Methane Isotopes Analyzer for Enceladus Plume Flythrough

We propose a low SWaP Capillary Absorption Spectrometer (CAS) which has general applicability to a range of NASA missions with specific development for methane analysis during an Enceladus plume flythrough. The system will contain a Plume Capture and Delivery System (PCDS) which transports plume molecules to the CAS to be analyzed for 13C/12C carbon and D/H hydrogen isotope ratios. The CAS utilizes laser absorption spectroscopy in a proprietary hollow fiber gas cell to enable high-precision measurements with minimal sample volume, making it ideal for a plume flythrough. This proposed effort will specifically design a PCDS and develop the CAS further to strengthen the D/H analysis with the constraints of relatively low-abundance of deuterated methane, along with the need to also measure 13C/12C isotopes jointly. In addition, the proposed technology will enable a general and significant upgrade to the core CAS technology (CAS V2.0) with the development of a higher performance, modular, multi-laser design.