Measurement Of The pH Of The Martian Surface
£5.00
M. R. Sims, A. A. Mills. (1995), JBIS, 48, pp.391-394
Refcode: 1995.48.391
Abstract:
During the NASA Viking mission which sampled Martian soil at two sites no measurements of pH were attempted despite much more complicated chemical and biological experiments. Determination of this fundamental property is important for two reasons. Firstly, to check on ideas concerning the chemistry of the Martian surface and, secondly, to provide some control over hypotheses for possible Martian microbiology. In principle, relatively “simple” experiments can be designed which enable this property to be determined. This paper describes the relevance of the measurement, the relevant techniques, and problems of implementing such a relatively “simple” low mass, low power spacecraft instrument.
