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At least 289 records · Page 16

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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Use of Design of Experiments in Determining Neural Network Architectures for Loss of Control Detection

We describe empirical methods for selecting a neural network architecture to implement belief state inference on generic commercial transport aircraft. We highlight a case study on the planning, execution, and analysis of a set of experiments to determine the configurations of a conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE). Our main contribution is the application of a structured method that can be used for machine learning in many aerospace applications. This method optimizes the structure and training parameters of a neural network for belief state inference, using Design of Experiments (DOE) statistical methodologies. The motivation for this specific DOE analysis was to identify the appropriate hyperparameters for measuring the CVAE reconstruction probability and latent space, such that the measurements can be used to infer qualitative state changes for the aircraft. We demonstrate that this process yields information about a trained neural network’s utility for this specific application, along with a quantifiable range of certainty. We execute 84 experiments using loss-of-control flight maneuver data from the NASA T-2 aircraft, demonstrating that this empirical process allows us to construct cheap and simple models with specific attributes amenable to belief state inference in aerospace applications.

Loss of Control↗

NASA NTRS1992

Whole Earth Telescope observations of V471 Tauri - The nature of the white dwarf variations

Time-series photometric observations of the binary star V471 Tauri were conducted using the Whole Earth Telescope observing network. The purpose was to determine the mechanism responsible for causing the 555 and 277 s periodic luminosity variations exhibited by the white dwarf in this binary. Previous observers have proposed that either g-mode pulsations or rotation of an accreting magnetic white dwarf could cause the variations, but were unable to decide which was the correct model. The present observations have answered this question. Learning the cause of the white dwarf variations has been possible because of the discovery of a periodic signal at 562 s in the Johnson U-band flux of the binary. By identifying this signal as reprocessed radiation and using its phase to infer the phase of the shorter wavelength radiation which produces it, made it possible to compare the phase of the 555 s U-band variations to the phase of the X-ray variations. It was found that U-band maximum coincides with X-ray minimum. From this result it was concluded that the magnetic rotator model accurately describes the variations observed, but that models involving g-mode pulsations do not.

Clemens, J. C.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Optical, near, infrared and ultraviolet monitoring of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Markarian 335

Preliminary results of a multifrequency monitoring campaign for the bright, Seyfert 1 galactic nuclei Mkn335 are presented. Nearly uniform sampling at 3 day intervals is achieved quasi simultaneously at each wavelength band. Wavelength dependent variability is seen at the 20 to 30 percent level. Interpretation of variability in terms of geometrically thin, optically thick accretion disk models is discussed. The inferred blackhole masses and accretion rates are discussed. Possible correlation between continuum and emission line variations is discussed.

Shrader, Chris R.↗

NASA NTRS1991

The distribution of particulate material on Mars

The surface materials on Mars were extensively studied using a variety of spacecraft and Earth-based remote sensing observations. These measurements include: (1) diurnal thermal measurements, used to determine average particle size, rock abundance, and the presence of crusts; (2) radar observations, used to estimate the surface slope distributions, wavelength scale roughness, and density; (3) radio emission observations, used to estimate subsurface density; (4) broadband albedo measurements, used to study the time variation of surface brightness and dust deposition and removal; and (5) color observations, used to infer composition, mixing, and the presence of crusts. Remote sensing observations generally require some degree of modeling to interpret, making them more difficult to interpret than direct observations from the surface. They do, however, provide a means for examining the surface properties over the entire planet and a means of sampling varying depths within the regolith. Albedo and color observations only indicate the properties of the upper-most few microns, but are very sensitive to thin, sometimes emphemeral dust coatings. Thermal observations sample the upper skin depth, generally 2 to 10 cm. Rock abundance measurements give an indirect indication of surface mantling, where the absence of rocks suggests mantles of several meters. Finally, radar and radio emission data can penetrate several meters into the surface, providing an estimate of subsurface density and roughness.

Christensen, Philip R.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Does UV instrumentation effectively measure ozone abundance?

