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At least 217 records · Page 12

SU-E-I-52: Validation of Multi-Frequency Electrical Impedance Tomography Using Computed Tomography

Purpose: Multi-frequency EIT has been reported to be a potential tool in distinguishing a tissue anomaly from background. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of acquiring functional information by comparing multi-frequency EIT images in reference to the structural information from the CT image through fusion. Methods: EIT data was acquired from a slice of winter melon using sixteen electrodes around the phantom, injecting a current of 0.4mA at 100, 66, 24.8 and 9.9 kHz. Differential EIT images were generated by considering different combinations of pair frequencies, one serving as reference data and the other as test data. The experiment was repeated after creating an anomaly in the form of an off-centered cavity of diameter 4.5 cm inside the melon. All EIT images were reconstructed using Electrical Impedance Tomography and Diffuse Optical Tomography Reconstruction Software (EIDORS) package in 2-D differential imaging mode using one-step Gaussian Newton minimization solver. CT image of the melon was obtained using a Phillips CT Scanner. A segmented binary mask image was generated based on the reference electrode position and the CT image to define the regions of interest. The region selected by the user was fused with the CT image through logical indexing. Results: Differential images based on the reference and test signal frequencies were reconstructed from EIT data. Result illustrated distinct structural inhomogeneity in seeded region compared to fruit flesh. The seeded region was seen as a higherimpedance region if the test frequency was lower than the base frequency in the differential EIT reconstruction. When the test frequency was higher than the base frequency, the signal experienced less electrical impedance in the seeded region during the EIT data acquisition. Conclusion: Frequency-based differential EIT imaging can be explored to provide additional functional information along with structural information from CT for identifying different tissues.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Rotating Unbalanced-Mass Devices for Scanning: Proof-of-Concept Test Results

This experiment proves the concept of line-of-sight scanning space-based and balloon-borne instruments and telescopes with rotating unbalanced-mss (RUM) devices. Extending the concept to free-flying spacecraft is straightforward. When line-of-sight scanning is required, but optical or electronic line-of-sight scanning is impossible, then scanning with RUM devices can offer huge power and mass savings, better system reliability and stability, and improved scan accuracy. This is especially true with large instruments and telescopes scanning at high frequencies.

Alhorn, Dean C.↗

Data processing pipeline for Tianlai experiment

The Tianlai project is a 21cm intensity mapping experiment for detecting dark energy by measuring the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) features in the large scale structure power spectrum. This experiment provides an opportunity to test the data processing methods for cosmological 21cm signal extraction, which is still a great challenge in current radio astronomy research. The 21cm signal is much weaker than the foregrounds and easily aected by the imperfections in the instrumental responses. Furthermore, processing the large volumes of interferometer data poses a practical challenge. We have developed a data processing pipeline called tlpipe to process the drift scan survey data from the Tianlai experiment. It performs oine data processing tasks such as radio frequency interference (RFI) agging, array calibration, binning, and map-making, etc. It also includes utility functions needed for the data analysis, such as data selection, transformation, visualization and others. A number of new algorithms are implemented, for example the eigenvector decomposition method for array calibration and the Tikhnov regularization for m-mode analysis. In this paper we describe the design and implementation of the pipeline and illustrate its functions with some analysis of real data. Finally, we outline directions for future development of this publicly code.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Analysis of Network Address Shuffling as a Moving Target Defense

Address shuffling is a type of moving target defense that prevents an attacker from reliably contacting a system by periodically remapping network addresses. Although limited testing has demonstrated it to be effective, little research has been conducted to examine the theoretical limits of address shuffling. As a result, it is difficult to understand how effective shuffling is and under what circumstances it is a viable moving target defense. This paper introduces probabilistic models that can provide insight into the performance of address shuffling. These models quantify the probability of attacker success in terms of network size, quantity of addresses scanned, quantity of vulnerable systems, and the frequency of shuffling. Theoretical analysis will show that shuffling is an acceptable defense if there is a small population of vulnerable systems within a large network address space, however shuffling has a cost for legitimate users. These results will also be shown empirically using simulation and actual traffic traces.

