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Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) - Mars Science Laboratory NASA

The Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) will measure the chemical elements in rocks and soils on Mars. It works by exposing material to alpha particles and X-rays, which knock electrons out of atoms and produce X-rays. Detecting these X-rays allows scientists to identify all major rock-forming elements. APXS measurements take several hours to reveal all elements but only 10 minutes for major elements. It will analyze samples selected with other instruments to understand their formation and alteration history.

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209 views1 page

Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) - Mars Science Laboratory NASA

The Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) will measure the chemical elements in rocks and soils on Mars. It works by exposing material to alpha particles and X-rays, which knock electrons out of atoms and produce X-rays. Detecting these X-rays allows scientists to identify all major rock-forming elements. APXS measurements take several hours to reveal all elements but only 10 minutes for major elements. It will analyze samples selected with other instruments to understand their formation and alteration history.

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artedlc
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Mission>Instruments>Spectrometers>AlphaParticleXRaySpectrometer(APXS)

MISSION

OVERVIEW | SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | LAUNCHVEHICLE | SPACECRAFT | ROVER | INSTRUMENTS | MISSIONTIMELINE | COMMUNICATIONS


WITHEARTH | MISSIONTEAM | WHEREISCURIOSITY? | CURIOSITYMISSIONUPDATES
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.

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