Detection of biosignatures in Terrestrial analogs of Martian regions:Strategical and technical assessments  

作　　者：JianXun Shen Yan Chen Yu Sun Li Liu YongXin Pan Wei Lin 

机构地区：[1]Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics,Institute of Geology and Geophysics,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100029,China [2]College of Earth and Planetary Sciences,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China

出　　处：《Earth and Planetary Physics》2022年第5期431-450,共20页地球与行星物理（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Grant 41621004;the Key Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ZDBS-SSW-TLC001);the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB41010403);the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,the Key Research Programs of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics,Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS-201904 and IGGCAS-202102)

摘　　要：For decades, the search for potential signs of Martian life has attracted strong international interest and has led to significant planning and scientific implementation. Clearly, in order to detect potential life signals beyond Earth, fundamental questions, such as how to define such terms as “life” and “biosignature”, have been given considerable attention. Due to the high costs of direct exploration of Mars, Mars-like regions on Earth have been invaluable targets for astrobiological research, places where scientists could practice the search for “biosignatures” and refine ways to detect them. This review summarizes scientific instrumental techniques that have resulted from this work. Instruments must necessarily be our “eyes” and “hands” as we attempt to identify and quantify biosignatures on Mars.Scientific devices that can be applied in astrobiology include mass spectrometers and electromagnetic-spectrum-based spectrometers,redox potential indicators, circular dichroism polarimeters, in situ nucleic acid sequencers, life isolation/cultivation systems, and imagers.These devices and how to interpret the data they collect have been tested in Mars-analog extreme environments on Earth to validate their practicality on Mars. To anticipate the challenges of instrumental detection of biosignatures through the full evolutionary history of Mars, Terrestrial Mars analogs are divided into four major categories according to their similarities to different Martian geological periods(the Early-Middle Noachian Period, the Late Noachian-Early Hesperian Period, the Late Hesperian-Early Amazonian Period, and the Middle-Late Amazonian Period). Future missions are suggested that would focus more intensively on Mars’ Southern Hemisphere, once landing issues there are solved by advances in spacecraft engineering, since exploration of these early terrains will permit investigations covering a wider continuum of the shifting habitability of Mars through its geological history. Finally, this paper reviews practi

关 键 词：BIOSIGNATURE detection framework extraterrestrial life evolutionary history of Mars field trial instrument Mars analog 

分 类 号：P185.3[天文地球—天文学] Q693[生物学—生物物理学]