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NASA NTRS1991

Studies of volatiles and organic materials in early terrestrial and present-day outer solar system environments

A review and partial summary of projects within several areas of research generally involving the origin, distribution, chemistry, and spectral/dielectric properties of volatiles and organic materials in the outer solar system and early terrestrial environments are presented. The major topics covered include: (1) impact delivery of volatiles and organic compounds to the early terrestrial planets; (2) optical constants measurements; (3) spectral classification, chemical processes, and distribution of materials; and (4) radar properties of ice, hydrocarbons, and organic heteropolymers.

Sagan, Carl↗

NASA NTRS1992

Mars volatile evolution: Implications of the recent measurement of O-17 in water from the SNC meteorites

Oxygen, carbon, and hydrocarbon isotopes in water and carbon dioxide in the Martian environment can fractionate due to processes involving escape to space, exchange between atmospheric and non-atmospheric species, and exchange of atoms between different molecules. As a result, the ratios of O-18/O-17/O-16, C-13/C-12 and D/H in atmospheric and surface species are sensitive indicators of the integrated effects of outgassing and volatile evolution over geologic time. Previously, I summarized all of the available observations of isotopic abundances and compared them with models of fractionation in order to see which scenarios of volatile evolution were most plausible. Presently, I have included in the models the possible evolution of O-17 due to loss to space in order to see whether these measurements are consistent with various scenarios for atmospheric evolution.

Jakosky, Bruce M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Micrometer-sized glass spheres in Apollo 16 soil 61181 - Implications for impact volatilization and condensation

Micrometer-sized glass spheres from a mature highland lunar soil (61181) were analyzed for major elements with a transmission electron microscope. The majority of the glasses analyzed (50 percent) have refractory, high-alumina, silica-poor (HASP) compositions. Most of the HASP glasses are derived from the bulk soil by impact vaporization of silica, Fe, and volatile elements. Two HASP trends (a highland- and a mare-type) occur in the soil. A group of volatile-rich alumina-poor (VRAP) glasses were identified with compositions that are complementary to the HASP glasses. These VRAP glasses result from the condensation of impact-produced vapors.

Keller, Lindsay P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A volatility index for comets

The variations in total brightness of a comet when it is most active, near perihelion, are presently used as the bases of a volatility index (VI) for short-period (SP) and long-period (LP) comets. Volatility does not correlate with period among the LP comets, and thereby shows no 'aging' effect; similarly, the VI measurements are the same for SP and for LP comets and exhibit no correlation with (1) absolute magnitude near perihelion, (2) orbital inclination, or (3) activity index measuring the intrinsic brightness change from great solar distances to the maximum near perihelion. Active comets are shown to be basically alike irrespective of their orbits or 'ages'.

Whipple, Fred L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Volatile species in halide-activated-diffusion coating packs

An atmospheric pressure sampling mass spectrometer was used to identify the vapor species generated in a halide-activated cementation pack. Pack powder mixtures containing a Cr-Al binary masteralloy powder, an NH4Cl activator salt, and either ZrO2 or Y2O3 (or neither) were analyzed at 1000 C. Both the equilibrium calculations for the pack and mass spectrometer results indicated that volatile AlCl(x) and CrCl(y) species were generated by the pack powder mixture; in packs containing the reactive element oxide, volatile ZrCl(z) and YCl(w) species were formed by the conversion of their oxide sources.

Bianco, Robert↗

NASA NTRS1992

Radon as a Tracer for Lunar Volatiles

Radon and its decay product polonium can be used as tracers to search for lunar volatiles. One effective technique to look for them would be by using alpha-particle spectrometers from lunar orbit. Alpha spectrometers were flown in the Apollo Service Modules during the Apollo 15 and 16 missions, and did observe Rn-222 and its decay product Po-210 on the lunar surface from orbit. This demonstrates that radon and polonium can be observed from orbit; what must next be shown is that such observations can reveal something about the locations of volatiles on the Moon.

Friesen, Larry Jay↗

NASA NTRS1992

Extraction of volatiles and metals from extraterrestrial materials

Recent progress in defining the physical, orbital, and chemical properties of the Earth-crossing asteroid and comet population was integrated into an elaborate Monte Carlo model of the fluxes of bodies in the inner Solar System. This model is of use in projecting flight opportunities to as-yet undiscovered near-Earth objects and in assessing the impact hazard to life on Earth and the evolutionary consequences of impacts on the other terrestrial planets. Further progress was made in defining desirable transportation system architectures for the use of non-terrestrial volatiles and metals, including the delivery of propellants to near-Earth space for fueling of space exploration initiative (SEI) type expeditions, the construction and resupply of Solar Power Satellite constellations in various Earth orbits (including geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) and Highly Eccentric Earth Orbit (HEEO)), and retrieval of He-3 for use as a clean fusion fuel on Earth. These studies suggest a greater future role for SERC in the exploration of space energy sources to meet Earth's 21st-century energy requirements. Laboratory studies of volatilization and deposition of ferrous metal alloys demonstrated deposition of strong iron films from carbonyl chemical vapor deposition (CVD), showing the crucial role of additive gases in governing the CVD process, and pointing the way to specific experiments on extraction and deposition of ferrous metals from nonterrestrial materials.

