LUVMI: an innovative payload for the sampling of volatiles at the Lunar poles

The ISECG identifies one of the first exploration steps as in situ investigations of the moon or asteroids. Europe is developing payload concepts for drilling and sample analysis, a contribution to a 250kg rover as well as for sample return. To achieve these missions, ESA depends on international partnerships. Such missions will be seldom, expensive and the drill/sample site selected will be based on observations from orbit not calibrated with ground truth data. Many of the international science community’s objectives can be met at lower cost, or the chances of mission success improved and the quality of the science increased by making use of an innovative, low mass, mobile robotic payload following the LEAG recommendations. LUVMI provides a smart, low mass, innovative, modular mobile payload comprising surface and subsurface sensing with an in-situ sampling technology capable of depth-resolved extraction of volatiles, combined with a volatile analyser (mass spectrometer) capable of identifying the chemical composition of the most important volatiles. This will allow LUVMI to: traverse the lunar surface prospecting for volatiles; sample subsurface up to a depth of 10 cm (with a goal of 20 cm); extract water and other loosely bound volatiles; identify the chemical species extracted; access and sample permanently shadowed regions (PSR). The main innovation of LUVMI is to develop an in situ sampling technology capable of depth-resolved extraction of volatiles, and then to package within this tool, the analyser itself, so as to maximise transfer efficiency and minimise sample handling and its attendant mass requirements and risk of sample alteration. By building on national, EC and ESA funded research and developments, this project will develop to TRL6 instruments that together form a smart modular mobile payload that could be flight ready in 2020. The LUVMI sampling instrument will be tested in a highly representative environment including thermal, vacuum and regolith simulant and the integrated payload demonstrated in a representative environment

IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS FROM RED GRAPE POMACE

The wine industry generates a great amount of waste every year, thus its valorization is of most importance. This study uses red, fermented pomace from Cabernet Sauvignon and Feteasca Neagra cultivars. The phenolic compounds were extracted using four different extractions and the content of total polyphenols was determined using a spectrophotometrical method. Several phenolic compounds were analyzed using an HPLC method. The Cabernet Sauvignon pomace had the highest content of total polyphenols and total phenolic compounds analyzed and of quercetin, rutin, ferulic acid and resveratrol, while the Feteasca Neagra pomace had the highest content of gallic acid, syringic acid, cinamic acid and (+) - catechin. The caffeic acid and the chlorogenic acid were not found in any of the analyzed pomaces. These pomaces could be used in the food industry as functional ingredients

A Challenging Case of Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease Associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Review of the Literature

Kikuchi–Fujimoto disease (KFD) or histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis is a rare disease that is frequently underdiagnosed due to clinical features that are similar to those of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or infectious reactive lymphadenopathy. An excisional biopsy is required. We report a young Caucasian female diagnosed with KFD with skin lesions, complicating with SLE. The clinical course, laboratory, and CT findings are described, as are histopathologic features, for a better recognition of this rare disorder in clinical practice

Use of X-ray Computed Tomography for Assessing Defects in Ti Grade 5 Parts Produced by Laser Melting Deposition

Laser Melting Deposition (LMD) is a metal printing technique that allows for the manufacturing of large objects by Directed Energy Deposition. Due to its versatility in variation of parameters, the possibility to use two or more materials, to create alloys in situ or produce multi-layer structures, LMD is still being scientifically researched and is still far from industrial maturity. The structural testing of obtained samples can be time consuming and solutions that can decrease the samples analysis time are constantly proposed in the scientific literature. In this manuscript we present a quality improvement study for obtaining defect-free bulk samples of Ti6Al4V under X-Ray Computed Tomography (XCT) by varying the hatch spacing and distance between planes. Based on information provided by XCT, the experimental conditions were changed until complete elimination of porosity. Information on the defects in the bulk of the samples by XCT was used for feedback during parameters tuning in view of complete removal of pores. The research time was reduced to days instead of weeks or months of samples preparation and analysis by destructive metallographic techniques

