Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Jin, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Jin, M..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Determining the bubble nucleation efficiency of low-energy nuclear recoils in superheated C 3 F 8 dark matter detectors

The bubble nucleation efficiency of low-energy nuclear recoils in superheated liquids plays a crucial role in interpreting results from direct searches for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter. Here, the PICO collaboration presents the results of the efficiencies for bubble nucleation from carbon and fluorine recoils in superheated C 3 F 8 from calibration data taken with five distinct neutron spectra at various thermodynamic thresholds ranging from 2.1 to 3.9 keV. Instead of assuming any particular functional forms for the nuclear recoil efficiency, a generalized piecewise linear model is proposed with systematic errors included as nuisance parameters to minimize model-introduced uncertainties. A Markov chain Monte Carlo routine is applied to sample the nuclear recoil efficiency for fluorine and carbon at 2.45 and 3.29 keV thermodynamic thresholds simultaneously. The nucleation efficiency for fluorine was found to be ≥ 50% for nuclear recoils of 3.3 keV (3.7 keV) at a thermodynamic Seitz threshold of 2.45 keV (3.29 keV), and for carbon the efficiency was found to be ≥ 50% for recoils of 10.6 keV (11.1 keV) at a threshold of 2.45 keV (3.29 keV). Simulated datasets are used to calculate a p value for the fit, confirming that the model used is compatible with the data. The fit paradigm is also assessed for potential systematic biases, which although small, are corrected for. Additional steps are performed to calculate the expected interaction rates of WIMPs in the PICO-60 detector, a requirement for calculating WIMP exclusion limits.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Results on photon-mediated dark-matter–nucleus interactions from the PICO-60 C 3 F 8 bubble chamber

Many compelling models predict dark matter coupling to the electromagnetic current through higher multipole interactions, while remaining electrically neutral. Different multipole couplings have been studied, among them anapole moment, electric and magnetic dipole moments, and millicharge. This study sets limits on the couplings for these photon-mediated interactions using nonrelativistic contact operators in an effective field theory framework. Using data from the PICO-60 bubble chamber leading limits for dark matter masses between 2.7 and 24 GeV/c 2 and above 265 GeV/c 2 (anapole moment), 2.7 and 11.7 GeV/c 2 (electric moment), 3 and 9.5 GeV/c 2 (magnetic moment), and 2.7 and 12 GeV/c 2 (millicharged) are reported for the coupling of these photon-mediated dark matter-nucleus interactions. The detector was filled with 52 kg of C 3 F 8 operating at thermodynamic thresholds of 2.45 keV and 3.29 keV, reaching exposures of 1404 kg-day and 1167 kg-day, respectively.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Data-Driven Modeling of Electron Recoil Nucleation in PICO C$_3$F$_8$ Bubble Chambers

The primary advantage of moderately superheated bubble chamber detectors is their simultaneous sensitivity to nuclear recoils from weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter and insensitivity to electron recoil backgrounds. A comprehensive analysis of PICO gamma calibration data demonstrates for the first time that electron recoils in C3F8 scale in accordance with a new nucleation mechanism, rather than one driven by a hot spike as previously supposed. Using this semiempirical model, bubble chamber nucleation thresholds may be tuned to be sensitive to lower energy nuclear recoils while maintaining excellent electron recoil rejection. The PICO-40L detector will exploit this model to achieve thermodynamic thresholds as low as 2.8 keV while being dominated by single-scatter events from coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering of solar neutrinos. In one year of operation, PICO-40L can improve existing leading limits from PICO on spin-dependent WIMP-proton coupling by nearly an order of magnitude for WIMP masses greater than 3 GeV c-2 and will have the ability to surpass all existing non-xenon bounds on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon coupling for WIMP masses from 3 to 40 GeV c-2.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1997

ASF RADARSAT Processor System Performance Summary

The Alaska SAR Facility (ASF) located at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) has been in operations since 1991 serving as a key data acquisition, processing, archive and distribution center for a number of polar orbiting SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satelittes including ERS 1/2 and JERS-1.