Measurements of O3 on Mars provide significant information about the chemistry and composition of the atmosphere, including long-term changes. The most extensive and accurate data were inferred from the Mariner 9 UV spectrometer experiment. Mars O3 shows strong seasonal and latitudinal variation, with column abundances ranging from 0.2 microns at equatorial latitudes to 60 microns over the northern winter polar latitudes (1 micron-atm is a column abundance of 2.689 x 10(exp 15) molecules cm(exp-2)). The Mariner 9 UV spectrometer scanned from 2100 to 3500 Angstroms in one of its two spectral channels every 3 seconds with a spectral resolution of 15 Angstroms and an effective field-of-view of approximately 300 km(exp 2). Measurements were made for almost half a Martian year, with winter and spring in the Northern Hemisphere and summer and fall in the Southern Hemisphere. The detectability limit of the spectrometer was approximately 3 microns of ozone. The UV spectrometer on Mariner 9 was incapable of penetrating the dust during dust storms; the single-scattering albedo and phase function of airborne dust and cloud ice are not known to the degree required to extract the small UV signal reflected up from near the surface. The reflectance spectroscopy technique would also have difficulty detecting the total column abundance of O3 in cases where large dust abundances exist together with the polar hood, especially at high latitudes where large solar zenith angles magnify those optical depths; yet these cases would contain the maximum O3, based on theoretical results. It is quite possible that the maximum O3 column abundance observed by Mariner 9 of 60 microns is common. In fact, larger quantities may exist in some of the colder areas with optically thick clouds and dust. As the Viking period often had more atmospheric dust loading than did that of Mariner 9, the reflectance spectroscopy technique may even have been incapable of detecting the entire O3 column abundance during much of the Mars year that Viking observed, particularly at high latitudes.

Lindner, Bernhard Lee↗

NASA NTRS1992

Patterns of seismic activity preceding large earthquakes

A mechanical model of seismic faults is employed to investigate the seismic activities that occur prior to major events. The block-and-spring model dynamically generates a statistical distribution of smaller slipping events that precede large events, and the results satisfy the Gutenberg-Richter law. The scaling behavior during a loading cycle suggests small but systematic variations in space and time with maximum activity acceleration near the future epicenter. Activity patterns inferred from data on seismicity in California demonstrate a regional aspect; increased activity in certain areas are found to precede major earthquake events. One example is given regarding the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 which is located near a fault section associated with increased activity levels.

Shaw, Bruce E.↗

NASA NTRS2021

Constraining particle acceleration in Sgr A? with simultaneous GRAVITY, Spitzer, NuSTAR, and Chandra observations

We report the time-resolved spectral analysis of a bright near-infrared and moderate X-ray flare of Sgr A⋆. We obtained light curves in the M, K, and H bands in the mid- and near-infrared and in the 2 − 8 keV and 2 − 70 keV bands in the X-ray. The observed spectral slope in the near-infrared band is νLν ∝ ν0.5 ± 0.2; the spectral slope observed in the X-ray band is νLν ∝ ν−0.7 ± 0.5. Using a fast numerical implementation of a synchrotron sphere with a constant radius, magnetic field, and electron density (i.e., a one-zone model), we tested various synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton scenarios. The observed near-infrared brightness and X-ray faintness, together with the observed spectral slopes, pose challenges for all models explored. We rule out a scenario in which the near-infrared emission is synchrotron emission and the X-ray emission is synchrotron self-Compton. Two realizations of the one-zone model can explain the observed flare and its temporal correlation: one-zone model in which the near-infrared and X-ray luminosity are produced by synchrotron self-Compton and a model in which the luminosity stems from a cooled synchrotron spectrum. Both models can describe the mean spectral energy distribution (SED) and temporal evolution similarly well. In order to describe the mean SED, both models require specific values of the maximum Lorentz factor γmax, which differ by roughly two orders of magnitude. The synchrotron self-Compton model suggests that electrons are accelerated to γmax ∼ 500, while cooled synchrotron model requires acceleration up to γmax ∼ 5 × 104. The synchrotron self-Compton scenario requires electron densities of 1010 cm−3 that are much larger than typical ambient densities in the accretion flow. Furthermore, it requires a variation of the particle density that is inconsistent with the average mass-flow rate inferred from polarization measurements and can therefore only be realized in an extraordinary accretion event. In contrast, assuming a source size of 1 RS, the cooled synchrotron scenario can be realized with densities and magnetic fields comparable with the ambient accretion flow. For both models, the temporal evolution is regulated through the maximum acceleration factor γmax, implying that sustained particle acceleration is required to explain at least a part of the temporal evolution of the flare.

