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At least 343 records · Page 19
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NASA NTRS1995

Shuttle Laser Altimeter (SLA): A pathfinder for space-based laser altimetry and lidar

The Shuttle Laser Altimeter (SLA) is a Hitchhiker experiment now being integrated for first flight on STS-72 in November 1995. Four Shuttle flights of the SLA are planned at a rate of about a flight every 18 months. They are aimed at the transition of the Goddard Space Flight Center airborne laser altimeter and lidar technology to low Earth orbit as a pathfinder for operational space-based laser remote sensing devices. Future alser altimeter sensors such as the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), an Earth Observing System facility instrument, and the Multi-Beam Laser Altimeter (MBLA), the land and vegetation laser altimeter for the NASA TOPSAT (Topography Satellite) Mission, will utilize systems and approaches being tested with SLA. The SLA Instrument measures the distance from the Space Shuttle to the Earth's surface by timing the two-way propagation of short (approximately 10 na noseconds) laser pulses. laser pulses at 1064 nm wavelength are generated in a laser transmitter and are detected by a telescope equipped with a silicon avalanche photodiode detector. The SLA data system makes the pulse time interval measurement to a precision of about 10 nsec and also records the temporal shape of the laser echo from the Earth's surface for interpretation of surface height distribution within the 100 m diam. sensor footprint. For example, tree height can be determined by measuring the characteristic double-pulse signature that results from a separation in time of laser backscatter from tree canopies and the underlying ground. This is accomplished with a pulse waveform digitizer that samples the detector output with an adjustable resolution of 2 nanoseconds or wider intervals in a 100 sample window centered on the return pulse echo. The digitizer makes the SLA into a high resolution surface lidar sensor. It can also be used for cloud and atmospheric aerosol lidar measurements by lengthening the sampling window and degrading the waveform resolution. Detailed test objectives for the STS-72 mission center on the acquisition of sample data sets for land topography and vegetation height, waveform digitizer performance, and verification of data acquisition algorithms. The operational concept of SLA is illustrated in Fig. 1 where a series of 100 m footprints stretch in a profile of Earth surface topography along the nadir track of the Space Shuttle. The location of SLA as a dual canister payload on the Hitchhiker Bridge Assembly in Bay 12 of the Space Shuttle Endeavor can also be noted in this figure. Full interpretation of the SLA range measurement data set requires a 1 m knowledge of the Orbiter trajectory and better than 0.1 deg knowledge of Orbiter pointing angle. These ancillary data sets will be acquired during the STS-72 mission with an on-board Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, K-band range and range-rate tracking of the Orbiter through TDRSS, and use of on-board inertial measurement units and star trackers. Integration and interpretation of all these different data sets as a pathfinder investigation for accurate determination of Earth surface elevation is the overall science of the SLA investigation.

Bufton, Jack↗
NASA NTRS1995

On-orbit measurement of TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter antenna pattern

The NASA and CNES altimeters on the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite share a 1.5-m antenna. Early data from the NASA altimeter suggested that the beam was broader than measured preflight. An altimeter transponder was modified to output a relative measurement of received power. The instrument is briefly described. The instrument was deployed on the TOPEX ground track at the coast near Los Angeles, California. Measurements from three of these deployments are presented to show the on-orbit antenna pattern. The measured pattern is effectively broader than preflight in the central region, particularly the part of the pattern which corresponds to the tail of the altimeter waveform where the attitude is determined. This result is consistent with the general shape of both the TOPEX and Poseidon waveforms. As the TOPEX corrections which depend on values from the tail of the waveform have been compensated for deviations from the preflight measurements, no appreciable effect on the final data is expected.

