MicrOmega-IR explained
MicrOmega-IR is an infrared hyperspectral microscope that is part of the science payload on board the European Rosalind Franklin rover,[2] tasked to search for biosignatures on Mars. The rover is planned to be launched not earlier than 2028. MicrOmega-IR will analyse in situ the powder material derived from crushed samples collected by the rover's core drill.[3] [4]
Development
The MicrOmega mnemonic is derived from its French name Micro observatoire pour la mineralogie, l'eau, les glaces et l'activité;[1] IR stands for infrared. It was developed by France's Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale at the CNRS. France has also flown MicrOmega on other missions such as the 2011 Fobos-Grunt and the Hayabusa2 MASCOT mobile lander currently exploring asteroid Ryugu.[5] France is also developing a variant called MacrOmega Near-IR Spectrometer for the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) lander, a Japanese sample-return mission to Mars' moon Phobos.[6]
The Principal Investigator of the MicrOmega-IR for the Rosalind Franklin rover is Jean-Pierre Bibring, a French astronomer and planetary scientist at the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale. Co-PIs are astrobiologists Frances Westall and Nicolas Thomas.[7]
MicrOmega was developed by a consortium including:[8]
Overview
| MicrOmega-IR | Parameter/units |
|---|
| Type | Infrared hyperspectral microscope |
| Manufacturer | Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale,
of the CNRS |
| Spectral range | 0.9–4 μm |
| Spectral sampling | 20/cm from 0.95 μm to 3.65 μm |
| Imaging resolution | 20 μm2/pixel |
| 5 × 5 mm2 |
| Mass | ≈ | |
MicrOmega-IR is a visible and
infrared hyperspectral microscope that is designed to characterize the texture and composition of crushed samples presented to the instrument.
[9] Its objective is to study mineral grain assemblages in detail to try to unravel their geological origin, structure and composition, including potential
organics.
[9] These data will be vital for interpreting past and present geological processes and environments on Mars. Because MicrOmega-IR is an imaging instrument, it can also be used to identify grains that are particularly interesting, and assign them as targets for Raman and
MOMA observations.
[9] It is composed of 2 microscopes: MicrOmega/VIS has a spatial sampling of approximately 4 μm, working in 4 colors in the visible range. The other one is the MicrOmega/NIR hyperspectral microscope working in the spectral range 0.95 μm - 3.65 μm with a spatial sampling of 20 μm per pixel.[10] Its main supporting components include:[11]
The IR instrument uses a HgCdTe (Mercury-Cadmium-Telluride) matrix detector, the Sofradir Mars SW 320 x 256 pixels.[12]
Examples of materials for identification, if present:[13]
See also
Notes and References
- Habitability on Early Mars and the Search for Biosignatures with the ExoMars Rover . Astrobiology . Jorge L. . Vago . etal . 17 . 6–7 . 471–510 . July 2017 . 10.1089/ast.2016.1533 . 31067287 . 2017AsBio..17..471V. 5685153 .
- Web site: Howell . Elizabeth . ExoMars: Searching for Life on Mars . . July 24, 2018 . March 13, 2020.
- ExoMars: ESA's Next Step in Mars Exploration . Bulletin . European Space Agency . Jorge . Vago . Olivier . Witasse . Pietro . Baglioni . Albert . Haldemann . Giacinto . Gianfiglio . Thierry . Blancquaert . Don . McCoy . Rolf . de Groot . 5 . 155 . 12–23 . August 2013.
- Infrared Spectrometer for ExoMars: A Mast-Mounted Instrument for the Rover . Astrobiology . Oleg I. . Korablev . etal . 17 . 6–7 . 542–564 . July 2017 . 10.1089/ast.2016.1543 . 28731817 . 2017AsBio..17..542K.
- https://mascot.cnes.fr/en/MASCOT/GP_micromega.htm MicroMega Instrument for MASCOT
- http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/en/topics/files/MMX170412_EN.pdf#page=19 Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) Mission Overview
- http://exploration.esa.int/mars/45103-rover-instruments/ The ExoMars Rover Instrument Suite - MicrOmega
- Book: Vaitua. Leroi. Bibring. Jean-Pierre. Berthé. Michel. 2017-11-21. MicrOmega IR: a new infrared hyperspectral imaging microscope or in situ analysis. 10566. 50. 10.1117/12.2308234. International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2008. 9781510616219. 73677729.
- https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ast.2016.1642 The MicrOmega Investigation Onboard ExoMars
- 10.1016/j.pss.2008.12.014. Micromega/IR: Design and status of a near-infrared spectral microscope for in situ analysis of Mars samples. Planetary and Space Science. 57. 8–9. 1068–1075. 2009. Leroi. Vaitua. Bibring. Jean-Pierre. Berthe. Michel. 2009P&SS...57.1068L.
- http://exploration.esa.int/mars/47868-micromega-instrument-prototype/ MicrOmega Instrument Prototype
- Book: Vaitua. Leroi. Bibring. Jean-Pierre. Berthé. Michel. 2017-11-21. MicrOmega IR: a new infrared hyperspectral imaging microscope or in situ analysis. 10566. 50. 10.1117/12.2308234. International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2008. 9781510616219. 73677729.
- Leroi. Vaitua. Bibring. Jean-Pierre. Berthe. Michel. July 2009. Micromega/IR: Design and status of a near-infrared spectral microscope for in situ analysis of Mars samples. Planetary and Space Science. en. 57. 8–9. 1068–1075. 10.1016/j.pss.2008.12.014. 0032-0633. 2009P&SS...57.1068L.
