M. B. Madsen

University of Copenhagen · Niels Bohr Institute

Perseverance’s Mastcam-Z instrument provides high-resolution stereo and multispectral images with a unique combination of spatial resolution, spatial coverage, and wavelength coverage along the rover’s traverse in Jezero crater, Mars. Images reveal rocks consistent with an igneous (including volcanic and/or volcaniclastic) and/or impactite origin a...

The Mastcam‐Z radiometric calibration targets mounted on the NASA's Perseverance rover proved to be effective in the calibration of Mastcam‐Z images to reflectance (I/F) over the first 350 sols on Mars. Mastcam‐Z imaged the calibration targets regularly to perform reflectance calibration on multispectral image sets of targets on the Martian surface...

The SuperCam instrument, onboard the Perseverance rover (Mars 2020 mission) is designed to perform remote analysis on the Martian surface employing several spectroscopic techniques such as Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Time-Resolved Raman (TRR), Time-Resolved Fluorescence (TRF) and Visible and Infrared (VISIR) reflectance. In additio...

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-021-00828-5

Mastcam-Z is a high-heritage imaging system aboard NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover that is based on the successful Mastcam investigation on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover. It has all the capabilities of MSL Mastcam, and is augmented by a 4:1 zoom capability that will significantly enhance its stereo imaging performance for sc...

Mastcam-Z is a multispectral, stereoscopic imaging investigation on the Mars 2020 mission’s Perseverance rover. Mastcam-Z consists of a pair of focusable, 4:1 zoomable cameras that provide broadband red/green/blue and narrowband 400-1000 nm color imaging with fields of view from 25.6° × 19.2° (26 mm focal length at 283 μrad/pixel) to 6.2° × 4.6° (1...

SuperCam is a highly integrated remote-sensing instrumental suite for NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. It consists of a co-aligned combination of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Time-Resolved Raman and Luminescence (TRR/L), Visible and Infrared Spectroscopy (VISIR), together with sound recording (MIC) and high-magnification imaging techniques...

The Mastcam-Z Camera is a stereoscopic, multispectral camera with zoom capability on NASA’s Mars-2020 Perseverance rover. The Mastcam-Z relies on a set of two deck-mounted radiometric calibration targets to validate camera performance and to provide an instantaneous estimate of local irradiance and allow conversion of image data to units of reflect...

The ubiquitous eolian dust on Mars plays important roles in the current sedimentary and atmospheric processes of the planet. The ChemCam instrument retrieves a consistent eolian dust composition at the submillimeter scale from every first laser shot on Mars targets. Its composition presents significant differences with the Aeolis Palus soils and th...

The NASA Curiosity rover Mastcam system is a pair of fixed-focal length, multispectral, color CCD imagers mounted ~2 m above the surface on the rover's remote sensing mast, along with associated electronics and an onboard calibration target. The left Mastcam (M-34) has a 34-mm focal length, an IFOV of 0.22 mrad, and a FOV of 20°⨉15° over the full 1...

Diagenetic silica enrichment in fracture-associated halos that cross-cut lacustrine and unconformably overlying aeolian sedimentary bedrock are observed on the lower north slope of Aeolis Mons in Gale crater, Mars. The diagenetic silica enrichment is co-located with detrital silica enrichment observed in the lacustrine bedrock, yet extends into a c...

At Gale crater, ChemCam acquired its first laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) target on Sol 13 of the landed portion of the mission. Up to Sol 800, more than 188,000 LIBS spectra were acquired on more than 5,800 points distributed over 650 individual targets. We present a comprehensive review of ChemCam scientific accomplishments during th...

Water is a requirement for life as we know it1. Indirect evidence of transient liquid water has been observed from orbiter on equatorial Mars2, in contrast with expectations from large-scale climate models. The presence of perchlorate salts, which have been detected at Gale crater on equatorial Mars by the Curiosity rover3,4 , lowers the freezing t...

The Panoramic Cameras on NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers have each returned more than 17000 images of their calibration targets. In order to make optimal use of this dataset for reflectance calibration, a correction must be made for the presence of airfall dust. Here we present an improved dust correction procedure based on a two-layer scattering mo...

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A suite of eight rocks analyzed by the Curiosity Rover while it was stopped at the Rocknest sand ripple shows the greatest chemical divergence of any potentially sedimentary rocks analyzed in the early part of the mission. Relative to average Martian soil and to the stratigraphically lower units encountered as part of the Yellowknife Bay formation,...