Callahan, Philip S.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The making of an Alfvenic fluctuation: The resolution of a second-order analysis

Ulysses observations of the high speed polar streams show that they are largely occupied by very large amplitude Alfvenic fluctuations accompanied by many rotational discontinuities. These fluctuations have a nearly constant magnetic intensity or amplitude, and the magnetic field direction per wave cycle sweeps only through a limited arc, much as a car wiperblade would do. Barnes and Hollweg (JGR, 79, 2302, 1974) suggested that this unusual waveform could arise from an obliquely propagating and linearly polarized Alfven wave of finite amplitude. From a second-order analysis, they showed that the existence of a particular solution with a constant amplitude but could not resolve the outcome of the homogeneous solution which consisted of fast waves. They suggested that Landau damping of these fast waves may be needed to get the observed waveform. We present a 1 1/2 D hybrid simulation which is fully nonlinear and correctly describes the ion kinetics for an initially monochromatic and linearly polarized Alfven wave propagating obliquely to the background magnetic field. The wave has a large amplitude and a wavelength so long that it can be considered dispersionless for simulation times. At early times, the second harmonic in density and in magnetic field transverse to the initial wave magnetic field are generated and have more power than other harmonics. Steepening is observed with a weak fast shock emerging, but no rotational discontinuity is left behind, and instead a constant amplitude and an arc-shaped waveform is made. The compressional component which develops after the shocks have dissipated is to zeroth order better described as a pure acoustic wave than as a fast wave. This might be explained by the relaxing of the Alfven wave to a state where its ponderomotive force vanishes so that the compressional component can travel almost independently of it.

Vasquez, Bernard J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Detection of Delamination in Composite Beams Using Broadband Acoustic Emission Signatures

Delamination in composite structure may be caused by imperfections introduced during the manufacturing process or by impact loads by foreign objects during the operational life. There are some nondestructive evaluation methods to detect delamination in composite structures such as x-radiography, ultrasonic testing, and thermal/infrared inspection. These methods are expensive and hard to use for on line detection. Acoustic emission testing can monitor the material under test even under the presence of noise generated under load. It has been used extensively in proof-testing of fiberglass pressure vessels and beams. In the present work, experimental studies are conducted to investigate the use of broadband acoustic emission signatures to detect delaminations in composite beams. Glass/epoxy beam specimens with full width, prescribed delamination sizes of 2 inches and 4 inches are investigated. The prescribed delamination is produced by inserting Teflon film between laminae during the fabrication of composite laminate. The objectives of this research is to develop a method for predicting delamination size and location in laminated composite beams by combining smart materials concept and broadband AE analysis techniques. More specifically, a piezoceramic (PZT) patch is bonded on the surface of composite beams and used as a pulser. The piezoceramic patch simulates the AE wave source as a 3 cycles, 50KHz, burst sine wave. One broadband AE sensor is fixed near the PZT patch to measure the AE wave near the AE source. A second broadband AE sensor, which is used as a receiver, is scanned along the composite beams at 0.25 inch step to measure propagation of AE wave along the composite beams. The acquired AE waveform is digitized and processed. Signal strength, signal energy, cross-correlation of AE waveforms, and tracking of specific cycle of AE waveforms are used to detect delamination size and location.

Okafor, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Dictionary Approaches to Image Compression and Reconstruction

This paper proposes using a collection of parameterized waveforms, known as a dictionary, for the purpose of medical image compression. These waveforms, denoted as lambda, are discrete time signals, where y represents the dictionary index. A dictionary with a collection of these waveforms Is typically complete or over complete. Given such a dictionary, the goal is to obtain a representation Image based on the dictionary. We examine the effectiveness of applying Basis Pursuit (BP), Best Orthogonal Basis (BOB), Matching Pursuits (MP), and the Method of Frames (MOF) methods for the compression of digitized radiological images with a wavelet-packet dictionary. The performance of these algorithms is studied for medical images with and without additive noise.

