mars Global Circulation Model (GCM) [2,3,4,5] is a crucial part of the NOMAD mission, supporting the observational planning, data retrieval and interpretation of results. GEM-Mars is a multiscale grid-point model, representing the atmosphere from the surface up to around 150 km.NOMAD infrared solar occultation observations provide an opportunity to look more closely at the thermal structure in the mesosphere and evaluate the model performance in this region. It is an important transition zone between the lower and upper atmosphere and can be influenced by aerosols, gravity waves and thermal tides so it is useful to perform a detailed analysis with the observations to help constrain the representation of these processes in the model. Initial comparisons of the model to data were performed in [6]. In this work, we expand on this comparison and look at model-simulated quantities such as aerosols, heating rates and impacts from gravity waves.We will present an overview of the model and recent improvements, as well as an evaluation of model performance in the mesosphere using NOMAD solar occultation measurements. From this analysis, we will discuss ways to improve our simulations.References[1] Vandaele et al., 2018. NOMAD, an Integrated Suite of Three Spectrometers for the ExoMars Trace Gas Mission: Technical Description, Science Objectives and Expected Performance. Space Science Reviews 214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-018-0517-2[2] Neary and Daerden, 2018. The GEM-Mars general circulation model for Mars: Description and evaluation. Icarus 300, 458–476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2017.09.028[3] Daerden et al., 2019. Mars atmospheric chemistry simulations with the GEM-Mars general circulation model. Icarus 326, 197–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2019.02.030[4] Neary et al., 2020. Explanation for the Increase in High-Altitude Water on Mars Observed by NOMAD During the 2018 Global Dust Storm. Geophysical Research Letters 47, e2019GL084354. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL084354[5] Daerden et al. 2023. Heterogeneous Processes in the Atmosphere of Mars and Impact on H2O2 and O3 Abundances. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 128, e2023JE008014. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JE008014[6] Trompet et al., 2023. Carbon Dioxide Retrievals From NOMAD-SO on ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and Temperature Profile Retrievals With the Hydrostatic Equilibrium Equation: 2. Temperature Variabilities in the Mesosphere at Mars Terminator. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 128, e2022JE007279. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JE007279
Atmosphere of Mars
Cite
Citations (0)