Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “variable data rates”

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 361 records · Page 20
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1979

HEAO 1 observations of high-energy X-rays from 3C273

The first detection of high energy (13 to 120 keV) X rays from the quasar 3C273, made by the HEAO 1 satellite, is reported. Observations were made with the 13 to 180 keV slat collimated detectors of the high energy X-ray and low energy gamma-ray (A4) experiment during December 1977-January 1978 and June-July 1978. Results are consistent with the previously observed X-ray flux variability on a scale of months. Photon count rates are presented for each of five energy bands and count rate and photon spectra for the June through July 1978 observations are derived. A comparison of the data obtained with that at lower X-ray energies and higher gamma-ray energies indicates that there is an overall spectral steepening from low to high energies and a possible break near 20 keV, which may be due to the gamma rays originating from a different region than that of the X rays.

Primini, F. A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A comprehensive solar energy system analysis data base in Huntsville, Alabama

The history of a comprehensive solar energy system analysis data base developed by NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center and the University of Alabama is presented, along with its current status. The Marshall Information Retrieval and Data Storage (MIRADS) system was chosen for the data base, and feedback systems were arranged to cope with changes in the needs of the program management for the type of data gathered. The final structure of the data base consists of 22 files divided into 6 topical sections: summaries, climatological, utility rates, architectural, equipment, and economics. The data base offers help to the solar industry in two ways: it provides information and it serves as a model for users trying to establish the climatic and socioeconomic variables they should take into account when they examine a potential market for solar energy equipment.

Goddard, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

TRMM-related research: Tropical rainfall and energy analysis experiment

The overall science objective of the participation in TRMM is the determination of daily rainfall and latent heating in the tropical atmosphere using TRMM and complementary spacecraft observations. The major focus these first three years has been to extend, in space and time, the TRMM satellite observations of rainfall. Observations from TRMM active and passive microwave radiometers will provide the fundamental observations for understanding the hydrological cycle of the tropics. Due to the orbit of the TRMM satellite and the extreme variability of convective rain systems, the TRMM observations provide rainfall estimates representative of a one month period. Monthly mean rainfall rates provide valuable information; however, this time scale limitation neglects the great value of the data towards a better understanding of the physics of tropical convection. Many tropical periodicities will not be characterized by these monthly averages, e.g. diurnal cycles, the 4-6 day easterly waves, and the 30 to 60 day cycle. In the spatial domain, due to its orbit, the TRMM satellite will over-fly many convective systems only once. Indeed, some precipitating systems will not be sampled at all. Observations from geostationary satellites can be used to extend the TRMM observations to smaller time and space scales. Although geostationary satellites cannot probe the interiors of precipitating systems, they do observe their life cycles. To acquire information on cloud water content and rain rate, it is proposed to combine geostationary and other satellite observations with the TRMM satellite measurements.

Suomi, Verner E.↗
NASA NTRS2001

The Role of Mesoscale Variability on Plankton Dynamics in the North Atlantic

The intensive field observational phase of JGOFS in the North Atlantic Ocean has shown the importance of oceanic mesoscale variability on biogeochemical cycles and on the strength of the ocean biological pump. Mesoscale physical dynamics govern the major time/space scales of bulk biological variability (biomass, production, and export). Mesoscale eddies seem to have a strong impact on the ecosystem structure and functioning, but observational evidence is rather limited. For the signature of the mesoscale features to exist in the ecosystem, the comparison of temporal scales of formation and evolution of mesoscale features and reaction of the ecosystem is a key factor. Biological patterns are driven by active changes in biological source and sink terms rather than simply by passive turbulent mixing. A first modelling assessment of the regional balances between horizontal and vertical eddy-induced nutrient supplies in the euphotic zone shows that the horizontal transport predominates over the vertical route in the subtropical gyre, whereas the reverse holds true for the other biogeochemical provinces of the North Atlantic. Presently, despite some difference in numbers, the net impact of modelled eddies yields an enhancement of the biological productivity in most provinces of the North Atlantic Ocean. Key issues remaining include variation on the mesoscale of subsurface particle and dissolved organic matter remineralization, improved knowledge of the ecological response to patterns of variability, synopticity in mesoscale surveys along with refining measures of biogeochemical time/space variability. Eventual success of assimilation of in situ and satellite data, still in its infancy in coupled physical/biogeochemical models, will be crucial to achieve JGOFS synthesis in answering which data are most informative, standing stocks or rates, and which ones are relevant. Depending on which end of the spectrum quantification of the effect of mesoscale features on production and community structure is required, complementary strategies are offered. Either one may choose to increase resolution of models up to the very fine mesoscale features scale (a few kms) for the high end, or to include a parametric representation of eddies for the low end.

