The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite in the MSL Analytical Laboratory is designed to address the present and past habilitability of Mars by exploring molecular and elemental chemistry relevant to life. SAM addresses carbon chemistry through a search for organic compounds, the chemical state of light elements other than carbon, and isotopic tracers of planetary change. SAM is a suite of three instruments: a Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS), a Gas Chromatograph (GC), and a Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS). The QMS and the GC can operate together in a GCMS mode for separation (GC) and definitive identification (QMS) or organic compounds. The mass range of the QMS is 2-535 Da. The TLS obtains precise isotope ratios for C and O in carbon di... ...Show More
urn:nasa:pds:context:instrument:sam.msl
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