R. Abuter↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Use of Design of Experiments and Rule-Based Inference in Determining Neural Network Architectures for Loss of Control Detection

In this work, we describe methods for selecting the neural network architectures and input spaces to implement belief state inference on generic commercial transport aircraft. First, we highlight a case study on the planning, execution, and analysis of a set of experiments to determine the configurations of a conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE). We present a structured method that can be used in a number of aerospace applications, to optimize the structure and training parameters of the CVAE for belief state inference, using Design of Experiments (DOE) statistical methodologies. The motivation for this specific DOE was to identify the appropriate hyperparameters for measuring the CVAE reconstruction probability and latent space, such that the measurements can be used to infer qualitative state changes for the aircraft. We demonstrate that this process yields information about a trained neural network’s utility for this specific application, along with a quantifiable range of certainty. We execute 84 experiments using loss-of-control flight maneuver data from a NASA T-2 aircraft, demonstrating that this empirical process allows us to construct cheap and simple models with specific attributes amenable to belief state inference in aerospace applications. While theoretically, we could create a single CVAE with an input space the size of all measurable flight variables and environmental dynamics, it becomes intractable to use such a neural network in an in-situ intelligent multi-agent system. Using the recommendations from our case study, we introduce a technical approach for feasibly describing the belief space by (1) identifying significant statistical relationships among flight variables using rule induction, (2) using a set of rules that cover all features to define the input space of multiple CVAEs, and (3) forming a belief space based on the joint probability density of their collective latent spaces. This results in a series of relatively small matrix multiplications that can be performed in real time, as opposed to large matrix computations in a single CVAE. We demonstrate the application of this approach on the T-2 flight loss-of control experiments, using the architecture and hyperparameter recommendations from the case study. We compare the utilities of an individual CVAE trained on all flight variables and multiple CVAEs defined on subsets of flight variables for detecting qualitative changes in flight. We demonstrate that the use of multiple CVAEs with smaller input spaces permits the CVAE to capture more granular relationships in the latent space, permitting better state space characterization and loss-of-control detection.

Design of experiments↗

NASA NTRS1980

Spectral variation of optical depth at Tucson, Arizona between August 1975 and December 1977

A technique proposed by King and Byrne (1976) for inferring the daily value of the total ozone content of the atmosphere is applied to spectral optical depth measurements obtained at Tucson for a 29-month period between August 1975 and December 1977. The selection of wavelength regions appropriate for aerosol optical depth determinations in the visible and near infrared is discussed, and monthly averages of the total and aerosol optical depths are presented for five wavelengths between 0.4400 and 0.8817 microns. Finally, daily values of total ozone content are presented for the entire 133-day data set.

King, M. D.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Wind-Related Modification of Some Small Impact Craters on Mars

Inferred wind-related modifications of impact craters are observed in the vicinity of the Mare Pathfinder (MPF) site and in other regions of Mars. Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images show three types of inferred wind-modified morphologies for craters 0.3-1 km in diameter Such modifications could be related to seasonal variations of the strongest winds and a possible paleowind regime. Geomorphic mapping of Big Crater at the MPF shows evidence of former aeolian modification of the crater rim and interiors similar to smaller craters in the area. The morphologic patterns are in good agreement with the results from the Mars Regional Atmospheric Modeling Simulation (MRAMS) of topographically forced wind circulation and atmosphere surface interactions generated by flow over small craters. Simulations show that the maximum surface stress is on the downwind crater rim, consistent with inferred wind modification of the crater rim seen in MOC images. The trend of the Inferred paleowind regime at the MPF site cannot be explained by a change In the global atmospheric circulation resulting ~ from changes in Mars obliquity. We suggest that this wind regime could be associated with a regional meteorological pattern that is not modeled by global scale circulation, An alternative explanation is that Mars spin axis was in a different geographic position than it is at present.

Kuzmin, Ruslan O.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Fossil preservation and the stratigraphic ranges of taxa

The incompleteness of the fossil record hinders the inference of evolutionary rates and patterns. Here, we derive relationships among true taxonomic durations, preservation probability, and observed taxonomic ranges. We use these relationships to estimate original distributions of taxonomic durations, preservation probability, and completeness (proportion of taxa preserved), given only the observed ranges. No data on occurrences within the ranges of taxa are required. When preservation is random and the original distribution of durations is exponential, the inference of durations, preservability, and completeness is exact. However, reasonable approximations are possible given non-exponential duration distributions and temporal and taxonomic variation in preservability. Thus, the approaches we describe have great potential in studies of taphonomy, evolutionary rates and patterns, and genealogy. Analyses of Upper Cambrian-Lower Ordovician trilobite species, Paleozoic crinoid genera, Jurassic bivalve species, and Cenozoic mammal species yield the following results: (1) The preservation probability inferred from stratigraphic ranges alone agrees with that inferred from the analysis of stratigraphic gaps when data on the latter are available. (2) Whereas median durations based on simple tabulations of observed ranges are biased by stratigraphic resolution, our estimates of median duration, extinction rate, and completeness are not biased.(3) The shorter geologic ranges of mammalian species relative to those of bivalves cannot be attributed to a difference in preservation potential. However, we cannot rule out the contribution of taxonomic practice to this difference. (4) In the groups studied, completeness (proportion of species [trilobites, bivalves, mammals] or genera [crinoids] preserved) ranges from 60% to 90%. The higher estimates of completeness at smaller geographic scales support previous suggestions that the incompleteness of the fossil record reflects loss of fossiliferous rock more than failure of species to enter the fossil record in the first place.

