Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Mars surface analysis: capabilities at stand-off distances and detection of chlorine and sulfur elements

An international consortium is studying the feasibility of performing in situ geochemical analysis of Mars soils and rocks at stand-off distances up to several meters using the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technique. Stand-off analysis for Martian exploration imposes particular requirements on instrumentation, and it is necessary to first test the performance of such a system in the laboratory. In this paper, we test the capabilities of two different experimental setups. The first one is dedicated to the qualitative analysis of metals and rocks at distances between 3 and 12 m. With the second one, we have obtained quantitative results for aluminum alloys and developed a spectral database under Martian conditions for sulfur and chlorine, two elements that are geologically interesting but generally difficult to detect by LIBS under standard conditions (atmospheric pressure, close distance). These studies were carried out to determine an optimal instrumental design for in situ Mars analysis. The quality of analytical results affected by the optical elements and spectrometer has been particularly highlighted.