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Results for “high-resolution methods”

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 343 records · Page 19

Ambient field seismology in critical zone hydrological sciences

Passive ambient noise monitoring is an emerging tool in environmental seismology, leveraging the ambient seismic field to assess temporal variations in shallow subsurface properties. This review focuses on the potential and challenges of using scattered coda waves from noise correlation functions to monitor critical zone dynamics. The sensitivity of seismic velocities to various environmental factors, including precipitation, snowmelt, atmospheric pressure, and groundwater fluctuations, underscores the method’s versatility. While coda waves excel in detecting subtle changes due to their scattered nature, ballistic waves provide higher spatial resolution, albeit with challenges in source stability. Advances in seismic sensing, including distributed acoustic sensing and low-cost geophone networks, have enabled high-resolution monitoring of hydrological processes, subsurface deformation, and seismic hazards. Integrating seismic data with hydrological models provides insights into water storage, pore pressure changes, and soil moisture dynamics. However, limitations in spatial resolution, calibration with ground truth data, and coupled effects between environmental factors remain key challenges. This review emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in refining methodologies, enhancing sensor deployments, and addressing data gaps. Passive seismic monitoring offers opportunities to understand critical zone processes and their broader impacts on seismic hazards and environmental sustainability.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Measuring molecular flows with high-resolution stimulated Raman spectroscopy

It is proposed to use high-resolution stimulated Raman spectroscopy to directly measure high-speed molecular flow velocities in wind tunnels and in combustive chambers. A feasibility study indicates that flow speeds from Mach 0.04 up may be measured with the proposed method using available laser systems. It is pointed out that the success of the proposed technique will make it possible to measure all interesting flow parameters, i.e., species concentration, temperature, and velocity, in a time of less than 1 microsecond at a repetition rate of 10,000/s using a single experimental arrangement.

She, C. Y.↗

XPS Study of Oxide/GaAs and SiO2/Si Interfaces

Concepts developed in study of SiO2/Si interface applied to analysis of native oxide/GaAs interface. High-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been combined with precise chemical-profiling technique and resolution-enhancement methods to study stoichiometry of transitional layer. Results are presented in report now available.

Grunthaner, F. J.↗

Design aspects of a solar array drive for spot, with a high platform stability objective

A solar array drive mechanism (MEGS) for the SPOT platform, which is a prototype of a multimission platform, is described. High-resolution cameras and other optical instruments are carried by the platform, requiring excellent platform stability in order to obtain high-quality pictures. Therefore, a severe requirement for the MEGS is the low level of disturbing torques it may generate considering the 0.6 times 10 to the minus 3 power deg/sec stability required. The mechanical design aspects aiming at reducing the mean friction torque, and therefore its fluctuations, are described as well as the method of compensation of the motor imperfections. It was concluded, however, that this is not sufficient to reach the stability requirement.

Cabillic, J.↗

Atmospheric pressure and temperature profiling using near IR differential absorption lidar

The present investigation is concerned with differential absorption lidar techniques for remotely measuring the atmospheric temperature and pressure profile, surface pressure, and cloud top pressure-height. The procedure used in determining the pressure is based on the conduction of high-resolution measurements of absorption in the wings of lines in the oxygen A band. Absorption with respect to these areas is highly pressure sensitive in connection with the mechanism of collisional line broadening. The method of temperature measurement utilizes a determination of the absorption at the center of a selected line in the oxygen A band which originates from a quantum state with high ground state energy.

Korb, C. L.↗

A high-resolution numerical technique for inviscid gas-dynamic problems with weak solutions

The shock resolution of Harten's (1982) second-order explicit method for one-dimensional hyperbolic conservation laws is investigated for a two-dimensional gas-dynamic problem. The possible extension to a high resolution implicit method for both one- and two-dimensional problems is also investigated. Applications of Harten's method to the quasi-one-dimensional nozzle problem with two nozzle shapes (divergent and convergent-divergent) and the two-dimensional shock-reflection problem resulted in high shock resolution steady-state numerical solutions.

Yee, H. C.↗

Two-photon laser-induced fluorescence detection of OH

The TP-LIF OH sensor is based on the principle that a molecule having multiple energy states, all of which are bonding, can be pumped into the highest state with the resulting fluorescence being blue-shifted relative to all pumping wavelengths. In this way, one can successfully discriminate against virtually all noise sources in the system using long wavelength blocking filters in conjunction with solar-blind photomultiplier tubes. Thus, these systems tend to be signal limited rather than signal-to-noise limited as is true of the SP-LIF technique as well as other conventional analytical methods. The trick to achieving the above sampling scheme, with high efficiency, is in the use of high photon fluxes of short time duration. Obviously, the latter type of light source is fulfilled nicely by available pulsed lasers. From an operational point of view, however, this laser source needs to be tunable. The latter characteristic permits extremely high selectivity for the detection of a diatomic or simple polyatomic molecule by taking advantage of the high-resolution spectroscopic features of these type species.

