49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2018 (LPI Contrib. No. 2083) 1158.pdf A NEW QUADRUPOLE ION TRAP MASS SPECTROMETER FOR MEASURING NOBLE GASES IN PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES. G. Avice1, A. Belousov2, S. Madzunkov2, K. A. Farley1, J. Simcic2, D. Ni- kolic2, M. R. Darrach2, C. Sotin2. 1California Institute of Technology, GPS division, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasa- dena, CA 91125, USA,
[email protected], 2Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, CA 91109, USA. Introduction: Noble gases are powerful tracers of Instrumentation and calibration: physical processes such as the delivery of volatile ele- Description of the QITMS. The JPL-QITMS con- ments to planetary atmospheres through meteorit- sists of three electrodes. In the current configuration, ic/cometary bombardment [1,2], atmospheric escape, the top and bottom (end-cap) electrodes are grounded degassing from the silicate parts of planets, etc. In this whereas the ring electrode receives a high-voltage ra- context, understanding the isotopic composition of Xe diofrequency signal (1-2 kV). Gas neutrals are ionized in planetary atmospheres is a high priority since Xe by electron-impact in the mm-sized space between isotope ratios can answer fundamental questions such electrodes via a side-mounted electron gun composed as i) What is the delivery mix (Chondrit- of a Ta cathode and an Einzel lens. A voltage ramp ic/Solar/Cometary) to planetary atmospheres?; ii) To applied to the ring electrode ejects ions along the z- what extent is the silicate portion of a planet de- axis (Fig. 1). Ions are detected with a MAGNUM gassed?; iii) How much of the atmosphere was lost Channeltron electron multiplier operated in pulse- through atmospheric escape and what is the timing of counting mode.