Internship project proposal for MISIP 2024 [Project1]
1) Project title: Rheological measurement of Martian dust slurries2) Supervisors (*corresponding): Jun Kameda*
3) Number of students: 14) Detailed description of the project (including aim, detailed plan and expected outcome):
Aim
Various landforms have developed on the Martian surface that are thought to have been formed by
the involvement of liquid water. For example, gullies and lobe-like deposits have been observed atsome slope sites, and it has been suggested that these may have been formed by debris flow-likeevents that occur in watery environments, rather than dry granular flows (e.g., Iverson 1997;Naruse, 2016). Therefore, rheological characterization of Martian dust-water mixtures is importantfor understanding such landform formation processes. The aim of this project is to conductrheological experiments on water-dispersed samples of Martian dust simulants to evaluate theirflow properties and, based on these findings, to understand the landform development processes
described above.
Detailed plan
Slurry samples
Solid samples will be MGS-1 (CLASS Exolith Lab, 2019), recently proposed as a Mars dust
simulant, and its clay mineral or gypsum-added derivatives (MGS-1C and MGS-1S). Slurries areprepared by dispersing these samples in water with different solids/water ratios.
Rheological experiments
Rheological measurements will be conducted using a stress-controlled rheometer (HR2; TAInstruments) with a flat plate geometry to study the yield strength, viscosity, and sol-gel transition
behavior of slurries and their temperature dependence (around 5 to 40°C). If the sample is asedimentable sample, vane test will also be performed by using a viscometer (DV2T, Brookfeld).
Numerical modeling of debris flows
For run-out modeling of debris flows, simulations of one-dimensional downslope flow will be
conducted on the hypothetical slopes of Mars using the BING program developed by Imran et al.
(2001).
Expected outcome
This project may provide some constraints on the question of whether liquid water existed on theMartian surface. It is expected to contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary processes ofthe Martian surface environment.
References:
CLASS Exolith Lab (2019) Datasheet for MGS-1 Mars global simulant. University of Central Florida, USA.
Imran, J., Harff, P. and Parker, G. (2001) A numerical model of submarine debris flow with graphical userinterface. Comp. Geosci. 27, 717−729.
Iverson, R.M. (1997) The physics of debris flows. Rev. Geophys. 35, 245−296.
Naruse, H. (2016) Origins of lobate landforms on Mars: Preliminary examination from an inverse analysis ofdebris-flow deposits. J Geography, 125, 163−170.

Internship project proposal for MISIP 2024 [Project 2]
1) Project title: Understanding the origin of organic matter heterogeneity and organic mattermineral relationships within the matrix of CM2 carbonaceous chondrites.
2) Supervisors (*corresponding): Christian Potiszil*, Katsura Kobayashi, Ryoji Tanaka, TakKunihiro, Hiroshi Kitagawa, Tsutomu Ota, Masahiro Yamanaka and Chie Sakaguchi3) Number of students: 3-4
4) Detailed description of the project (including aim, detailed plan and expected outcome)During MISIP 2023, the matrix of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites Aguas Zarcas (CM2) andMurchison (CM2) were investigated. It was found that the Raman spectra of darker and brighter
areas of the Aguas Zarcas matrix demonstrated distinct differences in terms of their organic matter.
The darker areas were found to be richer in phyllosilicate minerals, whereas, the brighter areas wereenriched in Tochilinite. However, it was unclear exactly why the organic matter between the tworegions was so different. Leading on from MISIP, 2023, a comprehensive examination of themineralogy and organic matter, including isotopic composition, within the brighter and darker
regions of the matrix is necessary. Nebula, accretionary and parent body processes all contribute tothe end composition and isotopic characteristics of a given carbonaceous chondrite. Therefore, after
completing a comprehensive analysis of the carbonaceous chondrite matrix of Murchison andAguas Zarcas, it will be possible to evaluate the reason for the differences in organic matter
between brighter and darker regions of the matrix.
The internship students will work together to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the Aguas
Zarcas and Murchison carbonaceous chondrites. The methodology will include sample preparation
procedures (including standard preparation), bulk analysis and in situ analysis of both elements andisotopes, as well as the determination and mapping of inorganic and organic phases. Bulk analyticaltechniques will include elemental analysis (C, H, O, N) using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer(EA-IRMS) and Noble gas mass spectrometer for noble gas isotopes (Ne). In-situ analysis will
include phase and elemental abundance determination and mapping using scanning electron
microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), organic and inorganic phasecharacterization with Raman spectroscopy and acquisition of isotopic and compositional
information through the application of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The internshipstudents will then discuss and interpret the data, to build up a picture of the processes affecting theorganic and mineral phases within the matrix carbonaceous chondrites.
The students will be exposed to an array of different analytical techniques and set-ups, as well aslab environments. Such experience will greatly contribute to the student’s scientific experience andaid them in a future career in science, whether that be in academia or industry. A large
comprehensive data set will be acquired and the students will gain valuable data analysis andinterpretation skills. In terms of the scientific outcomes, the students will help to determine theextent of heterogeneity with the matrix of different carbonaceous chondrites and thus increase ourunderstanding of mineral-organic relationships and both pre-accretionary and asteroidal processes.
With this information a better understanding of the formation and evolution of solar system
materials will be obtained.