Garcon, Veronique C.↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Role of Mesoscale Variability on Plankton Dynamics in the North Atlantic

The intensive field observational phase of JGOFS in the North Atlantic Ocean has shown the importance of oceanic mesoscale variability on biogeochemical cycles and on the strength of the ocean biological pump. Mesoscale physical dynamics govern the major time/space scales of bulk biological variability (biomass, production and export). Mesoscale eddies seem to have a strong impact on the ecosystem structure and functioning, but observational evidence is rather limited. For the signature of the mesoscale features to exist in the ecosystem, the comparison of temporal scales of formation and evolution of mesoscale features and reaction of the ecosystem is a key factor. Biological patterns are driven by active changes in biological source and sink terms rather than simply by passive turbulent mixing. A first modelling assessment of the regional balances between horizontal and vertical eddy-induced nutrient supplies in the euphotic zone shows that the horizontal transport predominates over the vertical route in the subtropical gyre, whereas the reverse holds true for the other biogeochemical provinces of the North Atlantic. Presently. despite some difference in numbers, the net impact of modelled eddies yields an enhancement of the biological productivity in most provinces of the North Atlantic Ocean. Key issues remaining include variation on the mesoscale of subsurface particle and dissolved organic matter remineralization, improved knowledge of the ecological response to patterns of variability, synopticity in mesoscale surveys along with refining measures of biogeochemical time/space variability. Eventual success of assimilation of in situ and satellite data, still in its infancy in coupled physical/biogeochemical models, will be crucial to achieve JGOFS synthesis in answering which data are most informative, standing stocks or rates, and which ones are relevant. Depending on which end of the spectrum quantification of the effect of mesoscale features on production and community structure is required, complementary strategies are offered. Either one may choose to increase resolution of models up to the very fine mesoscale features scale (a few kms) for the high end, or to include a parametric representation of eddies for the low end.

Garcon, Veronique, C.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Linear Multivariable Regression Models for Prediction of Eddy Dissipation Rate from Available Meteorological Data

Linear multivariable regression models for predicting day and night Eddy Dissipation Rate (EDR) from available meteorological data sources are defined and validated. Model definition is based on a combination of 1997-2000 Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) data sources, EDR from Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS) deployment data, and regression variables primarily from corresponding Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) data. Model validation is accomplished through EDR predictions on a similar combination of 1994-1995 Memphis (MEM) AVOSS and ASOS data. Model forms include an intercept plus a single term of fixed optimal power for each of these regression variables; 30-minute forward averaged mean and variance of near-surface wind speed and temperature, variance of wind direction, and a discrete cloud cover metric. Distinct day and night models, regressing on EDR and the natural log of EDR respectively, yield best performance and avoid model discontinuity over day/night data boundaries.

MCKissick, Burnell T.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Development of the Sasquatch Drop Test Footprint Tool

The Crew Exploration Vehicle Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) is the parachute system for NASA s Orion spacecraft. CPAS is currently in the design and testing phase of development. The test program consists of numerous drop tests, wherein a test article rigged with parachutes is extracted or released from an aircraft. During such tests, range safety is paramount, as is the recoverability of the parachutes and test article. It is crucial to establish an aircraft release point that will ensure that the article and all items released from it will land in safe locations. Early in the CPAS project, a legacy tool (previously used on the X-38 project) was used to determine a safe release point and to predict the landing locations (the footprint) of the payload and all released objects. Due to increasing test complexity and the need for a more flexible tool, a new footprint predictor tool, called Sasquatch, was created in MATLAB. This tool takes in a simulated trajectory for the test article, information about all released objects, and atmospheric wind data (simulated or actual) to calculate the trajectories of the released objects. Dispersions are applied to the landing locations of those objects, taking into account the variability of winds, aircraft release point, and object descent rate. A safe aircraft release point is determined based on the landing locations of the payload and released objects. The release point, landing locations, and dispersions are plotted on a simple map of the drop zone for easy reference. To date, Sasquatch has been used for thirteen drop tests. Comparing the predictions with actual test results has allowed for significant improvements in the tool s predictive capabilities, especially the incorporation of a well-correlated horizontal throw model. Intended future improvements to the tool include tighter dispersions on the landing locations, Monte Carlo capability, direct input from trajectory simulations, and a graphical user interface.