Carroll, Thomas E.↗

Measurement of Model Noise in a Hard-Wall Wind Tunnel

Identification, analysis, and control of fluid-mechanically-generated sound from models of aircraft and automobiles in special low-noise, semi-anechoic wind tunnels are an important research endeavor. Such studies can also be done in aerodynamic wind tunnels that have hard walls if phased microphone arrays are used to focus on the noise-source regions and reject unwanted reflections or background noise. Although it may be difficult to simulate the total flyover or drive-by noise in a closed wind tunnel, individual noise sources can be isolated and analyzed. An acoustic and aerodynamic study was made of a 7-percent-scale aircraft model in a NASA Ames 7-by-10-ft (about 2-by-3-m) wind tunnel for the purpose of identifying and attenuating airframe noise sources. Simulated landing, takeoff, and approach configurations were evaluated at Mach 0.26. Using a phased microphone array mounted in the ceiling over the inverted model, various noise sources in the high-lift system, landing gear, fins, and miscellaneous other components were located and compared for sound level and frequency at one flyover location. Numerous noise-alleviation devices and modifications of the model were evaluated. Simultaneously with acoustic measurements, aerodynamic forces were recorded to document aircraft conditions and any performance changes caused by geometric modifications. Most modern microphone-array systems function in the frequency domain in the sense that spectra of the microphone outputs are computed, then operations are performed on the matrices of microphone-signal cross-spectra. The entire acoustic field at one station in such a system is acquired quickly and interrogated during postprocessing. Beam-forming algorithms are employed to scan a plane near the model surface and locate noise sources while rejecting most background noise and spurious reflections. In the case of the system used in this study, previous studies in the wind tunnel have identified noise sources up to 19 dB below the normal background noise of the wind tunnel. Theoretical predictions of array performance are used to minimize the width and the side lobes of the beam pattern of the microphone array for a given test arrangement. To capture flyover noise of the inverted model, a 104-element microphone array in a 622-mm-diameter cluster was installed in a 19-mm-thick poly(methyl methacrylate) plate in the ceiling of the test section of the wind tunnel above the aircraft model (see Figure 1). The microphones were of the condenser type, and their diaphragms were mounted flush in the array plate, which was recessed 12.7 mm into the ceiling and covered by a porous aromatic polyamide cloth (not shown in the figure) to minimize boundary-layer noise. This design caused the level of flow noise to be much less than that of flush-mount designs. The drawback of this design was that the cloth attenuated sound somewhat and created acoustic resonances that could grow to several dB at a frequency of 10 kHz.

Soderman, Paul T.↗

Seismic source functions from free-field ground motions recorded on SPE: Implications for source models of small, shallow explosions

In this, reduced displacement potentials (RDPs) for chemical explosions of the Source Physics Experiments (SPE) in granite at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site are estimated from free-field ground motion recordings. Far-field P wave source functions are proportional to the time derivative of RDPs. Frequency domain comparisons between measured source functions and model predictions show that high-frequency amplitudes roll off as ω -2 , but models fail to predict the observed seismic moment, corner frequency, and spectral overshoot. All three features are fit satisfactorily for the SPE-2 test after cavity radius R c is reduced by 12%, elastic radius is reduced by 58%, and peak-to-static pressure ratio on the elastic radius is increased by 100%, all with respect to the Mueller-Murphy model modified with the Denny-Johnson R c scaling law. A large discrepancy is found between the cavity volume inferred from RDPs and the volume estimated from laser scans of the emplacement hole. The measurements imply a scaled R c of ~5 m/kt 1/3 , more than a factor of 2 smaller than nuclear explosions. Less than 25% of the seismic moment can be attributed to cavity formation. A breakdown of the incompressibility assumption due to shear dilatancy of the source medium around the cavity is the likely explanation. New formulas are developed for volume changes due to medium bulking (or compaction). A 0.04% decrease of average density inside the elastic radius accounts for the missing volumetric moment. Assuming incompressibility, established R c scaling laws predicted the moment reasonable well, but it was only fortuitous because dilation of the source medium compensated for the small cavity volume.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

ARMAR: An airborne rain-mapping radar

A new airborne rain-mapping radar (ARMAR) has been developed by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for operation on the NASA Ames DC-8 aircraft. The radar operates at 13.8 GHz, the frequency to be used by the radar on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). ARMAR simulates the TRMM radar geometry by looking downward and scanning its antenna in the cross-track direction. This basic compatibility between ARMAR and TRMM allows ARMAR to provide information useful for the TRMM radar design, for rain retrieval algorithm development, and for postlaunch calibration. ARMAR has additional capabilities, including multiple polarization, Doppler velocity measurement, and a radiometer channel for brightness temperature measurement. The system has been tested in both ground-based and airborne configurations. This paper describes the design of the system and shows results of field tests.

