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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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At least 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Survey of AC-LGADs for future 4D trackers with a proton beam

We will present the first beam test results with centimeter-scale AC-LGAD strip sensors, using the Fermilab Test Beam Facility, and a study of the performance of AC-LGAD sensors as a function of their thickness. Sensors of this type are envisioned for applications that require large-area precision 4D tracking coverage with economical channel counts, including timing layers for the Electron Ion Collider (EIC), and space-based particle experiments. Long strip sensors with sparse readout offer better cost and performance for applications where channel count or electrical power density is a constraint. Thanks to the excellent signal to noise ratio in AC-LGADs, sparse readout can be exploited without significant degradation of spatial or time resolution, which is demonstrated in our studies. A survey of sensor designs is presented, with the aim of optimizing the electrode geometry for spatial resolution and timing performance. We will present our studies of the sensor geometry optimizatio n to maintain the desirable sensor performance characteristics with increasingly larger electrodes.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

First survey of centimeter-scale AC-LGAD strip sensors with a 120 GeV proton beam

We will present the first beam test results with centimeter-scale AC-LGAD strip sensors, using the Fermilab Test Beam Facility, and a study of the performance of AC-LGAD sensors as a function of their thickness. Sensors of this type are envisioned for applications that require large-area precision 4D tracking coverage with economical channel counts, including timing layers for the Electron Ion Collider (EIC), and space-based particle experiments. Long strip sensors with sparse readout offer better cost and performance for applications where channel count or electrical power density is a constraint. Thanks to the excellent signal to noise ratio in AC-LGADs, sparse readout can be exploited without significant degradation of spatial or time resolution, which is demonstrated in our studies. A survey of sensor designs is presented, with the aim of optimizing the electrode geometry for spatial resolution and timing performance. We will present our studies of the sensor geometry optimization to maintain the desirable sensor performance characteristics with increasingly larger electrodes.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1984

Optical-system design for next-generation pushbroom sensors

Next-generation pushbroom sensors for earth observation require high-performance optics that provide high spatial resolution over wide fields of view. Specifically, blur diameters on the order of 10 to 15 microns are needed over 5 to 15 deg fields. In addition to this fundamental level of optical performance, other characteristics, such as spatial coregistration of spectral bands, flat focal plane, telecentricity, and workable pupil location are significant instrument design considerations. The detector-assembly design, optical line-of-sight pointing method and sensor packaging all hinge on these secondary attributes. Moreover, the need for broad spectral coverage, ranging from 0.4 to 12.5 microns, places an additional constraint on optical design. This paper presents alternative design forms that are candidates for wide-field pushbroom sensors, and discusses the instrument-design tradeoffs that are linked to the selection of these alternate optical approaches.

Mika, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Impact of Operating Context on the Use of Structure in Air Traffic Controller Cognitive Processes

This paper investigates the influence of structure on air traffic controllers cognitive processes in the TRACON, En Route, and Oceanic environments. Radar data and voice command analyses were conducted to support hypotheses generated through observations and interviews conducted at the various facilities. Three general types of structure-based abstractions (standard flows, groupings, and critical points) have been identified as being used in each context, though the details of their application varied in accordance with the constraints of the particular operational environment. Projection emerged as a key cognitive process aided by the structure-based abstractions, and there appears to be a significant difference between how time-based versus spatial-based projection is performed by controllers. It is recommended that consideration be given to the value provided by the structure-based abstractions to the controller as well as to maintain consistency between the type (time or spatial) of information support provided to the controller.

Davison, Hayley J.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Evaluation of Long-Range Lightning Detection Networks Using TRMM/LIS Observations

Recent advances in long-range lightning detection technologies have improved our understanding of thunderstorm evolution in the data sparse oceanic regions. Although the expansion and improvement of long-range lightning datasets have increased their applicability, these applications (e.g., data assimilation, atmospheric chemistry, and aviation weather hazards) require knowledge of the network detection capabilities. Toward this end, the present study evaluates data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) using observations from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite. The study documents the WWLLN detection efficiency and location accuracy relative to LIS observations, describes the spatial variability in these performance metrics, and documents the characteristics of LIS flashes that are detected by WWLLN. Improved knowledge of the WWLLN detection capabilities will allow researchers, algorithm developers, and operational users to better prepare for the spatial and temporal coverage of the upcoming GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM).