Ziyad, Nigel A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Time-Frequency Analysis of the Dispersion of Lamb Modes

Accurate knowledge of the velocity dispersion of Lamb modes is important for ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation methods used in detecting and locating flaws in thin plates and in determining their elastic stiffness coefficients. Lamb mode dispersion is also important in the acoustic emission technique for accurately triangulating the location of emissions in thin plates. In this research, the ability to characterize Lamb mode dispersion through a time-frequency analysis (the pseudo-Wigner-Ville distribution) was demonstrated. A major advantage of time-frequency methods is the ability to analyze acoustic signals containing multiple propagation modes, which overlap and superimpose in the time domain signal. By combining time-frequency analysis with a broadband acoustic excitation source, the dispersion of multiple Lamb modes over a wide frequency range can be determined from as little as a single measurement. In addition, the technique provides a direct measurement of the group velocity dispersion. The technique was first demonstrated in the analysis of a simulated waveform in an aluminum plate in which the Lamb mode dispersion was well known. Portions of the dispersion curves of the AO, A I , So, and S2 Lamb modes were obtained from this one waveform. The technique was also applied for the analysis of experimental waveforms from a unidirectional graphite/epoxy composite plate. Measurements were made both along and perpendicular to the fiber direction. In this case, the signals contained only the lowest order symmetric and antisymmetric modes. A least squares fit of the results from several source to detector distances was used. Theoretical dispersion curves were calculated and are shown to be in good agreement with experimental results.

Prosser, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Dictionary Approaches to Image Compression and Reconstruction

This paper proposes using a collection of parameterized waveforms, known as a dictionary, for the purpose of medical image compression. These waveforms, denoted as phi(sub gamma), are discrete time signals, where gamma represents the dictionary index. A dictionary with a collection of these waveforms is typically complete or overcomplete. Given such a dictionary, the goal is to obtain a representation image based on the dictionary. We examine the effectiveness of applying Basis Pursuit (BP), Best Orthogonal Basis (BOB), Matching Pursuits (MP), and the Method of Frames (MOF) methods for the compression of digitized radiological images with a wavelet-packet dictionary. The performance of these algorithms is studied for medical images with and without additive noise.

Ziyad, Nigel A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Future Applications Using Return-Pulse Correlation from Imaging Laser Altimeters

The Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne, wide-swath, digitization-only laser altimeter capable of collecting full return waveforms (i.e. echoes) from laser footprints ranging in diameter from 1 to 80 m across up to a 1 km wide data swath. The return waveform can be used to enhance the accuracy of laser ranging and to provide information about the vertical structure of vegetation and topography within each laser footprint. Although extremely small laser footprints (< 1 0 cm diameter) generally return simple, impulse responses to their target surface, larger footprints typically exhibit complex returns representing the diverse vertical distributions of surfaces contained in each footprint. Only a handful of airborne and spaceborne laser altimeters record the return echo or return pulse that is reflected from the Earth's surface (i.e. NASA's LVIS, SLA, VCL, and GLAS laser altimeters). Waveforms are currently interpreted to extract a timing or ranging point or points to represent the mean ground elevation or the vertical height of vegetation. But, recent progress using pulse shape correlation techniques shows promise for a variety of science applications involving change detection of surface topography and vegetation as well as potential for improving data processing by correlating images or crossovers to solve systematic biases. We show example correlation images from LVIS and discuss instrument design implications and potential science applications.

Blair, J. Bryan↗
NASA NTRS2001

Geometrical Effects on the Electromagnetic Radiation from Lightning Return Strokes

The morphological difference between the electromagnetic radiation-field waveforms of "first" and "subsequent" return strokes in cloud-to-ground lightning flashes is well known and can be used to identify the formation of new channels to ground. This difference is generally believed due to the existence of branches on first-stroke channels, whereas subsequent strokes re-illuminate only the main channel of a previous stroke; but experimental evidence for this hypothesis is relatively weak. It has been argued for the influence of channel geometry on the fine structure of radiation from subsequent return strokes by comparing the field-change waveforms recorded at the same station from strokes within the same flash and between different flashes of both natural and triggered lightning. The present paper introduces new evidence for both of these hypotheses from a comparison of waveforms between sensors in different directions from the same stroke.