Durden, S. L.↗

Application of Hilbert-Huang Transform for Improved Defect Detection in Terahertz NDE of Shuttle Tiles

Terahertz NDE is being examined as a method to inspect the adhesive bond-line of Space Shuttle tiles for defects. Terahertz signals are generated and detected, using optical excitation of biased semiconductors with femtosecond laser pulses. Shuttle tile samples were manufactured with defects that included repair regions unbond regions, and other conditions that occur in Shuttle structures. These samples were inspected with a commercial terahertz NDE system that scanned a tile and generated a data set of RF signals. The signals were post processed to generate C-scan type images that are typically seen in ultrasonic NDE. To improve defect visualization the Hilbert-Huang Transform, a transform that decomposes a signal into oscillating components called intrinsic mode functions, was applied to test signals identified as being in and out of the defect regions and then on a complete data set. As expected with this transform, the results showed that the decomposed low-order modes correspond to signal noise while the high-order modes correspond to low frequency oscillations in the signal and mid-order modes correspond to local signal oscillations. The local oscillations compare well with various reflection interfaces and the defect locations in the original signal.

Anastasi, Robert F.↗

Vibro-acoustic Testing for Microstructure Characterization and Metrology: Technology Commercialization Fund—Fiscal Year 2017

There is a need in nuclear reactors to inspect irradiated materials and structures. A portable scanning infrastructure for a material characterization technique called vibro acoustography (VA) is being developed by the Idaho National laboratory for nuclear applications to characterize fuel, cladding materials, and structures. The proposed VA technology is based on ultrasound and acoustic waves; however, it provides information beyond what is available from the traditional ultrasound techniques and can expand the knowledge on nuclear material characterization and microstructure evolution. VA technique has several advantages over traditional characterization techniques. VA is a non-contact submersion technique that is inherently wireless transmission and reception (from the ultrasonic transmitter to the acoustic receiver). The transmission medium can be most liquids used for reactor cooling such as water and sodium. For nuclear in-pile applications, the Ultrasonic Transducer (UT) will need to have a line of sight location that is within lower radiation flux zones. Multiple UT sources can be frequency multiplexed to allow a single hydrophone receiver to monitor several locations. The reactor structure can also be an integral part of the transmission system acting as waveguides to deliver the acoustic signal to an acoustic receiver. Because of the long wavelength of the acoustic signal, the acoustic receiver does not have to be line of sight with respect to the component under test. The focusing and generation of the acoustic beat frequency from two ultrasonic waves allows for the potential to ultrasonically image complex shapes. These features will significantly reduce experiment complexity, installation times and cost while being safe and easy to use.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Imaging and quantitative data acquisition of biological cell walls with Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Acoustic Microscopy

This chapter demonstrates the feasibility of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and High Frequency Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (HF-SAM) as tools to characterize biological tissues. Both the AFM and the SAM have shown to provide imaging (with different resolution) and quantitative elasticity measuring abilities. Plant cell walls with minimal disturbance and under conditions of their native state have been examined with these two kinds of microscopy. After descriptions of both the SAM and AFM, their special features and the typical sample preparation is discussed. The sample preparation is focused here on epidermal peels of onion scales and celery epidermis cells which were sectioned for the AFM to visualize the inner surface (closest to the plasma membrane) of the outer epidermal wall. The nm-wide cellulose microfibrils orientation and multilayer structure were clearly observed. The microfibril orientation and alignment tend to be more organized in older scales compared with younger scales. The onion epidermis cell wall was also used as a test analog to study cell wall elasticity by the AFM nanoindentation and the SAM V(z) feature. The novelty in this work was to demonstrate the capability of these two techniques to analyze isolated, single layered plant cell walls in their natural state. AFM nanoindentation was also used to probe the effects of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and calcium ion treatment to modify pectin networks in cell walls. The results suggest a significant modulus increase in the calcium ion treatment and a slight decrease in EDTA treatment. To complement the AFM measurements, the HF-SAM was used to obtain the V(z) signatures of the onion epidermis. These measurements were focused on documenting the effect of pectinase enzyme treatment. The results indicate a significant change in the V(z) signature curves with time into the enzyme treatment. Thus AFM and HF-SAM open the door to a systematic nondestructive structure and mechanical property study of complex biological cell walls. A unique feature of this approach is that both microscopes allow the biological samples to be examined in their natural fluid (water) environment.

nanoindentation↗

Radar estimation of slant path rain attenuation at frequencies above 10 GHz and comparisons with measured multi-season results

Techniques and results pertaining to estimating Earth satellite path rain attenuation events and statistics using radar at nonattenuating wavelengths are presented. The radar formulation and beam scanning methods are described and the procedure for relating the radar measured Rayleigh reflectivity to the high frequency Mie attenuation coefficient are given. Examples of radar derived single terminal statistics and estimation criteria as they relate to path angle and frequency are reviewed. Radar derived space diversity statistics and their dependence on terminal spacing and frequency are described. Site diversity performance curves obtained by radar and radiometry are compared with each other demonstrating the utility of radar methods. Results of a multi-year experiment to test, refine, and establish accuracies of radar methods for arriving at estimates of rain attenuation along an Earth-satellite path are discussed. Comparisons of measured and radar estimated fade events are presented and found to be good. Comparisons of cumulative fade distributions show agreement to be excellent giving an rms deviation of 1 dB.

