The MECA Wet Chemistry Laboratory on the 2007 Phoenix Mars Scout Lander

doi:doi:10.1029/2008JE003084

Abstract

Cited By (10)

Abstract

JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 114, E00A19, 20 PP., 2009
doi:10.1029/2008JE003084

The MECA Wet Chemistry Laboratory on the 2007 Phoenix Mars Scout Lander

Samuel P. Kounaves

Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA

Michael H. Hecht

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

Steven J. West

Invensys Corporation, Foxboro Field Devices Division, Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA

John-Michael Morookian

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

Suzanne M. M. Young

Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA

Richard Quinn

SETI Institute, Mountain View, California, USA

Paula Grunthaner

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

Xiaowen Wen

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Beverly, Massachusetts, USA

Mark Weilert

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

Casey A. Cable

Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA

Anita Fisher

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

Kalina Gospodinova

Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA

Jason Kapit

Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA

Shannon Stroble

Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA

Po-Chang Hsu

Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA

Benton C. Clark

Lockheed Martin Corporation, Littleton, Colorado, USA

Douglas W. Ming

NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA

Peter H. Smith

Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

To analyze and interpret the chemical record, the 2007 Phoenix Mars Lander includes four wet chemistry cells. These Wet Chemistry Laboratories (WCLs), part of the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer (MECA) package, each consist of a lower “beaker” containing sensors designed to analyze the chemical properties of the regolith and an upper “actuator assembly” for adding soil, water, reagents, and stirring. The beaker contains an array of sensors and electrodes that include six membrane-based ion selective electrodes (ISE) to measure Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, NO₃ ⁻/ClO₄ ⁻, and NH₄ ⁺; two ISEs for H⁺ (pH); a Ba²⁺ ISE for titrimetric determination of SO₄ ²⁻; two Li⁺ ISEs as reference electrodes; three solid crystal pellet ISEs for Cl⁻, Br⁻, and I⁻; an iridium oxide electrode for pH; a carbon ring electrode for conductivity; a Pt electrode for oxidation reduction potential (Eh); a Pt and two Ag electrodes for determination of Cl⁻, Br⁻, and I⁻ using chronopotentiometry (CP); a Au electrode for identifying redox couples using cyclic voltammetry (CV); and a Au microelectrode array that could be used for either CV or to indicate the presence of several heavy metals, including Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Fe^2/3+, and Hg²⁺ using anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). The WCL sensors and analytical procedures have been calibrated and characterized using standard solutions, geological Earth samples, Mars simulants, and cuttings from a Martian meteorite. Sensor characteristics such as limits of detection, interferences, and implications of the Martian environment are also being studied. A sensor response library is being developed to aid in the interpretation of the data.

Received 1 February 2008; accepted 8 December 2008; published 12 February 2009.

Citation: Kounaves, S. P., et al. (2009), The MECA Wet Chemistry Laboratory on the 2007 Phoenix Mars Scout Lander, J. Geophys. Res., 114, E00A19, doi:10.1029/2008JE003084.

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