Spectral Identification of the Precursors for Life

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To date one of the best techniques for the remote identification of organic molecules and water-related mineral deposits on the icy bodies of the Solar System (such as moons and comets) has been infra-red (IR) spectroscopy. Their detection has relied on interpretations of spectra which are created through and influenced by a jumbled mixture of variably sized grains of, for example, rocks and minerals, dust, water, H2O and CO2 ice, and a host of organic species. Trying to pull apart these individual elements within a single spectrum however is challenging and a wrong assignment can lead to misinterpretation of the organic and mineralogical environment, and ergo the geological history of the planetary bodies themselves. To address this critical uncertainty in spectral interpretations, we will conduct field analogue research to identify spectral markers for organic-rich, organic-poor and pristine evaporitic minerals from a range of terrestrial environments and run experimental simulations to create IR reference spectra for organic, ice and dust mixtures to ultimately aid confident characterisation of planetary bodies both in-situ and from orbit.