Davis, D. D.↗

A laboratory demonstration of high-resolution hard X-ray and gamma-ray imaging using Fourier-transform techniques

A laboratory imaging system has been developed to study the use of Fourier-transform techniques in high-resolution hard X-ray and gamma-ray imaging, with particular emphasis on possible applications to high-energy astronomy. Considerations for the design of a Fourier-transform imager and the instrumentation used in the laboratory studies is described. Several analysis methods for image reconstruction are discussed including the CLEAN algorithm and maximum entropy methods. Images obtained using these methods are presented.

Palmer, David↗

Results of a joint NOAA/NASA sounder simulation study

This paper presents the results of a joint NOAA and NASA sounder simulation study in which the accuracies of atmospheric temperature profiles and surface skin temperature measuremnents retrieved from two sounders were compared: (1) the currently used IR temperature sounder HIRS2 (High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder 2); and (2) the recently proposed high-spectral-resolution IR sounder AMTS (Advanced Moisture and Temperature Sounder). Simulations were conducted for both clear and partial cloud conditions. Data were analyzed at NASA using a physical inversion technique and at NOAA using a statistical technique. Results show significant improvement of AMTS compared to HIRS2 for both clear and cloudy conditions. The improvements are indicated by both methods of data analysis, but the physical retrievals outperform the statistical retrievals.

Phillips, N.↗

High-resolution spectroscopy of central stars of planetary nebulae - LSS 1362

High resolution spectra of the hot sdO star LSS 1362, a central star of a planetary nebula, are analyzed by means of model atmosphere techniques. Improved NLTE model atmospheres based on the newly developed 'accelerated lambda iteration' method are used. The very high effective temperature (100000 K) derived previously from the UV energy distribution is confirmed. The surface gravity (log g = 5.3) and a normal helium abundance are derived. A mass of 0.65 solar mass and a luminosity of 10 exp 3.9 solar luminosities result from a comparison with evolutionary tracks. The distance is 1.1 kpc and the nebula has a diameter of about 0.25 pc to 0.5 pc. Weak photospheric emission lines of He II, CIV, Nv, and O v are detected. These lines are slightly blue-shifted with respect to the absorption line spectrum which is regarded as evidence for an atmospheric velocity field. It is conjectured that the observed broadening of the metal lines (25 km/s) may be caused by the velocity field rather than by rotation.

Heber, U.↗

Mosaic wedge-and-strip arrays for large format microchannel plate detectors

The authors present a novel method for joining wedge-and-strip patterns on single anodes in a mosaic array. With only a modest increase in complexity over three-conductor anodes currently in use, the ultimate detector position resolution can be significantly improved, and large-format microchannel plate detectors with pore-size-limited resolution are made possible. The problem of the transition from one anode to the next has been solved with a novel linear encoding scheme, which exhibits essentially distortionless behavior at boundaries parallel to the conducting elements and only slight distortion at the orthogonal boundaries. The ultimate resolution for two anode designs, one designed for large-format imaging and the other for high-resolution spectroscopy, is also predicted.

Martin, Christopher↗

Linestrengths of the nu(2) and nu(4) bands of (C-12)H4 and (C-13)H4

Absorption spectra recorded on the high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer at Kitt Peak National Observatory/National Solar Observatory were used to measure individual line strengths of the nu(2) and nu(4) bands of (C-12)H4 and (C-13)H4. The measurements were used to obtain expressions that could be used to correctly predict individual line strengths through five orders of magnitude of absorption strength and high values of J-prime. Transition strengths were modeled using the dyad formalism of two interacting bands and a seven-term second-order dipole-moment expansion. The successful fitting of these data indicates that the method can be used to model measurements of 2- to 5-percent precision even at high values of J. For remote sensing applications, the present prediction of the dyad spectrum represents a substantial improvement.

Brown, L. R.↗

A comparison of select image-compression algorithms for an electronic still camera

This effort is a study of image-compression algorithms for an electronic still camera. An electronic still camera can record and transmit high-quality images without the use of film, because images are stored digitally in computer memory. However, high-resolution images contain an enormous amount of information, and will strain the camera's data-storage system. Image compression will allow more images to be stored in the camera's memory. For the electronic still camera, a compression algorithm that produces a reconstructed image of high fidelity is most important. Efficiency of the algorithm is the second priority. High fidelity and efficiency are more important than a high compression ratio. Several algorithms were chosen for this study and judged on fidelity, efficiency and compression ratio. The transform method appears to be the best choice. At present, the method is compressing images to a ratio of 5.3:1 and producing high-fidelity reconstructed images.

