Chemistry and Mineralogy tool rover Curiosity
On 61 sol (the Martian day), Curiosity first scooped up a handful of sand with its 7-centimeter dipper and prepared to send it to the depths of its scientific body. A two-day hitch, with a piece of plastic found on the surface of Mars, suspended work, but the matter was continued.
In order to prepare soil samples, a special CHIMRA device (Collection and Handling for In-Situ Martian Rock Analysis) is located on the manipulator. It is a 4x7 centimeters bucket, a tube that will take away the stone chips from the drill, several internal containers, a vibromechanism and a sieve, with a 150 micron cell.
After the bucket scoops up the ground, the first part of the sample is taken from it. In the internal cavities of CHIMRA, it is sifted through a sieve, aided by the operation of the vibromechanism, the excess is removed, and the next portion is sent to the screening. In total, there are three stages of the fence from the bucket and sifting soil. As a result, there remains a little powder of the necessary fraction, which is sent to the ground receiver, on the body of the rover, and the excess is thrown away.
(color corrected by NASA)
As soon as Curiosity prepared the first sample, he scooped up the next one.
“Second attempt” is not an accident. Inside the body of the rover there are two devices for the study of Martian soil.
One of them, the Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument, or ChemIn for short, will be involved in determining the mineral composition of the Martian rocks.
(compressed air cylinder for blowing elements of the device and cleaning from foreign particles of soil)
')
The mineral composition will show scientists the conditions under which the rocks arose, which means it will tell about geological periods in the history of Mars. First of all, scientists are interested in those rocks that were formed with the participation of water. For example, gypsum contains water, and anhydrite, having also a chemical structure, does not. Presumably the gypsum met on the way of the Opportunity rover, but it did not have the necessary equipment on board for accurate identification.
That is, ChemIn will search for mineral clues on those conditions that could contribute to life on Mars.
ChemIn conducts research using an X-ray beam as thick as human hair, directing its flow to soil samples. Results will be evaluated by two methods.
The first is x-ray fluorescence. Samples irradiated by X-rays will begin to glow, and atoms of different substances will do it each with its own intensity.
The second method is x-ray diffraction. The X-ray, passing through the rock crystals, will deflect in them, at an angle that is determined by the structure of the crystal lattice of the mineral. Scientists already know the diffraction patterns of almost all minerals, so they will only have to get the result and compare with what they have.
Information about the luminosity of atoms and the diffraction pattern will be removed by a specially prepared E2V CCD-224 matrix of 600x600 pixels and information from it will be sent to Earth.
For the matrix, the optimal operating temperature is -60 ° C. If the temperature is higher, then the picture will be littered with radiation from the neutron generator of the Russian DAN instrument.
The ChemIn x-ray process is provided by a wheel, which houses 32 round cells for samples 8 mm in diameter and 175 microns thick.
On each "petal" of the wheel is located in two cells. There are two types of cells, differing in the material of the transparent wall through which the beam will penetrate the mineral. One type is made of Mylar ( Vika ), the second of Kapton ( Vika ).
These films differ from each other in physical properties. Mylar provides a clearer diffraction pattern, but it is sensitive to vibration and acid. Kapton is more reliable and durable, but introduces its own “noise” into the diffraction pattern, which will especially hinder the study of clay minerals.
For Martian samples, only 27 cells are available, and 5 are occupied by test samples placed on Earth. They are needed to test the functionality of the instrument in Martian conditions. But empty cells are reusable - they are cleaned when the wheel turns 180 degrees.
The work of CHIMRA and ChemIn is shown in the Curiosity demo prepared by NASA when the rover itself was still in the assembly hall. The moment begins at 9:08
Inside, Curiosity contains another device, called SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars), but it will require a separate story.
PS And, yes, I use VK as a host of pictures, because I upload them to my Curiosity group. If anyone has a problem with this - write, feel free.
In order to prepare soil samples, a special CHIMRA device (Collection and Handling for In-Situ Martian Rock Analysis) is located on the manipulator. It is a 4x7 centimeters bucket, a tube that will take away the stone chips from the drill, several internal containers, a vibromechanism and a sieve, with a 150 micron cell.
After the bucket scoops up the ground, the first part of the sample is taken from it. In the internal cavities of CHIMRA, it is sifted through a sieve, aided by the operation of the vibromechanism, the excess is removed, and the next portion is sent to the screening. In total, there are three stages of the fence from the bucket and sifting soil. As a result, there remains a little powder of the necessary fraction, which is sent to the ground receiver, on the body of the rover, and the excess is thrown away.
(color corrected by NASA)
As soon as Curiosity prepared the first sample, he scooped up the next one.
“Second attempt” is not an accident. Inside the body of the rover there are two devices for the study of Martian soil.
One of them, the Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument, or ChemIn for short, will be involved in determining the mineral composition of the Martian rocks.
(compressed air cylinder for blowing elements of the device and cleaning from foreign particles of soil)
')
The mineral composition will show scientists the conditions under which the rocks arose, which means it will tell about geological periods in the history of Mars. First of all, scientists are interested in those rocks that were formed with the participation of water. For example, gypsum contains water, and anhydrite, having also a chemical structure, does not. Presumably the gypsum met on the way of the Opportunity rover, but it did not have the necessary equipment on board for accurate identification.
That is, ChemIn will search for mineral clues on those conditions that could contribute to life on Mars.
ChemIn conducts research using an X-ray beam as thick as human hair, directing its flow to soil samples. Results will be evaluated by two methods.
The first is x-ray fluorescence. Samples irradiated by X-rays will begin to glow, and atoms of different substances will do it each with its own intensity.
The second method is x-ray diffraction. The X-ray, passing through the rock crystals, will deflect in them, at an angle that is determined by the structure of the crystal lattice of the mineral. Scientists already know the diffraction patterns of almost all minerals, so they will only have to get the result and compare with what they have.
Information about the luminosity of atoms and the diffraction pattern will be removed by a specially prepared E2V CCD-224 matrix of 600x600 pixels and information from it will be sent to Earth.
For the matrix, the optimal operating temperature is -60 ° C. If the temperature is higher, then the picture will be littered with radiation from the neutron generator of the Russian DAN instrument.
The ChemIn x-ray process is provided by a wheel, which houses 32 round cells for samples 8 mm in diameter and 175 microns thick.
On each "petal" of the wheel is located in two cells. There are two types of cells, differing in the material of the transparent wall through which the beam will penetrate the mineral. One type is made of Mylar ( Vika ), the second of Kapton ( Vika ).
These films differ from each other in physical properties. Mylar provides a clearer diffraction pattern, but it is sensitive to vibration and acid. Kapton is more reliable and durable, but introduces its own “noise” into the diffraction pattern, which will especially hinder the study of clay minerals.
For Martian samples, only 27 cells are available, and 5 are occupied by test samples placed on Earth. They are needed to test the functionality of the instrument in Martian conditions. But empty cells are reusable - they are cleaned when the wheel turns 180 degrees.
The work of CHIMRA and ChemIn is shown in the Curiosity demo prepared by NASA when the rover itself was still in the assembly hall. The moment begins at 9:08
Inside, Curiosity contains another device, called SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars), but it will require a separate story.
PS And, yes, I use VK as a host of pictures, because I upload them to my Curiosity group. If anyone has a problem with this - write, feel free.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/154691/
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