Title :
In situ sampling using Meta-Stable Helium
Author :
Anderson, Mark ; Allwood, Abigail
Author_Institution :
Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA
Abstract :
A meta-stable helium (MSHe) extraction method has been developed for In Situ chemical analysis of rocks and soils. MSHe provides soft-ionization and desorption of organics from soil and rocks without the use of solvents or high temperatures. This enables rapid, simple and effective extraction of analytes for very sensitive chemical analysis. The work presented extends the MSHe sampling from mass spectroscopy to other analytical methods including surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Applications include in situ analysis of planetary samples as well as current research on ancient sedimentary rocks that potentially contain microbial remains on Earth. The new sampling technology provides a powerful and widely applicable sampling tool for planetary and astrobiology science requiring in situ organic analysis.
Keywords :
astronomical techniques; extraterrestrial life; geophysical techniques; helium; mass spectra; metastable states; rocks; sampling methods; soil; surface enhanced Raman scattering; Earth; He; In Situ chemical analysis; MSHe extraction method; mass spectroscopy; metastable helium; rocks; sampling; soils; solvents; surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy; Chemical analysis; Chemical technology; Earth; Helium; Mass spectroscopy; Raman scattering; Sampling methods; Soil; Solvents; Temperature sensors;
Conference_Titel :
Aerospace conference, 2009 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Big Sky, MT
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-2621-8
Electronic_ISBN :
978-1-4244-2622-5
DOI :
10.1109/AERO.2009.4839322
