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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Confirmation of IGR J01363 plus 6610 as a Be X-Ray Binary with Very Low Quiescent X-Ray Luminosity

The field containing the candidate High Mass X-ray Binary IGR J01 363+6610 was observed by XMM-Newton on 2009 July 31 for 28 ks. A Be star was previously suggested as the possible counterpart of the INTEGRAL source, and although Chandra, during a 2007 observation, did not detect an X-ray source at the position of the Be star, we find a variable source (XMMU 101 3549.5+661243) with an average X-ray flux of 2 x 10(exp -13)ergs/sq cm/s (0.2-12 keV, unabsorbed) at this position with XMM-Newton. The spectrum of this source is consistent with a hard power law with a photon index of r = 1.4+/-0.3 and a column density of N(sub H) = (15(+0.7/-0.5)) x 10(exp 22)/sq cm (90% confidence errors). These results, along with our optical investigation of other X-ray sources in the field, make the association with the Be star very likely, and the 2 kpc distance estimate for the Be star indicates an X-ray luminosity of 9.1 x 10(exp 31) ergs/s. This is lower than typical for a Be X-ray binary, and the upper limit on the luminosity was even lower ( < 1.4 x 10(exp 3)ergs/s assuming the same spectral model) during the Chandra observation. We discuss possible implications of the very low quiescent luminosity for the physical properties of IGR 101363+6610.

Tomsick, John A.↗
DOE OSTI2012

Spectral line intensity irreversibility in circulatory plasma magnetization processes

Spectral line intensity variation is found to be irreversible in circulatory plasma magnetization process by experiments described in this paper, i.e., the curves illustrating spectral line photon fluxes irradiated from a light source immerged in a magnetic field by increasing the magnetic induction cannot be reproduced by decreasing the magnetic induction within the errors. There are two plasma magnetization patterns found. One shows that the intensities are greater at the same magnetic inductions during the magnetic induction decreasing process after the increasing, and the other gives the opposite effect. This reveals that the magneto-induced excitation and de-excitation process is irreversible like ferromagnetic magnetization. But the two irreversible processes are very different in many aspects stated in the text.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2001

Error Estimation of An Ensemble Statistical Seasonal Precipitation Prediction Model

This NASA Technical Memorandum describes an optimal ensemble canonical correlation forecasting model for seasonal precipitation. Each individual forecast is based on the canonical correlation analysis (CCA) in the spectral spaces whose bases are empirical orthogonal functions (EOF). The optimal weights in the ensemble forecasting crucially depend on the mean square error of each individual forecast. An estimate of the mean square error of a CCA prediction is made also using the spectral method. The error is decomposed onto EOFs of the predictand and decreases linearly according to the correlation between the predictor and predictand. Since new CCA scheme is derived for continuous fields of predictor and predictand, an area-factor is automatically included. Thus our model is an improvement of the spectral CCA scheme of Barnett and Preisendorfer. The improvements include (1) the use of area-factor, (2) the estimation of prediction error, and (3) the optimal ensemble of multiple forecasts. The new CCA model is applied to the seasonal forecasting of the United States (US) precipitation field. The predictor is the sea surface temperature (SST). The US Climate Prediction Center's reconstructed SST is used as the predictor's historical data. The US National Center for Environmental Prediction's optimally interpolated precipitation (1951-2000) is used as the predictand's historical data. Our forecast experiments show that the new ensemble canonical correlation scheme renders a reasonable forecasting skill. For example, when using September-October-November SST to predict the next season December-January-February precipitation, the spatial pattern correlation between the observed and predicted are positive in 46 years among the 50 years of experiments. The positive correlations are close to or greater than 0.4 in 29 years, which indicates excellent performance of the forecasting model. The forecasting skill can be further enhanced when several predictors are used.

