| The purpose of this work is to design, construct and test a prototype (proof-of-concept) combination backscatter Mossbauer spectrometer and x-ray fluorescence analyzer (BaMS/XRF) instrument. Mossbauer spectroscopy is a sensitive technique for determining the oxidation state of iron in a sample, the mineralogy of each iron-bearing phase, and the relative distribution of iron among different phases. In addition to the mineralogical analysis provided by Mossbauer spectroscopy, elemental analysis can be performed concurrently using x-ray fluorescence. The BaMS geometry is optimized for XRF and no additional instrumentation is required to perform both experiments in this single instrument.; It is useful to divide the prototype instrument package into two components: (1) the probe head containing the Mossbauer drive with source and the detector system, and (2) the body unit comprised of the storage and control electronics and power supply. The completed BaMS/XRF probe unit is {dollar}sim{dollar}300 grams in mass, consumes less than 0.20 Watt of power, and is roughly the same size (volume) as a 12-ounce soft-drink can. A space-qualified version of the prototype instrument discussed in this work could play a pivotal role in the success of many upcoming exploration missions planned by the United States. |
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