Abstract EANA2024-181

Salt minerals, such as halides and sulfates, seem to be quite widespread in the Solar System. Different evidences come from the detection of salts probably present in other planetary bodies apart from Earth (e.g.: Mars, moons, and dwarf planets) but also in meteorites which originated from these bodies, and in asteroids. Among the halides, NaCl minerals are of relevance because of their abundance in the liquid form such as brines, or in solid forms such as halite crystals present in evaporitic environments. Halite is also of relevance because of their documented capability to entrap, preserve, and protect microbial life forms or even organic molecules. Laboratory simulations of extraterrestrial environments involving the use of simulation chambers allow recreating the conditions of the interplanetary medium or planetary surfaces. As part of the SISS Program our collaborative interdisciplinary group aims to study different processes involving these minerals by the use of these chambers, such as investigations on mineralogical and microbial survival involving salts. Among our studies, laboratory simulations demonstrated the protective effects of halite to vacuum and high fluences of vacuum-ultraviolet radiation for microbial life forms, which was superior to other salt crystals (Abrevaya et al., Astrobiology, 2023, 23, 3: 245). Other advances are related to experiments of synthesis of halite under Mars-like conditions (Abrevaya et al., LPSC, 2016). One challenging issue is whether or not the experimental simulation reproduces the real process on other planets and therefore whether or not the mineral samples become representative of what could be found in an extraterrestrial environment. In this work we present an inter-comparative study of experiments performed by using different chambers (Astrolab - USP, Brazil and Astrolab - IWF, Austria). Here we summarize the importance of considering several factors when performing these experiments such as the configuration of the chamber and coupled devices, the monitoring of the experiments, and we describe limitations related to the post-synthesis process when samples are exposed back to atmospheric conditions which can lead to modifications of the minerals. This information can be used for the improvement of the devices, and therefore, of the experiments.