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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Orbital Mapping Of Seasonal And Yearly Changes In Co2 And Water Ice On The Southern Polar Cap Of Mars, Victoria Michell Ann Karnes
Orbital Mapping Of Seasonal And Yearly Changes In Co2 And Water Ice On The Southern Polar Cap Of Mars, Victoria Michell Ann Karnes
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
This research exhibits a new foundation for the rates of change in CO2 and water ice on the southern polar cap of Mars, where the annual precipitation cycles are known to fluctuate seasonally between the north and south pole, based on observations from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer (CRISM). The conventional belief is that both CO2 ice and water ice on the southern polar cap condenses and evaporates over the course of a Martian year (MY), condensing during the Martian spring and summer and evaporating during the Martian fall and winter. With this theory in mind, CO2 and water ice …
An Investigation Into The Suitability Of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria As Models For Martian Forward Contamination, Maxwell M. W. Silver
An Investigation Into The Suitability Of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria As Models For Martian Forward Contamination, Maxwell M. W. Silver
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The NASA Planetary Protection policy requires interplanetary space missions do not compromise the target body for a current or future scientific investigation and do not pose an unacceptable risk to Earth, including biologic materials. Robotic missions to Mars pose a risk to planetary protection in the forms of forward and reverse contamination. To reduce these risks, a firm understanding of microbial response to Mars conditions is required. Sulfate-reducing bacteria are prime candidates for potential forward contamination on Mars. Understanding the potential for forward-contamination of sulfate-reducers on Mars calls for the characterization of sulfate-reducers under Mars atmosphere, temperature, and sulfate-brines. This …
Experimental Simulations Of Recurring Slope Lineae And Other Flow Formation Features On Mars, Julia Ann Heydenreich
Experimental Simulations Of Recurring Slope Lineae And Other Flow Formation Features On Mars, Julia Ann Heydenreich
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Various flow formation features from gullies to recurring slope lineae (RSL) have been identified across the martian surface. The formation of these geologic features are still being determined. Recently, several aspects of these flow features indicate that salt water flows in the subsurface during the warmer months when the ice melts. This paper explores the formation of these processes using laboratory experimental simulations. Experiments were conducted in a wooden flume under varying martian conditions of temperature, slope angle, regolith simulant and a liquid subsurface flow. By adjusting the flume at specific heights, several slopes were obtained to mimic the slopes …
On Chlorine Salts: Their Detection, Stability And Implications For Water On Mars And Europa, Jennifer Hanley
On Chlorine Salts: Their Detection, Stability And Implications For Water On Mars And Europa, Jennifer Hanley
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Chlorine salts (e.g. chlorides, chlorates and perchlorates) are an important factor in the stability of water on the surfaces of planetary bodies. Here we have shown that perchlorate and chlorate salts will lower the freezing point of water, allowing it to be liquid down to ~204 K. These salts will also slow down the evaporation rate, extending the lifetime of the liquid water solution. Chlorine salts have been detected on Mars, which has significant implications for the stability of water and hence its habitability. To study their effects on the stability of water on planetary surfaces, we need to first …
Modeling Water Stability And Transport On Mars And Iapetus: Exploring Their Effects On Geomorphic And Atmospheric Processes, Edgard Giovanni Rivera-Valentin
Modeling Water Stability And Transport On Mars And Iapetus: Exploring Their Effects On Geomorphic And Atmospheric Processes, Edgard Giovanni Rivera-Valentin
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The stability and transport of water on solid planetary surfaces strongly affects both atmospheric and surfaces processes. In this work, two bodies are specifically investigated where transport of water is relevant: Iapetus and Mars. Iapetus, an icy Kronian satellite, has a drastic albedo contrast on its surface and one of the darkest surfaces in the solar system. This extreme brightness contrast is suggested to occur via the transport of water ice from the leading hemisphere to the trailing hemisphere and the poles. Here a global heat and mass transfer model is developed for Iapetus in order to study the current …