NASA Program Exobiology↗

NASA NTRS1989

Global, seasonal surface variations from satellite radiance measurements

Global, daily, visible, and infrared radiance measurements from the NOAA-5 Scanning Radiometer (SR) are analyzed for the months of January, April, July, and October 1977 to infer surface radiative properties. A radiative transfer model that simulates the spectral and angular characteristics of the NOAA-5 SR measurements is used to retrieve monthly mean surface visible reflectances and temperature at 25 km resolution. These surface properties were found sufficiently accurate for simulation of clear sky radiances to determine global, seasonal variations in cloudiness. Further comparisons of these results with other data highlight the analysis difficulties and radiative model shortcomings that must be overcome to monitor regional and seasonal variations of earth's surface. These preliminary results also provide an estimate of the magnitude of these variations.

Rossow, William B.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Evaluating the Capacity of Global CO2 Flux and Atmospheric Transport Models to Incorporate New Satellite Observations

As we enter the new era of satellite remote sensing for CO2 and other carbon cyclerelated quantities, advanced modeling and analysis capabilities are required to fully capitalize on the new observations. Model estimates of CO2 surface flux and atmospheric transport are required for initial constraints on inverse analyses, to connect atmospheric observations to the location of surface sources and sinks, and ultimately for future projections of carbon-climate interactions. For application to current, planned, and future remotely sensed CO2 data, it is desirable that these models are accurate and unbiased at time scales from less than daily to multi-annual and at spatial scales from several kilometers or finer to global. Here we focus on simulated CO2 fluxes from terrestrial vegetation and atmospheric transport mutually constrained by analyzed meteorological fields from the Goddard Modeling and Assimilation Office for the period 1998 through 2006. Use of assimilated meteorological data enables direct model comparison to observations across a wide range of scales of variability. The biospheric fluxes are produced by the CASA model at lxi degrees on a monthly mean basis, modulated hourly with analyzed temperature and sunlight. Both physiological and biomass burning fluxes are derived using satellite observations of vegetation, burned area (as in GFED-2), and analyzed meteorology. For the purposes of comparison to CO2 data, fossil fuel and ocean fluxes are also included in the transport simulations. In this presentation we evaluate the model's ability to simulate CO2 flux and mixing ratio variability in comparison to in situ observations at sites in Northern mid latitudes and the continental tropics. The influence of key process representations is inferred. We find that the model can resolve much of the hourly to synoptic variability in the observations, although there are limits imposed by vertical resolution of boundary layer processes. The seasonal cycle and its interannual variations generally respond adequately, but discrepancies in the tropics suggest the need for a refinement of the soil moisture dependence of the respiration flux in CASA. Examples and inferences for interpretation of satellite data will be discussed. In general, the fidelity of these simulations leads us to anticipate incorporation of real-time, highly resolved remote sensing and other observations into quantitative analyses that will reduce uncertainty in the terrestrial CO2 sink and revolutionize our understanding of the key processes controlling atmospheric CO2 and its evolution with time.

Kawa, S. R.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Strong Temporal Variation Over One Saturnian Year: From Voyager to Cassini

Here we report the combined spacecraft observations of Saturn acquired over one Saturnian year (approximately 29.5 Earth years), from the Voyager encounters (1980-81) to the new Cassini reconnaissance (2009-10). The combined observations reveal a strong temporal increase of tropic temperature (approximately 10 Kelvins) around the tropopause of Saturn (i.e., 50 mbar), which is stronger than the seasonal variability (approximately a few Kelvins). We also provide the first estimate of the zonal winds at 750 mbar, which is close to the zonal winds at 2000 mbar. The quasi-consistency of zonal winds between these two levels provides observational support to a numerical suggestion inferring that the zonal winds at pressures greater than 500 mbar do not vary significantly with depth. Furthermore, the temporal variation of zonal winds decreases its magnitude with depth, implying that the relatively deep zonal winds are stable with time.