Shen, Samuel S. P.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Capturing Maize Stand Heterogeneity Across Yield-Stability Zones Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

Despite the new equipment capabilities, uneven crop stands are still common occurrences in crop fields, mainly due to spatial heterogeneity in soil conditions, seedling mortality due to herbivore predation and disease, or human error. Non-uniform plant stands may reduce grain yield in crops like maize. Thus, detecting signs of variability in crop stand density early in the season provides critical information for management decisions and crop yield forecasts. Processing techniques applied on images captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been used successfully to identify crop rows and estimate stand density and, most recently, to estimate plant-to-plant interval distance. Here, we further test and apply an image processing algorithm on UAV images collected from yield-stability zones in a commercial crop field. Our objective was to implement the algorithm to compare variation of plant-spacing intervals to test whether yield differences within these zones are related to differences in crop stand characteristics. Our analysis indicates that the algorithm can be reliably used to estimate plant counts (precision >95% and recall >97%) and plant distance interval (R2 ~0.9 and relative error <10%). Analysis of the collected data indicated that plant spacing variability differences were small among plots with large yield differences, suggesting that it was not a major cause of yield variability across zones with distinct yield history. This analysis provides an example of how plant-detection algorithms can be applied to improve the understanding of patterns of spatial and temporal yield variability.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Reducing model error using optimized galaxy selection: weak lensing cluster mass estimation

Galaxy clusters are one of the most powerful probes to study extensions of General Relativity and the Standard Cosmological Model. Upcoming surveys like the Vera Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time are expected to revolutionise the field, by enabling the analysis of cluster samples of unprecedented size and quality. To reach this era of high-precision cluster cosmology, the mitigation of sources of systematic error is crucial. A particularly important challenge is bias in cluster mass measurements induced by the mismodelling of photometric redshift estimates of source galaxies. This work proposes a method to optimise the source sample selection in cluster weak lensing analyses drawn from wide-field survey lensing catalogs to reduce the bias on reconstructed cluster masses. We use a combinatorial optimisation scheme and methods from variational inference to select galaxies in latent space to produce a probabilistic galaxy source sample catalog for highly accurate cluster mass estimation. We show that our method reduces the critical surface mass density Σ crit relative modelling bias on the 60-70% level, while maintaining up to 90% of galaxies. We highlight that our methodology has applications beyond cluster mass estimation as an approach to jointly combine galaxy selection and model inference under sources of systematics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2025

Uncertainty Quantification for Empirical X-59 Sonic Boom Loudness Levels

Estimates of the total uncertainty for empirically determined loudness levels are documented when GRS (Ground Recording System) noise monitors are used to record X 59 sonic boom waveforms. The total uncertainty is characterized by combining nine different sources of uncertainty that may affect the apparent gain of the measurement chain. These uncertainty estimates are presented as expected measurement error relative to the true loudness level, and separate error estimates are provided for eight different noise metrics in which NASA has interest. The behavior of the Perceived Level (PL) metric is studied within the report body, while the total uncertainties for the seven other noise metrics are summarized in appendices for brevity. The effects of four sources of uncertainty are estimated simply from information found on hardware specification sheets provided by the manufacturer. However, mock acoustic recordings are created to estimate the effects of other sources because those effects are expected to induce spectral coloration, so they may vary with noise metric type and sound level. These sources are not well modeled by simple gain adjustments. Importantly, measurement error is computable when processing mock recordings since the true levels are knowable, which is not the case when processing data recorded in the field. Specifically, the true levels are knowable because the components of the mock recordings are separable – e.g., loudness levels of booms can be computed with or without superimposed background noise. Mock acoustic recordings also have the benefit of allowing analysis of sonic booms from vehicles that are not yet flying, like the X-59, since the mock recordings are created by combining vehicle-specific predicted waveforms with other audio sources. The estimates of total measurement error are documented as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the loudness level, where the corrected SNR is computed while accounting for the effects of the method that is used to correct for background noise contamination when computing the noise metric values. The corrected SNR calculations used here can be applied to both mock recordings and in-field measurements, so the uncertainty of in-field recordings can be found using pre-computed lookup tables that identify the relationship between metric type, corrected SNR, and the expected measurement error.

