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There are a number of diverse experimental and computational techniques being used by UCLA astrobiologists. In order to facilitate the reading of this proposal, some of the major tools to be used in the coming years are described below. The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF):
The final mission of NASA’s Great Observations Program , SIRTF is an infrared telescope that will be launched in April, 2003. The 0.85 meter telescope, the largest infrared telescope ever sent to space, will detect infrared radiation at wavelengths ranging from 3 to 180 µm. The facility will be most useful for making observations within dense clouds of dust and gas that obstruct visible light. The capacity to see deeply into dense clouds of dust and gas makes SIRTF particularly useful for observing phenomena within the protoplanetary disks that surround young stars where planets are made. Astronomers Becklin, Ghez, Jura, McLean, and Zuckerman have each been promised unlimited time on SIRTF. http://sirtf.caltech.edu/
The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR): A non-profit research institute located in Rockville Maryland. TIGR facilitates research in structural, functional and comparative analysis of genomes and gene products from a wide variety of organisms including viruses, eubacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. The laboratories include large facilities for DNA sequencing, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and biochemistry. UCLA lead-team member Johnson is collaborating with the Institute for sequencing tasks. http://www.tigr.org/
The Submillimeter Array (SMA): An imaging array at submillimeter wavelengths consisting of eight 6-meter antennas located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Operating between 180 and 900 GHz, SMA will be most sensitive to emission from material at temperatures of a few 10's of K whose spectra peak in the submillimeter. It is a collaborative project of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics of Taiwan. Morris and Shuping propose to use it on a collaborative basis with members of the scientific staff.
W.M. Keck Observatory:
Twin telescopes situated at 14,000 feet elevation atop Hawaii’s dormant Mauna Kea volcano. The high altitude of the Keck I and Keck II telescopes makes ground-based observations in the infrared possible (infrared radiation is readily absorbed by water in the atmosphere). With 10 meter apertures, the telescopes have ~20 times the light gathering capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope. The addition of adaptive optics (AO), a computer-controlled deformable mirror that corrects for blurring due to atmospheric trubulence, results in images in the near infrared that are sharper than those from the Hubble Space Telescope. The system is a crucial new tool for studying protoplanetary disks around young stars. CalTech and the UC system share equal time on the Keck telescopes. http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/
The Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA): An array of radio telescopes at high elevation (4,000 feet). CARMA combines two existing arrays, including 6 antennas operated by Caltech at Owens Valley California and 9 antennas at Hat Creek California operated by the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Array Consortium (http://www.mmarray.org/). The facility will be open to the astronomy community on a competitive basis. It will operate at frequencies from 115 to 345 GHz when it is fully operational (expected in 2005). Morris and Shuping propose to use CARMA for measuring carbon monoxide isotopomers in protoplanetary disks.
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA):
An airborne infrared light observatory which will be based at Moffett Federal Airfield, California. SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to accommodate a 2.5 meter reflecting telescope. By flying to stratospheric heights, interference from air, especially problematical for the infrared wavelengths, is minimized. SOFIA is scheduled to begin flying in late 2004, andwhen operational will fly 3-4 nights per week for approximately 20 years. As with SIRTF, SOFIA is well suited for observations of dense dust clouds as those found in circumstellar disks. UCLA’s Becklin is the Chief Scientist and Director Designate for the project. http://sofia.arc.nasa.gov/
UCLA orbit integrator code: The UCLA team member Varadi has developed a specialized code to accurately reconstruct the orbital and rotational history of planets and asteroids for the past 100 million years. The numerical integration scheme is a version of the classical Stormer-Cowell integrator which has been optimized to reduce the long-term effects numerical round-off errors. In our ongoing project, the physical model is successively refined to take into account small corrections in the equations of motions due to General Relativity, the finite size of the lunar orbit etc. We have obtained an improved analytical representation of the lunar orbit which is a significant step toward increased accuracy. The simulation results are used to calibrate the geological time scale and investigate a possible connection between inner solar system orbital chaos and asteroid impacts. At the present, we are working on coupling the orbital and rotational dynamics of Mars in order to understand long-term changes in martian climate.
UCLA stable isotope laboratory:
A new
stable isotope laboratory is nearly complete at UCLA. It includes
two 10 mm (CO2 infrared lasers for sample heating, a
213 nm (5th harmonic Nd-YAG) ultraviolet laser for in-situ
ablation sampling, a Finnigan MAT Deltaplus gas-source mass spectrometer,
a Finnigan MAT 253 gas-source mass spectrometer, two gas chromatographs
(HP and Varian), two carrier flow interfaces, and two F2
vacuum extraction lines (under construction) for O2 analysis
of silicates, oxides, and phosphates. Both mass spectrometers have
differentially pumped sources and Faraday amplifiers suitable for
measuring 32O2, 33O2,
and 34O2 simultaneously.
UCLA multicollector inductively coupled plasma-source mass spectrometer:
A new Finnigan MAT Neptune multiple collector inductively coupled plasma-source mass spectrometer (MC-ICPMS) has been installed in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences, UCLA. This instrument is necessary in order to measure the isotope ratios of elements such as Fe and Mg with high precision (0.1 per mil or better). The Neptune MC-ICPMS is a double-focusing mass spectrometer that affords high mass resolving power (~ 10,000 at 10% transmission). The high mass resolving power is particularly useful for ultraviolet laser ablation experiments in which the isotope ratios of a target element are obtained with a spatial resolution on the order of 50 mm. The instrument is supported by clean laboratory facilities (class 100). We are requesting funding for an ultraviolet laser for the in situ analyses of Mg, Fe, and other metal isotope ratios. The high-precision obtainable with this instrument is essential for the proposed studies of how elements move between the organic and inorganic realms.
W.M. Keck National Center for Isotope Geochemistry (ion microprobe):
The main instrument of astrobiological significance is the CAMECA ims 1270 high-sensitivity, high-resolution ion microprobe, which is a national facility under the direction of Co-I McKeegan. The high spatial resolution of this instrument (1-30 µm) is key to proposed studies. Secondary ions produced by ablation of solid target samples are resolved according to energy and mass in a double-focusing mass spectrometer. The high mass resolution which can be achieved with this instrument is important for obtaining accurate isotope ratio analyses. An electron flood gun provides charge compensation for analysis of electrically insulating samples, making it possible to analyze the isotope ratios of carbon, oxygen, and sulfur with high precision.
Raman Imaging Facilities: UCLA is constructing a new laser Raman imaging facility in the UCLA Department of Earth and Space Sciences. The new Raman probe will cover a broad spectrum from ultraviolet to near infarared. It will also have confocal point and confocal line scanning imagaing capabilities. The new laboratory will serve as a national resource for NAI investigators. Our
program of research focuses on four themes: (2)
Habitability within the Solar System (3)
Earth's Early Environment and Life (4)
Evolution of Biological Complexity |
