Europan Molecular Indicators of Life Investigation (EMILI) (Invited)
Résumé
The Europan Molecular Indicators of Life Investigation (EMILI) is an instrument concept under development for a potential future landed mission to Europa. The goal of EMILI is to help search for potential molecular biosignatures in samples collected from the icy surface. The sample material may contain compounds that originated in the subsurface ocean on Europa, and have migrated to the surface. Key classes of organic molecules as well as patterns of molecular groups could be indicative of life. To detect the widest possible range of such compounds, EMILI includes both capillary electrophoresis and gas chromatography sample processing and separation systems, as well as detectors based on laser fluorescence, conductivity, and mass spectrometry, in an integrated instrument package.