Sonic Boom↗
DOE OSTI2015

CBP for Field Workers – Results and Insights from Three Usability and Interface Design Evaluations

Nearly all activities that involve human interaction with the systems in a nuclear power plant are guided by procedures. Even though the paper-based procedures (PBPs) currently used by industry have a demonstrated history of ensuring safety, improving procedure use could yield significant savings in increased efficiency as well as improved nuclear safety through human performance gains. The nuclear industry is constantly trying to find ways to decrease the human error rate, especially the human errors associated with procedure use. As a step toward the goal of improving procedure use and adherence, researchers in the Light-Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program, together with the nuclear industry, have been investigating the possibility and feasibility of replacing the current paper-based procedure process with a computer-based procedure (CBP) system. This report describes a field evaluation of new design concepts of a prototype computer-based procedure system.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Enhancement of accelerating field of microwave cavities by magnetic insulation

Limitations on the maximum achievable accelerating gradient of microwave cavities can strongly influence the performance, length, and cost of particle accelerators. Gradient limitations are widely believed to be initiated by electron emission from the cavity surfaces. Here, we show that the deleterious effects of field emission are effectively suppressed by applying a tangential magnetic field to the cavity walls. With the aid of numerical simulations we compute the field strength required to insulate an 805 MHz cavity and estimate the cavity's tolerances to typical experimental errors such as magnet misalignments and positioning errors. Then, we review an experimental program, currently under progress, to further study the concept. Finally, we report on two specific examples that illustrate the feasibility of magnetic insulation into prospective particle accelerator applications.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
NASA NTRS1986

Description of data on the Nimbus 7 LIMS map archive tape: Ozone and nitric acid

The Nimbus 7 Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) data set has been processed into a Fourier coefficient representation with a Kalman filter algorithm applied to profile data at individual latitudes and pressure levels. The algorithm produces synoptic data at noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) from the asynoptic orbital profiles. This form of the data set is easy to use and is appropriate for time series analysis and further data manipulation and display. Ozone and nitric acid results are grouped together in this report because the LIMS vertical field of views (FOV's) and analysis characteristics for these species are similar. A comparison of the orbital input data with mixing ratios derived from Kalman filter coefficients indicates errors in mixing ratio of generally less than 5 percent, with 15 percent being a maximum error. The high quality of the mapped data was indicated by coherence of both the phases and the amplitudes of waves with latitude and pressure. Examples of the mapped fields are presented, and details are given concerning the importance of diurnal variations, the removal of polar stratospheric cloud signatures, and the interpretation of bias effects in the data near the tops of profiles.

Remsberg, E. E.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A three-station lightning detection system

A three-station network is described which senses magnetic and electric fields of lightning. Directional and distance information derived from the data are used to redundantly determine lightning position. This redundancy is used to correct consistent propagation errors. A comparison is made of the relative accuracy of VLF direction finders with a newer method to determine distance to and location of lightning by the ratio of magnetic-to-electric field as observed at 400 Hz. It was found that VLF direction finders can determine lightning positions with only one-half the accuracy of the method that uses the ratio of magnetic-to-electric field.

Ruhnke, L. H.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fermion-bag inspired Hamiltonian lattice field theory for fermionic quantum criticality

Motivated by the fermion-bag approach, in this work we construct a new class of Hamiltonian lattice field theories that can help us to study fermionic quantum critical points, particularly those with four-fermion interactions. Although these theories are constructed in discrete time with a finite temporal lattice spacing ϵ, when ϵ → 0, conventional continuous-time Hamiltonian lattice field theories are recovered. The fermion-bag algorithms run relatively faster when ϵ = 1 as compared to ϵ → 0 but still allow us to compute universal quantities near the quantum critical point even at such a large value of ϵ. As an example of this new approach, here we study the $N_f$ = 1 Gross-Neveu chiral-Ising universality class in 2 + 1 dimensions by calculating the critical scaling of the staggered mass order parameter. We show that we are able to study lattice sizes up to 100 2 sites when ϵ = 1, while with comparable resources we can reach lattice sizes of only up to 64 2 when ϵ → 0. The critical exponents obtained in both these studies match within errors.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Estimation of Corn Latent Heat Flux from High Resolution Thermal Imagery