Cassini↗

NASA NTRS1972

An analysis of the Venus measurements

Plots of the Mariner 5 and Venera 4, 5, and 6 pressure vs temperature show that the Venera profiles are essentially congruent with the Mariner 5 day and night profiles, but are displaced 28 percent higher in pressure. Data suggest a variability in the atmospheric water vapor content in the region from 30 to 50 km. The Venera 7 measurements are interpreted as evidence for updrafts, down-drafts, horizontal wind layers, and nonaqueous precipitation. The previously observed band of retrograde winds which circle the equator with an average speed of 110 m/s is found to extend downward to the one atmosphere level at the equatorial morning terminator. The possibility of a low altitude equator-to-pole circulation with warm gas rising at the poles is inferred. Venera 7 temperature data used with radar topography and microwaves interferometer measurements suggest that the variation of surface temperature with altitude in a band about the equator is less than 5 K/km. The available data are used to calculate a model of the structure of the Venus atmosphere for the first 75 km above the equatorial region.

Ainsworth, J. E.↗

NASA NTRS1990

3-D components of a biological neural network visualized in computer generated imagery. II - Macular neural network organization

Computer-assisted reconstructions of small parts of the macular neural network show how the nerve terminals and receptive fields are organized in 3-dimensional space. This biological neural network is anatomically organized for parallel distributed processing of information. Processing appears to be more complex than in computer-based neural network, because spatiotemporal factors figure into synaptic weighting. Serial reconstruction data show anatomical arrangements which suggest that (1) assemblies of cells analyze and distribute information with inbuilt redundancy, to improve reliability; (2) feedforward/feedback loops provide the capacity for presynaptic modulation of output during processing; (3) constrained randomness in connectivities contributes to adaptability; and (4) local variations in network complexity permit differing analyses of incoming signals to take place simultaneously. The last inference suggests that there may be segregation of information flow to central stations subserving particular functions.

Ross, Muriel D.↗

NASA NTRS1991

NASA Li/CF(x) cell problem analysis: Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x ray spectrometry

An analysis was made of Lithium/carbon fluoride cell parts for possible chloride contamination induced by exposure to thionyl chloride (SOCl2); various samples were submitted for analysis. Only a portion of the analysis which has been conducted is covered, herein, namely analysis by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS). A strip of nickel was exposed to SOCl2 vapors to observe variations in surface concentrations of sulfur and chlorine with time. By detecting chlorine one can not infer contamination by SOCl2 only that contamination is present. Six samples of stainless steel foil were analyzed for chlorine using EDS. Chlorine was not detected on background samples but was detected on the samples which had been handled including those which had been cleaned. Cell covers suspected of being contaminated while in storage and covers which were not exposed to the same storage conditions were analyzed for chlorine. Although no chlorine was found on the covers from cells, it was found on all stored covers. Results are presented with techniques shown for analysis and identification. Relevant photomicrographs are presented.

Baker, John↗

NASA NTRS2003

Global and Local Helioseismic Studies of Solar Convection Zone Dynamics Using SOI-MDI on SOHO

Our joint collaborative analyses of global mode data to characterize the solar differential rotation (e.g. Thompson et al. 1996, Schou et al. 1998), and most recently to detect and analyze temporal variations in angular velocity Omega profiles both within the convection zone and in the deeper radiative interior (e.g. Howe et al 2000a,b; Toomre et al. 2000), have led to a series of fascinating discoveries. These should be pursued further as the solar cycle continues. The physical deductions being made from these studies have been greatly strengthened by utilizing both SOI-MDI and GONG data in order to have two independent observational realizations of Doppler images spanning a five-year interval, using two separate procedures to determine global mode splittings, and then analyzing those splitting data sets using both RLS and SOLA inversion procedures. There are considerable subtleties in the effects of instrumental response functions and calibrations, sensitivity of peak finding algorithms and their mode leakage estimates, and stochastic variations in mode amplitudes that can all contribute to apparent changes in the Omega profiles being inferred from sequences of helioseismic data. We have come to understand the implications of many of these calibration and analysis steps, greatly aided by frequent multi-week collaborative working sessions in our Helioseismic Analysis Facility (HAF) at JILA involving many members of the SO1 dynamics and inversion team, including most of our Co-Is during the summer months when we hold intensive working sessions. Considerable further focused attention is required in a collaborative setting on such global mode issues as we continue studying the changing sun.

Toomre, Juri↗