Rudlosky, Scott D.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Experiments in spatial coherent optical filtering

Coherent optical techniques provide a means of processing entire pictures in parallel. Experiments were performed demonstrating the effectiveness of spatial frequency filtering in a coherent optical data processing system.

Larsen, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A spectral formalism for computing three-dimensional deformations due to surface loads. 1: Theory

We outline a complete spectral formalism for computing high spatial resolution three-dimensional deformations arising from the surface mass loading of a spherically symmetric planet. The main advantages of the formalism are that all surface mass loads are always described using a consistent mathematical representation and that calculations of deformation fields for various spatial resolutions can be performed by simpley altering the spherical harmonic degree truncation level of the procedure. The latter may be important when incorporating improved observational constraints on a particular surface mass load, when considering potential errors in the computed field associated with mass loading having a spatial scale unresolved by the observational constraints, or when treating a number of global surface mass loads constrained with different spatial resolutions. The advantages do not extend to traditional 'Green's function' approaches which involve surface element discretizations of the global mass loads. Another advantage of the spectral formalism, over the Green's function approach, is that a posteriori analyses of the computed deformation fields are easily performed. In developing the spectral formalism, we consider specific cases where the Earth's mantle is assumed to respond as an elastic, slightly anelastic, or linear viscoelastic medium. In the case of an elastic or slightly anelastic mantle rheology the spectral response equations incorporate frequency dependent Love numbers. The formalism can therefore be used, for example, to compute the potentially resonant deformational response associated with the free core nutation and Chandler wobble eigenfunctions. For completeness, the spectral response equations include both body forces, as arise from the gravitational attraction of the Sun and the Moon, and surface mass loads. In either case, and for both elastic and anelastic mantle rheologies, we outline a pseudo-spectral technique for computing the ocean adjustment associated with the total gravitational perturbation induced by the external forcing. Three-dimensional deformations computed using the usual Love number approach are generally referenced to an origin at the center of mass of the undeformed planet. We derive a spectral technique for transforming the results to an origin located at the center of mass of the deformed planet.

Mitrovica, J. X.↗
NASA NTRS2013

SNPP VIIRS Spectral Bands Co-Registration and Spatial Response Characterization

The Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument onboard the Suomi National Polar‐orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite was launched on 28 October 2011. The VIIRS has 5 imagery spectral bands (I-bands), 16 moderate resolution spectral bands (M-bands) and a panchromatic day/night band (DNB). Performance of the VIIRS spatial response and band-to-band co-registration (BBR) was measured through intensive pre-launch tests. These measurements were made in the non-aggregated zones near the start (or end) of scan for the I-bands and M-bands and for a limited number of aggregation modes for the DNB in order to test requirement compliance. This paper presents results based on a recently re-processed pre-launch test data. Sensor (detector) spatial impulse responses in the scan direction are parameterized in terms of ground dynamic field of view (GDFOV), horizontal spatial resolution (HSR), modulation transfer function (MTF), ensquared energy (EE) and integrated out-of-pixel (IOOP) spatial response. Results are presented for the non-aggregation, 2-sample and 3-sample aggregation zones for the I-bands and M-bands, and for a limited number of aggregation modes for the DNB. On-orbit GDFOVs measured for the 5 I-bands in the scan direction using a straight bridge are also presented. Band-to-band co-registration (BBR) is quantified using the prelaunch measured band-to-band offsets. These offsets may be expressed as fractions of horizontal sampling intervals (HSIs), detector spatial response parameters GDFOV or HSR. BBR bases on HSIs in the non-aggregation, 2-sample and 3-sample aggregation zones are presented. BBR matrices based on scan direction GDFOV and HSR are compared to the BBR matrix based on HSI in the non-aggregation zone. We demonstrate that BBR based on GDFOV is a better representation of footprint overlap and so this definition should be used in BBR requirement specifications. We propose that HSR not be used as the primary image quality indicator, since we show that it is neither an adequate representation of the size of sensor spatial response nor an adequate measure of imaging quality.

