New NASA mission to Mars in 2020 would likely be packed with more advanced instruments. Laser Ablation Molecular Isotopic Spectrometry (LAMIS) is being developed to extend the capabilities of Curiosity's existing instrument, ChemCam, to perform isotopic analysis from a distance. Isotopic variations shed light on the origin and evolution of planets. Living processes lead to distinctive isotope patterns thereby providing clues to life's chemical processes. Bolshakov and co-workers have developed a technique called LAMIS - laser ablation molecular isotopic spectrometry that would extend the capabilities of one of Curiosity's existing instruments, ChemCam, to perform optical isotopic analysis.

1. Physics World Focus on: Opti cs & lasers
physl cswo rl d.c om
News
Laser to search for life on Mars
NASA hasannounced a new mission
to Mars in 2020 that would land the
most sophisticated laboratory to date
on the planet's hostile surface. It is
barely a year since the space agency
landed its one-tonne Curiosity rover
on Mars, which has already sent back
data verifying the presence of water,
sulphur a nd chlorine-containing
substances in soil samples collected
by its robotic arm. Plans for NASA's
follow-up rover are at an early stage,
but it is likelyto be based 0 11 a simila r
chassis as Curiosity and packed with
more advanced instruments.
Among the technologies vying for
a seat on board is a laser-based tool
to measure isotopic ratios. Under-
standing isotopic variations sheds
light on the origin and evolution of
planets, according to physicist Alex-
ander Bolshakov ofApplied Spectra
in California, US, which in 2009was
awa rded a NASA grant to develop
alternative isotopic-analysis tech-
nology for the next Mars mission.
"Living processes lead to distinctive
isotope patterns thereby providing
clues to life's chemical processes,"
he says. "Organic matter on the sur-
face of Mars is quickly destroyed by
ultraviolet and cosmic radiation, but
isotopic ratios of the remnants can
still be measured."
Curiosity is already equipped with
a mass spectrometercalled SAM, but
the device weighs 40kg and requires
Funding
r---------------------.,~ca l isotopic analysis.
samples to be first ground up, sieved
and then fed into the rover'sentrance
portusinga roboticarm. Thissample-
handing system limits the device's
capacity Lo a tota l of 74 samples. In
collaboration with resea rchers at
the Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory (LBNL), Bolshakov and
co-workers have developed a tech-
nique called LAMIS - laser ablation
molecular isotopic spectrometry -
that would extend the capabilities
of one of Curiosity'Sexisting instru-
ments, ChemCam, to perform opti-
Eyeing-up isotopes
Curiosity's "chern
cam" device would
be extended to allow
isotopic ratios to
be measured.
ChemCam (pictured) uses a
pulsed laser to vaporize or "ablate"
a tiny volume of rock or other mate-
rial located up to 7m away, creating
a plume of plasma. Light from the
plume is collected by a telescope
mounted on the rove r's mast a nd
analysed by an internal spectrometer
to reveal the elemental composition
of the sample. Whereas ChemCam
captures the optical emission spec-
tra of atoms and ions emitted within
a microsecond of an ablation pulse,
LAMIS measures the emission spec-
tra of molecules and molecular ions
formed shortly afterwards when the
plasma has cooled, enabling it to
identify specific isotopes of a chemi-
cal element. "Relative to atomic
emission, molecular spectra ca n
exhibit significantly larger isotopic
shifts caused by the contributions of
the vibrational and rotational motion
in the molecule," says the LBNL's
Rick Russo.
Although LAMIS will probably
remain less sensitive a nd less pre-
cise compa red with conve ntiona l
mass spectrometry, says Bolshakov,
a ChemCam-like device would allow
many more samples to be analysed.
"We can also envision future mis-
sions to the farthest planets and their
moonswhere a heavy mass spectrom-
eter can not be sent," he says.
Matthew Chalmers
Irish photonics shares in €300m windfall
Photonics researchers in Ireland are
to receive a share of €200m of state
fundingand €lOOmofco-investment
from industryover the next five years
as part of a national plan to boost
research, enterprise a nd jobs. The
awa rd, which the Irish government
says is the largest in the country's
history, will benefit a total of seven
research centres. Some 156 industry
partners are to contribute to the cen-
tres, including Cisco, Hewlett Pack-
ard and Microsoft.
One lab to benefit is the Irish Pho-
tonic Integration Research Centre
at the Tyndall National In stitute
Apri l 2013
The goal is to
take advanced
photonics
into new
applications
(TNT) in Cork. Paul Townsend,
the centre's head of photonics, says
that the lab seeks to drive the con-
tinued growth of the Il1ternet and
ta ke adva nced photonics into new
applications such as point-of~ca re
diagnostics. "Advances in photollic
integration will enable new market
opportunities in areas such as com-
munications technology and medical
devices, wh ich are key sectors of the
Irish economy employing more than
100000 people," he says.
The Cork centre itselfwill be con-
nected to 16 firms, says Townsend,
many of which are indigenous small
a nd medium ente rpri ses. " The
European photonics market alone
is worth €58b n and is estimated
to impact 10% of the European
economy," adds TNI ch ief executive
Kieran Drain. "This award will allow
us to further extend our world-class
platform to meet the challenges as
defined by th e initial 16 indu s-
try partners in the centre." Other
fields to benefit from the €300 m
cash include "big data", nanotech-
nology, marine renewables, func~
tiona Ifoods, perinatal research and
drug synthesis.
Matthew Chalmers
3
IOP Publishing
Physics World
Temple Circus, Temple Way, Bristol BS1 6HG, UK
Tel: +44 (0)117 929 7481
E-mail: pwld@iop.org
Web: physicsworld.com
http://physicsworld.com/cws/supplement/optics