TY - JOUR
T1 - Abundance and isotopic composition of gases in the martian atmosphere from the Curiosity rover
AU - MSL Science Team
AU - Mahaffy, Paul R.
AU - Webster, Christopher R.
AU - Atreya, Sushil K.
AU - Franz, Heather
AU - Wong, Michael
AU - Conrad, Pamela G.
AU - Harpold, Dan
AU - Jones, John J.
AU - Leshin, Laurie A.
AU - Manning, Heidi
AU - Owen, Tobias
AU - Pepin, Robert O.
AU - Squyres, Steven
AU - Trainer, Melissa
AU - Kemppinen, Osku
AU - Bridges, Nathan
AU - Johnson, Jeffrey R.
AU - Minitti, Michelle
AU - Cremers, David
AU - Bell, James F.
AU - Edgar, Lauren
AU - Farmer, Jack
AU - Godber, Austin
AU - Wadhwa, Meenakshi
AU - Wellington, Danika
AU - McEwan, Ian
AU - Newman, Claire
AU - Richardson, Mark
AU - Charpentier, Antoine
AU - Peret, Laurent
AU - King, Penelope
AU - Blank, Jennifer
AU - Weigle, Gerald
AU - Schmidt, Mariek
AU - Li, Shuai
AU - Milliken, Ralph
AU - Robertson, Kevin
AU - Sun, Vivian
AU - Baker, Michael
AU - Edwards, Christopher
AU - Ehlmann, Bethany
AU - Farley, Kenneth
AU - Griffes, Jennifer
AU - Grotzinger, John
AU - Miller, Hayden
AU - Newcombe, Megan
AU - Pilorget, Cedric
AU - Rice, Melissa
AU - Siebach, Kirsten
AU - Stack, Katie
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Volume mixing and isotope ratios secured with repeated atmospheric measurements taken with the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on the Curiosity rover are: carbon dioxide (CO2), 0.960(±0.007); argon-40 (40Ar), 0.0193(±0.0001); nitrogen (N2), 0.0189(±0.0003); oxygen, 1.45(±0.09) × 10-3; carbon monoxide, < 1.0 × 10-3; and 40Ar/ 36Ar, 1.9(±0.3) × 103. The 40Ar/N2 ratio is 1.7 times greater and the 40Ar/36Ar ratio 1.6 times lower than values reported by the Viking Lander mass spectrometer in 1976, whereas other values are generally consistent with Viking and remote sensing observations. The 40Ar/ 36Ar ratio is consistent with martian meteoritic values, which provides additional strong support for a martian origin of these rocks. The isotopic signature δ13C from CO2 of ∼45 per mil is independently measured with two instruments. This heavy isotope enrichment in carbon supports the hypothesis of substantial atmospheric loss.
AB - Volume mixing and isotope ratios secured with repeated atmospheric measurements taken with the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on the Curiosity rover are: carbon dioxide (CO2), 0.960(±0.007); argon-40 (40Ar), 0.0193(±0.0001); nitrogen (N2), 0.0189(±0.0003); oxygen, 1.45(±0.09) × 10-3; carbon monoxide, < 1.0 × 10-3; and 40Ar/ 36Ar, 1.9(±0.3) × 103. The 40Ar/N2 ratio is 1.7 times greater and the 40Ar/36Ar ratio 1.6 times lower than values reported by the Viking Lander mass spectrometer in 1976, whereas other values are generally consistent with Viking and remote sensing observations. The 40Ar/ 36Ar ratio is consistent with martian meteoritic values, which provides additional strong support for a martian origin of these rocks. The isotopic signature δ13C from CO2 of ∼45 per mil is independently measured with two instruments. This heavy isotope enrichment in carbon supports the hypothesis of substantial atmospheric loss.
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U2 - 10.1126/science.1237966
DO - 10.1126/science.1237966
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84880405939
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 341
SP - 263
EP - 266
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 6143
ER -