Suomi NPP VIIRS↗
NASA NTRS2010

Use of Quality Controlled AIRS Temperature Soundings to Improve Forecast Skill

AIRS was launched on EOS Aqua on May 4, 2002, together with AMSU-A and HSB, to form a next generation polar orbiting infrared and microwave atmospheric sounding system. The primary products of AIRS/AMSU-A are twice daily global fields of atmospheric temperature-humidity profiles, ozone profiles, sea/land surface skin temperature, and cloud related parameters including OLR. Also included are the clear column radiances used to derive these products which are representative of the radiances AIRS would have seen if there were no clouds in the field of view. All products also have error estimates. The sounding goals of AIRS are to produce 1 km tropospheric layer mean temperatures with an rms error of 1K, and layer precipitable water with an rms error of 20 percent, in cases with up to 90 percent effective cloud cover. The products are designed for data assimilation purposes for the improvement of numerical weather prediction, as well as for the study of climate and meteorological processes. With regard to data assimilation, one can use either the products themselves or the clear column radiances from which the products were derived. The AIRS Version 5 retrieval algorithm is now being used operationally at the Goddard DISC in the routine generation of geophysical parameters derived from AIRS/AMSU data. A major innovation in Version 5 is the ability to generate case-by-case level-by-level error estimates for retrieved quantities and clear column radiances, and the use of these error estimates for Quality Control. The temperature profile error estimates are used to determine a case-by-case characteristic pressure pbest, down to which the profile is considered acceptable for data assimilation purposes. The characteristic pressure p(sub best) is determined by comparing the case dependent error estimate (delta)T(p) to the threshold values (Delta)T(p). The AIRS Version 5 data set provides error estimates of T(p) at all levels, and also profile dependent values of pbest based on use of a Standard profile dependent threshold (Delta)T(p). These Standard thresholds were designed as a compromise between optimal use for data assimilation purposes, which requires highest accuracy (tighter Quality Control), and climate purposes, which requires more spatial coverage (looser Quality Control). Subsequent research using Version 5 sounding and error estimates showed that tighter Quality Control performs better for data assimilation proposes, while looser Quality Control better spatial coverage) performs better for climate purposes. We conducted a number of data assimilation experiments using the NASA GEOS-5 Data Assimilation System as a step toward finding an optimum balance of spatial coverage and sounding accuracy with regard to improving forecast skill. The model was run at a horizontal resolution of 0.5 degree latitude x 0.67 degree longitude with 72 vertical levels. These experiments were run during four different seasons, each using a different year. The AIRS temperature profiles were presented to the GEOS-5 analysis as rawinsonde profiles, and the profile error estimates (delta)T(p) were used as the uncertainty for each measurement in the data assimilation process.

Susskind, Joel↗
DOE OSTI2023

Performance-Portable GPU Acceleration of the EFIT Tokamak Plasma Equilibrium Reconstruction Code

This paper presents the steps followed to GPU-offload parts of the core solver of EFIT-AI, an equilibrium reconstruction code suitable for tokamak experiments and burning plasmas. For this work, we will focus on the fitting procedure that consists of a Grad–Shafranov (GS) equation inverse solver that calculates equilibrium reconstructions on a grid. We will show profiling results of the original code (CPU-baseline), as well as the directives used to GPU-offload the most time-consuming function, initially to compare OpenACC and OpenMP on NVIDIA and AMD GPUs and later on to assess OpenMP performance portability on NVIDIA, AMD and Intel GPUs. We will make a performance comparison for different spatial grid sizes and show the speedup achieved on NVIDIA A100 (Perlmutter-NERSC), AMD MI250X (Frontier-OLCF) and Intel PVC GPUs (Sunspot-ALCF). Finally, we will draw some conclusions and recommendations to achieve high-performance portability for an equilibrium reconstruction code on the new HPC architectures

