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Initial Results from the Mini-TES Experiment in Gusev Crater from the Spirit Rover
P. R. Christensen,1*S. W. Ruff,1R. L. Fergason,1A. T. Knudson,1S. Anwar,1R. E. Arvidson,2J. L. Bandfield,1D. L. Blaney,3C. Budney,3W. M. Calvin,4T. D. Glotch,1M. P. Golombek,3N. Gorelick,1T. G. Graff,1V. E. Hamilton,5A. Hayes,6J. R. Johnson,7H. Y. McSween, Jr.,8G. L. Mehall,1L. K. Mehall,1J. E. Moersch,8R. V. Morris,9A. D. Rogers,1M. D. Smith,10S. W. Squyres,6M. J. Wolff,11M. B. Wyatt1
The Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) on Spirithas studied the mineralogy and thermophysical properties atGusev crater. Undisturbed soil spectra show evidence for minorcarbonates and bound water. Rocks are olivinerich basalts withvarying degrees of dust and other coatings. Dark-toned soilsobserved on disturbed surfaces may be derived from rocks andhave derived mineralogy (±5 to 10%) of 45% pyroxene (20%Ca-rich pyroxene and 25% pigeonite), 40% sodic to intermediateplagioclase, and 15% olivine (forsterite 45% ±5 to 10).Two spectrally distinct coatings are observed on rocks, a possibleindicator of the interaction of water, rock, and airfall dust.Diurnal temperature data indicate particle sizes from 40 to80 µm in hollows to 0.5 to 3 mm in soils.
1 Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA. 2 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA. 3 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA. 4 Department of Geological Science, University of Nevada Reno, NV 89557, USA. 5 Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. 6 Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. 7 U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA. 8 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. 9 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA. 10 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA. 11 Space Science Institute, Martinez, GA 30907, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: phil.christensen{at}asu.edu
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0.5 to 3 mm in soils. 