Bledsoe, Kristin J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

High-precision timing of millisecond pulsars. II - Astrometry, orbital evolution, and eclipses of PSR 1957 + 20

Pulse time-of-arrival measurements have been acquired for PSR 1957 + 20 on 61 days over a 2.7 yr interval, including the times of 44 eclipse disappearance or reappearance events. The timing data provide a reliable measurement of the pulsar's proper motion, 29 +/- 3 mas/yr, at position angle 216 +/- 6 deg; this direction is in excellent agreement with that suggested by the cometlike shape of a surrounding optical emission nebula. The rate of change of the orbital period has been measured: a surprisingly large (-3.9 +/- 0.9) x 10 exp -11, implying that significant orbital evolution must take place on a time scale of 30 Myr. Finally, the present observations extend the eclipse measurements to higher frequencies and provide better statistics for these highly variable phenomena. The eclipse data are used to compute a column-density profile of free electrons in the outer parts of the eclipsing region, and thereby provide an important glimpse into the material being ablated from the companion star.

Ryba, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Infrared measurements of HF and HCl total column abundances above Kitt Peak, 1977-1990 - Seasonal cycles, long-term increases, and comparisons with model calculations

The paper deals with hydrogen-chloride and hydrogen-fluoride total column measurements, their estimated long-term rates of increase, seasonal cycles, and variability, deduced from the analysis of a set of high-resolution infrared solar spectra recorded at Kitt Peak. The Kitt Peak observations and methods of analysis are described, the results are presented and compared with previously reported measurements and trends. The data is analyzed by using a multilayer nonlinear least-squares spectral fitting procedure and a consistent set of spectroscopic line parameters. Model-calculated hydrogen-chloride and hydrogen-fluoride total columns obtained with a two-dimensional model are discussed, and the model results are compared with the measured hydrogen-chloride and hydrogen-fluoride total columns, seasonal cycles, and trends. It is pointed out that the observed trends of both molecules are in satisfactory agreement with the model results calculated from emission histories and photooxidation rates for the source molecules.

Rinsland, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Correlation and Trend Studies of the Sea Ice Cover and Surface Temperatures in the Arctic

Co-registered and continuous satellite data of sea ice concentrations and surface ice temperatures from 1981 to 1999 are analyzed to evaluate relationships between these two critical climate parameters and what they reveal in tandem about the changing Arctic environment. During the 18-year period, the actual Arctic ice area is shown to be declining at a rate of 3.1 +/- 0.4 % /decade while the surface ice temperature has been increasing at 0.4 +/- 0.2 K /decade. Yearly anomaly maps also show that the ice concentration anomalies are predominantly positive in the 1980s and negative in the 1990s while surface temperature anomalies were mainly negative in the 1980s and positive in the 1990s. The yearly ice concentration and surface temperature anomalies are shown to be highly correlated indicating a strong link especially in the seasonal region and around the periphery of the perennial ice cover. The surface temperature data are also especially useful in providing the real spatial scope of each warming (or cooling) phenomenon that usually extends beyond the boundaries of the sea ice cover. Studies of the temporal variability of the summer ice minimum also reveal that the perennial ice cover has been declining at the rate of 6.6% /decade while the summer surface ice temperature has been increasing at the rate of 1.3 K /decade. Moreover, high year-to-year fluctuations in the minimum ice cover in the 1990s may have caused reductions in average thickness of the Arctic sea ice cover.

Comiso, Josefino C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Passenger comfort response times as a function of aircraft motion

The relationship between a passenger's response time of changes in level of comfort experienced as a function of aircraft motion was examined. The aircraft used in this investigation was capable of providing a wide range of vertical and transverse accelerations by means of direct lift flap control surfaces and side force generator surfaces in addition to normal control surfaces. Response times to changes in comfort were recorded along with the passenger's rating of comfort on a five point scale. In addition, a number of aircraft motion variables including vertical and transverse accelerations were also recorded. Results indicate some relationship between human comfort response times to reaction time data.

