Anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) instrument to study the Martian magnetic environment from the surface: expected scientific return

Abstract

The ExoMars programme has the objective to answer to the question of whether life ever existed on Mars. The second mission comprising the Rosalind Franklin rover and Kazachok Surface Platform was designed to focus specifically on the characterization of the environmental parameters which can play an important role for the existence of life on the surface of the planet. One of these parameters is the magnetic field because of its ability of shielding the solar and cosmic radiation. For such characterization, the scientific suite of the Surface Platform counts with two instruments: the Anisotropic MagnetoResistance (AMR) and the MArtIan Ground ElectromagneTic (MAIGRET) instruments. The AMR goal is to characterize both the surface and subsurface and the time-varying magnetic fields, related to the crustal and the external fields respectively, at the ExoMars landing site in Oxia Planum. The operation to achieve these goals includes two phases, the first phase corresponding to the lander descent and the second phase in which the instrument is deployed on the surface. In this work, we simulate the first operations phase using synthetic magnetic field models, assuming that the different crustal units at the landing site might be magnetized. We also perform measurements in our laboratory to simulate the second phase operation of the instrument on the Martian surface. We discuss the capability of interpretation of the instrument, based on the available information of the landing site and the results from our models.