Nguyễn Quốc Trung, an alumnus of inorganic chemistry at the University of Science, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City, and currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Umeå University, used vibration spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction to analyse clay and salts under extreme conditions to detect water traces on Mars. His research suggested that Mars might harbour thin water films or small pockets of water beneath its surface, potentially supporting life. Trung’s work won the LPI Career Development Award and is expected to contribute to future studies on water and life on Mars.

Using vibration spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques, MSc. Nguyễn Quốc Trung analysed mineral samples, such as clay and salts, in an effort to detect water traces on Mars.

Trung, 27, who studied Geological Chemistry and Biology at Umeå University in Sweden, recently won the LPI Career Development Award from the Lunar and Planetary Institute in the United States. The award is presented annually to outstanding young researchers worldwide in multidisciplinary fields aligned with the research priorities of NASA.

Trung’s research applied vibration spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction methods to analyse minerals like clay and salts under extreme conditions, such as intense cold or severe dryness, with the goal of detecting water traces on Mars. The planet is regarded as a vast frozen desert with high salt content, where liquid water does not exist on the surface due to extremely low temperature and pressure, averaging -51°C and 6 mbar, respectively. This pressure is approximately 100 times lower than the atmospheric pressure on Earth.

Trung mentioned that ice and water vapour had been discovered on Mars. Beneath the planet’s surface, conditions might be more conducive to liquid water existing in clay and salt deposits. Data from satellites and rovers have identified various minerals on Mars, including clay and salts.

According to Trung, certain salts, such as sodium chloride (NaCl), can absorb water vapour or melt ice at temperatures below 0°C, depending on the humidity and temperature conditions in the atmosphere, forming “thin water films” or “temporary brine.” As clay also has a high capacity for water absorption and retention, these “temporary brines” could accumulate in clay, increasing the mobility of ions and promoting chemical reactions, such as ion exchange. The formation of “temporary brine” is observable in humid conditions, such as in Viet Nam, where salts melt. However, the “thin water films” formed in clay and on the surface of anhydrous salts in dry, cold conditions can only be observed through molecular-level techniques such as vibration spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction.

In the laboratory, Trung researched and analysed simulated Martian samples made of clay and salts using these analytical methods under extremely dry and low-temperature conditions (-100°C) to replicate conditions on Mars. He also investigated the water retention capability of these materials through processes like water vapour absorption and ice formation.

Research conducted from 2023 onwards showed that salts significantly increased the amount of water vapour absorbed by clay from the air, even under extremely dry conditions. Clay also demonstrated a remarkable ability to accumulate brine, retaining water even at low temperatures. Furthermore, mixtures of clay and salts were found to melt ice at much lower temperatures than expected. Chemical interactions between clay and salts were observed under dry conditions.

This research opened up the important hypothesis that Mars may harbour thin water films or small pockets of water beneath its surface, providing a more suitable environment for chemical reactions and possibly even supporting microbial life, if it exists.

After publication, the spectral data from this research will be integrated into scientific databases and compared with data collected from satellites and rovers on Mars, such as Perseverance and Curiosity.

Through the research, Trung and his team assessed the chemical interactions between minerals in the solid phase under extreme conditions similar to those on Mars. “Understanding the mechanisms of water formation and retention on Mars not only helps explore the planet’s past but also contributes to the search for life and the potential for human exploration in the future,” Trung said. He noted that previous studies typically focused on Earth-like atmospheric conditions or concentrated on specific mineral groups, without considering their interactions. His research focuses on the physical and chemical interactions between clay and salts under extreme Martian-like conditions, rather than examining individual minerals or salts, as in past studies.

Trung stated that he and his colleagues would connect laboratory experimental data with remote sensing data from Mars’ orbit. This would enable a more accurate assessment of the potential for water to exist in the soil beneath the planet’s surface.

Nguyễn Quốc Trung, originally from Dong Nai, is a former student of inorganic chemistry at the University of Science, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Umeå University (Sweden), specialising in geological and inorganic chemistry.

Source: Hà An – Vnexpress _ Translated by ℙ𝕄ℕ