Willett, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Preliminary Design of a Lightning Optical Camera and ThundEr (LOCATE) Sensor

The preliminary design of an optical/acoustical instrument is described for making highly accurate real-time determinations of the location of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning. The instrument, named the Lightning Optical Camera And ThundEr (LOCATE) sensor, will also image the clear and cloud-obscured lightning channel produced from CGs and cloud flashes, and will record the transient optical waveforms produced from these discharges. The LOCATE sensor will consist of a full (360 degrees) field-of-view optical camera for obtaining CG channel image and azimuth, a sensitive thunder microphone for obtaining CG range, and a fast photodiode system for time-resolving the lightning optical waveform. The optical waveform data will be used to discriminate CGs from cloud flashes. Together, the optical azimuth and thunder range is used to locate CGs and it is anticipated that a network of LOCATE sensors would determine CG source location to well within 100 meters. All of this would be accomplished for a relatively inexpensive cost compared to present RF lightning location technologies, but of course the range detection is limited and will be quantified in the future. The LOCATE sensor technology would have practical applications for electric power utility companies, government (e.g. NASA Kennedy Space Center lightning safety and warning), golf resort lightning safety, telecommunications, and other industries.

Phanord, Dieudonne D.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) for the ICESat Mission

The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) is a new generation lidar and is the primary science payload for NASA's ICESat Mission. The GLAS design combines a 10 cm precision surface lidar with a sensitive dual wavelength cloud and aerosol lidar. GLAS will precisely measure the heights of the Earth's polar ice sheets, establish a grid of accurate height profiles of the Earth's land topography, and profile the vertical distribution of clouds and aerosols on a global scale. GLAS will be integrated onto a small spacecraft built by Ball Aerospace, and will be launched into a polar orbit with a 590-630 km altitude at an inclination of 94 degrees. ICESat is is currently planned to launch in winter 2002/03 and GLAS is designed to operate continuously in space for a minimum of 3 years. GLAS will measure the vertical distance from orbit to the Earth's surface with pulses from a ND:YAG laser at a 40 Hz rate. Each 6 nsec wide 1064 nm laser pulse is used to produce a single range measurement. On the surface, the laser footprints have 66 m diameter and approx. 170 m center-center spacings. The GLAS receiver uses a I m diameter telescope to detect laser backscatter and a Si APD to detect the 1064 nm signals. The detector's output is sampled by a digital ranging receiver, which records each transmitted pulse and surface echo waveform with 1 nsec (15 cm) resolution. Each echo pulse is digitized and is reported to ground with a record length of from 200 to 544 samples, depending on the spacecraft's location . The GLAS location and epoch times are measured by a precision GPS receiver carried on the ICESat spacecraft. Initial processing of the echo waveforms within GLAS permits discrimination between cloud and surface echoes for selecting appropriate waveform samples. This selection is guided by an on-board DEM which is used to set the boundaries for the echo pulse search algorithm. Subsequent ground-based echo pulse analysis, along with GPS-based clock frequency estimates, permit final determination of the range to the surface, degree of pulse spreading, and vertical distribution of any vegetation illuminated by the laser. Accurate knowledge of the laser beam's pointing angle is needed to prevent height biases when measuring over tilted surfaces, such as near the boundaries of ice sheets. For surfaces with 2 deg. slopes, knowledge of pointing angle of the beam's centroid angle to better than 10 urad is needed. GLAS uses a stellar reference system (SRS) to measure the pointing angle of each laser firing relative to inertial space. The SRS uses a high precision star camera oriented toward local zenith and a gyroscope to determine the inertial orientation of the SRS optical bench. The far field pattern of each laser is measured pulse relative to the star camera with a laser reference system (LRS). GLAS will also measure the vertical distributions of clouds and aerosols by recording the vertical profiles of laser pulse backscatter at both 1064 and 532 nm. The 1064 rim measurements use the Si APD detector and will be used to measure the height and echo pulse shape from thicker clouds. The lidar receiver at 532 nm uses a narrow bandwidth etalon filter and highly sensitive photon counting detectors. The 532 nm backscatter profiles will be used to measure the vertical extent of thinner clouds and the atmospheric boundary layer. The GLAS instrument component development is complete and the instrument is undergoing final testing and qualification at NASA-Goddard. The GLAS "as-built" characteristics and its expected measurement performance will be discussed.

