Characterization of Hydrogen in Basaltic Materials With Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for Application to MSL ChemCam Data Journal Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • AbstractThe Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, is equipped with ChemCam, a laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument, to determine the elemental composition of nearby targets quickly and remotely. We use a laboratory sample set including prepared mixtures of basalt with systematic variation in hydrated mineral content and compositionally well‐characterized, altered basaltic volcanic rocks to measure hydrogen by characterizing the H��alpha emission line in LIBS spectra under Martian environmental conditions. The H contents of all samples were independently measured using thermogravimetric analysis. We found that H peak area increases with weight percent H for our laboratory mixtures with basaltic matrices. The increase is linear with weight percent H in the mixtures with structurally bound H up to about 1.25 wt.% H and then steepens for higher H‐content samples, a nonlinear trend not previously reported but potentially important for characterizing high water content materials. To compensate for instrument, environmental, and target matrix‐related effects on quantification of H content from the LIBS signal, we examined multiple normalization methods. The best performing methods utilize O 778‐ and C 248‐nm emission lines. The methods return comparable results when applied to ChemCam data of H‐bearing materials on Mars. The calibration and normalization methods tested here will aid in investigations of H by LIBS on Mars with ChemCam and SuperCam. Further laboratory work will aid quantification across different physical matrices and heterogeneous textures because of differences we observed in H in pelletized and natural rock samples of the same composition.

publication date

  • August 1, 2018

Date in CU Experts

  • January 31, 2026 8:56 AM

Full Author List

  • Thomas NH; Ehlmann BL; Anderson DE; Clegg SM; Forni O; Schröder S; Rapin W; Meslin P; Lasue J; Delapp DM

author count

  • 14

Other Profiles

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 2169-9097

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 2169-9100

Additional Document Info

start page

  • 1996

end page

  • 2021

volume

  • 123

issue

  • 8