S. J. VanBommel
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View article: APXS Derived Geochemistry of Shallow Water Lens Bodies Within the Mirador Formation, Gale Crater, Mars—Evidence for Intermittent Wet Periods and Implications for the Water Record
APXS Derived Geochemistry of Shallow Water Lens Bodies Within the Mirador Formation, Gale Crater, Mars—Evidence for Intermittent Wet Periods and Implications for the Water Record Open
The Mount Sharp group in Gale crater is typically interpreted to record a progressive change (with increasing elevation) from wetter fluvio‐lacustrine environments to dry, eolian environments. This shift has been linked to orbital evidence…
View article: Mineralogically Diverse and Salt‐Rich Regolith in Jezero Crater Characterized Using X‐Ray Spectroscopy
Mineralogically Diverse and Salt‐Rich Regolith in Jezero Crater Characterized Using X‐Ray Spectroscopy Open
The Planetary Instrument for X‐ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) onboard the Perseverance rover has characterized the composition of Martian regolith at a scale of hundreds of microns using micro‐focus X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy. PIXL data re…
View article: Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars
Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars Open
The Perseverance rover has explored and sampled igneous and sedimentary rocks within Jezero Crater to characterize early Martian geological processes and habitability and search for potential biosignatures1-7. Upon entering Neretva Vallis,…
View article: Fe-phosphates in Jezero Crater as evidence for an ancient habitable environment on Mars
Fe-phosphates in Jezero Crater as evidence for an ancient habitable environment on Mars Open
Phosphorus is an essential component for life, and in-situ identification of phosphate minerals that formed in aqueous conditions directly contributes toward one of the main goals of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover: to seek signs of ancie…
View article: Beyond Bulk Chemistry: Enhancing the Science Return of Landed In Situ X-ray Spectrometers
Beyond Bulk Chemistry: Enhancing the Science Return of Landed In Situ X-ray Spectrometers Open
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy has long served as a cornerstone analytical technique in planetary surface exploration, enabling high-precision compositional analyses of planetary materials in situ. On Mars, two prominent XRF instrum…
View article: Mars landers pressure records observe contemporaneous changes in atmospheric composition, dust, and meridional circulation
Mars landers pressure records observe contemporaneous changes in atmospheric composition, dust, and meridional circulation Open
Five years of surface pressure data collected by the Mars rover Curiosity’s Environmental Monitoring Station experienced a recurrent short-lived drop of the daily pressure means, unrelated to dust activity, sudden temperature anomalies, or…
View article: In situ crystallographic mapping constrains sulfate precipitation and timing in Jezero crater, Mars
In situ crystallographic mapping constrains sulfate precipitation and timing in Jezero crater, Mars Open
Late-stage Ca-sulfate–filled fractures are common on Mars. Notably, the Shenandoah formation in the western edge of Jezero crater preserves a variety of Ca-sulfate minerals in the fine-grained siliciclastic rocks explored by the Perseveran…
View article: THE DETECTION OF A POTENTIAL BIOSIGNATURE BY THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER ON MARS
THE DETECTION OF A POTENTIAL BIOSIGNATURE BY THE PERSEVERANCE ROVER ON MARS Open
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View article: Diverse and highly differentiated lava suite in Jezero crater, Mars: Constraints on intracrustal magmatism revealed by Mars 2020 PIXL
Diverse and highly differentiated lava suite in Jezero crater, Mars: Constraints on intracrustal magmatism revealed by Mars 2020 PIXL Open
The Jezero crater floor features a suite of related, iron-rich lavas that were examined and sampled by the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance, and whose textures, minerals, and compositions were characterized by the Planetary Instrument for X-ra…
View article: Amapari Marker Band, Gale Crater, Mars: Event Horizon With Highest Bedrock Iron and Zinc Concentrations Detected by <i>Curiosity's</i> Alpha Particle X‐Ray Spectrometer
Amapari Marker Band, Gale Crater, Mars: Event Horizon With Highest Bedrock Iron and Zinc Concentrations Detected by <i>Curiosity's</i> Alpha Particle X‐Ray Spectrometer Open
Alpha Particle X‐ray spectrometer (APXS) analyses of the distinct Amapari Marker Band (AMB), Gale crater, Mars reveal the highest, in situ, FeO and Zn abundances (47.51, 2.23 wt%), and elevated MnO associated with a lower rippled unit. APX…
View article: Fe-phosphates in Jezero Crater: Chemical, Structural, and Spectral Evidence for an Ancient Habitable Environment on Mars
Fe-phosphates in Jezero Crater: Chemical, Structural, and Spectral Evidence for an Ancient Habitable Environment on Mars Open
Phosphorus is an essential component for life, and in-situ identification of phosphate minerals that formed in aqueous conditions directly contributes toward one of the main goals of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover: to seek signs of ancie…
View article: In-situ crystallographic mapping constrains sulfate deposition and timing in Jezero crater, Mars
In-situ crystallographic mapping constrains sulfate deposition and timing in Jezero crater, Mars Open
Late-stage Ca-sulfate-filled fractures are common on Mars. Notably, the Shenandoah formation in the western edge of Jezero crater preserves a variety of Ca-sulfate minerals in the fine-grained siliciclastic rocks explored by the Perseveran…
View article: Energy dependence of x‐ray beam size produced by polycapillary x‐ray optics
Energy dependence of x‐ray beam size produced by polycapillary x‐ray optics Open
In this work, we studied the x‐ray energy dependence of x‐ray beam diameter focused by polycapillary optics. A quantitative beam diameter–energy relation enables more accurate estimation of the element‐specific interrogation area of a samp…
