PDS4 Bundle for Viking Lander Labeled Release Biology Experiment

This bundle contains Viking Lander Labeled Release Biology Experiment data
updated from a PDS3 dataset. The Labeled Release (LR) instrument used two solid-
state beta particle counters to measure carbon-14 labeled gas evolved from soil
samples as a function of time. Martian soil samples were housed in one of four
test cells and were moistened with a labeled aqueous nutrient solution. The
scientific objective of the experiment was to test for the presence of
heterotrophic metabolism due to microbial organisms in the soil. Viking Lander 1
performed four analysis cycles, whereas Viking Lander 2 performed five cycles.
There were also background measurements made before several of the analysis
cycles. These are stored as separate data products. The bundle includes the LR
radioactivity counts and temperature data, which are stored in ASCII tables,
PDS4 labels, browse products, and supporting documentation.

The bundle is organized into the following collections:

- Browse - plots of the LR data stored as GIF files.

- Data_raw collection - LR radioactivity counts and temperature data files and
their PDS4 labels. Data files and labels are divided into two directories - one
for each lander.

- Document collection - Several documents about the Viking mission, the Lander
spacecraft, the LR instrument, and the LR dataset.

- Miscellaneous collection - An ASCII table with an index of data products.

Each product in this bundle is described by a PDS4 label in a separate file with
the same name as the file described by the label but with the extension .xml.
PDS4 labels are XML (eXtended Markup Language) files that conform to the PDS4
Information Model XML schema at https://pds.nasa.gov/pds4/schema/released/. The
PDS4 labels are best viewed in an XML-aware text editor, and may be used by
software that can manipulate XML documents. The original PDS3 labels are also
included in the data collection.

This bundle was created and archived by the Geosciences Node of the Planetary
Data System. Questions about this bundle may be directed to
geosci@wunder.wustl.edu.