An analysis of a continuum X-ray Diffraction/Fluorescence instrument

Abstract

Scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center have developed a Combined X-ray Diffraction/Fluorescence (CXRDF) instrument. CXRDF performs simultaneous chemical and structural analysis of an unprepared sample, making it ideal for planetary mineral identification. In an effort to analyze the effectiveness of CXRDF, samples were chosen from a list of minerals that are important in the debate about the origin of the outcrops at Meridiani Planum on Mars. These samples were run on both CXRDF and a laboratory X-ray diffractometer. The datasets were compared, looking at peak identification, d-spacing resolution, and whether the instruments could definitively identify each sample. CXRDF successfully measured the d-spacings for each mineral, and the chemical analysis data were very valuable. However, for CXRDF to be able to definitively identify minerals, its d-spacing range and resolution will need to be improved, in addition to its data analysis software.