synthetic aperture radar RADARSAT Mapping↗
NASA NTRS1993

Chirp Scaling Algorithms for SAR Processing

The chirp scaling SAR processing algorithm is both accurate and efficient. Successful implementation requires proper selection of the interval of output samples, which is a function of the chirp interval, signal sampling rate, and signal bandwidth. Analysis indicates that for both airborne and spaceborne SAR applications in the slant range domain a linear chirp scaling is sufficient. To perform nonlinear interpolation process such as to output ground range SAR images, one can use a nonlinear chirp scaling interpolator presented in this paper.

nonlinear chirp scaling.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Analysis and Simulation for a Spotlight-Mode Aircraft SAR in Circular Flight Path

A spotlight aircraft SAR in a circular flight path can efficiently obtain an image with very high azimuth resolution or a wider azimuth viewing angle. An analysis on the spotlight SAR is made regarding the required PRF, the predicted resolution, and the computation complexity as a function of the aircraft altitude and the distance between a target and the center of the flight path projection. An efficient processing algorithm based on the exact wide beam spectrum is presented. The results of simulation indicate that the impulse responses meet the predicted resolution performance.

processing algorithm↗
NASA NTRS1992

SAR data processing adaptation for Magellan Cycle II

The authors describe the effort made at the Magellan SAR Data Processing Facility in adapting existing data processors to handle data collected from various imaging experiments. The different data processing requirements imposed by the various types of data are discussed, the tradeoffs and compromises made to work within the constraint of the existing systems are explained, and summary processing results obtained to date are given.

Leung, K.↗
NASA NTRS1992

SAR data processing for the Magellan prime mission

The Magellan prime mission involves mapping the planet of Venus once around its rotational axis. The Magellan synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data processing facility processes all SAR data collected by the Magellan spacecraft into image data on an orbit-by-orbit basis. About 1700 million bits of radar data were collected. A complete description of the Magellan SAR Data Processing Facility is provided with emphasis on key design features of the data processors that satisfied the project data processing requirements. A summary of the attained data processing performance is included, as well as a brief discussion of some of the constraints and considerations regarding the applicability of the processors to meeting the data processing goals anticipated for the follow-on mission phases (i.e., cycles II, III, and beyond).

Leung, K.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Refinement of Magellan radiometric correction using range centroid estimation

The Magellan (MGN) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing radiometric compensation algorithm is described, and the effective pointing error caused by the terrain is examined. It is shown how the range centroid can be computed from spacecraft ancillary data with an accurate topographic model. In cases where such data are not available, a technique is presented to estimate the range centroid from the coherent radar echoes. This technique is demonstrated using MGN SAR data.

Cheng, T.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Implementation and performance of the Magellan digital correlator subsystem

The Magellan synthetic aperture radar (SAR) produces Venus surface images from data collected by the SAR carried on board the Magellan spacecraft. The core of the primary Magellan SAR processor is the digital correlator subsystem (DCS). The pipeline DSC architecture enables the Magellan primary SAR processor (PSP) to achieve real-time data processing capability. The implementation and performance of the DSC are described. Hardware (H/W) constraints that influenced the processing algorithm design are highlighted.

Chen, M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Squint mode SAR processing algorithms

The unique characteristics of a spaceborne SAR (synthetic aperture radar) operating in a squint mode include large range walk and large variation in the Doppler centroid as a function of range. A pointing control technique to reduce the Doppler drift and a new processing algorithm to accommodate large range walk are presented. Simulations of the new algorithm for squint angles up to 20 deg and look angles up to 44 deg for the Earth Observing System (Eos) L-band SAR configuration demonstrate that it is capable of maintaining the resolution broadening within 20 percent and the ISLR within a fraction of a decibel of the theoretical value.

Chang, C. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Magellan SAR processing algorithm and H/W design

The SAR (synthetic-aperture radar) data-processing algorithm to be used for the Magellan mission is described. Radar system design, SAR data characteristics, and hardware (H/W) constraints, which are critical to the processing algorithm design, are highlighted. Data flow and the H/W architecture are given to show the real-time data processing capability. Simulation results obtained from processing the synthetic point-target echos are presented to demonstrate the performance of the processing algorithm.

Chen, M.↗