We describe preliminary results from the first 100 sols of ground temperature measurements along the Mars Science Laboratory's traverse from Bradbury Landing to Rocknest in Gale. The ground temperature data show long-term increases in mean temperature that are consistent with seasonal evolution. Deviations from expected temperature trends within th...

Brown grains in the very-fine sand and coarse silt size range at the Phoenix landing site consist of olivine (Fo < 41), nanohematite, and possibly jarosite.

The Curiosity rover discovered fine-grained sedimentary rocks, which are inferred to represent an ancient lake and preserve evidence of an environment that would have been suited to support a martian biosphere founded on chemolithoautotrophy. This aqueous environment was characterized by neutral pH, low salinity, and variable redox states of both i...

For the upcoming 2020 Mars rover mission we selected a potential landing site that meets all geological criteria including the presence of Noachian/Early Hesperian aqueous sediments and associated hydrous mineral phases and access to unaltered igneous rocks. Our proposed landing site is located at the terminus of Sabrina Vallis in Magong cra...

During Martian solar days 57–100, the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover acquired and processed a solid (sediment) sample and analyzed its mineralogy and geochemistry with the Chemistry and Mineralogy and Sample Analysis at Mars instruments. An aeolian deposit—herein referred to as the Rocknest sand shadow—was inferred to represent a global av...

Sedimentary rocks examined by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay, Mars, were derived from sources that evolved from an approximately average martian crustal composition to one influenced by alkaline basalts. No evidence of chemical weathering is preserved, indicating arid, possibly cold, paleoclimates and rapid erosion and deposition. The absen...

Sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay (Gale crater) on Mars include mudstone sampled by the Curiosity rover. The samples, John Klein and Cumberland, contain detrital basaltic minerals, calcium sulfates, iron oxide or hydroxides, iron sulfides, amorphous material, and trioctahedral smectites. The John Klein smectite has basal spacing of ~10 angstroms...

We determined radiogenic and cosmogenic noble gases in a mudstone on the floor of Gale Crater. A K-Ar age of 4.21 ± 0.35 billion years represents a mixture of detrital and authigenic components and confirms the expected antiquity of rocks comprising the crater rim. Cosmic-ray–produced 3He, 21Ne, and 36Ar yield concordant surface exposure ages of 78...

We have assessed the characteristics of clasts along Curiosity's traverse to shed light on the processes important in the genesis, modification, and transportation of surface materials. Pebble-to cobble-sized clasts at Bradbury Landing, and subsequently along Curiosity's traverse to Yellowknife Bay, reflect a mixing of two end-member transport mech...

The equilibrium fractionation factors govern the relative change in the isotopic composition during phase transitions of water. The commonly used results, which were published more than 40 years ago, are limited to a minimum temperature of -33°C. This limits the reliability in cold regions. With recent instrumental developments it is now possible t...

The Rocknest aeolian deposit is similar to aeolian features analyzed by the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) Spirit and Opportunity. The fraction of sand <150 micrometers in size contains ~55% crystalline material consistent with a basaltic heritage and ~45% x-ray amorphous material. The amorphous component of Rocknest is iron-rich and silicon-poor a...

The ChemCam instrument, which provides insight into martian soil chemistry at the submillimeter scale, identified two principal soil types along the Curiosity rover traverse: a fine-grained mafic type and a locally derived, coarse-grained felsic type. The mafic soil component is representative of widespread martian soils and is similar in compositi...

The ChemCam instrument, which provides insight into martian soil chemistry at the submillimeter scale, identified two principal soil types along the Curiosity rover traverse: a fine-grained mafic type and a locally derived, coarse-grained felsic type. The mafic soil component is representative of widespread martian soils and is similar in compositi...

“Jake_M,” the first rock analyzed by the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer instrument on the Curiosity rover, differs substantially in chemical composition from other known martian igneous rocks: It is alkaline (textgreater15% normative nepheline) and relatively fractionated. Jake_M is compositionally similar to terrestrial mugearites, a rock type...

The Rocknest aeolian deposit is similar to aeolian features analyzed by the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) Spirit and Opportunity. The fraction of sand <150 micrometers in size contains ~55% crystalline material consistent with a basaltic heritage and ~45% x-ray amorphous material. The amorphous component of Rocknest is iron-rich and silicon-poor a...