View article: COMPARING THE UNEXPLAINED VARIABILITY OF MOLECULAR OXYGEN IN THE MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE TO WATER VAPOR AND ARGON
COMPARING THE UNEXPLAINED VARIABILITY OF MOLECULAR OXYGEN IN THE MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE TO WATER VAPOR AND ARGON Open
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View article: LENSOID BODIES WITHIN THE MIRADOR FORMATION, GALE CRATER - ALPHA PARTICLE X-RAY SPECTROMETER (APXS) GEOCHEMISTRY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND TIMING
LENSOID BODIES WITHIN THE MIRADOR FORMATION, GALE CRATER - ALPHA PARTICLE X-RAY SPECTROMETER (APXS) GEOCHEMISTRY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND TIMING Open
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View article: Phosphates on Mars and Their Importance as Igneous, Aqueous, and Astrobiological Indicators
Phosphates on Mars and Their Importance as Igneous, Aqueous, and Astrobiological Indicators Open
This paper reviews the phosphate phases in meteorites and those measured by landed spacecraft, what they reveal about past igneous and aqueous conditions on Mars, and important implications for potential prebiotic chemistry, past habitabil…
View article: Adaptive sampling with PIXL on the Mars Perseverance rover
Adaptive sampling with PIXL on the Mars Perseverance rover Open
Planetary rovers can use onboard data analysis to adapt their measurement plan on the fly, improving the science value of data collected between commands from Earth. This paper describes the implementation of an adaptive sampling algorithm…
View article: Monitoring Condensation Flow on Mars with Landed X-ray Spectrometers: A Summary of 11,000 Sols Across Three Landing Sites
Monitoring Condensation Flow on Mars with Landed X-ray Spectrometers: A Summary of 11,000 Sols Across Three Landing Sites Open
Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometers (APXS) were an integral component of the science payload that flew on the twin Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) Spirit and Opportunity. An updated version of the MER APXS instrument, further optimized for in…
View article: THE AMAPARI MARKER BAND, GALE CRATER, MARS: METAL ENRICHMENTS AND POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF FORMATION
THE AMAPARI MARKER BAND, GALE CRATER, MARS: METAL ENRICHMENTS AND POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF FORMATION Open
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View article: Evidence of Sulfate‐Rich Fluid Alteration in Jezero Crater Floor, Mars
Evidence of Sulfate‐Rich Fluid Alteration in Jezero Crater Floor, Mars Open
Sulfur plays a major role in martian geochemistry and sulfate minerals are important repositories of water. However, their hydration states on Mars are poorly constrained. Therefore, understanding the hydration and distribution of sulfate …
View article: A Radiometric Correction Method and Performance Characteristics for PIXL’s Multispectral Analysis Using LEDs
A Radiometric Correction Method and Performance Characteristics for PIXL’s Multispectral Analysis Using LEDs Open
The Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) onboard the Perseverance rover, part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, has the first camera system that utilizes active light sources to generate multispectral data directly on a planetar…
View article: Manganese-Iron Phosphate Nodules at the Groken Site, Gale Crater, Mars
Manganese-Iron Phosphate Nodules at the Groken Site, Gale Crater, Mars Open
The MSL Curiosity rover investigated dark, Mn-P-enriched nodules in shallow lacustrine/fluvial sediments at the Groken site in Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars. Applying all relevant information from the rover, the nodules are interpreted …
View article: THE PETROGENETIC HISTORY OF THE JEZERO CRATER DELTA FRONT FROM MICROSCALE OBSERVATIONS BY THE MARS 2020 PIXL INSTRUMENT
THE PETROGENETIC HISTORY OF THE JEZERO CRATER DELTA FRONT FROM MICROSCALE OBSERVATIONS BY THE MARS 2020 PIXL INSTRUMENT Open
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View article: A varnish-like high-manganese rock coating in Jezero crater, Mars
A varnish-like high-manganese rock coating in Jezero crater, Mars Open
Manganese-rich phases have been detected in situ on Mars by the NASA Opportunity and Curiosity rovers, and in the martian meteorite NWA 7034 (and its pairs). Notably, instruments on Curiosity in Gale crater have detected Mn-rich materials …
View article: Trace Element Concentrations from the Mars Exploration Rover Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometers: Implications for the Geologic Histories of Meridiani Planum and Gusev Crater
Trace Element Concentrations from the Mars Exploration Rover Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometers: Implications for the Geologic Histories of Meridiani Planum and Gusev Crater Open
The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometers (APXS) onboard the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) Spirit and Opportunity interrogated the bedrock, soil, and regolith at Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum, respectively. The APXS derives the compositio…
View article: Constraining the Chemistry of Sub-cm Diagenetic Features with Curiosity's Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer
Constraining the Chemistry of Sub-cm Diagenetic Features with Curiosity's Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer Open
The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) onboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has acquired approximately 1,300 geochemical analyses since landing in 2012. The APXS utilizes a combination of X-ray fluorescence and p…
View article: An Examination of Soil Crusts on the Floor of Jezero Crater, Mars
An Examination of Soil Crusts on the Floor of Jezero Crater, Mars Open
Martian soils are critically important for understanding the history of Mars, past potentially habitable environments, returned samples, and future human exploration. This study examines soil crusts on the floor of Jezero crater encountere…