Affiliation:
1. Astronomy Department New Mexico State University Las Cruces NM USA
2. Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology Pasadena CA USA
3. Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering New Mexico State University Las Cruces NM USA
4. NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field CA USA
Abstract
AbstractPlanetary caves are desirable environments for the search for biosignatures corresponding to extant or extinct extraterrestrial life due to the protection they offer from surface‐level solar radiation and ionizing particles. Near‐infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy is one of a multitude of techniques that, when taken together, can provide a comprehensive understanding of the geomicrobiology in planetary subsurface regions. To that end, we developed two portable NIR spectrometers that employ acousto‐optic tunable filters and demonstrated them in three geochemically distinct cave environments. The instruments were deployed both as stand‐alone spectrometers positioned against the targets manually and as a component of an instrument payload mounted on a quadruped robot capable of vertical excursions of several meters. In situ measurements of calcium carbonates, sulfates, metal oxides, and microbial colonies and mats revealed spectral signatures that enable a distinction between the targets of interest and the underlying substrates. The ruggedness and portability of the instruments, and their low size, weight, and power, spectral agility, and active illumination make AOTF‐based spectrometers ideally suited for studies of planetary caves.
Funder
Science Mission Directorate
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
National Geographic Society
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Subject
General Earth and Planetary Sciences,Environmental Science (miscellaneous)