GPU↗
NASA NTRS2012

Relationships Between Long-Range Lightning Networks and TRMM/LIS Observations

Recent advances in long-range lightning detection technologies have improved our understanding of thunderstorm evolution in the data sparse oceanic regions. Although the expansion and improvement of long-range lightning datasets have increased their applicability, these applications (e.g., data assimilation, atmospheric chemistry, and aviation weather hazards) require knowledge of the network detection capabilities. The present study intercompares long-range lightning data with observations from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite. The study examines network detection efficiency and location accuracy relative to LIS observations, describes spatial variability in these performance metrics, and documents the characteristics of LIS flashes that are detected by the long-range networks. Improved knowledge of relationships between these datasets will allow researchers, algorithm developers, and operational users to better prepare for the spatial and temporal coverage of the upcoming GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM).

Rudlosky, Scott D.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Use of Schema on Read in Earth Science Data Archives

Traditionally, NASA Earth Science data archives have file-based storage using proprietary data file formats, such as HDF and HDF-EOS, which are optimized to support fast and efficient storage of spaceborne and model data as they are generated. The use of file-based storage essentially imposes an indexing strategy based on data dimensions. In most cases, NASA Earth Science data uses time as the primary index, leading to poor performance in accessing data in spatial dimensions. For example, producing a time series for a single spatial grid cell involves accessing a large number of data files. With exponential growth in data volume due to the ever-increasing spatial and temporal resolution of the data, using file-based archives poses significant performance and cost barriers to data discovery and access. Storing and disseminating data in proprietary data formats imposes an additional access barrier for users outside the mainstream research community. At the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data Information Services Center (GES DISC), we have evaluated applying the schema-on-read principle to data access and distribution. We used Apache Parquet to store geospatial data, and have exposed data through Amazon Web Services (AWS) Athena, AWS Simple Storage Service (S3), and Apache Spark. Using the schema-on-read approach allows customization of indexing spatially or temporally to suit the data access pattern. The storage of data in open formats such as Apache Parquet has widespread support in popular programming languages. A wide range of solutions for handling big data lowers the access barrier for all users. This presentation will discuss formats used for data storage, frameworks with This presentation will discuss formats used for data storage, frameworks with support for schema-on-read used for data access, and common use cases covering data usage patterns seen in a geospatial data archive.

cloud applications↗
NASA NTRS2008

Using the Space Glove to Teach Spatial Thinking

The challenge of extending students' skills in spatial thinking to astronomical scales was the central focus of our K-8 curriculum development. When the project's lead teacher requested a curriculum that cumulatively built on each prior year's learning in a spiral fashion, I knew exactly what the school was asking for. Second and third graders began by noticing the cyclical patters that the sun, moon, and stars make in the sky. Fourth graders explored the phases of the moon by taking turns modeling and sketching them in their classroom and then comparing them to the real sky. Sixth !graders used real telescopes to observe a moving model of our solar system and walked a scale model of the planets' orbits. The curriculum is designed to expand students' capacity to visualize space in a hierarchical fashion that asks them to imagine themselves from a broader number of spatial perspectives through hands-on activities. The "situational awareness" Peter's story describes is a hallmark of high-performance engineering and innovation. Keeping in mind the potential outcomes of multiple paths of pursuit from multiple perspectives while keeping track of their relative merits and performance requirements is a demanding spatial task. What made it possible for Peter to transform the failure of his first glove into triumph was the mental space in which that failure provided exactly the information needed for a new breakthrough. In at least two cases, Peter could immediately "see" the full implications of what his hands were telling him. He tells the story of how putting his hands in a Phase VI astronaut glove instantly transformed his understanding of the glove challenge. Six months into his development, the failure of circumferentially wrapped cords to produce a sufficiently flexible glove again forced him to abandon his assumptions. His situational awareness was so clear and compelling it became a gut-level response. Peter's finely developed spatial skills enabled him to almost instinctively focus his full energy on a carefully constructed set of experiments. The finger's ability to sense pressure, force, and work gave him the immediate feedback required to solve this one central problem. Once properly understood, his failure quickly led to the magical "Aha!" moment of discovery; the rest is history. Just as children need opportunities to develop hands-on understanding, engineers need to explore new possibilities through incremental hands-on failure. High-performance innovation is all about learning to make maximum use of thinking spatially to direct this process. Peter Homer's glove also reminds us that efficient engineering decisions need to be made as close to the hardware as possible. Whether we're doing hands-on education or hands-on engineering, it is when we trust in our ability to "feel our way" through failure that we reach our highest potential.

