A free and open-source solution for Rietveld refinement of XRD data from the CheMin instrument onboard the Mars rover Curiosity

• DOI: 10.1016/j.pss.2022.105596
• Publication Date: 2022-11-03T23:11:24Z
• Authors: Nicola Döbelin; Richard Archer; Valerie Tu
• Keywords: Martian soil; Diffractometer; Mars landing; Planetary science; Curiosity

The Rietveld refinement software Profex is an open-source and platform-independent solution for the processing of powder X-ray diffraction datasets. It based on BGMN kernel uses a description diffractometer configuration to determine instrument-related peak profile. In this article we present file Chemistry Mineralogy (CheMin) (XRD), which on-board Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity. For past decade, Curiosity has been mission find out whether planet was once habitable microbial life. CheMin XRD determines mineralogical phases abundances Martian soil rocks in Gale Crater, Mars. Since its arrival 2012, analyzed powdered rock samples with instrument transmitting raw data acquired back Earth. Adaptations work seamlessly datasets involved creating new instrument, as well adding Mineral Compendium, compilation structural models specifically selected analysis sedimentary samples, Profex. Using example refinements, demonstrate that suited quantitative