NASA's Perseverance rover has recorded small lightning bolts appearing in dust storms on Mars. The discovery has just been published in the journal Nature.
According to a VNA reporter in Paris, the results came from the microphone of the SuperCam device, developed by French research groups at the Institute for Astrophysics and Planetology (IRAP) and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Observation (LATMOS).
This microphone, which will be sent to Mars in 2021, will not only help study sound but also provide precise data about the atmosphere. When the SuperCam laser hits rocks, the sound transmitted to the microphone carries information about the temperature and density of the air.
Scientists made the discovery when microphones accidentally recorded two dust storms passing over Perseverance. In the recordings, CNRS scientist Baptiste Chide noticed an unusual “clicking” sound.
After analyzing and comparing it with the shock waves generated by lasers, he hypothesized that this could be a sign of an electrical discharge. Reproduction tests in the lab, with the microphone placed in a dilute CO2 environment and creating a small arc, gave the same results. Some microphone components also acted as antennas, recording the electrical pulse that appeared immediately before the sound, consistent with the lightning process.
What was most surprising was the frequency of the phenomenon. When they combed through the data, the team found about 50 discharge events, even though the microphones recorded for only a very short time and were sensitive only to a range of 1-2 meters. This suggests that dust vortices – which are common on Mars – can produce discharges on a regular basis.
This discovery has major implications for explaining many chemical phenomena on Mars, especially the rapid disappearance of methane that has been recorded from the atmosphere.
Small electric arcs could be unusually efficient at destroying methane molecules, the researchers say. Lightning could also be involved in the formation of hydrogen peroxide and perchlorate – powerful oxidizing compounds that are widely present on the planet’s surface.
The discovery of electrical discharges on Mars opens a new direction of research, helping to better understand the atmosphere, chemical activities and conditions that may affect the existence of traces of life on the Red Planet./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/phat-hien-tia-set-tren-sao-hoa-tu-tau-tham-hiem-cua-nasa-post1079640.vnp
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