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Rapid outdoor non‐destructive detection of organic minerals using a portable Raman spectrometer
Author(s) -
Jehlička J.,
Vítek P.,
Edwards H. G. M.,
Hargreaves M.,
Čapoun T.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of raman spectroscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.748
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1097-4555
pISSN - 0377-0486
DOI - 10.1002/jrs.2313
Subject(s) - raman spectroscopy , mineral , sedimentary rock , baltic amber , mars exploration program , extant taxon , mineralogy , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , geology , materials science , environmental chemistry , astrobiology , geochemistry , organic chemistry , optics , physics , evolutionary biology , biology
Raman spectral signatures have been obtained for a series of organic minerals using a compact portable Raman instrument equipped with 785‐nm laser excitation. Well‐resolved Raman spectra of crystalline salts of carboxylic acids, whewellite and mellite, as well as of the aromatic mineral idrialite were recorded. For comparative purposes, an amorphous fossil resin, baltic amber, was also investigated. The results obtained confirm that portable Raman instruments can be considered as excellent tools for field geological applications, including the detection of organic minerals in the frame of outcrops of sedimentary rocks or coal beds. Organic minerals can be added to the list of established biomarkers, including porphyrins, hydrocarbons and organic acids, which are important for the study with regard to future exobiological missions such as the ESA ExoMars mission to detect the presence of extinct or extant life on Mars. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.