Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “subset selections”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2

Numerical image manipulation and display in solar astronomy

The paper describes the system configuration and data manipulation capabilities of a solar image display system which allows interactive analysis of visual images and on-line manipulation of digital data. Image processing features include smoothing or filtering of images stored in the display, contrast enhancement, and blinking or flickering images. A computer with a core memory of 28,672 words provides the capacity to perform complex calculations based on stored images, including computing histograms, selecting subsets of images for further analysis, combining portions of images to produce images with physical meaning, and constructing mathematical models of features in an image. Some of the processing modes are illustrated by some image sequences from solar observations.

Levine, R. H.↗

Quantitative comparison of combined gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric profiles of complex mixtures

The paper describes a method called HISLIB for automatic quantitative comparison of gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) results obtained on complex mixtures of organic compounds. The method is based on comparing new mixtures to 'historical' libraries of previous results. Co-occurrence of components is determined by matching relative retention indices (RRIs) and mass spectra after background removal and resolution of overlapping GC components. Internal standards are used to quantify the relative concentrations of components. Applications of HISLIB include validation of analytical procedures to isolate complex mixtures; development of historical libraries which might include complete summaries of all past observations, compilations of controls, or any other selected subset of results; improvement of the quality of existing libraries of mass spectral data; and detection of differences in kind and/or amounts of individual components. Limitations of the method are mentioned along with causes of their occurrence.

Smith, D. H.↗

The use of Landsat-3 thermal data to help differentiate land covers

Landsat-3 Multispectral Scanner Subsystem (MSS) digital data of the Baltimore, Maryland area gathered on May 24, 1978, are examined to show the usefulness of thermal data in providing better discrimination between agricultural and residential areas, certain types of urban/industrial areas and water, cloud shadows and water, and bare-extractive areas and bright urban cover types. High altitude aircraft imagery taken on May 3, 1978, provides ground truth and training site verification. Two classifications are made for each training site: the initial one using bands 4, 5, and 7 and a second in which the thermal data are included with the visible and near infrared data. This permits a direct comparison of areas spectrally similar with and without the inclusion of the thermal data. Commission errors determined from selected subsets of the data show reductions of 95% for the urban/industrial versus water themes, 84% for the residential versus agriculture themes, 64.0% for the bare-extractive versus bright urban themes, and 24% for the cloud shadow versus water themes when the thermal data are included in the signature.

Ormsby, J. P.↗

The volcanic explosivity index /VEI/ - An estimate of explosive magnitude for historical volcanism

A composite estimate of the magnitude of past explosive eruptions, referred to as the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), is proposed as a semiquantitative compromise between poor data and the need in various disciplines to evaluate the record of past volcanism. The VEI is assigned to more than 8000 historic and prehistoric eruptions. It is shown that the VEI can help detect incompleteness and reporting biases and can help in selecting subsets of the historical record suitable for each study. The VEI is a composite estimate of Walkers (1980) magnitude and/or intensity and/or destructiveness and/or (less frequently) dispersive power, violence, and energy release rate, depending on the data that are available.

Newhall, C. G.↗

Plasma properties of driver gas following interplanetary shocks observed by ISEE-3

Plasma fluid parameters calculated from solar wind and magnetic field data to determine the characteristic properties of driver gas following a select subset of interplanetary shocks were studied. Of 54 shocks observed from August 1978 to February 1980, 9 contained a well defined driver gas that was clearly identifiable by a discontinuous decrease in the average proton temperature. While helium enhancements were present downstream of the shock in all 9 of these events, only about half of them contained simultaneous changes in the two quantities. Simultaneous with the drop in proton temperature the helium and electron temperature decreased abruptly. In some cases the proton temperature depression was accompanied by a moderate increase in magnetic field magnitude with an unusually low variance, by a small decrease in the variance of the bulk velocity, and by an increase in the ratio of parallel to perpendicular temperature. The cold driver gas usually displayed a bidirectional flow of suprathermal solar wind electrons at higher energies.

Zwickl, R. D.↗

A preliminary harmonic spline model from Magsat data

A preliminary main field model for 1980 derived from a carefully selected subset of Magsat vector measurements, using the method of harmonic splines, is presented. This model (PHS /80/) for preliminary harmonic splines is the smoothest model (in the sense that the rms radial field at the core surface is minimum) consistent with the measurements (with an rms misfit of 10 nT to account for crustal and external fields as well as noise in the measurement procedure). Therefore PHS (80) is more suitable for studies of the core than models derived with the traditional least squares approach (e.g., GSFC /9/80/). A comparison is conducted of the characteristics of the harmonic spline spectrum, topology of the core field and especially the null-flux curves (loci where the radial field is zero) and the flux through patches bounded by such curves. PHS (80) is less complex than GSFC (9/80) and is therefore more representative of that part of the core field that the data constrain.

Shure, L.↗

An analysis of the least-squares problem for the DSN systematic pointing error model

A systematic pointing error model is used to calibrate antennas in the Deep Space Network. The least squares problem is described and analyzed along with the solution methods used to determine the model's parameters. Specifically studied are the rank degeneracy problems resulting from beam pointing error measurement sets that incorporate inadequate sky coverage. A least squares parameter subset selection method is described and its applicability to the systematic error modeling process is demonstrated on Voyager 2 measurement distribution.

