I-NASA imemezele ukuthi i-rover yayo Ukukhuthazela ikhombe ubufakazi obuhambisana nomsebenzi wasendulo wamagciwane kusethi yamadwala e-sedimentary avela e-Jezero Crater ku-Mars. Ukuhlaziya, okunemininingwane ephepheni elibuyekezwe ngontanga ku Nature, ehlanganisa nabanye izihloko zesayensi ezithakazelisayo, ichaza izinhlangano zamaminerali namaphethini amakhemikhali ehambisana nezinqubo ze-redox ebukhoneni bezinto eziphilayo.
Isampula, isiteketiso I-Sapphire Canyon, yaqoqwa ngoJulayi 2024 ngesikhathi kubholwa edwaleni I-Cheyava Falls ngaphakathi kokubunjwa Ingelosi Ekhanyayo, emaphethelweni e-Neretva Vallis. Lapho, amathuluzi e-rover athole iphethini ethi “amabala engwe"kanye neqoqo lamaminerali - phakathi kwabo vivianite y gregite– okuyinto Emhlabeni ngokuvamile ehlobene nokusebenzisana phakathi kwama-sediments kanye izinto eziphilayo.
Okutholwe nguKuphikelela
I-rover ibone amaqhuqhuva esikali se-millimeter kanye nezinhlangothi ezisabelayo kuma-shales anothe ngobumba, yanothisa i-ferrous iron phosphate (vivianita) kanye i-iron sulfide (greigite). Lokhu kuhlanganiswa kwamaminerali kuhambisana i-organic carbon futhi ibonakala ishumekwe emadwaleni amahle okuthi, ngenxa yokwakheka kwawo, akwazi ukulondoloza izimpawu zamakhemikhali ezicashile ama-eons.
Idatha ye-in situ iqiniswe imephu ye-mineralogical yangaphambilini nge-orbital spectrometer. I-CRIM nangokufundwa kwerover ngokwayo, okuqinisekisa ubukhona be ubumba (smectites) kanye carbonates okujwayelekile kwezindawo ezinamanzi. Lesi siginesha ye-geochemical ikhumbuza izinguquko ezibonwa ku Amachibi ase-Antarctic nezinye izindawo zasemhlabeni lapho ama-microorganisms ehlisa ama-sulfate abe ama-sulfide.
Ithimba lezesayensi, eliholwa ngu UJoel Hurowitz nokubamba iqhaza kwabacwaningi abavela ku-NASA kanye neCentre for Astrobiology (CSIC-INTA) njengoba Alberto González Fairén y UFelipe Gómez, ihumusha ukuthi ukusatshalaliswa kwamaminerali kanye namakhemikhali awo kuyasikisela ukusabela kokudlulisa ama-electron ezihambisana ne-organic matter.
- Inhlangano yamaminerali eyinhloko: vivianite (i-hydrated ferrous phosphate) + gregite (iron sulfide).
- Umongo we-Lithological: ama-shales nama-silts enobumba kanye ne-carbonates endaweni yasendulo ye-fluvial.
- Isiginesha yekhemikhali: ukunothisa ngaphakathi Fe, S kanye P eduze i-organic carbon kanye nokwakheka kohlobo “lwebala”.
- Isifaniso somhlaba: izinqubo redox ezindaweni ezibandayo kanye nezinto eziphilayo.
Isampula lithathwe kuphi futhi kanjani
Ukukhishwa kwenziwa emaphethelweni e- I-Neretva Vallis, isigodi somfula sasendulo esasigeleza singene emgodini we-Jezero futhi sasike saba namandla izigidigidi zeminyaka edluleUkuguquguquka kwemifula nama-deltas kwafaka izinsalela ezinhle, okuthi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, zibe ne-lithified futhi namuhla zakha ingobo yomlando izimo okungenzeka kuhlalwe kuzo ezedlule.
En I-Cheyava Falls -idwala elinemithambo kanye ne-arrowhead morphology ngaphakathi Ingelosi Ekhanyayo- izinsimbi I-PIXL (X-rays) kanye I-SHERLOC (I-Raman ne-luminescence) ithole okungavamile "izindawo zengwe"Lawa machashazi akhombisa ama-chemical gradients “ku-reaction fronts,” izindawo zokuxhumana lapho kwenzeka khona izinguquko ezingokomzimba namakhemikhali, okungenzeka ukuthi, eMhlabeni, zixhunywe i-microbial metabolism esekelwe ku-phosphorus, sulphur kanye nama-organic compounds.
Indawo efundwayo ihlanganisa namazinga ane ama-conglomerates nama-silts, okuphakamisa ukushintshana kweziqephu zokuthuthwa kwamandla kanye nezikhathi zokuzola, indawo ekahle ukwakheka okuthambile futhi izinhlobo zamakhemikhali ezizwelayo ziyalondolozwa.
Ingabe ukuphila? Kusho ukuthini "i-biosignature engenzeka"?