Crop evapotranspiration (ET), which is directly related to latent heat flux, is also a key indicator in determining the water status of crops. In order to estimate the latent heat flux, two-source energy balance (TSEB) models have been developed for thermal imagery from satellite platforms. However, because of the coarse resolution of thermal sensors on the satellite, distinguishing soil and vegetation is difficult which complicates the calculation process and introduces errors in latent heat estimates. In this research, high-resolution thermal datasets (0.05 m) and corresponding RGB datasets (0.03 m) were used for calculating crop latent heat flux using an adapted TSEB model. The RGB datasets were used for supervised classification of soil and vegetation, and the classification results were then used to filter the thermal mosaics to separate vegetation and soil temperatures. The vegetation temperature is used for calculating latent heat flux and the results are validated against the ground reference measurements of latent heat using a handheld porometer. The objective of this research is to introduce a workflow including an adapted TSEB model which is customized for high resolution thermal images from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to estimate the latent heat flux of row crops in agricultural fields. Nine dates of data collection in 2018 and 2020 have been evaluated and the root mean square error (RMSE) varies between 16 to 106 W/m2 depending on the days after planting (DAP) and the time of measurement for each day. The results indicate that the workflow introduced here is able to provide estimates of instantaneous latent heat flux (evapotranspiration) measurements for row crops in agricultural fields which will enable people to make reliable decisions related to irrigation scheduling.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Implementing Computer-Based Procedures: Thinking Outside the Paper Margins

In the past year there has been increased interest from the nuclear industry in adopting the use of electronic work packages and computer-based procedures (CBPs) in the field. The goal is to incorporate the use of technology in order to meet the Nuclear Promise requirements of reducing costs and improve efficiency and decrease human error rates of plant operations. Researchers, together with the nuclear industry, have been investigating the benefits an electronic work package system and specifically CBPs would have over current paper-based procedure practices. There are several classifications of CBPs ranging from a straight copy of the paper-based procedure in PDF format to a more intelligent dynamic CBP. A CBP system offers a vast variety of improvements, such as context driven job aids, integrated human performance tools (e.g., placekeeping and correct component verification), and dynamic step presentation. The latter means that the CBP system could only display relevant steps based on operating mode, plant status, and the task at hand. The improvements can lead to reduction of the worker’s workload and human error by allowing the work to focus on the task at hand more. A team of human factors researchers at the Idaho National Laboratory studied and developed design concepts for CBPs for field workers between 2012 and 2016. The focus of the research was to present information in a procedure in a manner that leveraged the dynamic and computational capabilities of a handheld device allowing the worker to focus more on the task at hand than on the administrative processes currently applied when conducting work in the plant. As a part of the research the team identified type of work, instructions, and scenarios where the transition to a dynamic CBP system might not be as beneficial as it would for other types of work in the plant. In most cases the decision to use a dynamic CBP system and utilize the dynamic capabilities gained will be beneficial to the worker. However, tasks that are reliant on the skill of the craft or have a short set of instructions may not provide a way or even need to utilize all the advanced capabilities in a dynamic CBP system. Therefore, a hybrid CBP system that could handle all the classifications of a CBP would be the best solution to take advantage of all that a CBP system offers. The implementation of a CBP system does not automatically improve the quality of procedures. Utilities should look into why each procedure is written the way it currently is on paper. Utilities should take the time before implementation to review, standardize format and update current procedures. Implementation of a CBP system can be a time to break out of traditional procedure writing processes and create new processes and procedures that take advantage of the capabilities a CBP system. This paper will summarize the research on CBPs and provide suggestions to take into consideration when implementing a CBP system.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Exactly solvable model of light-scattering errors in quantum simulations with metastable trapped-ion qubits

Here, we analytically solve a model for light scattering in Ising dynamics of metastable atomic qubits, generalizing the approach of Foss-Feig et al. to include leakage outside the qubit manifold. We analyze the influence of these fundamental errors in simulations of proposed experiments with metastable levels of 40 Ca + ions in a Penning trap. We find that “effective magnetic fields” generated by leaked qubits have significant impacts on spin-spin correlation functions for Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state preparation or for quantum simulations with strong coupling, while spin squeezing uses a much weaker coupling and is largely insensitive to the simulated leakage errors, even with a few hundred ions. Our theory and results are expected to be useful in modeling a variety of metastable qubit experiments in the future.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Implication of spot position error on plan quality and patient safety in pencil-beam-scanning proton therapy