Lewis, J. S.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Abundance of He-3 and other solar-wind-derived volatiles in lunar soil

Volatiles implanted into the lunar regolith by the solar wind are potentially important lunar resources. Wittenberg et al. (1986) have proposed that lunar He-3 could be used as a fuel for terrestrial nuclear fusion reactors. They argue that a fusion scheme involving D and He-3 would be cleaner and more efficient than currently-proposed schemes involving D and T. However, since the terrestrial inventory of He-3 is so small, they suggest that the lunar regolith, with concentrations of the order of parts per billion (by mass) would be an economical source of He-3. Solar-wind implantation is also the primary source of H, C, and N in lunar soil. These elements could also be important, particularly for life support and for propellant production. In a SERC study of the feasibility of obtaining the necessary amount of He-3, Swindle et al. (1990) concluded that the available amount is sufficient for early reactors, at least, but that the mining problems, while not necessarily insurmountable, are prodigious. The volatiles H, C, and N, on the other hand, come in parts per million level abundances. The differences in abundances mean that (1) a comparable amount of H, C, and/or N could be extracted with orders of magnitude smaller operations than required for He-3, and (2) if He-3 extraction ever becomes important, huge quantities of H, C, and N will be produced as by-products.

Swindle, Timothy D.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A Volatile Organic Analyzer for Space Station - Description and evaluation of a gas chromatography/ion mobility spectrometer

An on-board Volatile Organic Analyzer (VOA), an essential component of the Environmental Health System (EHS) air-quality monitoring strategy, is described. The strategy is aimed at warning the crew and ground personnel if volatile compounds exceed safe exposure limits. The VOA uses a combination of gas chromatography (GC) and ion-mobility spectrometry (IMS) for environmental monitoring and analysis. It is concluded that the VOA dual-mode detection capability and the ion mobilities in the drift region are unique features that can assist in the resolution of coeluting GC peaks. The VOA is capable of accurately identifying and quantifying target compounds in a complex mixture.

Limero, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS1993

Mars volatile evolution - Implications of the recent measurement of O-17 in water from the SNC meteorites

Escape of oxygen to space on Mars is capable of producing a fractionation of oxygen isotopes in the remaining oxygen which is off of the fractionation line produced by the usual mass-dependent exchange processes. The magnitude of fractionation which can occur can be larger than that which was measured in oxygen in water derived from the SNC meteorites (thought to have come from Mars). In conjunction with the apparent lack of fractionation of O-18 in the atmosphere, this result suggests that less than 25 percent of the oxygen in the Martian climate system has been lost over geologic time. Other mechanisms also might be able to produce such a fractionation, so that this conclusion is not unique; however, it is consistent with other lines of evidence. There is no requirement for an initial volatile inventory with an isotopic composition different from that of the bulk planet (as might be the case for a late veneer of volatile-rich material).

Jakosky, Bruce M.↗

NASA NTRS1950

Effect of fuel volatility on altitude starting limits of a turbojet engine

The effect of fuel volatility on altitude starting limits of an axial-flow-compressor-type turbojet engine was investigated using fuels with Reid vapor pressures of 1.1 and 5.4 pounds per square inch. At flight Mach numbers from 0.40 to 0.85, the AN-F-58 fuel allowed consistent windmilling at altitudes 2000 to 8000 feet higher than was obtained with the 1.1-pound Reid vapor pressure fuel. At a flight Mach number of 0.25, ignition could not be established at any altitude with the lower-volatility fuel.

COMBUSTION - IGNITION OF GASES↗

NASA NTRS1993

Volatiles in fourteen interplanetary dust particles: A comparison with CI and CM chondrites

In an attempt to classify the nature of volatiles within interplanetary dust particles (IDP's), 14 IDP's using a laser microprobe/mass spectrometer (LM/MS) technique were studied. Volatile abundances and distributions found for the IDP's are compared with those measured for carbonaceous chondrites in order to determine if the IDP's are related to the parent bodies of these primitive meteorites.

Bustin, R.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Evolution of Triton's volatile budget

Triton's volatile budget provides important links to planetary formation processes in the cold outer solar nebula. However, the budget has been modified by processes subsequent to the accretion of this body. It is of interest to assess whether certain formation environments can be ruled out for Triton on the basis of its current volatile abundances, and also to quantify some of the post-accretional processes by which the abundances have been modified.

