ADRON-RM (Autonomous Detector of Radiation of Neutrons Onboard Rover at Mars) is a

neutron spectrometer The neutron is a subatomic particle, symbol or , which has a neutral (not positive or negative) charge, and a mass slightly greater than that of a proton. Protons and neutrons constitute the nuclei of atoms. Since protons and neutrons behave ...

to search for subsurface water ice and hydrated minerals. This analyser is part of the science payload on board the

European Space Agency , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...

''Rosalind Franklin'' rover, tasked to search for

biosignature A biosignature (sometimes called chemical fossil or molecular fossil) is any substance – such as an element, isotope, or molecule – or phenomenon that provides scientific evidence of past or present life. Measurable attribute ...

s and

biomarker In biomedical contexts, a biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated using blood, urine, or soft tissues to examine normal biological processes, ...

s on Mars. The rover is planned to be launched in August–October 2022 and land on Mars in spring 2023. ADRON-RM is a near copy of ADRO-EM on the stationary

ExoMars 2020 surface platform The ExoMars ''Kazachok'' ( rus, Казачок; formerly ExoMars 2020 Surface Platform) was a planned robotic Mars lander led by Roscosmos, part of the ExoMars 2022 joint mission with the European Space Agency. ''Kazachok'' translates as "Litt ...

and the

Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons The Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) instrument is an experiment mounted on the Mars Science Laboratory ''Curiosity'' rover. It is a pulsed sealed-tube neutron source and detector used to measure hydrogen or ice and water at or near the Martian s ...

(DAN) neutron detector on board NASA's ''Curiosity'' rover, all designed by Igor Mitrofanov from the

Russian Space Research Institute The Russian Space Research Institute (russian: Институт космических исследований Российской академии наук, Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, SRI RAS, Russian abbreviat ...

(IKI).

Overview

ADRON-RM is a

that will search for hydrogen in the form of bound water or water ice, and hydrogen-bearing compounds. It will be used in combination with WISDOM instrument (a

ground-penetrating radar Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. It is a non-intrusive method of surveying the sub-surface to investigate underground utilities such as concrete, asphalt, metals, pipes, cables o ...

) to study the subsurface beneath the rover and to search for optimal sites for drilling and sample collection.The ADRON-RM Instrument Onboard the ExoMars Rover
I.G. Mitrofanov, M.L. Litvak, Y. Nikiforov, I. Jun, Y.I. Bobrovnitsky, D.V. Golovin, A.S. Grebennikov, F.S. Fedosov, A.S. Kozyrev, D.I. Lisov, A.V. Malakhov, M.I. Mokrousov, A.B. Sanin, V.N. Shvetsov, G.N. Timoshenko, T.M. Tomilina, V.I. Tret'yakov, and A.A. Vostrukhin. ''

Astrobiology Astrobiology, and the related field of exobiology, is an interdisciplinary scientific field that studies the origins, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. Astrobiology is the multidisciplinary field that investig ...

'', Vol. 17, No. 6-7. 1 July 2017. It can also detect trace elements such as Gd and major elements that constitute soil, such as Cl, Fe, Ti. It will also monitor the neutron component of the radiation background on Mars' surface.

Development

The

Principal Investigator In many countries, the term principal investigator (PI) refers to the holder of an independent grant and the lead researcher for the grant project, usually in the sciences, such as a laboratory study or a clinical trial. The phrase is also often us ...

is Igor Mitrofanov from the

(IKI). The instrument is almost a reproduction of the

(DAN) neutron detector on board NASA's ''

Curiosity rover ''Curiosity'' is a car-sized Mars rover designed to explore the Gale crater on Mars as part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. ''Curiosity'' was launched from Cape Canaveral (CCAFS) on November 26, 2011, at 15:02:00 UTC and lan ...

'' also developed in Russia. Mitrofanov is also developing the active gamma and neutron spectrometer, ADRON-EM (Active Detection of Radiation of Nuclei-ExoMars) for the stationary ''Kazachok'' lander—the primary goal of which will be to measure water distribution in the Martian subsurface. Measurements by ADRON-RM and ADRON-EM will work in synergy with other ExoMars instruments. ADRON-RM uses two ³He

proportional counter The proportional counter is a type of gaseous ionization detector device used to measure particles of ionizing radiation. The key feature is its ability to measure the energy of incident radiation, by producing a detector output pulse that is ''prop ...

s with a cylindrical shape of about 25 mm in diameter and 55 mm in total length. Each counter is filled with ³He gas under 4 atmospheres of pressure. Each neutron detector will measure two 32-channel spectra. The data will be obtained as routine and passive measurements, which will not be saved but will be immediately transmitted from the instrument to the rover computer. This means that all ADRON-RM measurements will be performed only when the 'Rover Compute Element' is active (daytime). ADRON-RM is installed inside the ExoMars rover body at the rear balcony. The height above the surface is 0.8 m (2.6 ft).

Objectives

The stated objectives of the ADRON-RM scientific investigation include: *Measurement of the distribution of bulk hydrogen content in the form of free or bound water. *Evaluation of the bulk composition of major soil neutron absorption elements ( Cl, Fe, Ti S, etc.) *Monitoring of the neutron component of the natural radiation background and estimation of neutron radiation dose at the

Martian surface The study of surface characteristics (or surface properties and processes) is a broad category of Mars science that examines the nature of the materials making up the Martian surface. The study evolved from telescopic and remote-sensing techniques ...

from

Galactic cosmic ray Cosmic rays are high-energy particles or clusters of particles (primarily represented by protons or atomic nuclei) that move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the Sun, from outside of the Solar System in our own ...

s and

solar particle event In solar physics, a solar particle event (SPE), also known as a solar energetic particle (SEP) event or solar radiation storm, is a solar phenomenon which occurs when particles emitted by the Sun, mostly protons, become accelerated either in the ...

s. *The potential to monitor seasonal changes of the neutron environment due to variations of atmospheric and subsurface properties.

References

{{Use British English, date=July 2018 ExoMars Spacecraft instruments Astrobiology Space science experiments Space program of Russia

Overview

Development

Objectives

See also

References