Internship project proposal for MISIP 2024 [Project 3]1) Project title: Detection of water in Martian mantle
2) Supervisors (*corresponding): Takashi Yoshino3) Number of students: 14) Detailed description of the project (including aim, detailed plan and expected outcome):
Where did the water that flowed on Mars billions of years ago go? This is a long-standing mystery.
We know that some of water is trapped as ice just below the surface. Studies of Mars' atmosphereshow that some of the water escaped into space. Earth's magnetosphere prevents the atmospherefrom escaping into space, while Mars' magnetosphere is weak, and even moisture can escape fromthe planet. But given the current proportion of hydrogen in Mars' atmosphere, that's probably notthe only place the water goes. In other words, most of the water must have gone somewhere else.
One likely candidate is rocks inside Mars.
The InSight mission found that the Martian mantle is shallower than previously thought, and thatbridgmanite, which is dominant phase in the Earth's lower mantle, does not appear, and ringwoodite
is thought to exist at the bottom of the mantle. Ringwoodite is a high-pressure polymorph of olivine
and is known to be able to incorporate a large amount of water into its crystal structure. Electricalconductivity measurement is an effective method for detecting the amount of water.
In this project, we investigate the effect of water on the electrical conductivity of ringwoodite. A
selected student will synthesize iron-rich ringwoodite, which is thought to be stable underconditions at the bottom of the Martian mantle, using a Kawai-type multi-anvil, and measure theelectrical conductivity of this sample under similar pressure conditions at low temperatures wheredehydration does not occur. We investigate the effect of water on the electrical conductivity ofringwoodite. By comparing this result with existing proposed electrical conductivity profiles, wewill consider the amount of water present in the Martian mantle.
Plan1) Preparation of olivine powder using gas-controlled furnace2) Synthesis of Fe-rich ringwoodite with various amounts of water3) Phase identification of synthetic materials by XRD, SEM and FTIR
4) In situ electrical conductivity measurements of ringwoodite by impedance analyzer underhigh pressure and high temperature
5) Post-experimental analysis of recovered samples

Internship project proposal for MISIP 2024 [Project 4]1) Project title: Effect of water on viscosity of mantle mineral2) Supervisors (*corresponding): D. Yamazaki*3) Number of students: 1 (max)4) Detailed description of the project (including aim, detailed plan and expected outcome):
Viscosity of Earth’s mantle is a key parameter to constraint the convection of the mantle
because viscosity indicates the mobility of deforming material, and hence many geophysicalobservations have been done to estimate viscosity of the mantle. On the other hand, from thematerial scientific point of view by means of theoretical calculation and/or experimental approach,viscosity-related rheology of the mantle minerals is not well-known.
Many researches may believe the large effect of water on physical and chemical properties, forexample, water enhance the chemical diffusion and hence decrease viscosity and increase electricalconductivity, reduce the rigidity and resultant elastic wave velocities, decrease the melting
temperature. In the Earth, a capability of water storage in the mantle transition zone is much higher
than those of the other mantle regions because the main mantle transition zone constituting
minerals, wadsleyite and ringwoodite, can contain a few wt. % of water. Although such highcapability of the mantle transition zone, water effects on rheology and viscosity of wadsleyite andringwoodite are not studied well.
In this internship project, as the first step of the study on effect of water on rheology of the
mantle transition zone, the relative deformation strength between “dry” and “wet” ringwoodites areexperimentally measured to estimate directly the water effect on viscosity. In the experiments,
polycrystalline “dry” and “wet” ringwoodites can be synthesized for the starting materials in theKawai-type multianvil apparatus and be deformed simultaneously with the series setting in thedeformation cell assembly by using D111-type high pressure deformation apparatus. Afterdeformation, recovered samples can be analyzed by XRD for phase identification, SEM for thesample length measurement to estimate the strain, and EBSD for crystallographic orientation
measurement to estimate the dominant deformation mechanism.