LUVMI Rover to Characterise Volatile Content in Lunar Polar Regions

The low inclination of the lunar orbit allows areas in high and low latitudes to remain in eternal darkness. These Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSR) are never illuminated by sunlight and are some of the coldest places in the Solar System and could contain vast deposits of water and other volatiles. In-situ measurements are required as a ‘ground-truth’ measurement to determine the existence volatiles in these regions. The LUnar Volatiles Mobile Instrumentation (LUVMI) is an autonomous, low mass, modular rover concept consisting of surface and subsurface sensing instruments with an in-situ sampling and analysis technology capable of depth resolved volatile extraction and characterisation. Volatile extraction from the lunar regolith will be carried out by the Volatiles Sampler (VS), which will sample the subsurface up to a depth of 20 cm, extract water and other loosely bound volatiles through heating. The design of the VS provides efficient volatile sample transfer and minimizes sample handling requirements. Evolved volatile characterisation will be performed by the Volatiles Analyser (VA) which is a miniature ion trap mass spectrometer based on the Ptolemy mass spectrometer instrument on-board Philae, the ESA Rosetta Lander. LUVMI-X (eXtended) will add the capability of allowing direct access to a PSR(s) via a miniature instrumented low velocity projectile that will be launched from the rover platform into areas of interest that are inaccessible to the rover. We will discuss the LUVMI test campaign conducted in December 2018, the current LUVMI-X configuration, the design of the mass spectrometer extraction systems and recent laboratory results obtained with volatile doped regolith simulant

LUVMI – Volatile Extraction and Measurements in Lunar Polar Regions

The low inclination of the lunar orbit allows areas in high latitudes to remain in eternal darkness.   These Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSR) are never illuminated by heating sunlight and are some of the coldest places in the Solar System which are thought to contain vast deposits of water and other volatiles.  In‐situ measurements are required as a definite proof of the existence of water and other volatiles in and around a PSR. The LUnar Volatiles Mobile Instrumentation (LUVMI) is an autonomous, low mass, modular rover consisting of surface and subsurface sensing instruments with an in‐situ sampling and analysis technology capable of depth resolved volatile extraction and characterisation.  With a total mass of less than 20 kg LUVMI is intended as an additional mobile payload for a lunar polar lander mission that will add the capability of allowing access to a PSR.  Volatile extraction from the lunar regolith will be carried out by the Volatiles Sampler (VS), which will sample the subsurface up to a depth of 10 cm, extract water and other loosely bound volatiles through heating.  The design of the VS provides efficient volatile sample transfer and minimizes sample handling requirements.  Evolved volatile characterisation will be performed by the Volatiles Analyser (VA) which is a miniature mass spectrometer based on the Ptolemy mass spectrometer instrument on‐board Philae, the ESA Rosetta Lander. We will discuss the LUVMI rover concept, the current concept of operations and the design of the mass spectrometer extraction systems

LUVMI: A concept of low footprint lunar volatiles mobile instrumentation

The International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) identifies one of the first exploration steps as in situ investigations of the Moon or asteroids. Europe is developing payload concepts for drilling and sample analysis, a contribution to a 250kg rover as well as for sample return. To achieve these missions, ESA depends on international partnerships. Such missions will be seldom, expensive and the drill/sample site selected will be based on observations from orbit not calibrated with ground truth data. Many of the international science community’s objectives can be met at lower cost, or the chances of mission success improved and the quality of the science increased by making use of an innovative, low mass, mobile robotic payload following the LEAG recommendations. As a main objective LUVMI is designed specifically for operations at the South Pole of the Moon with a payload accommodated by a novel lightweight mobile platform (rover) with a range of several kilometers. Over the 2 years duration of the project, the scientific instruments payload will be developed and validated up to TRL 6. LUVMI targets being ready for flight in 2020 on an ESA mission partially supported by private funding

Isotope ratios of H, C, and O in CO2 and H2O of the Martian atmosphere

Stable isotope ratios of H, C, and O are powerful indicators of a wide variety of planetary geophysical processes, and for Mars they reveal the record of loss of its atmosphere and subsequent interactions with its surface such as carbonate formation. We report in situ measurements of the isotopic ratios of D/H and O-18/O-16 in water and C-13/C-12, O-18/O-16, O-17/O-16, and (CO)-C-13-O-18/(CO)-C-12-O-16 in carbon dioxide, made in the martian atmosphere at Gale Crater from the Curiosity rover using the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)'s tunable laser spectrometer (TLS). Comparison between our measurements in the modern atmosphere and those of martian meteorites such as ALH 84001 implies that the martian reservoirs of CO2 and H2O were largely established similar to 4 billion years ago, but that atmospheric loss or surface interaction may be still ongoing