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CheMin Instrument Performance and Calibration on MarsThe CheMin (Chemistry and Mineralogy) instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity uses a CCD detector and a Co-anode X-ray tube source to acquire both mineralogy (from the pattern of Co diffraction) and chemical information (from energies of fluoresced X-rays). A key component of the CheMin instrument is the ability to move grains within sample cells during analysis, providing multiple, random grain orientations that disperse diffracted X-ray photons along Debye rings rather than producing discrete Laue spots. This movement is accomplished by piezoelectric vibration of the sample cells. A cryocooler is used to maintain the CCD at a temperature at about -50 C in order to obtain energy resolution better than 250 eV, allowing discrimination of diffracted Co K X-rays from Fe K and other fluorescent X-rays. A detailed description of CheMin is provided in [1]. The CheMin flight model (FM) is mounted within the body of Curiosity and has been operating on Mars since August 6, 2012. An essentially identical sister instrument, the CheMin demonstration model (DM), is operated in a Mars environment chamber at JPL.
Document ID
20130009995
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Vaniman, D. T. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Blake, D. F. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Morookian, J. M. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Yen, A. S. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Ming, D. W. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Morris, R. V. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Achilles, C. N. (Hamilton Sundstrand Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Bish, D. L. (Indiana Univ. Bloomington, IN, United States)
Chipera, S. J. (Chesapeake Energy Corp. Oklahoma City, OK, United States)
Morrison, S. M. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Downs, R. T. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Rampe, E. B. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Sarrazin, P. C.
Treiman, A. H. (Lunar and Planetary Inst. Houston, TX, United States)
Anderson, R. C. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Bristow, T. F. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Crisp, J. A. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Des Marais, D. J. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Spanovich, N. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Wilson, M. A. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 27, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2013
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-27876
Meeting Information
Meeting: 44th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: March 18, 2013
End Date: March 22, 2013
Sponsors: Universities Space Research Association, Lunar and Planetary Inst.
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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