Hydrogen detection with ChemCam on Mars: studies towards calibration and quantitative analysis with LIBS

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The NASA Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity includes the ChemCam instrument to provide elemental analysis of the martian surface, with the first Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument ever used on a planetary mission. LIBS is an emission spectroscopy technique and permits rapid multi-elemental analysis. One of the main advantages of LIBS is its ability to detect light elements such as hydrogen, which may indicate the presence of water, a key criterion for habitability, which is also addressed in the primary objectives of the MSL mission. Within the framework of the requested DFG project and the for two additional years extended mission we want to focus on hydrogen detection with the latest ChemCam data. Focus will be on hydrogen detection from fine and coarse-grained soils and the omnipresent hydrated dust as well as from selected rock types and salts, such as sulfates, which will be encountered at the foothills of Mt. Sharp. Laboratory studies with the replicate ChemCam set-up in Toulouse are planned to work towards a calibration and quantitative assessment of the hydrogen signal in the Mars data by applying multivariate analysis techniques. Together with the French government space agency CNES (Centre national d'études spatiales), the host institution in Toulouse has developed the laser-telescope of ChemCam, which is attached to the upper part of MSL's mast. With the FIMOC (French Instrument Mars Operation Centre) they are actively involved in the ongoing operations.