Internship project proposal for MISIP 2024 [Project 5]1) Project title: Water cycle in Mars inferred from water contents of Fe-rich silicates2) Supervisors (*corresponding): Takayuki Ishii*3) Number of students: 1
4) Detailed description of the project (including aim, detailed plan and expected outcome):
Unlike Earth, present Mars has no ocean and active plate tectonics. However, early Mars
seems to be covered with oceans. An open question is how water is distributed in Mars. Water isconsidered to have been stored in the Martian mantle since its formation. Although the watercontent of the Martian mantle is still under debate, weight percent levels of water can be stored in
the Martian mantle through the Martian history. Because water can lower melting temperature andviscosity of the Martian mantle rocks, it can affect thermal evolution of the Martian interior andcontrol crustal formation as well as presence of oceans on the Martian surface. To better understandevolution of the Martian surface and interior, quantitative constraints on water in the Martianmantle are essential.
Water distribution and budget in the Martian mantle can be estimated from water contents in
Martian mantle minerals because water is likely stored in minerals mainly as structurally-boundhydroxyl groups (OH). A distinctive feature of the Martian mantle composition is enrichment iniron compared with the Earth’s mantle composition, resulting in (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 iron-enrichedmagnesium silicates as major minerals such as olivine, wadsleyite, and ringwoodite depending on
depth. The Fe/(Mg+Fe) (mol) of these minerals in the Martian mantle is in a range of 0.3-0.4, which
is much higher than those in the Earth’s mantle (~0.1). Previous experimental studies constrainedwater contents of these minerals mainly at the Earth’s mantle composition, estimating watercontents up to 1-2 wt.%. The effect of iron on water content of olivine has been investigated up toMartian mantle compositions. On the other hand, water contents of olivine high-pressurepolymorphs of wadsleyite and ringwoodite at Martian mantle compositions have not been
investigated yet.
In this project, you will investigate effects of iron on water contents of wadsleyite andringwoodite up to Fe/(Mg+Fe) = 0.4 by means of multi-anvil high-pressure experiments incombination with post-analyses of recovered minerals. Based on the results, you will discuss water
cycle in Mars.
Plan1) Preparation of starting materials of (Mgx,Fe1-x)2SiO4 (x=0.3-0.5) plus 15 wt% of water fromusing MgO, FeO, SiO2, and Mg(OH)22) Preparation of high-pressure experiments
3) High-pressure syntheses of wadsleyite and ringwoodite single crystals with dimensions morethan 100 microns up to 20 GPa and 1600-2000 K
4) Post-experimental analyses of recovered samples using X-ray diffraction, Raman
spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and electron microprobe analysis

Internship project proposal for MISIP 2024 [Project 6]1) Project title: Understanding Planetary Surfaces; A Remote Sensing and Laboratorybased Approach for Future Mission Planning2) Supervisors (*corresponding): Trishit Ruj * (trishitruj@okayama-u.ac.jp) / Matthew
Izawa (matthew_izawa@okayama-u.ac.jp)
3) Number of students: 1 or 2.
4) Detailed description of the project (including aim, detailed plan, and expected outcome):
Aim: To familiarize students with geospatial and hyperspectral Planetary data, increasing
their understanding of how both types of data sets are used to interpret Planetary surface
processes. Using mission data combined with laboratory measurements will develop realworld skills in planetary exploration.
Detailed Plan: There are two parts of this project. Firstly, Remote Sensing and data handling(supervised by Ruj), and spectral measurements of relevant meteorite analogs (Izawa) tofacilitate the interpretation of surface compositions and geological histories (both).
The internship program will commence with a comprehensive introduction to planetarygeospatial data sets and acquisition techniques, along with interpretation through GIS
software. To ensure a deep understanding of planetary surface processes, interns will beassigned to specific case studies relevant to their research interests (possibly related to
JAXA’s future mission). They will learn to employ analytical software (GIS, ENVI) and datavisualization tools, with milestones set for demonstrating proficiency. They will then select(with guidance) relevant meteorite and mineral analogs and conduct spectral reflectancemeasurements. Combining their measurements with available spectral libraries, they will
provide their own synthesis of mapping, mineralogy, and meteorite linkages to interpret thegeological history of their target body/bodies. Potential targets dark asteroids possibly linked
to carbonaceous chondrites (e.g., Ryugu, Bennu, Phobos, Ceres), iron-rich surfaces (e.g.,
Psyche), or selected regions of Mars.
Expected outcome: The culmination of the program will be a capstone presentation whereinterns present their findings and insights, showcasing their skill development in planetarydata handling and interpretation. It is expected that new insights into the geology, mineralogy,and extent of analogy with known meteorites will be produced.