RAMAN SPECTRAL ANALYSIS FROM SHERLOC ONBOARD MARS 2020

Abstract

The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) is one of the instruments mounted on the Perseverance rover’s robotic arm. SHERLOC focuses on searching for mineral species and organics that may contain spectral signatures of hydrous environments and past microbial life. It measures the Raman scattering in a narrow wavelength range (246–357 nm) with a significantly stronger fluorescence around 274–355 nm. Here the 40 measurements of Raman spectra from three detectors of SHERLOC, captured on Sol 4, were analyzed along with Matscam-Z images. Principal component analysis was applied to check the mineralogical diversity. The results include fluorescence signatures with maxima at 276 nm and Raman peaks similar to amorphous silicates.