Goldhirsh, J.↗

Characterization and operation optimization of large aperture optical interferometers using binary pseudorandom array test standards

Recently, a technique for calibration of the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) of a broad variety of metrology instrumentation has been established. The technique is based on test samples structured according to binary pseudorandom (BPR) one-dimensional sequences and two-dimensional arrays. The inherent power spectral density of BPR gratings and arrays, has a deterministic white-noise-like character that allows a direct determination of the MTF with a uniform sensitivity over the entire spatial frequency range and field-of-view of an instrument. As such, the BPR samples satisfy the characteristics of a test standard: Functionality, ease of specification and fabrication, reproducibility, and low sensitivity to manufacturing error. Here we discuss our recent developments working with support of the U.S. Department of Energy on industrialization of the technique. The goal is to develop affordable BPR test samples, application procedures, and data processing software, suitable for thorough characterization of optical interferometers and microscopes, as well as x-ray, electron (scanning and transmission), and atomic force microscopes. We report on the development of BPR array test samples optimized for advanced characterization (including the instrumental MTF and aberrations) and operation optimization of large aperture optical interferometers. We describe the sample fabrication process and tests to verify the compliance to desired surface topography. The data acquisition and analysis procedures for application of the technique for precise focusing of Fizeau interferometer are discussed in detail.

Yashchuk, VV↗

Time- and position-varying infrared scene simulation

Rapidly changing infrared scenes can be generated as a function of position using thermally produced irradiance. This can be done most conveniently by using a variable dwell-time, variable diameter, and scanning laser beam to deposit a predetermined amount of laser energy, as a function of position, on the target surface. An infrared target simulator has been designed and tested to perform within stringent temperature simulation requirements: heating rate of over 100 K/sec is achieved, and temperature gradients of 200 K/mm can be maintained. Problems with heat transfer between adjacent elements at different temperatures are solved by modeling the thermal layer on the target surface as a low-pass filter, which cuts off all the frequencies above the thermal cutoff frequency. When the system approach is taken to the infrared simulation design, the optical system limited performance results in the best realizable performance. In this case, the thermal layer on the target surface is designed so that the thermal cutoff frequency is above the optical cutoff frequency.

Scholl, Marija S.↗

Controller for the Electronically Scanned Thinned Array Radiometer (ESTAR) instrument

A prototype controller for the ESTAR (electronically scanned thinned array radiometer) instrument has been designed and tested. It manages the operation of the digital data subsystem (DDS) and its communication with the Small Explorer data system (SEDS). Among the data processing tasks that it coordinates are FEM data acquisition, noise removal, phase alignment and correlation. Its control functions include instrument calibration and testing of two critical subsystems, the output data formatter and Walsh function generator. It is implemented in a Xilinx XC3064PC84-100 field programmable gate array (FPGA) and has a maximum clocking frequency of 10 MHz.

Zomberg, Brian G.↗

Novel compound heterozygous CPLANE1 variants identified in a Chinese family with Joubert syndrome

Abstract Joubert syndrome (JS) and JS‐related disorders (JSRD) are a group of neurodevelopmental diseases that share the “molar tooth sign” on axial brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), accompanied by cerebellar vermis hypoplasia, ataxia, hypotonia, and developmental delay. To identify variants responsible for the clinical symptoms of a Chinese family with JS and to explore the genotype–phenotype associations, we conducted a series of clinical examinations, including blood tests, brain MRI scans, ultrasound imaging, and ophthalmologic examination. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of the six‐person family, and the pathogenic variants were detected by whole‐exome sequencing (WES) and verified by Sanger sequencing. WES revealed two novel compound heterozygous variants in CPLANE1 : c.1270C>T (p.Arg424*) in exon 10 and c.8901C>A (p.Tyr2967*) in exon 48 of one child, inherited from each parent. Both variants were absent in ethnically matched Chinese control individuals and were either absent or present at very low frequencies in public databases, suggesting that these variants could be the pathogenic triggers of the JS phenotype. Notably, these CPLANE1 sequence variants were related to the pathogenesis of autosomal recessive JS in this study. The newly discovered variants expand the mutation spectrum of CPLANE1 , which assists in understanding the molecular mechanism underlying JS and improving the recognition of genetic counseling, particularly for families with a history of autosomal recessive JS.

