Mission>Instruments>Spectrometers>AlphaParticleXRaySpectrometer(APXS)

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Summary

Cameras

Spectrometers

RadiationDetectors

EnvironmentalSensors

AtmosphericSensors

Summary AlphaParticleXRaySpectrometer(APXS) Chemistry&Camera(ChemCam) Chemistry&MineralogyXRayDiffraction(CheMin)

SampleAnalysisatMars(SAM)InstrumentSuite

AlphaParticleXRaySpectrometer(APXS)

ALLINSTRUMENTS
Cameras: MastCam|MAHLI|MARDI
Spectrometers: APXS|ChemCam|CheMin|SAM
RadiationDetectors: RAD|DAN
EnvironmentalSensors: REMS
AtmosphericSensors: MEDLI

TheAlphaParticleXRaySpectrometerwillmeasuretheabundanceofchemicalelementsinrocks
andsoils.FundedbytheCanadianSpaceAgency,theAPXSwillbeplacedincontactwithrockand
soilsamplesonMarsandwillexposethematerialtoalphaparticlesandXraysemittedduringthe
radioactivedecayoftheelementcurium.Xraysareatypeofelectromagneticradiation,likelightand
microwaves.
Alphaparticlesareheliumnuclei,consistingof2protonsand2neutrons.WhenXraysandalpha
particlesinteractwithatomsinthesurfacematerial,theyknockelectronsoutoftheirorbits,producing
anenergyreleasebyemittingXraysthatcanbemeasuredwithdetectors.TheXrayenergiesenable
scientiststoidentifyallimportantrockformingelements,fromsodiumtoheavierelements.
TheAPXSwilltakemeasurementsbothdayandnight.Itssensorheadisdesignedtobesmallerthan
asodacanandwillcontainahighlysensitiveXraydetectorinthemiddleofanarrayofcurium
sources.Thelongertheinstrumentisheldinplaceonthesurfaceofarockorsoilsample,themore
clearlythesignalfromthesamplecanbedetermined.MostAPXSmeasurementswilltaketwoto
threehourstorevealallelements,includingsmallamountsoftraceelements.Tenminutesof
operationwillbesufficientforaquicklookatmajorelements.

AlphaParticleXRaySpectrometer
ThispictureshowstheAlphaParticleXRay
SpectrometerusedontheMarsExploration
Rovers.TheimprovedAPXSinstrumentonthe
MarsScienceLaboratoryroverwouldbeableto
detectelementalcompositionmorequicklyand
workbothdayandnight.Imagecredit:NASA/JPL
Caltech/Cornell/MaxPlanckInstitutfr
Chemie/UniversityofGuelph

Asacontactinstrument,theAPXSisdesignedtoworkinconcertwithotherpayloadelementsonthe
instrumentarmandinthebodyoftheMarsScienceLaboratoryrover,suchastheCheMininstrument
andtheDustRemovalTool(brush).ScientistswillusetheAPXStohelpcharacterizeandselectrock
andsoilsamplesandthenexaminetheinteriorsoftherocksfollowingbrushing.Byanalyzingthe
elementalcompositionofrocksandsoils,scientistswillseektounderstandhowthematerialformed
andifitwaslateralteredbywind,water,orice.TheAPXSonNASA'stwoMarsExplorationRovershasalreadyprovidedevidencethatwateronce
playedamajorroleinMars'geologicpast.

TwoearliermissionstoMarscarriedpreviousversionsoftheAlphaParticleXRaySpectrometer.ThefirstwastheAlphaProtonXRaySpectrometer,
launchedtoMarsonthePathfindermissioninlate1996.ThesecondwastheAPXS,onboardboththeMarsExplorationRoversthatarrivedonthe
redplanetinJanuary,2004.
InadditiontotheCanadianSpaceAgencyandNASA,majororganizationsinvolvedindevelopingtheAPXSincludetheUniversityofGuelphMDA
SpaceMissionstheUniversityofCalifornia,SanDiegoandCornellUniversity.
VisitMSLforScientistsfortechnicalinformationaboutAPXS

PortraitofAPXSonMars
ThisimageshowstheAlphaParticleXRaySpectrometer(APXS)onNASA'sCuriosityrover,
withtheMartianlandscapeinthebackground.