"Do we currently utilize interferometry as a way for detecting planets in other solar systems?"
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VAPoR: A Miniature Pyrolysis Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer Prototype for In Situ Investigations in Planetary Astrobiology
PI: Daniel Glavin
The Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith (VAPoR) instrument concept selected by the NASA Lunar Sortie Science Opportunities (LSSO) Program in 2007 is a miniature pyrolysis mass spectrometer instrument designed to detect volatiles in lunar atmosphere and polar regolith samples. In contrast to SAM, VAPoR is designed to operate in an airless environment requiring minimal resources (no turbo pumps and carrier gas tanks) making it an excellent instrument candidate for future in situ astrobiology missions to the lunar poles, comets, asteroids and icy outer solar system satellites. The goal of this ASTID proposal will be to build an end-to-end VAPoR prototype and characterize the performance of the instrument in a relevant ultra-high vacuum environment by analyzing a well characterized set of regolith materials including Apollo 16 lunar soil, Murchison carbonaceous meteorite, and cometary ice analog materials. During the 4 year proposal we will: (1) Finalize the VAPoR design and build a prototype pyrolysis TOF-MS instrument that includes a sample carousel and pyrolysis cup heater system, (2) Validate the performance (sensitivity, precision, dynamic range, and mass resolution) of our miniature MEMS TOF-MS (beta-RTOF-MS) using the existing VAPoR breadboard instrument, and develop a new gamma-iteration double-reflectron TOF-MS (gamma-R2TOF-MS) breadboard for enhanced mass resolution, (3) Ground truth the bulk isotopic measurements of the analogs made by the VAPoR prototype using a state-of-the-art laboratory high temperature combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometer, and (4) Test the performance of the VAPoR prototype inside an ultra high vacuum chamber that simulates low pressure environments. This ASTID research and development program will reduce several areas of technical risk bringing the VAPoR instrument to Technical Readiness Level 5 for proposal to a future Planetary Astrobiology mission.
May 16, 2012
