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Davis, A. B.

Publications and source records attributed to Davis, A. B..

9 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2019

Episodes of Particle Ejection from the Surface of the Active Asteroid (101955) Bennu

Active asteroids are those that show evidence of ongoing mass loss. We report repeated instances of particle ejection from the surface of (101955) Bennu, demonstrating that it is an active asteroid. The ejection events were imaged by the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer) spacecraft. For the three largest observed events, we estimated the ejected particle velocities and sizes, event times, source regions, and energies. We also determined the trajectories and photometric properties of several gravitationally bound particles that orbited temporarily in the Bennu environment. We consider multiple hypotheses for the mechanisms that lead to particle ejection for the largest events, including rotational disruption, electrostatic lofting, ice sublimation, phyllosilicate dehydration, meteoroid impacts, thermal stress fracturing, and secondary impacts.

Lauretta, D. S.↗
NASA NTRS2019

OSIRIS-REx Gravity Field Estimates for Bennu Using Spacecraft and Natural Particle Tracking Data

The current best estimates of Bennu’s gravity field will be presented, based on the independent solutions from four different teams involved on the OSIRIS-REx mission. The discovery of ejected particles about Bennu that may remain in orbit for several days or more provide a unique opportunity to probe the gravity field to higher degree and order than possible by using conventional spacecraft tracking. However, the non-gravitational forces acting on these particles must also be characterized, and their impact on solution accuracy must be assessed. This talk will present the latest results from the mission, incorporating spacecraft tracking from the lowest orbit in which the satellite will be during the mission.

Scheeres, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Oceanus: A High Science Return Uranus Orbiter with a Low-Cost Instrument Suite

Ice-giant-sized planets are the most common type of observed exoplanet, yet the two ice giants in our own solar system (Uranus and Neptune) are the least explored class of planet, having only been observed through ground-based observations and a single flyby each by Voyager 2 approximately 30 years ago. These single flybys were unable to characterize the spatial and temporal variability in ice giant magnetospheres, some of the most odd and intriguing magnetospheres in the solar system. They also offered only limited constraints on the internal structure of ice giants; understanding the internal structure of a planet is important for understanding its formation and evolution. The most recent planetary science Decadal Survey by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, ''Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022,'' identified the ice giant Uranus as the third highest priority for a Flagship mission in the decade 2013-2022. However, in the event that NASA or another space agency is unable to fly a Flagship-class mission to an ice giant in the next decade, this paper presents a mission concept for a focused, lower cost Uranus orbiter called OCEANUS (Origins and Composition of the Exoplanet Analog Uranus System). OCEANUS would increase our understanding of the interior structure of Uranus, its magnetosphere, and how its magnetic field is generated. These goals could be achieved with just a magnetometer and the spacecraft's radio system. This study shows that several of the objectives outlined by the Decadal Survey, including one of the two identified as highest priority, are within reach for a New-Frontiers-class mission.

Elder, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Space-Based Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Aerosols: The Multi-Angle Spectro-Polarimetric Frontier

The review of optical instrumentation, forward modeling, and inverse problem solution for the polarimetric aerosol remote sensing from space is presented. The special emphasis is given to the description of current airborne and satellite imaging polarimeters and also to modern satellite aerosol retrieval algorithms based on the measurements of the Stokes vector of reflected solar light as detected on a satellite. Various underlying surface reflectance models are discussed and evaluated.

polarimetry↗
NASA NTRS2010

Multiple Scattering of Laser Pulses in Snow Over Ice: Modeling the Potential Bias in ICESat Altimetry

The primary goal of NASA's current ICESat and future ICESat2 missions is to map the altitude of the Earth's land ice with high accuracy using laser altimetry technology, and to measure sea ice freeboard. Ice however is a highly transparent optical medium with variable scattering and absorption properties. Moreover, it is often covered by a layer of snow with varying depth and optical properties largely dependent on its age. We describe a modeling framework for estimating the potential altimetry bias caused by multiple scattering in the layered medium. We use both a Monte Carlo technique and an analytical diffusion model valid for optically thick media. Our preliminary numerical results are consistent with estimates of the multiple scattering delay from laboratory measurements using snow harvested in Greenland, namely, a few cm. Planned refinements of the models are described.

