Workshop Mars - Les Houches

Goals of the workshop

In April-May 2003, a 12-day workshop devoted to the study of Planet Mars took place in Les Houches. About 80 participants, including 30 speakers, attended the workshop. Its objective was to gather what we presently know (and do not know) about the planet as a global system, from its internal structure to its interaction with the solar wind, in order to get the community best prepared for exploiting the new forthcoming space missions devoted to Mars: Mars Express and the two Mars Exploration Rovers. The three spacecrafts were launched successfully during the following months.

The scientific goals of Mars exploration first deal with our understanding of the planet as such (structure, dynamics, water and carbon cycles, surface morphology, interaction atmosphere/ionosphere…). Beyond this study, a major objective is to compare Mars and the Earth for a better understanding of the physical and chemical processes, which drive the formation, and evolution of Earth-like planets. A last (but not least) aspect deals with exobiology. We now have strong evidence for the presence of liquid water on Mars’ surface during its history, which opens new perspectives for understanding the origin and development of life, through the search for biosignatures.

Several key open questions about our understanding of planet Mars emerged from the discussions of the first workshop. They include, What is the nature (solid or liquid) of Mars’ core ? What is the origin of the magnetic anomalies ? How long did volcanic activity last on Mars ? Did Mars experience plate tectonics early in its history ? If not, why not? What is the present water content of Mars today, and what are the significant reservoirs (permafrost, aquifer)? Was there a northern global ocean in the early history of the planet ? If so, how dense and warm was the primitive atmosphere, and how where has it gone? Has Mars ever been and is it now habitable? If so, could there be some evidence of extinct life, like fossils, and where should we look for them? In addition, what future steps of exploration are most likely to answer these and other questions?

Since the beginning of 2004, the ESA Mars Express mission and the two NASA rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been acquiring new data that are changing our understanding of planet Mars. These missions prove that remote sensing and ground observations are very complementary and allow for a better description of the past and present Mars. It seems therefore appropriate to gather the international community together in a pleasant, remote area to discuss new perspectives of the planet and to re-assess long-standing hypotheses in light of the information available as of Spring 2005, e.g. data from MGS, Pathfinder, Odyssey, MEx, Spirit and Opportunity. This workshop will bring researchers and students together for a 10-day period at the informal conference facilities in Les Houches, France above Chamonix.

The format of the Workshop will encourage focused discussion of uncertainties in understanding. Leading scientists in the interpretation of data and in modeling will present their views on key topics, such as the history of on water Mars, differentiation and volcanism, climate evolution, and surface properties. Moderated, panel-type discussions will seek to identify differences in scientific opinion on these subjects, as well as to reveal common ground. Students and scientists in the audience will also be engaged in these discussions, and present poster talks in between sessions. We hope that you will join us for this workshop, and, if you wish, to present a poster. At Les Houches, there is always plenty of time for additional discussion around the posters and at meal times .

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