Lord, Peter↗
DOE OSTI2022

Improving Simulations of Vegetation Dynamics over the Tibetan Plateau: Role of Atmospheric Forcing Data and Spatial Resolution

The efficacy of vegetation dynamics simulations in offline land surface models (LSMs) largely depends on the quality and spatial resolution of meteorological forcing data. In this study, the Princeton Global Meteorological Forcing Data (PMFD) and the high spatial resolution and upscaled China Meteorological Forcing Data (CMFD) were used to drive the Simplified Simple Biosphere model version 4/Top-down Representation of Interactive Foliage and Flora Including Dynamics (SSiB4/TRIFFID) and investigate how meteorological forcing datasets with different spatial resolutions affect simulations over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), a region with complex topography and sparse observations. By comparing the monthly Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Gross Primary Production (GPP) against observations, we found that SSiB4/TRIFFID driven by upscaled CMFD improved the performance in simulating the spatial distributions of LAI and GPP over the TP, reducing RMSEs by 24.3% and 20.5%, respectively. The multi-year averaged GPP decreased from 364.68 gC m –2 yr –1 to 241.21 gC m –2 yr –1 with the percentage bias dropping from 50.2% to –1.7%. When using the high spatial resolution CMFD, the RMSEs of the spatial distributions of LAI and GPP simulations were further reduced by 7.5% and 9.5%, respectively. This study highlights the importance of more realistic and high-resolution forcing data in simulating vegetation growth and carbon exchange between the atmosphere and biosphere over the TP.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Comparison of temporal resolution selection approaches in energy systems models

Capacity expansion models for the power sector are used to project future decisions over the coming decades by simulating investment and operation decisions for the use of electricity. Due to model performance constraints, these models typically do not explicitly simulate every hour within a year, but instead simulate representative time segments (groups of hours). This paper evaluates different approaches for selecting time segments across three methods: sequential, categorical, and clustering, across a wide range of time-segment quantities, for a total of 204 temporal profiles. To measure the performance of each profile's ability to accurately represent data, the root-mean-square-error of each profile's time segments are compared to the data's original hourly data. The temporal alignment across regions is also measured (i.e., how often windy days align across regions). Different spatial resolutions were applied for a subset of the temporal selection methods to investigate the impact spatial resolution has on performance. This paper provides a framework for measuring the value of different temporal selection methods and of adding more granular data to energy system models. Overall, multi-criteria clustering yields the lowest root-mean-square-error across all datasets evaluated and provides a holistic view of the intertwined relationships between renewable generation and electricity demand.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS2016

Landsat Program

Landsat initiated the revolution in moderate resolution Earth remote sensing in the 1970s. With seven successful missions over 40+ years, Landsat has documented - and continues to document - the global Earth land surface and its evolution. The Landsat missions and sensors have evolved along with the technology from a demonstration project in the analog world of visual interpretation to an operational mission in the digital world, with incremental improvements along the way in terms of spectral, spatial, radiometric and geometric performance as well as acquisition strategy, data availability, and products.

calibration↗