First X-Ray Diffraction Measurements of Mars Soil Samples Reveal Planet History

Could there be life on Mars? Scientists are learning a bit more about the planet after analyzing soil samples from the Red Planet after NASA's rover Curiosity landed in the Gale crater.

As Curiosity drove toward Mount Sharp, the central peak within Gale Crater, it began field studies. More specifically, it took samples of the mountain's lower slopes. Then, it employed CheMin, which is one of ten instruments on or inside curiosity, which are all designed to provide detailed information on the rocks, soils and atmosphere.

CheMin itself is actually a miniaturized X-ray diffraction/X-ray fluorescence (XRD/XRF) instrument. It uses transmission geometry with an energy-discriminating CCD detector to obtain unparalleled results in challenging conditions.

Already, CheMin has analyzed five samples. These samples revealed complex mineralogy, with contributions from parent igneous rocks, amorphous components and several minerals relating to aqueous alteration. In addition, the researchers found unit-cell parameters for the major phases, which can be used to infer the chemical compositions of individual minerals and the composition of the amorphous component.

So far, the data has provided new insights into the processes of Mars, and the instrument itself promises to return data that will answer questions about the history of the Gale crater. More specifically, the soil samples can tell researchers whether the planet was hospitable to life, and even have potential remnants of biological life-if it ever existed.

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Want to learn more? Check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.