Alvarez, L. S.↗

Condition of chromic acid anodized aluminum clamps flown

A survey of the condition of the chromic acid anodized (CAA) coating on selected LDEF tray clamps was carried out. Measurements of solar absorptance and thermal emittance were carried out at multiple locations on both the space exposed and spacecraft facing sides of the clamps. Multiple clamps from each available angle relative to the ram direction were examined. The diffuse component of the reflectance spectrum was measured for a selected subset of the clamps. The thickness of the CAA was determined for a small set of clamps. Examples of variation in integrity of the coatings from leading to trailing edge will be shown.

Plagemann, W. L.↗

TOAD Gateway

TOAD Gateway is interactive software tool for converting data files to and from variety of file formats. Currently reads and writes following file formats: TOAD; Standard Interface File (SIF); Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories (POST) input; Comma Separated Value and Tab Separated Value, common in PC and Macintosh spreadsheet and database packages; and general free format. Additional modules for accommodating other formats easily developed and installed. Companion program, TOAD Editor (LAR-14423), manipulates contents of TOAD files and extracts selected subsets of data. TOAD Gateway written in FORTRAN 77.

Bingel, Bradford D.↗

The NSO FTS database program and archive (FTSDBM)

Data from the NSO Fourier transform spectrometer is being re-archived from half inch tape onto write-once compact disk. In the process, information about each spectrum and a low resolution copy of each spectrum is being saved into an on-line database. FTSDBM is a simple database management program in the NSO external package for IRAF. A command language allows the FTSDBM user to add entries to the database, delete entries, select subsets from the database based on keyword values including ranges of values, create new database files based on these subsets, make keyword lists, examine low resolution spectra graphically, and make disk number/file number lists. Once the archive is complete, FTSDBM will allow the database to be efficiently searched for data of interest to the user and the compact disk format will allow random access to that data.

Lytle, D. M.↗

Transferable Output ASCII Data (TOAD) editor version 1.0 user's guide

The Transferable Output ASCII Data (TOAD) editor is an interactive software tool for manipulating the contents of TOAD files. The TOAD editor is specifically designed to work with tabular data. Selected subsets of data may be displayed to the user's screen, sorted, exchanged, duplicated, removed, replaced, inserted, or transferred to and from external files. It also offers a number of useful features including on-line help, macros, a command history, an 'undo' option, variables, and a full compliment of mathematical functions and conversion factors. Written in ANSI FORTRAN 77 and completely self-contained, the TOAD editor is very portable and has already been installed on SUN, SGI/IRIS, and CONVEX hosts.

Bingel, Bradford D.↗

Analysis of tipping-curve measurements performed at the DSS-13 beam-waveguide antenna at 32.0 and 8.45 GigaHertz

This article reports on the analysis of the Ka-band Antenna Performance Experiment tipping-curve data acquired at the DSS-13 research and development beam-waveguide (BWG) antenna. By measuring the operating system temperatures as the antenna is moved form zenith to low-elevation angles and fitting a model to the data, one can obtain information on how well the overall temperature model behaves at zenith and approximate the contribution due to the atmosphere. The atmospheric contribution estimated from the data can be expressed in the form of (1) atmospheric noise temperatures that can provide weather statistic information and be compared against those estimated from other methods and (2) the atmospheric loss factor used to refer efficiency measurements to zero atmosphere. This article reports on an analysis performed on a set of 68 8.4-GHz and 67 32-GHz tipping-curve data sets acquired between December 1993 and May 1995 and compares the results with those inferred from a surface model using input meteorological data and from water vapor radiometer (WVR) data. The general results are that, for a selected subset of tip curves, (1) the BWG tipping-curve atmospheric temperatures are in good agreement with those determined from WVR data (the average difference is 0.06 +/- 0.64 K at 32 GHz) and (2) the surface model average values are biased 3.6 K below those of the BWG and WVR at 32 GHz.

Morabito, D. D.↗

Flow properties along field lines in a 3-D tilted-dipole geometry

A 3-D MHD simulation of a global, tilted-dipole solar wind flow pattern is analyzed to determine flow properties along individual magnetic field lines. In the model, flow conditions near the Sun are chosen to provide a reasonable match to the interplanetary configuration prevailing during the recent south polar passage by Ulysses, i.e., a streamer belt inclined approximately 30 deg to the solar equator and speeds ranging from 325-800 km/s. Field lines all across the stream pattern are traced from 1 to 10 AU by following the motion of marker particles embedded in the flow. It is found that those field lines threading the core of the interaction region are subject to significant latitudinal and relative longitudinal displacement over this range of heliocentric distance. Thus, observations taken at a fixed latitude in the inner solar system sample, over the course of a solar rotation, field lines which connect to a range of latitudes in the outer heliosphere. Maps of the field line displacements are presented to help visualize these connections. In addition, it is found that depending upon the location relative to the CIR structure, the radial evolution of fluid elements frozen to different field lines can deviate considerably from that of the canonical solar wind. That is, for selected subsets of field lines, large speed changes (not just at shocks) can be experienced; the density variation can be far from 1/r(exp 2), and the magnetic field intensity need not decay monotonically with distance.