Mars' Atmosphere from Curiosity The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Curiosity rover that landed on Mars in August last year is designed to study the chemical and isotopic composition of the martian atmosphere. Mahaffy et al. (p. 263 ) present volume-mixing ratios of Mars' five major atmospheric constituents (CO 2 , Ar, N 2 , O 2 , a...

Observations by the Mars Science Laboratory Mast Camera (Mastcam) in Gale crater reveal isolated outcrops of cemented pebbles (2 to 40 millimeters in diameter) and sand grains with textures typical of fluvial sedimentary conglomerates. Rounded pebbles in the conglomerates indicate substantial fluvial abrasion. ChemCam emission spectra at one outcro...

Observations by the Mars Science Laboratory Mast Camera (Mastcam) in Gale crater reveal isolated outcrops of cemented pebbles (2 to 40 millimeters in diameter) and sand grains with textures typical of fluvial sedimentary conglomerates. Rounded pebbles in the conglomerates indicate substantial fluvial abrasion. ChemCam emission spectra at one outcro...

In addition to spectral components due to Fe2 + and Fe3 + , a single line is observed in emission Mössbauer spectra following low fluence (<1015 cm − 2) implantation of 57Fe*, 57Mn and 57Co in α-Al2O3. For the 57Co and 57Mn implantations, the intensity of the single line is found to depend on the emission angle relative to the crystal symmetry axis...

Mössbauer spectra of samples from the 2010 Fimmvörðuháls/Eyjafjallajökull eruption are presented with determinations of the Fe3 + /FeTot ratios. Mössbauer spectra of time series of samples from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption show a change in the characteristics of the erupted material mid-way in the eruption, suggesting changing access of water to t...

We compare sources of bioavailable energy in MSL reachable habitats. A source of energy in Mars basalt sands can be redox interfaces produced by solar irradiation.

A core flow test autoclave has been designed in order to reproduce an injection well at a scale of 1/20. This autoclave allows the CO2 injection into a steel tube cemented to a core sample of red sandstone from the Triassic formations of Lorraine (France). Temperature and pressure gradients can be recorded between the injection point and the confin...

A novel procedure to determine elemental ratios by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy is presented. This procedure, which we name Optimized Calibration (OC), is a hybrid between empirical methods like calibration curves or chemometrics and the theoretical Calibration-Free LIBS method, and seeks to reduce the high sensitivity to matrix effects see...

The OpticalMicroscope(OM)onthePhoenixMarslander(operatedfromMaythroughOctober2008) was usedtosearchforvisible-wavelengthluminescenceofsoilparticlesexcitedbyultraviolet(UV) illumination(l¼360–390 nm).Noluminescentparticleswerefound,withthepossibleexceptionofa few potentiallyluminescentfeaturescomprisingabout0.02%ofthetotalsoilvolume.Theluminescence...

The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull summit eruption (Iceland) produced large amounts of fine ash, disturbing air traffic across the North-Atlantic and within Europe. Mössbauer spectroscopy of ash-samples and a lava-bomb has been performed to study the material properties and to gain insight into why the volcano produced so vast amounts of fine grained materi...

The electrification of wind-blown dust grains was studied in a series of laboratory experiments to examine how grain electrification depends on grain size, grain mineralogy, atmospheric composition, atmospheric pressure, and the method of dust dispersal. This work is intended to contribute to a deeper physical understanding of particle electrificat...

The lattice locations and electronic configurations of Fe in 57Co/57Fe implanted ZnO (to (5‐6) × 1014 Fe/cm-2) have been studied by 57Fe Mössbauer emission spectroscopy. The spectra acquired upon room temperature implantation show ∼20% of the probe atoms as Fe2+ on perturbed Zn sites and the remaining fraction as Fe2+ in damage sites of interstitia...

[1] The particle size distribution (PSD) of a Martian soil sample, a useful indicator of the underlying soil formation processes, has been determined using optical and atomic-force microscopy data acquired by the Phoenix Mars lander. In particular, the presence and fraction of clay-sized particles in the PSD reflects the extent of aqueous interacti...

1] The Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) magnet experiment on the Mars Exploration Rovers was designed to collect dust from rocks ground by the RAT of the two rovers on the surface of Mars. The dust collected on the magnets is now a mixture of dust from many grindings. Here the new data from the experiment are presented. The findings from Mars are furthermo...

