Background
NASA spending preferences are guided by Decadal Surveys released from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The most recent surveys from the Astronomy and Planetary Science & Astrobiology committees have both pressed for a better understanding on the recipes of planet formation and the evolution of planetary building blocks.
Addressing such questions with high fidelity requires state-of-the-art laboratory methods that have not yet been developed. SwRI’s Center for Laboratory Astrophysics and Space Science Experiments (CLASSE) has the niche resources to develop such new capabilities to specifically address outstanding chemical questions in interstellar, cometary and Europan environments. These capabilities will provide the first steps to building an elite astrochemistry program at SwRI that connects interstellar to planetary science.
Approach
We propose several ‘proof of concept’ experiments that can serve as preliminary data for NASA astrochemistry and planetary science proposals. Such precursor experiments are critical to securing external funding in a highly competitive landscape. The experiments include the demonstration of FeS-induced formation of S-bearing molecules as relevant to the interstellar sulfur depletion problem and the cometary sulfur excess problem. The high-impact development of an electrospray deposition source to quantitatively investigate salt growth and sputtering is relevant to data interpretation of salty extraterrestrial bodies, such as Europa. This combined unique science will set the path for SwRI to have a space science program that mixes astrochemistry and planetary science, advancing SwRI’s prospects for leading future space missions.
Accomplishments
We have constructed and are currently optimizing an ultrahigh vacuum apparatus that is equipped to investigate the mineral/salt-ice chemistry pertinent to solving key issues in interstellar, cometary and Europan environments. Accomplishments include optimization of parameters to obtain a steady flow of salt solution from the newly developed electrospray, optimization of FeS thickness for mineral-ice experiments, and full calibration of analytical methods, such as reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy with a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer and temperature-programmed desorption with a Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer.
Figure 1: The chemistry of Europan (top left), cometary (top right) and interstellar (bottom) environments has been probed by space missions, and a quantitative understanding of the mission data is currently ongoing at SwRI’s Center for Laboratory Astrophysics and Space Science Experiments (CLASSE).
Figure 2: The ultrahigh vacuum apparatus within CLASSE that is being optimized to analyze data from NASA space missions, such as the James Webb Space Telescope and Europa Clipper.