Lunine, J. I.↗

NASA NTRS1993

SNC meteorites and their implications for reservoirs of Martian volatiles

The SNC meteorites and the measurements of the Viking landers provide our only direct information about the abundance and isotopic composition of Martian volatiles. Indirect measurements include spectroscopic determinations of the D/H ratio of the Martian atmosphere. A personal view of volatile element reservoirs on Mars is presented, largely as inferred from the meteoritic evidence. This view is that the Martian mantle has had several opportunities for dehydration and is most likely dry, although not completely degassed. Consequently, the water contained in SNC meteorites was most likely incorporated during ascent through the crust. Thus, it is possible that water can be decoupled from other volatile/incompatible elements, making the SNC meteorites suspect as indicators of water inventories on Mars.

Jones, J. H.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Simultaneous laboratory measurements of CO2 and H2O adsorption on palagonite: Implications for the Martian climate and volatile reservoir

We are measuring the simultaneous adsorption of H2O and CO2 on palagonite materials in order to improve the formulation of climate models for Mars. We report on the initial co-adsorption data. Models of the Martian climate and volatile inventory indicate that the regolith serves as one of the primary reservoirs of outgassed volatiles and that it exchanges H2O and CO2 with the atmosphere in response to changes in insolation associated with astronomical cycles. Physical adsorbate must exist on the surfaces of the cold particulates that constitute the regolith, and the size of that reservoir can be assessed through laboratory measurements of adsorption on terrestrial analogs. Many studies of the independent adsorption of H2O and CO2 on Mars analog were made and appear in the literature. Empirical expressions that relate the adsorptive coverage of each gas to the temperature of the soil and partial pressure have been derived based on the laboratory data. Numerical models incorporate these adsorption isotherms into climatic models, which predict how the adsorptive coverage of the regolith and hence, the pressure of each gas in the atmosphere will vary as the planet moves through its orbit. These models suggest that the regolith holds several tens to hundreds of millibars of CO2 and that during periods of high obliquity warming of the high-latitude regolith will result in desorption of the CO2, and a consequent increase in atmospheric pressure. At lower obliquities, the caps cool and the equator warms forcing the desorption of several tens of millibars of CO2, which is trapped into quasipermanent CO2 caps.

Zent, A. P.↗

NASA NTRS1994

A volatile organic analyzer for Space Station: Description and evaluation of a gas chromatography/ ion mobility

A Volatile Organic Analyzer (VOA) is being developed as an essential component of the Space Station's Environmental Health System (EHS) air quality monitoring strategy to provide warning to the crew and ground personnel if volatile organic compounds exceed established exposure limits. The short duration of most Shuttle flights and the relative simplicity of the contaminant removal mechanism have lessened the concern about crew exposure to air contaminants on the Shuttle. However, the longer missions associated with the Space Station, the complex air revitalization system and the proposed number of experiments have led to a desire for real-time monitoring of the contaminants in the Space Station atmosphere. Achieving the performance requirements established for the VOA within the Space Station resource (e.g., power, weight) allocations led to a novel approach that joined a gas chromatograph (GC) to an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). The authors of this paper will discuss the rational for selecting the GC/IMS technology as opposed to the more established gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for the foundation of the VOA. The data presented from preliminary evaluations will demonstrate the versatile capability of the GC/IMS to analyze the major contaminants expected in the Space Station atmosphere. The favorable GC/IMS characteristics illustrated in this paper included excellent sensitivity, dual-mode operation for selective detection, and mobility drift times to distinguish co-eluting GC peaks. Preliminary studies have shown that the GC/IMS technology can meet surpass the performance requirements of the Space Station VOA.

Limero, Thomas F.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Techniques for in situ collection and measurement of volatiles released during hypervelocity impact

The capability of the gas capture cell to collect particles and semivolatile species which were released during impact is examined. The proposed Comet Coma Sample Return (CCSR) payload contains a variety of instrumentation for characterizing and collecting cometary dust. In this suite of instruments the Gas Capture Cell (GCC) is unique in that it not only collects the vaporization products resulting from the dust particle impacts, but also provides chemical characterization information prior to return of the dust particles for analysis on Earth. The GCC provides near real-time characterization of the volatile species, such as low- and medium-molecular-weight organic compounds that evolve from dust particles on impact with metal targets. Instrument sensitivity is sufficient for analyzing the volatile impact products resulting from single, individual dust particles. This capability will enable characterization of near-pristine dust particles, including the CHON particles, to be performed at a level not previously possible. Its design concept, operation and performance are detailed.

Heppner, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1994

The role of chondrules in nebular fractionations of volatiles and other elements

For at least 30 years, cosmochemists have been grappling with the question of how and why groups of geochemically and volatility related elements became fractionated in the major chondrite groups. At least five relatively independent fractionations are known. Virtually everyone who has thought about these facts has been attempted to attribute at least some of the fractionations to the physical separation or mixing of the visible components. By far the most abundant of these components in meteorites is chondrules, and indeed chondrules have long been suspected of playing a direct role in fractionation of volatile elements. The question addressed here is whether chondrules formed before or after chemical components became separated is of fundamental importance to our understanding of the early solar system, as the answer constrains how, when, where, and from what chondrules formed, and tells us about how materials were processed in the nebula.

Grossman, J. N.↗