Abshire, James B.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Performance of the GLAS Onboard Surface Detection Algorithm

The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) determines the range from the satellite to the Earth's surface from the time of flight of the instrument's 1064 nm laser pulses, which are generated at a rate of 40 Hz. The time of flight is defined as the difference between the laser transmit time and the time of return of the surface echo. The detector output is digitized with a 1 ns sampling interval, starting before the laser fires and ending well after any possible surface return, for a total of 5.4 million points. Because there is not enough downlink bandwidth for the entire waveform, the algorithm must extract both the transmit and surface echo waveforms from the 5.4 million digitized points, and pass these waveforms on to be included in the science data packets. Results from orbit show the algorithm to be effective at finding the surface echoes. A few features of the algorithm, however, require post-launch modification. One is that cloud cover tends to cause the algorithm to raise the gain, which then causes saturation of surface echoes from clear regions immediately following the clouds. Details of the algorithm, along with specific examples and recent modifications, will be presented.

McGarry, Jan F.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Modeling Nonlinear Acoustic Standing Waves in Resonators: Theory and Experiments

The overall goal of the cooperative research with NASA Glenn is to fundamentally understand, computationally model, and experimentally validate non-linear acoustic waves in enclosures with the ultimate goal of developing a non-contact acoustic seal. The longer term goal is to transition the Glenn acoustic seal innovation to a prototype sealing device. Lucas and coworkers are credited with pioneering work in Resonant Macrosonic Synthesis (RMS). Several Patents and publications have successfully illustrated the concept of Resonant Macrosonic Synthesis. To utilize this concept in practical application one needs to have an understanding of the details of the phenomenon and a predictive tool that can examine the waveforms produced within resonators of complex shapes. With appropriately shaped resonators one can produce un-shocked waveforms of high amplitude that would result in very high pressures in certain regions. Our goal is to control the waveforms and exploit the high pressures to produce an acoustic seal. Note that shock formation critically limits peak-to-peak pressure amplitudes and also causes excessive energy dissipation. Proper shaping of the resonator is thus critical to the use of this innovation.

Raman, Ganesh↗
NASA NTRS1999

Time-Frequency Analysis of the Dispersion of Lamb Modes

Accurate knowledge of the velocity dispersion of Lamb modes is important for ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation methods used in detecting and locating flaws in thin plates and in determining their elastic stiffness coefficients. Lamb mode dispersion is also important in the acoustic emission technique for accurately triangulating the location of emissions in thin plates. In this research, the ability to characterize Lamb mode dispersion through a time-frequency analysis (the pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution) was demonstrated. A major advantage of time-frequency methods is the ability to analyze acoustic signals containing multiple propagation modes, which overlap and superimpose in the time domain signal. By combining time-frequency analysis with a broadband acoustic excitation source, the dispersion of multiple Lamb modes over a wide frequency range can be determined from as little as a single measurement. In addition, the technique provides a direct measurement of the group velocity dispersion. The technique was first demonstrated in the analysis of a simulated waveform in an aluminum plate in which the Lamb mode dispersion was well known. Portions of the dispersion curves of the A(sub 0), A(sub 1), S(sub 0), and S(sub 2)Lamb modes were obtained from this one waveform. The technique was also applied for the analysis of experimental waveforms from a unidirectional graphite/epoxy composite plate. Measurements were made both along, and perpendicular to the fiber direction. In this case, the signals contained only the lowest order symmetric and antisymmetric modes. A least squares fit of the results from several source to detector distances was used. Theoretical dispersion curves were calculated and are shown to be in good agreement with experimental results.

Prosser, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Post-Newtonian Black-Hole Inspiral Initial Data with Waves for Puncture Simulations

We present post-Newtonian-inspired initial data for non-spinning black-hole binaries, suitable for numerical evolution with punctures. We revisit the work of Tichey et al. and explicitly calculate remaining integral terms.Thereby we improve the accuracy in the far zone, by including realistic gravitational waves in the initial data. We investigate the behavior of this data both at the center of mass and in the far zone, demonstrating agreement of the transverse-traceless parts of the new metric with quadrupole-approximation waveforms. An advantage of these data is that they can be used for numerical evolutions to make a direct connection between the merger waveforms and the post-Newtonian inspiral waveforms.

Kelly, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Gravitational Waves from Black Hole Mergers

The final merger of two black holes is expected to be the strongest gravitational wave source for ground-based interferometers such as LIGO, VIRGO, and GEO600, as well as the space-based interferometer LISA. Observing these sources with gravitational wave detectors requires that we know the radiation waveforms they emit. Since these mergers take place in regions of extreme gravity, we need to solve Einstein's equations of general relativity on a computer in order to calculate these waveforms. For more than 30 years, scientists have tried to compute black hole mergers using the methods of numerical relativity. The resulting computer codes have been plagued by instabilities, causing them to crash well before the black holes in the binary could complete even a single orbit. Within the past few years, however, this situation has changed dramatically, with a series of remarkable breakthroughs. This talk will focus on new simulations that are revealing the dynamics and waveforms of binary black hole mergers, and their applications in gravitational wave detection, data analysis, and astrophysics.

Centrella, Joan↗
NASA NTRS2007

Gravitational Waves: Elusive Cosmic Messengers

The final merger of two black holes is expected to be the strongest g ravitational wave source for ground-based interferometers such as LIG O, VIRGO, and GE0600, as well as the space-based interferometer LISA. Observing these sources with gravitational wave detectors requires t hat we know the radiation waveforms they emit. Since these mergers ta ke place in regions of extreme gravity, we need to solve Einstein's equations of general relativity on a computer in order to calculate t hese waveforms. For more than 30 years, scientists have tried to comp ute black hole mergers using the methods of numerical relativity. The resulting computer codes have been plagued by instabilities, causing them to crash well before the black holes in the binary could comple te even a single orbit. Within the past few years, however, this situ ation has changed dramatically, with a series of remarkable breakthro ughs. This talk will focus on new simulations that are revealing the dynamics and waveforms of binary black hole mergers, and their applic ations in gravitational wave detection, data analysis, and astrophysi cs.

Centrella, Joan↗
NASA NTRS2007

Results from Binary Black Hole Simulations in Astrophysics Applications

Present and planned gravitational wave observatories are opening a new astronomical window to the sky. A key source of gravitational waves is the merger of two black holes. The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), in particular, is expected to observe these events with signal-to-noise ratio's in the thousands. To fully reap the scientific benefits of these observations requires a detailed understanding, based on numerical simulations, of the predictions of General Relativity for the waveform signals. New techniques for simulating binary black hole mergers, introduced two years ago, have led to dramatic advances in applied numerical simulation work. Over the last two years, numerical relativity researchers have made tremendous strides in understanding the late stages of binary black hole mergers. Simulations have been applied to test much of the basic physics of binary black hole interactions, showing robust results for merger waveform predictions, and illuminating such phenomena as spin-precession. Calculations have shown that merging systems can be kicked at up to 2500 km/s by the thrust from asymmetric emission. Recently, long lasting simulations of ten or more orbits allow tests of post-Newtonian (PN) approximation results for radiation from the last orbits of the binary's inspiral. Already, analytic waveform models based PN techniques with incorporated information from numerical simulations may be adequate for observations with current ground based observatories. As new advances in simulations continue to rapidly improve our theoretical understanding of the systems, it seems certain that high-precision predictions will be available in time for LISA and other advanced ground-based instruments. Future gravitational wave observatories are expected to make precision.

Baker, John G.↗