High resolution mass spectrometry laboratory experiments for the analysis of past and future space data

众所周知，土卫二会从地下全球咸水海洋中向太空喷射物质。因此，卡西尼号以土卫二羽流为目标的任务可以在合适的高度飞越南极地形时轻松收集羽流材料。由于卡西尼号太空任务的巨大成功，后续任务也在计划中。然而，对于这些任务来说，更紧凑、质量分辨率更高的仪器是必要的。由于在分析空间数据方面取得的大部分成功来自实验室实验，因此，目前的建议的目标是开发用于实验室实验的仪器，一方面，这些仪器甚至有可能在未来的空间任务（例如，Orbitrap质谱仪）上实施。另一方面，开发的仪器将有潜力通过实验室实验来支持这些任务，为了解行星及其卫星的粒子相互作用和大气成分提供数据，以及在我们太阳系中寻找行星及其卫星上的生命。因此，该项目的一个重点是将激光撞击解吸（LID）源与功能强大的质量分析仪结合起来，进行一个很好的模拟实验，以解释卡西尼号太空任务中记录的光谱，该任务于2018年结束。它还有一个目标是为未来的太空任务记录光谱库，重点是将分子作为外星生命的指示器。除了我们对土星卫星土卫二的水-有机喷射物的研究外，我们还将研究土卫二和土卫六之间可能的化学相互作用。众所周知，土卫二通过其表面排放将存在于地下水海洋中的物质释放到太空中。这些物质被土星的磁场电离并拖向土卫六，在那里它们与电离层中的分子和离子相互作用。通过随后的离子-分子反应，可以生成高分子化合物，这些化合物被卡西尼-惠更斯号观测到。这将在本研究中进行调查。为此将结合使用几种实验方法。在目前的合作努力中，莱比锡和布拉格的团队联合起来，通过结合激光撞击-解吸-质谱（LID-MS）和一种名为CIARA的新型质谱分析仪，对土卫二水分子的性质进行研究。最后，利用改进的扇形质谱仪研究快速“水离子”的相互作用。可能的机制形成的高分子化合物将研究使用串联质谱。

Enceladus is known to eject material into space from a subsurface global salty water ocean. Therefore, the Cassini mission targeting the Enceladus plume could easily collect plume material in a flyby over the south polar terrain at a suitable altitude. Due to the big success of the Cassini space mission, follow up missions are planned for the future. However, for these missions much more compact instruments with a much higher mass resolution are necessary. Because much of the success in analyzing the space data came from laboratory experiments the current proposal targets at developing instruments for laboratory experiments, which on the one hand may have the potential to be even implemented on board of future space missions (e.g., Orbitrap mass spectrometer). On the other hand, the developed instruments will have the potential to support these missions through laboratory experiments that provide data for understanding particle interactions and atmospheric compositions of planets and their moons, as well as in the quest for searching life on planets and their moons in our solar system. One focus of the project is therefore to combine a laser impact desorption (LID) source with powerful mass analyzers to have a good analog experiment for the interpretation of spectra recorded within the Cassini space mission that ended in 2018. It also has the goal to record libraries of spectra for future space missions, with a focus on molecules being indicators for extraterrestrial life. Beyond our focus on the study of the water-organic ejecta of the Saturn's moon Enceladus we will also investigate the possible chemical interplay between Enceladus and Titan. It is known that Enceladus releases the substances present in the subsurface water ocean into the space through its surface emissions. These substances are ionized and dragged by the magnetic field of Saturn towards the Titan, where they interact with molecules and ions present in its ionosphere. By the subsequent ion-molecule reactions, high-molecular compounds could be generated, which were observed by Cassini-Huygens mission. This will be investigated in the present study. A combination of several experimental approaches will be used for this. Within the present collaborative effort, the teams in Leipzig and Prag join forces for the investigation of the nature of the aqueous molecules of Enceladus by combining Laser-Impact-Desorption-MS (LID-MS) and a novel mass analyzer instrument, termed CIARA. Finally, the interaction of fast “water ions” will be studied using the modified sector-type mass spectrometer. Possible mechanisms for the formation of high-molecular compounds will be studied using tandem mass spectrometry.