Microscopic images acquired during the Phoenix mission reveal the presence of small amounts of particles with unusual spectral properties (VIS/NIR). The particles cannot be identified, but appear to be neither water ice nor perchlorate.

The Optical Microscope (OM) onboard the Phoenix Mars Lander has returned high-resolution (4 mum/px) color images of soil particles at the landing site. Spectral information was acquired by illuminating the soil samples with four different types of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs): UV (375 nm, weak emission at 705 nm), blue (B, 468 nm), green (G, 525 nm...

The optical microscope onboard the Phoenix spacecraft has returned color images (4 μm pixel−1) of soils that were delivered to and held on various substrates. A preliminary taxonomy of Phoenix soil particles, based on color, size, and shape, identifies the following particle types [generic names in brackets]: (1) reddish fines, mostly unresolved, t...

The Magnetic Properties Experiment (referred to as iSweep or Caltarget) onboard the Phoenix lander was executed in the arctic region of Mars during the mission's 152 sols lifetime. The iSweep experiment involved periodic multispectral imaging of a series of permanent ring magnets. It was designed to attract airborne magnetic dust particles to certa...

The optical microscope onboard the Phoenix spacecraft has returned color images (4 μm pixel−1) of soils that were delivered to and held on various substrates. A preliminary taxonomy of Phoenix soil particles, based on color, size, and shape, identifies the following particle types [generic names in brackets]: (1) reddish fines, mostly unresolved, t...

DOI: 10.1029/2009JE003411 Wind speeds and directions were measured on the Phoenix Lander by a mechanical anemometer, the so-called Telltale wind indicator. Analysis of images of the instrument taken with the onboard imager allowed for evaluation of wind speeds and directions. Daily characteristics of the wind data are highly turbulent behavior duri...

The comparison of soil particles at the Phoenix landing site and in Gusev Crater provides clues on their origin and global distribution. Some unusual Phoenix particles are possibly of (more) local origin, as they appear to be absent in Gusev dunes.

This work describes dust deposits on the Spirit Rover over 2000 sols through examination of Pancam and Microscopic Imager observations of specific locations on the rover body, including portions of the solar array, Pancam and Mini-TES calibration targets, and the magnets. This data set reveals the three "cleaning events" experienced by Spirit to da...

Fit;o) is a M\"ossbauer fitting and analysis program written in Borland Delphi. It has a complete graphical user interface that allows all actions to be carried out via mouse clicks or key shortcut operations in a WYSIWYG fashion. The program does not perform complete transmission integrals, and will therefore not be suited for a complete analysis...

The objective of the Phoenix mission is to determine if Mars' polar region can support life. Since liquid water is a basic ingredient for life, as we know it, an important goal of the mission is to determine if liquid water exists at the landing site. It is believed that a layer of Martian soil preserves ice by forming a barrier against high temper...

Phoenix Ascending The Phoenix mission landed on Mars in March 2008 with the goal of studying the ice-rich soil of the planet's northern arctic region. Phoenix included a robotic arm, with a camera attached to it, with the capacity to excavate through the soil to the ice layer beneath it, scoop up soil and water ice samples, and deliver them to a co...

The Mars Exploration Rovers have accumulated airborne dust on different types of permanent magnets. Images of these magnets document the dynamics of dust capture and removal over time. The strongly magnetic subset of airborne dust appears dark brown to black in Panoramic Camera (Pancam) images, while the weakly magnetic one is bright red. Images re...

The Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, landed on 4 January 2004, in a lava field in Gusev crater on Mars. Samples interpreted as olivine basalt have been investigated with Mössbauer spectroscopy and chemically with Alpha-particle-X-ray spectrometry (APXS).In this contribution we present the results of a new analysis of the Mössbauer spectra of selecte...

The three iSweep targets on the Phoenix lander instrument deck utilize permanent magnets and 6 different background colors for studies of airborne dust [1]. The name iSweep is short for Improved Sweep Magnet experiments and derives from MER heritage [2, 3] as the rovers carried a sweep magnet, which is a very strong ring magnet built into an alumin...

Near continuous measurements of pressure and temperature by the MET instrumentation on the Phoenix Mars Lander [1] has been used to identify the passage of vertically oriented vortex structures at the Phoenix landing site (126W, 68N) on Mars. Some of these vortices reach horizontal wind speeds large enough for dust particles to be lifted off the su...

