At times, when looking back to the incredible trek Spirit and Opportunity have had on the Martian surface, it becomes difficult to realize that these enduring robots are in fact geological tools. They were sent there to look at Martian rocks, polish them with their onboard abrasion tools, and then analyze them as best they can. But scientists are now pushing for sending a new class of science instruments in space, and one of these new devices is the Laser-induced breakdown spectroscope (LIBS). It essentially relies on high-intensity, short laser pulses to decompose rocks, and then analyze it thoroughly.
At first, the LIBS was a very complicated system, that could only be operated by a highly-specialized scientist. Right now, it has been tailored in such a manner that a technician can effortlessly operate such a device as well. This means that the tool can be used in a wider variety of domains, ranging from space exploration to forensic science. “The same things that make it amenable to go to Mars also make it amenable to go out in the field,” explains Florida International University chemist Jose Almirall.
The expert is the beneficiary of grant money from the US Department of Justice, which he is currently using to determine possible ways in which the LIDS system can be employed in crime labs across the country. In addition to having the ability to decompose rocks, the spectroscope can also melt steel, which allows it to look into the various components contained within,
Wired reports.
NASA has already decided to outfit its Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, now named Curiosity, with a ChemCam instrument, that will also feature a LIDS. At this point, the new explorer is scheduled for launch next year, but it remains to be seen whether this is possible or not. The system aboard the robot will blast three laser pulses per second, at a wavelength of 5 nanometers, and an energy intensity of 10 megawatts. Researchers say that this is not enough to punch a hole through your hand, but that subjecting skin to a single blast leaves a mark.
“I’ve shot myself and you might see a little spot where you shot yourself, if it’s just one laser shot,” shares Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) space scientist Roger Wiens. He was the leader of the group that developed the ChemCam instrument for Curiosity. “I was looking for other technologies to put into space and a colleague here [at LANL] took me to his laboratory and showed me a little laser the size of a cigar and a rock across the room and a little transistor battery. He had the laser hooked up to the 9-volt battery, charged up some capacitors for a few seconds, and then zap, across the room, there was a spark,” he says of how work on the MSL instrument began.
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