Nerheim, Rosalee↗

Statistical precipitation cell parameter estimation using passive 118-GHz O2 observations

This paper investigates the statistical retrieval of cell top altitude using high-resolution passive 118-GHz multichannel precipitation cell imagery. The observations were made using the millimeter-wave temperature sounder scanning spectrometer aboard the NASA ER-2 high-altitude research aircraft, during the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment and the Cooperative Huntsville Meteorological Experiment, 1986. Results obtained using a nonlinear statistical 118-GHz cell top altitude retrieval technique are presented, illustrating a systematic method for parameter estimation from noisy nonlinearly dependent observations.

Gasiewski, A. J.↗

Long-Term Trends in the Concentrations of SF6, CHClF2, and COF2 in the Lower Stratosphere from Analysis of High-Resolution Infrared Solar Occultation Spectra

Long-term trends in the concentrations of SF6, CHClF2 (CFC-22), and COF2 in the lower stratosphere have been derived from analysis of ca. 1980 and more recent infrared solar occultation spectra recorded near 32 deg N latitude at approx. 0.02/ cm resolution. Consistent sets of line parameters and spectral calibration methods have been used in the retrievals to minimize systematic error effects. Quoted error limits are 1 sigma estimated precisions. The SF6 and CHClF2 results are based on spectra recorded by balloon-borne interferometers in March 1981 and June 1988 and a comparison of these results with the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) Experiment/Spacelab 3 measurements obtained in May 1985 near 30 deg N latitude. In the 13-18 km altitude range the mean measured SF6 mixing ratio in parts per trillion by volume (pptv) increased from 1.17 +/- 0.21 in March 1981 to 2.02 +/- 0.20 pptv in June 1988, and the CHClF2 mixing ratio below 15 km altitude increased from 51 +/- 8 pptv in March 1981 to 102 +/- 10 pptv in June 1988. The CHClF2 retrievals used new empirical CHClF2 line parameters derived from 0.03/cm resolution laboratory spectra recorded at six temperatures between 203 and 293 K; the derived mixing ratios are approx. 30% higher than obtained with earlier sets of line parameters, thereby removing a large discrepancy noted previously between IR and in situ measurements of CHClF2. Assuming an exponential growth model for fitting the trends, SF6 and CHClF2 mean increase rates of 7.4% +/- 1.9% and 9.4% +/- 1.3% /year, are obtained, respectively, which correspond to cumulative increases by factors of approx. 1.7 and -2.0 in the concentrations of these gases over the 7.2-year measurement period. Analysis of spectra recorded in October 1979 and April 1989 yields COF2 volume mixing ratios that are respectively 0.44 +/- 0.17 and 1.21 +/- 0.24 times the ATMOS/Spacelab 3 values, from which an average COF2 increase rate of 10.3 +/- 1.8%/ year over this time period has been estimated. The present results are compared with previously reported observations and trends and with one-dimensional model calculations. The model calculated trends are in reasonably good agreement with the observations.

Rinsland, C. P.↗

Rapid, bilateral changes in growth rate and curvature during gravitropism of cucumber hypocotyls: implications for mechanism of growth control

The growth response of etiolated cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) hypocotyls to gravitropic stimulation was examined by means of time-lapse photography and high-resolution analysis of surface expansion and curvature. In comparison with video analysis, the technique described here has five- to 20-fold better resolution; moreover, the mathematical fitting method (cubic splines) allows direct estimation of local and integrated curvature. After switching seedlings from a vertical to horizontal position, both upper and lower surfaces of the stem reacted after a lag of about 11 min with a two- to three-fold increase in surface expansion rate on the lower side and a cessation of expansion, or slight compression, on the upper surface. This growth asymmetry was initiated simultaneously along the length of the hypocotyl, on both upper and lower surfaces, and did not migrate basipetally from the apex. Later stages in the gravitropic response involved a complex reversal of the growth asymmetry, with the net result being a basipetal migration of the curved region. This secondary growth reversal may reflect oscillatory and/or self-regulatory behaviour of growing cells. With some qualifications, the kinetics and pattern of growth response are consistent with a mechanism involving hormone redistribution, although they do not prove such a mechanism. The growth kinetics require a growth mechanism which can be stimulated by two- to three-fold or completely inhibited within a few minutes.

Non-NASA Center↗