Pizzo, V. J.↗

Changing the Landscape of Civil Aviation

NASA is undertaking several bold new initiatives to develop revolutionary technologies for civil aviation. These technologies span the civil aviation fleet from general aviation to large subsonic and supersonic aircraft and promise to bring a new era of new aircraft, lower operation costs, faster more direct flight capabilities, more environmentally friendly aircraft, and safer airline operations. These initiatives have specific quantified goals that require technologies well beyond those currently being developed creating a bold new vision for aeronautics. Revolutionary propulsion systems are enabling for these advancements. This paper gives an overview of the new national aeronautics goals and explores for a selected subset of goals some of the revolutionary technologies will be required to meet some of these goals. The focus of the paper is on the pivotal role propulsion and icing technologies will play in changing the landscape of civil aviation.

Russo, Carol J.↗

Chandra Serendipitous and Cycle 1 Targeted Surveys

A team led by scientists at the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC, formally known as the AXAF Science Center) is developing plans for a Serendipitous Survey using a selected subset of Chandra observations starting with Cycle 1. This survey will include two parts: (1) for sources sufficiently bright to be identified in available sky surveys (V approximately < 21), probable optical identifications and related imaging data will be, provided with the X-ray data as part of the Chandra data products. (2) at fainter flux X-ray source identifications will be determined from publically available, archival data and new optical imaging observations. We estimate that this survey will yield approximately 2500 source identifications in Cycle 1 down to X-ray flux levels approximately 10(exp -15) erg/sq cm.s and covering an area of sky approximately 10 sq degs. Optical spectroscopy and radio imaging will also be obtained for a subset of these sources. We are exploring appropriate ways to involve interested Chandra observers as well as other scientists in this survey project. A general overview of the various surveys which comprise a portion of the Chandra Cycle 1 GTO and GO programs and are not covered elsewhere in these proceedings will also be presented.

Wilkes, Belinda↗

Performance of an Active Noise Control System for Fan Tones Using Vane Actuators

An Active Noise Control (ANC) system for ducted fan noise was built that uses actuators located in stator vanes. The custom designed actuators A,ere piezoelectric benders manufactured using THUNDER technology. The ANC system was tested in the NASA Active Noise Control Fan rig. A total of 168 actuators in 28 stator vanes were used (six per vane). Simultaneous inlet and exhaust acoustic power level reductions were demonstrated for a fan modal structure that contained two radial modes in each direction. Total circumferential mode power levels were reduced by up to 9 dB in the inlet and 3 dB in the exhaust. The corresponding total 2BPF tone level reductions were by 6 dB in the inlet and 2 dB in the exhaust. Farfield sound pressure level reductions of up to 17 dB were achieved at the peak mode lobe angle. The performance of the system was limited by the constraints of the power amplifiers and the presence of control spillover. Simpler control/actuator systems using carefully selected subsets of the full system and random simulated failures of up to 7% of the actuators were investigated. (The actuators were robust and none failed during the test). Useful reductions still occurred under these conditions.

Sutliff, Daniel L.↗

Improved Fine Sun Sensor Field of View Calibration

The fine Sun sensor used on many spacecraft consists of two independent single-axis sensor heads, nominally mounted perpendicularly. These detect the Sun angle over a field of view typically of +32 deg. (There is a trade-off between accuracy and size of the field of view that allows for much latitude in any numbers quoted.) The nonlinear "transfer" function that maps the telemetered counts into observed angles consists of 9 adjustable parameters for each axis (1 8 total). An augmented transfer function has previously been reported that achieves a significant accuracy improvement across the entire field of view. That function expands the parameter set to 12 coefficients per axis (24 total) and includes cross terms combining counts from both axes. To make the best use of the Sun sensor for attitude determination, it must be calibrated after launch. However, the large number of parameters and the nonlinearity of the problem make this a challenging task. The purpose of this paper is to examine ways to improve convergence of the parameter search algorithm. In particular, experience has shown that the problem should be broken down into several steps, solving for a selected subset of the parameters at each step. This approach has now been incorporated as an option in the calibration utility.

Sedlak, J.↗

Strain-Gage Loads Calibration Parametric Study

This paper documents a parametric study of various aircraft wing-load test features that affect the quality of the resultant derived shear, bending-moment, and torque strain-gage load equations. The effect of the following on derived strain-gage equation accuracy are compared: single-point loading compared with distributed loading, variation in applied test load magnitude, number of applied load cases, and wing-box-only compared with control-surface loading. The subject of this study is an extensive wing-load calibration test of the Active Aeroelastic Wing F/A-18 airplane. Selected subsets of the available test data were used to derive load equations using the linear regression method. Results show the benefit of distributed loading and the diminishing-return benefits of test load magnitudes and number of load cases. The use of independent check cases as a quality metric for the derived load equations is shown to overcome blind extrapolating beyond the load data used to derive the load equations.

Lokos, William A.↗