Precision cleaning samples for science analysis using a gas-based dust removal tool

Current Mars science goals require the removal of dust from the surface of samples to expose the rock beneath the dust layer for imaging. A simple cold gas system is proposed to fill this need. A series of tests were conducted to investigate the dust suspension and entrainment phenomena under the influence of a cold gas jet in the near vacuum conditions at Mars. This paper describes the experimental set-up and results of these tests. Data was collected for more than 400 different tests in order to evaluate the influence of mass flow rate, molecular weight of the working gas, back pressure of the ambient gas, height of the nozzle above the surface, and the nozzle design. The results of these tests are summarized and presented. The test program showed that the use of a cold gas system is an effective means of clearing dust from the surface of samples and determined which design parameters are key for system performance.