Towards detecting carbon chemistry on planetary objects with the ORIGIN space instrument

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are thought to play an important role as indicators for chemical processes in the interiors and on the surfaces of planets and moons. Based on the strength of the Unidentified Infrared Bands it is estimated that 10 –25% of all carbon in the ISM joins together to form the multi-ringed structure of PAHs [Tielens, 2008]. Therefore, this class of molecules is a ubiquitous and important tracer of chemical processes, which can be investigated with instruments on space exploration missions.The ORganics Information Gathering INstrument (ORIGIN) is a prototype space instrument developed and built at the University of Bern, Switzerland, for the detection of biomolecules on planetary surfaces [Ligterink et al., 2020] [Riedo et al., 2013]. ORIGIN is Laser Ionization Mass Spectrometer (LIMS) operated at desorption conditions. A single 266 nm nanosecond laser pulse is used to desorb and ionize gently molecules from a steel sample surface, located in a vacuum chamber at a pressure of P

Authors 11

1. Kristina A. Kipfer

   University of Bern

   Affiliation as printed

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (kristina.kipfer@space.unibe.ch)

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

2. N. F. W. Ligterink

   University of Bern

   Affiliation as printed

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (kristina.kipfer@space.unibe.ch)

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

3. Loraine Schwander

   University of Bern

   Affiliation as printed

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (kristina.kipfer@space.unibe.ch)

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

4. Coenraad de Koning

   University of Bern

   Affiliation as printed

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (kristina.kipfer@space.unibe.ch)

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

5. Peter Keresztes Schmidt

   University of Bern

   Affiliation as printed

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (kristina.kipfer@space.unibe.ch)

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

6. Valentine Grimaudo

   University of Bern

   Affiliation as printed

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (kristina.kipfer@space.unibe.ch)

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

7. Rustam Lukmanov

   University of Bern

   Affiliation as printed

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (kristina.kipfer@space.unibe.ch)

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

8. Marek Tulej corresponding

   University of Bern

   Affiliation as printed

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (kristina.kipfer@space.unibe.ch)

   Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

9. Jordy Bouwman Aachen Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory

   Leiden University · Leiden Observatory

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

10. Andreas Riedo corresponding

    University of Bern

    Affiliation as printed

    Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (kristina.kipfer@space.unibe.ch)

    Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

11. Peter Wurz corresponding

    University of Bern

    Affiliation as printed

    Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (kristina.kipfer@space.unibe.ch)

    Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland