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Science / Health LIFE ON MARS - Download PDF BY BUILDING A MARTIAN WORLD RIGHT HERE ON EARTH, UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG RESEARCHERS ARE HOPING TO ANSWER ONE BURNING QUESTION: IS THERE LIFE ON THE RED PLANET? By Melanie Chambers
That’s the question Edward Cloutis is asking as he begins simulating the surface of Mars at the University of Winnipeg’s Planetary Spectrometer Facility. The facility consists of two small Mars boxes that mimic the surface conditions of Mars. The second part of the facility uses spectrometers [1] to identify Martian minerals by using infrared wavelengths. Cloutis believes that if biological minerals that support life could exist, then perhaps that means living organisms on Mars. “By measuring the light reflecting properties of suspected Marsminerals under simulated Mars surface conditions, we can narrow down what types of minerals can be present on the Mars surface,” explains Edward Cloutis [2], a professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Winnipeg. “The cheap way to determine what minerals are on Mars is by using telescopes on Earth. The expensive way is to send spacecraft up there, grab a sample, and bring it back to Earth. We’re trying to do it the cheap way. ”The two Mars boxes are affectionately named after characters from the Austin Powers movies. First there’s ME [3], which measures 3 x 2 x 2 feet—about the size of a kitchen oven. The second box, Mini ME, is a much smaller version, about the size of a peanut jar. Each structure has windows that enable researchers to observe the minerals in their Mars environment, which is considerably more hostile than Earth. The Mars atmosphere is made of thin carbon dioxide. It also has temperatures that can hit well below minus 100 degrees Celsius at night, and reach plus 15 degrees by day. And since there is no ozone layer on Mars, many minerals decompose at a faster rate under harsh ultraviolet rays. One of the first minerals that Clout is and his research team are testing in the Mars boxes is clay, because it contains life-sustaining water. “We want to see if that water is actually going to stay in the clay when it’s hit by ultraviolet light and low atmospheric pressure,” says Cloutis. “Other minerals that could sustain life include iron-bearing sulfates and carbonates [4].” Currently, spacecraft are limited when it comes to Mars. They can identify if minerals are on Mars, but they can’t say with certainty what they are. That’s where the spectrometers come in. Two minerals may appear the same, but spectrometers, which work in infrared light that’s undetectable by human eyesight, can reveal if and how they are different. Once researchers determine which wavelength of light to use to identify a mineral in the lab, they can use that same wavelength on the Martian surface. That means they can search for evidence of life-supporting minerals — or maybe even signs of life. “Spectra (wave lengths of light) are essentially mineral fingerprints,”says Michael Craig [5], a student research assistant who’s been working with Cloutis since 2000. He says that, just like humans, minerals have their unique fingerprints.However,mineralprintsarerelativelyfragileunder certain conditions, like those on Mars. “What we are doing is attempting to recreate the Martian environment in the lab so we can create more accurate fingerprints to compare to spectra obtained via telescope and/or spacecraft.” [1] Spectrometers The spectrometre uses many light sources to distinguish spectral coverage up to 50,000 nanometres. One nanometer equals one billionth of a meter. [2] Edward Cloutis
Director, Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research Growing up, Edward Cloutis thought rocks and planets were cool. Now, as an adult, he has combined his love of both. Cloutis started out at the University of Toronto (U of T) with a degree in Geological Engineering. At the very least, he thought, if a career in space exploration weren’t possible, he could become an engineer. Today, Cloutis’ work involves analyzing minerals and understanding the geology of Mars. And that includes delving into the spectral properties of organic geological materials by using sophisticated hardware like spectrometers. During his career, Cloutis has helped write over 34 papers on the topic. After starting his studies at U of T in 1981, he went to the University of Hawaii to obtain his Masters of Science in 1985, and then earned his Ph.D at the University of Alberta . Today, he teaches Geographic Information Systems at the University of Winnipeg. As a reward for his work on Mars, an asteroid was named in Cloutis’ honour. Simply called “6081 Cloutis,” the asteroid was discovered two years ago by a fellow researcher. The researcher thought it was time Cloutis had his name in the stars. “I’ve managed to make a career of this planetary geology—with a few twists and turns in the road along the way.” [3] ME = Mars Environment
[4] Sulfates and carbonates Iron-bearing sulfates — Currently magnesium sulfate kieserite, similar to epsom salt, and gypsum have been found on Mars. Both have been found here on Earth where seas have evaporated. Carbonates — Inorganic chemical compounds related to carbon dioxide that exist in waterways. Carbonates are most familiar to us as limestone. Carbonates can form either in the presence of life (e.g., coral reefs), or as sea water evaporates. [5] Michael Craig Research Assistant, Department of Geography,University Winnipeg Craig began working with Edward Cloutis back in 2000 when the Planetary Spectrometre Facility was just an idea. During the four years before its completion, Craig helped design, fabricate, and construct the two Mars chambers. Now that they are in the implementation phase, Craig is discovering a desire to learn more about our worlds. “The work interests me because of the similarities we can draw between Earth and Mars, and of course, the challenge presented in simulating that Martian environment in the lab,” says Craig. Given his academic interests, he wonders how the Earth’s environment will change and how the planet will evolve in the millions and billions of years to come. Craig has a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a B.Sc. in Geography, both from the University of Winnipeg. BENEFITS The Spectrometer Facility at the University of Winnipeg can unlock mysteries about the Red Planet. But it can also answer questions about our own planet. Although it’s a smaller planet than Earth, Mars is made up of similar materials. That’s because both planets evolved around the same time. “Mars is essentially the Earth’s little brother who lived fast and died young,” says Michael Craig. “By studying what happened to Mars, we are in essence studying what will happen when the Earth’s internal engine runs out of fuel.” And up until now, Canadians have played a minor role in planetary research. The Planetary Spectrometer Facility will help put the Canadian Space Agency in touch with international planetary missions. Currently, there are no centres or research groups in Canada devoted to planetary surface materials. The Facility will also bridge the information gap between spacecraft work in the field and labwork. “The only way to determine if certain minerals can survive on the surface of Mars, without actually bringing back a sample of the Martian surface, is to expose these suspected minerals to Mars surface conditions and see how they react,” says Edward Cloutis. The research can be fed to international space missions—such as the European Space Agency’s Mars Express mission and even the NASA Mars Landers, Spirit and Opportunity. And by simulating Mars surface conditions on Earth, researchers can help build and test instruments to be used on Mars under realistic conditions. The Facility’s spectrometers can also be used for healthcare and environmental applications. The applications include developing new, low-cost instruments for testing water quality, and non-invasive monitoring of people’s health. “Because infrared light can penetrate the skin, it’s possible to view blood flowandmeasureotherunder-the-skinproperties,” says Cloutis. PARTNERS The Planetary Spectrometer Facility at the University of Winnipeg can support a number of different types of scientificinvestigationsbeyondMars. This has attracted a number of partners—including MD Robotics, EMS Technologies, and MPB Communications—who intend to use the Mars boxes to design and test instruments they would like to put on spacecraft bound for Mars.
LEARN MORE EMS Technologies has information about the latest space technology and gadgets: http://www.ems-t.com/ To see what kind of spacecraft and instruments go to Mars, visit MD Robotics: http://www.mdrobotics.ca/ To find out more about the type of technology used in space — for robotics and surgery — visit MPB Communications: http://www.mpbc.ca/ |
PROJECT
Professor, Department of Geography;
