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Fluorocarbon Contamination from the Drill on the Mars Science Laboratory: Potential Science Impact on Detecting Martian Organics by Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or trade name: Teflon by Dupont Co.) has been detected in rocks drilled during terrestrial testing of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) drilling hardware. The PTFE in sediments is a wear product of the seals used in the Drill Bit Assemblies (DBAs). It is expected that the drill assembly on the MSL flight model will also shed Teflon particles into drilled samples. One of the primary goals of the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite on MSL is to test for the presence of martian organics in samples. Complications introduced by the potential presence of PTFE in drilled samples to the SAM evolved gas analysis (EGA or pyrolysisquadrupole mass spectrometry, pyr-QMS) and pyrolysis- gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Pyr- GCMS) experiments was investigated.
Document ID
20140010312
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Eigenbrode, J. L. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
McAdam, A. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Franz, H. (Maryland Univ. Baltimore County Baltimore, MD, United States)
Freissinet, C. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Bower, H. (Maryland Univ. Baltimore County Baltimore, MD, United States)
Floyd, M. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Conrad, P. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Mahaffy, P. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Feldman, J. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Hurowitz, J. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Evans, J. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Anderson, M. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Jandura, L. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Brown, K. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Logan, C. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kuhn, S. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Anderson, R. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Beegle, L. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Limonadi, D. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Rainen, R. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Umland, J. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
July 29, 2014
Publication Date
March 18, 2013
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN7818
Meeting Information
Meeting: Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: March 18, 2014
End Date: March 22, 2014
Sponsors: Lunar and Planetary Inst.
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG06EO90A
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
fluorocarbon contamination
Sample Analysis at Mars
Mars science Laboratory
drill

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