Purpose: To quantitatively and systematically assess dosimetric effects induced by spot positioning error as a function of spot spacing (SS) on intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) plan quality and to facilitate evaluation of safety tolerance limits on spot position. Methods: Spot position errors (PE) ranging from 1 to 2 mm were simulated. Simple plans were created on a water phantom, and IMPT plans were calculated on two pediatric patients with a brain tumor of 28 and 3 cc, respectively, using a commercial planning system. For the phantom, a uniform dose was delivered to targets located at different depths from 10 to 20 cm with various field sizes from 2{sup 2} to 15{sup 2} cm{sup 2}. Two nominal spot sizes, 4.0 and 6.6 mm of 1 σ in water at isocenter, were used for treatment planning. The SS ranged from 0.5 σ to 1.5 σ, which is 2–6 mm for the small spot size and 3.3–9.9 mm for the large spot size. Various perturbation scenarios of a single spot error and systematic and random multiple spot errors were studied. To quantify the dosimetric effects, percent dose error (PDE) depth profiles and the value of percent dose error at the maximum dose difference (PDE [ΔDmax]) were used for evaluation. Results: A pair of hot and cold spots was created per spot shift. PDE[ΔDmax] is found to be a complex function of PE, SS, spot size, depth, and global spot distribution that can be well defined in simple models. For volumetric targets, the PDE [ΔDmax] is not noticeably affected by the change of field size or target volume within the studied ranges. In general, reducing SS decreased the dose error. For the facility studied, given a single spot error with a PE of 1.2 mm and for both spot sizes, a SS of 1σ resulted in a 2% maximum dose error; a SS larger than 1.25 σ substantially increased the dose error and its sensitivity to PE. A similar trend was observed in multiple spot errors (both systematic and random errors). Systematic PE can lead to noticeable hot spots along the field edges, which may be near critical structures. However, random PE showed minimal dose error. Conclusions: Dose error dependence for PE was quantitatively and systematically characterized and an analytic tool was built to simulate systematic and random errors for patient-specific IMPT. This information facilitates the determination of facility specific spot position error thresholds.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

Measurement of Hard X-ray Lens Wavefront Aberrations using Phase Retrieval

Measuring the deviation of a wavefront from a sphere provides valuable feedback on lens alignment and manufacturing errors. We demonstrate that these aberrations can be accurately measured at hard x-ray wavelengths, from far-field intensity measurements, using phase retrieval with a moveable structure in the beam path. We induce aberrations on a hard x-ray kinoform lens through deliberate misalignment and show that the reconstructed wavefronts are in good agreement with numerical simulations. Reconstructions from independent data, with the structure at different longitudinal positions and significantly separated from the beam focus, agreed with a root mean squared error of 0.006 waves.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1990

Feasibility study of a synthesis procedure for array feeds to improve radiation performance of large distorted reflector antennas

Surface errors on parabolic reflector antennas degrade the overall performance of the antenna. Space antenna structures are difficult to build, deploy and control. They must maintain a nearly perfect parabolic shape in a harsh environment and must be lightweight. Electromagnetic compensation for surface errors in large space reflector antennas can be used to supplement mechanical compensation. Electromagnetic compensation for surface errors in large space reflector antennas has been the topic of several research studies. Most of these studies try to correct the focal plane fields of the reflector near the focal point and, hence, compensate for the distortions over the whole radiation pattern. An alternative approach to electromagnetic compensation is presented. The proposed technique uses pattern synthesis to compensate for the surface errors. The pattern synthesis approach uses a localized algorithm in which pattern corrections are directed specifically towards portions of the pattern requiring improvement. The pattern synthesis technique does not require knowledge of the reflector surface. It uses radiation pattern data to perform the compensation.

Stutzman, W. L.↗
DOE OSTI2020

A cancellation problem in hybrid particle-in-cell schemes due to finite particle size

The quasi-neutral hybrid particle-in-cell algorithm with kinetic ions and fluid electrons is a popular model to study multi-scale problems in laboratory, space, and astrophysical plasmas. Here, it is shown that the different spatial discretizations of ions as finite-spatial-size particles and electrons as a grid-based fluid can lead to significant numerical wave dispersion errors in the long wavelength limit (kd i «1, where k is the wavenumber and di is the ion skin-depth). The problem occurs when high-order particle-grid interpolations, or grid-based smoothing, spreads the electric field experienced by the ions across multiple spatial cells and leads to inexact cancellation of electric field terms in the total (ion + electron) momentum equation. Practical requirements on the mesh spacing Δx/d i are suggested to bound these errors from above. The accuracy impact of not respecting these resolution constraints is shown for a non-linear shock problem.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

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