Dallmann, Nicholas A.

DOE OSTI2022

Incoherent range-based holography of far-distant objects using LIDAR

Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed an incoherent, long-range, sub-centimeter resolution (LIDAR) with which we achieve centimeter-scale reflection holography at extremely long ranges. The system consists of a pulsed laser and photon-counting receiver. This combination yields round-trip time of flight data to illuminate parts of the object of interest. The aggregation of these data for many LIDAR pulses yields a plot with a range on the X axis and reflectance on the Y axis, which we refer to as a range profile. Observing that the range profile is a projection of the reflection map of the object onto the view vector, we collect profiles from a variety of viewing angles and invert these data to form an image. We adapt imaging algorithms from the field of computer aided tomography to suit our application and present results from imaging demonstrations at a 10 km range.

Hoffmann, Mitchell P. (ORCID:0000000170551324)↗

DOE OSTI2021

NACHOS, a CubeSat-based high-resolution UV-Visible hyperspectral imager for remote sensing of trace gases: system overview and science objectives

Here, the Nano-satellite Atmospheric Chemistry Hyperspectral Observation System (NACHOS) is a high-throughput (f/2.9), high spectral resolution (~1.3 nm optical resolution, 0.6 nm sampling) Offner-design hyperspectral imager operating in the 300-500 nm spectral region. The 1.5U instrument payload (1U optical system, 0.5U electronics module) is hosted by a 1.5U LANL-designed CubeSat bus to comprise a 3U complete satellite. Spectroscopically similar to NASA’s Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), which provides wide-field global mapping of ozone and other gases at coarse spatial resolution, NACHOS fills the complementary niche of targeted measurements at much higher spatial resolution. With 350 across-track spatial pixels and a 15-degree across-track field of view, NACHOS will provide spectral imaging at roughly 0.4 km per pixel from 500 km altitude. NACHOS incorporates highly streamlined gas-retrieval algorithms for rapid onboard processing, alleviating the need to routinely downlink massive hyperspectral data cubes. We will discuss the instrument design, challenges in achieving mechanical robustness to launch vibration in such a compact instrument, the onboard calibration system, and gas-retrieval data downlink strategy. We will also discuss potential science missions, including monitoring of NO 2 as an easily detected proxy for anthropogenic fossil-fuel greenhouse gases, monitoring lowlevel SO 2 degassing at pre-eruptive volcanoes, H 2 CO from wildfires, and characterization of aerosols. The long-term vision is for a many-satellite constellation that could provide both high spatial resolution and frequent revisits for selected targets of interest. As an initial technology demonstration of this vision, the NACHOS project is currently slated to launch two CubeSats in early 2022.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