I-biosignature engaba khona yi-a isignali, into noma isakhiwo okungase kube nemvelaphi yezinto eziphilayo, kodwa akwanele ngokwako ukukuqinisekisa. Inhlanganisela Vivianita + Greigita kanye nephethini yazo yendawo iyahambisana nokusabela kwamakhemikhali ezinto eziphilayo, nakuba ingase futhi yenziwe izindlela ze-abiotic ngaphansi kwezimo ezithile zomzimba zamakhemikhali.
Ucwaningo luphawula ukuthi abukho ubufakazi ba amazinga okushisa aqhubekayo noma izindawo eziqinile ama-asidi Kulawa matshe, izindlela ezimbili ze-abiotic ezikwazi ukukhiqiza inhlanganisela yamaminerali efanayo. Kodwa-ke, umphakathi wesayensi udinga ubufakazi obungajwayelekile ngaphambi kokuxhumanisa lezi zinkomba impilo edlule.
Ukuhlola isisindo sobufakazi, izinhlaka ezifana nesikali ziyasetshenziswa I-COLD (I-Confidence of Life Detection), elinganisa izinga lokuzethemba ukusuka kumasiginali wesikhashana kuya ebufakazini obuqinile. Ukushicilelwa ku Nature inikeza ukuqina kwendlela futhi ivulela amanye amaqembu umnyango phindaphinda futhi uqhathanise imiphumela, njengoba kugqanyiswe amazwi anjengokuthi Katie Stack Morgan kusuka ku-JPL.
Njengoba umbhali oholayo ekhumbula, UJoel Hurowitz, amasiginesha amakhemikhali ayakholisa, kodwa ukuqinisekiswa kudinga izilinganiso eMhlabeni ngezinsimbi ukwanda kobuzwe umsuka wamaminerali, izinhlanganisela eziphilayo kanye nokuthungwa.
Isinyathelo esilandelayo: ukuletha amasampula nezinselele
Uhlelo lwe isampula yokubuyisela kusuka ku-Mars udlula esigabeni sokubuyekeza esijulile izindleko kanye nesimisoIsakhiwo sokuqala senziwe kabusha futhi i-NASA ifunda ezinye izindlela ezilula, ezisheshayo nezishibhile, okuhlanganisa iziphakamiso zezimboni njengalezo zika-Lockheed Martin.
Izinhlelo zikhomba izinketho eziyinkimbinkimbi, kodwa inselele yobuchwepheshe ihlala iphezulu futhi injalo ubungozi obukhulu bokusebenzaOkwengezwa kulokhu isidingo sengqalasizinda i-biosecurity ephezulu Emhlabeni ukuhlaziya ama-cores ngaphandle kwengozi yokungcoliswa okuwela i-Mars noma iplanethi yethu.
Ngenkathi ukwakhiwa kokugcina kanye nezikhathi zesikhathi kuqedwa, i-rover iyaqhubeka nokugcwalisa amashubhu esampula khetha futhi ubhale phansi umongo ngamunye wokwakheka komhlaba ngethuluzi lakhe lokuhuzuka, indlela ekhulisa inani lesayensi lembuyiselo ekugcineni.
Amazwi kanye nengqikithi yemishini
Abaphathi be-ejensi, njengomphathi osebenzisana naye UNicky Fox, bagcizelela ukuthi le nqubekela phambili iwumphumela wesu eligxile kumgomo bamba isayensi yezinkanyezi enenani eliphezulu. Bagcizelela nokuthi umphakathi usunayo imininingwane okufanele uyihlole amandla ayo ebhayoloji ngokuzimela.
Kusukela ethimbeni lokuhlola i-Martian, amaphrofayili afana ne Lindsay Hays Bagcizelela ukuthi lesi ngesinye sezimo ezithembisayo ezitholwe yi Ukukhuthazela, nakuba ukuqapha kuyisihluthulelo kuze kuqedwe ukuhlaziywa kwelabhorethriAbakhulumeli be-NASA bachaze umphumela njengesignali ecacile ekhonjwe kuze kube manje, njalo nge-nuance yokuthi akukabi ubufakazi obuqinisekile.
Isebenza e-Jezero kusukela ngo-2021 ngemuva kokwethulwa kwayo ngo-2020, i-rover isivele ivaliwe. amasampula angaphezu kweshumi nambili futhi inesikhala sabanye abambalwa. Imishini yayo - kuhlanganisa I-PIXL y I-SHERLOC- ivumela ukuveza ngokuningiliziwe i-mineralogy, i-chemistry kanye ne-organic compounds engenzeka umongo we-geological.
Ubufakazi obuqoqiwe busikisela lokho I-Mars yakwazi ukugcina izimo zokuhlala isikhathi eside kunalokho obekucatshangwa ngaphambilini, nokuthi amadwala athile asemancane nawo abambe izinkomba ezinqubweni ezifanele. Kusazobonakala ukuthi, lapho efika eMhlabeni, lawa masampuli aqinisekisa ukuthi amasiginesha amakhemikhali abonwayo kanye nemibhalo ayahambisana yini i-microbial metabolism noma ezinqubweni ezingezona ezebhayoloji ezisebenza kahle kakhulu ngaphansi kwezimo zeMartian.
