  The Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) is a micro-focus
X-ray fluorescence spectrometer mounted on the robotic arm of NASA's
Perseverance rover. PIXL will acquire high spatial resolution observations of
rock and soil chemistry, rapidly analyzing the elemental chemistry of a target
surface. In 10 seconds, PIXL can use its powerful 120 micrometer diameter X-ray
beam to analyze a single, sand-sized grain with enough sensitivity to detect
major and minor rock-forming elements, as well as many trace elements. Over a
period of several hours, PIXL can autonomously scan an area of the rock surface
and acquire a hyperspectral map comprised of several thousand individual
measured points.