Zhang, Cheng↗

Multicomponent wavefield characterization with a novel scanning laser interferometer

The in-plane component of the wavefield provides valuable information about media properties from seismology to nondestructive testing. A new compact scanning laser ultrasonic interferometer collects light scattered away from the angle of incidence to provide the absolute ultrasonic displacement for both the out-of-plane and an in-plane components. This new system is tested by measuring the radial and vertical polarization of a Rayleigh wave in an aluminum half-space. The estimated amplitude ratio of the horizontal and vertical displacement agrees well with the theoretical value. The phase difference exhibits a small bias between the two components due to a slightly different frequency response between the two processing channels of the prototype electronic circuitry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High lung volume increases stress failure in pulmonary capillaries

We previously showed that when pulmonary capillaries in anesthetized rabbits are exposed to a transmural pressure (Ptm) of approximately 40 mmHg, stress failure of the walls occurs with disruption of the capillary endothelium, alveolar epithelium, or sometimes all layers. The present study was designed to test whether stress failure occurred more frequently at high than at low lung volumes for the same Ptm. Lungs of anesthetized rabbits were inflated to a transpulmonary pressure of 20 cmH2O, perfused with autologous blood at 32.5 or 2.5 cmH2O Ptm, and fixed by intravascular perfusion. Samples were examined by both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The results were compared with those of a previous study in which the lung was inflated to a transpulmonary pressure of 5 cmH2O. There was a large increase in the frequency of stress failure of the capillary walls at the higher lung volume. For example, at 32.5 cmH2O Ptm, the number of endothelial breaks per millimeter cell lining was 7.1 +/- 2.2 at the high lung volume compared with 0.7 +/- 0.4 at the low lung volume. The corresponding values for epithelium were 8.5 +/- 1.6 and 0.9 +/- 0.6. Both differences were significant (P less than 0.05). At 52.5 cmH2O Ptm, the results for endothelium were 20.7 +/- 7.6 (high volume) and 7.1 +/- 2.1 (low volume), and the corresponding results for epithelium were 32.8 +/- 11.9 and 11.4 +/- 3.7. At 32.5 cmH2O Ptm, the thickness of the blood-gas barrier was greater at the higher lung volume, consistent with the development of more interstitial edema. Ballooning of the epithelium caused by accumulation of edema fluid between the epithelial cell and its basement membrane was seen at 32.5 and 52.5 cmH2O Ptm. At high lung volume, the breaks tended to be narrower and fewer were oriented perpendicular to the axis of the pulmonary capillaries than at low lung volumes. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy measurements agreed well. Our findings provide a physiological mechanism for other studies showing increased capillary permeability at high states of lung inflation.

Non-NASA Center↗

Near-MHz temperature and H 2 O measurements in post-detonation fireballs of 25 g hemispherical explosives using scanned-wavelength-modulation spectroscopy

A laser absorption spectroscopy diagnostic integrated within a hardened optical probe was used to measure temperature and water mole fraction at 500 kHz in post-detonation fireballs of explosives. In the experiments, an exploding-bridgewire detonator initiated a 25 g hemisphere of explosive (N5 or PETN). This produced a hemispherical fireball that traveled radially towards a hardened measurement probe. The probe contained a pressure transducer and optical equipment to pitch fiber-coupled laser light across a 12.6 cm gap onto a detector. Tunable diode lasers emitting near 7185.6 and 6806 c m − <#comment/> 1 were used to measure the absorbance spectrum of H 2 O utilizing peak-picking scanned-wavelength-modulation spectroscopy with a scan frequency of 500 kHz and modulation frequencies of 35 and 45.5 MHz, respectively. This enabled measurements of temperature and X H 2 O in the shock-heated air and trailing fireball at 500 kHz. Time histories of pressure, temperature, and H 2 O mole fraction were acquired at different standoff distances to quantify how the fireball evolved in space and time as well as to compare measured quantities between PETN and N5 fireballs. The standard deviation of temperature and X H 2 O during one representative test were found to be 17 K (1.3%) and 0.011 (5%), respectively. These measurements demonstrate this diagnostic’s ability to provide rapid and reliable measurements in harsh, highly transient post-detonation environments produced by solid explosives.

Schwartz, Charles J.↗