Davis, A. B.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Cloud Structure and Cloud-Radiation Interaction: From Smallest Observable Scales (Less than 10 m) to GCM Grid Scales (More than 100 km)

In this presentation we review the fractal nature of internal cloud structure from cm- to km-scales as captured by in-situ probes during long horizontal penetrations by aircraft. We uncover the non-Poissonian spatial distribution of cloud droplets at submeter scales and confirm scale-invariant behavior for large scales. Based on these structural characteristics, we generate simple fractal cloud models that reproduce statistical scaling properties of real clouds. These stochastic models represent a link between nonlinear science, in general, and cloud-radiation interaction, in particular. Next we run three-dimensional radiative transfer computations on these synthetic fractal clouds and compare the structure of the resulting radiation fields with the known structure of the cloud model and with satellite images of real clouds. The different behaviors observed for small and large-scale variabilities will be discussed in detail. We find that while the large-scale fluctuations of the resulting radiation fields resemble those in the original scale-invariant cloud structure, the radiation at small scales is much smoother than its cloud liquid water counterpart. This violates scale-invariance and produces a scale-break at 0.2-0.5 km that is clearly observed in high-resolution satellite data such as from Landsat. Finally, we show how radiative transfer Green function theory in the photon diffusion limit explains (and predicts) the above phenomena of "radiative smoothing."

Marshak, Alexander↗
NASA NTRS2000

The Use of Vegetation For Estimating Broken-Cloud Optical Properties From Surface Measurements

It is known that because of complex three-dimensional (3D) radiative effects of broken clouds, the retrieval of cloud optical properties from upward measurements based on a one-dimensional (1D) inversion technique almost surely fails. To remove radiative effects of 3D cloud structure, we have developed a new technique that retrieves cloud optical thickness for broken clouds above green vegetation from simultaneous surface measurements in the VIS and Near Infrared (NIR) spectral regions. The theoretical basis of the method is the very different spectral behavior of cloud liquid water drops and green vegetation. For example, cloud optical properties, and hence cloud reflectivities, change little between 650 and 860 nm, while the vegetated surface albedo changes from 0.05 to 0.5 between the same two wavelengths. This spectral contrast in surface albedo suggests using ground measurements at both wavelengths not independently, but as an algebraic combination (a spectral index). For a spectral band in the NIR region, the green vegetation acts as a powerful reflector that "illuminates" horizontally inhomogeneous clouds from below. This provides the extra information needed to largely remove the 3D radiative effects, especially in the case of broken clouds; this in turn allows the retrieval of cloud optical depth using traditional 1D radiative transfer theory. This approach is similar to the so-called Green's function problem for radiative transfer where a laser beam illuminates clouds and the resulting "spot-size" of the reflected light around the beam characterizes cloud properties. We generalize Green's function theory to surf ace-cloud interaction and develop new spectral indices from which broken-cloud optical depth can be retrieved.

Marshak, A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Horizontal Radiative Fluxes in Clouds at Absorbing Wavelengths

We discuss the effect of horizontal fluxes on the accuracy of a conventional plane-parallel radiative transfer calculation for a single pixel, known as the Independent Pixel Approximation (IPA) at absorbing wavelengths. Vertically integrated horizontal fluxes can be represented as a sum of three components; each component is the IPA accuracy on a pixel-by-pixel basis for reflectance, transmittance and absorptance, respectively. We show that IPA accuracy for reflectance always improves with more absorption, while the IPA accuracy for transmittance is less sensitive to the changes in absorption: with respect to the non-absorbing case, it may first deteriorate for weak absorption and then improve again for strongly absorbing wavelengths. EPA accuracy for absorptance always deteriorates with more absorption. As a result, vertically integrated horizontal fluxes, as a sum of IPA accuracies for reflectance, transmittance and absorptance, increase with more absorption. Finally, the question of correlations between horizontal fluxes, IPA uncertainties and radiative smoothing is addressed using wavenumber spectra of radiation fields reflected from or transmitted through fractal clouds.

Marshak, A.↗