From the rate of sublimation of Snow Queen as imaged by the RAC we infer that the soil grain size is of the order of 1 micron which is consistent with atmospheric dust and Phoenix imaging at all scales.

Images from the Phoenix Optical Microscope show different types of soil particles. Based on spectral and magnetic data and by comparison with MER, it is inferred which particles are global and which ones are specific to the Phoenix landing site.

Samples from Gusev crater on Mars show (Mössbauer-) inhomogeneities in the surface layer. Possible reasons for this are discussed and a simple explanation for the magnetic anomalies on Mars is offered.

The solid-vapor fractionation processes of Deuterium/Hydrogen (D/H) in the ground ice-atmosphere system on Mars are investigated through experiments and modeling. Preliminary results mainly from the experimental work are presented.

The calibration targets for Phoenix also act as an experiment (called iSweep) looking at the airborne dust that is magnetically attracted to settle on its surface. Some results of which will be shown here.

Near continuous measurements of pressure and temperature by the MET instrumentation on the Phoenix Mars Lander are used to identify the passage of vertically oriented vortex structures at the Phoenix landing site (126W, 68N) on Mars.

Phoenix carries as part of its scientific payload a series of magnetic properties experiments designed to utilize onboard instruments for the investigation of airborne dust, air-fall samples stirred by the retro-rockets of the lander, and sampled surface and sub-surface material from the northern plains of Mars. One of the aims of these experiments...

The objective of the Phoenix Mars mission is to determine if Mars' polar region can support life. Since liquid water is a basic ingredient for life, as we know, an important goal of the mission is to determine if liquid water exists at the landing site. It is believed that a layer of martian soil preserves ice by forming a barrier against sublimati...

Phoenix landed in the northern plains of Mars in an area with low rock abundance dominated by few-meter- scale polygonal patterned ground with decimeter scale troughs. The Phoenix Surface Stereo Imager (SSI) provides geomorphic and spectral information about the Phoenix landing site for scales that range from site- wide to context for samples analy...

Near continuous measurements of temperatures and pressure on the Phoenix Mars Lander are used to identify the passage of vertically oriented vortex structures at the Phoenix landing site (126W, 68N) on Mars. Observations: During the Phoenix mission the pressure and temperature sensors frequently detected features passing over or close to the lander...

This paper summarizes the Spirit rover operations in the Columbia Hills of Gusev Crater from sols 513 to 1476 and provides an overview of selected findings that focus on synergistic use of the Athena Payload and comparisons to orbital data. Results include discovery of outcrops (Voltaire) on Husband Hill that are interpreted to be altered impact me...

1] The first NASA scout mission to Mars, Phoenix, launched 4 August will land in the northern part of Mars in the locality of 68°N and 233°E on 25 May 2008. Part of the science payload is the Magnetic Properties Experiments (MPE) that consists of two main experiments: the Improved Sweep Magnet Experiment (ISWEEP) and 10 sets of two Microscopy, Elec...

At room temperature the 57Fe Mössbauer spectrum of chromite particles separated from the Martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001 is different from the Mössbauer spectrum of natural chromite. One hypothesis for this discrepancy is that the chromite in Allan Hills 84001 is found in a disordered or even amorphous state, possibly caused by a shock event. A...

Phenomenal new observations from Earth-based telescopes and Mars-based orbiters, landers, and rovers have dramatically advanced our understanding of the past environments on Mars. These include the first global-scale infrared and reflectance spectroscopic maps of the surface, leading to the discovery of key minerals indicative of specific past clim...

The Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) on board the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) is a grinding tool designed to remove dust coatings and/or weathering rinds from rocks and expose fresh rock material. Four magnets of different strengths that are built into the structure of the RAT have been attracting substantial amounts of magnetic material during RAT activ...

Magnetic and Mössbauer studies of heated nontronite show formation of various magnetic phases, including non-stochiometric hematite and spinel. Impacted nontronite deposits could thus provide a source for the nanophase red magnetic dust on Mars.

[1] The Telltale wind indicator is a mechanical anemometer designed to operate on the Martian surface as part of the meteorological package on the NASA Phoenix lander. It consists of a lightweight cylinder suspended by Kevlar fibers and is deflected under the action of wind. Imaging of the Telltale deflection allows the wind speed and direction to...

The Surface Stereo Imager is the multi-spectral stereo camera for the Phoenix Mars Lander. It is designed to support Phoenix landed operations and to conduct geological, mineralogical, and atmospheric investigations.