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Planetary Atmosphere Simulation

Laboratory Features: This laboratory contains the planetary atmosphere simulation system designed to recreate the conditions unique to planetary atmospheres throughout the solar system.

  • Alarm system patched into Institute and local EMS facilities switchboard
  • One (1) hour fireproof control zone
  • All hazardous operations are conducted in fume hood
  • Manual emergency alarm activation available both inside and outside the room
  • Continuous flow fume hood operation monitored and protected by alarm
  • Failure sounds alarm and isolates lab air flow from building HVAC air supply
  • Cleanroom warning lamp activates in Lab 374 to notify occupants if room flow has been halted by an alarm condition
  • 420 sq. ft. facility

Agilent 7890A Gas Chromatograph (GC) System

  • Capillary flow technology (CFT) leak-free oven connections
  • Split and splitless flow
  • Low thermal mass (LTM) technology
  • Multimode inlet (MMI)
  • Agilent 7693 Automatic Liquid System (ALS)
  • Flame ionization detector (FID)
  • Dual simultaneous injection capability
  • Fast injection
  • 150 sample vial tray
  • Single-stroke injection to 50 mL
  • Multiple injection capability
  • Holds up to 500 mL syringe
  • High purity Nitrogen available for instrument purging
  • Hydrogen or helium for carrier gas
  • All chamber venting done with high purity nitrogen

Agilent G1530A Gas Chromatography (GC) System

  • Custom thermal modulator by SwRI for injection peak thermal modulation
  • Split and splitless flow
  • Flame ionization detector (FID)
  • High purity Nitrogen available for instrument purging
  • Hydrogen or helium for carrier gas
  • All chamber venting done with high purity nitrogen

Trochoidal-focusing Mass Spectrometer

Main chamber environment diagnostics/monitoring include:

  • Trochoidal-focusing mass spectrometer
  • Ions arrive in same plane
  • Fourteen (14) element ion lens control
  • Pfeiffer multi-gauge for pressure monitoring
  • Equipped with Pfeiffer HiPace 300 turbomolecular pump
  • Anest-Iwata scroll pump for roughing pump

Planetary Atmosphere Simulator

System performance parameters:

  • Flame and explosion resistant components continuously purged by N2
  • Up to five (5) gases flowed and mixed simultaneously
  • Programmable gas mixing by partial pressures to ppb levels
  • Routine base pressures of < 1 x 10-8 Torr
  • Fully-automated and programmable gas control
  • Flow, temperature and pressure monitoring and recording
  • Built in failsafe mechanisms to protect operations and operator
  • Continuous flow fume hood operation monitored and protected by alarm
  • Failure sounds alarm and isolates lab air flow from building HVAC air supply

High Pressure Oven

High Pressure Oven features:

  • Flame and explosion resistant components continuously purged by N2
  • Programmable gas dosing from Planetary Atmosphere Simulator
  • Maximum pressure of 100 atmospheres simulates Venus surface pressure
  • Maximum oven temperature of 500 degrees C simulates Venus surface temperature
  • Fully-automated and programmable gas control
  • Flow, temperature and pressure monitoring and recording
  • Built in failsafe mechanisms to protect operations and operator

Materials prohibited in chambers: silicone, hydrocarbons, high vapor pressure metals and particulates

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Contact Information

Dr. Hunter Waite

INMS and CAPS PI

Dr. Hunter Waite

INMS and CAPS PI

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