Rinalducci, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Description of sunspot cycles by orthogonal functions

Based on the principal component analysis technique and evidence for a 22-yr double-sunspot cycle periodicity. The time series of sunspot numbers is represented as a sum of mutually orthogonal eigenvectors in the time domain. It is shown that the first two eigenvectors account for about 90 percent of the cumulative 'signal power,' and that this is sufficient for reconstruction of the raw data curve. It is also noted that the second eigenvector behaves as the time derivative of the first, and that a phase-plane plot of these eigenvectors (i.e. a plot of a variable vs. its rate of change) suggests that the sun's sunspot cycle is driven by an oscillator; the implication is that, embedded within the sun, a chronometer is at work (e.g. Dicke, 1979).

Teuber, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A model for the production of cosmogenic nuclides in chondrites

A model is presented for calculating the production rates of cosmic-ray-produced He, Ne, and Ar as well as Be-10, Al-26, and Mn-53 in chondrites of variable size and shape. The predictions of this model are compared with published data for the meteorites ALH78084, St. Severin, and Keyes. The agreement is found to be about 5 percent for the concentrations of Be-10, Ne-21, Ne-22, Ar-38, and Mn-53, and to be better than 1 percent for the Ne-22/Ne-21 ratios. The correlation between P(Be-10)/P(Ne-21) and Ne-22/Ne-21 ratios is experimentally verified over a wide range of irradiation conditions.

Graf, TH.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Science Goal Driven Observing: A Step Towards Maximizing Science Returns and Spacecraft Autonomy

While recent missions have made great strides in the ability to autonomously monitor and react to changing health and physical status of spacecraft, little progress has been made in responding quickly to science driven events. Also, the new generation of space-based telescopes will generate data at an unprecedented rate. Yet, while on-board data processing and storage capability will increase rapidly, bandwidth for downloading data will not increase as fast and can become a significant cost of a science program. For observations of inherently variable targets and targets of opportunity, the ability to recognize early if an observation will not meet the science goals, and react accordingly, can have a major positive impact on the overall scientific returns of an observatory and on its operational costs. If the observatory can reprioritize the schedule to focus on alternate targets, discard uninteresting observations prior to downloading, or download them at a reduced resolution its overall efficiency will be dramatically increased. We are investigating and developing tools for a science goal monitoring (SGM) system. The SGM will have an interface to help capture higher-level science goals from the scientists and translate them into a flexible observing strategy that SGM can execute and monitor. SGM will then monitor the incoming data stream and interface with data processing systems to recognize significant events. When an event occurs, the system will use the science goals given it to reprioritize observations, and react appropriately and/or communicate with ground systems - both human and machine - for confirmation and/or further high priority analyses.

Jones, Jeremy↗
NASA NTRS2002

Science Goal Driven Observing: A Step Towards Maximizing Science Returns and Spacecraft Autonomy

In the coming decade, the drive to increase the scientific returns on capital investment and to reduce costs will force automation to be implemented in many of the scientific tasks that have traditionally been manually overseen. Thus, spacecraft autonomy will become an even greater part of mission operations. While recent missions have made great strides in the ability to autonomously monitor and react to changing health and physical status of spacecraft, little progress has been made in responding quickly to science driven events. The new generation of space-based telescopes/observatories will see deeper, with greater clarity, and they will generate data at an unprecedented rate. Yet, while onboard data processing and storage capability will increase rapidly, bandwidth for downloading data will not increase as fast and can become a significant bottleneck and cost of a science program. For observations of inherently variable targets and targets of opportunity, the ability to recognize early if an observation will not meet the science goals of variability or minimum brightness, and react accordingly, can have a major positive impact on the overall scientific returns of an observatory and on its operational costs. If the observatory can reprioritize the schedule to focus on alternate targets, discard uninteresting observations prior to downloading, or download them at a reduced resolution its overall efficiency will be dramatically increased. We are investigating and developing tools for a science goal monitoring (SGM) system. The SGM will have an interface to help capture higher-level science goals from scientists and translate them into a flexible observing strategy that SGM can execute and monitor. SGM will then monitor the incoming data stream and interface with data processing systems to recognize significant events. When an event occurs, the system will use the science goals given it to reprioritize observations, and react appropriately and/or communicate with ground systems - both human and machine - for confirmation and/or further high priority analyses.

Koratkar, Anuradha↗
NASA NTRS2018

Using Concurrent Cardiovascular Information to Augment Survival Time Data for Evaluating Orthostatic Tilt Test Performance

Head-up tilt (HUT) tests often are used in research to measure orthostatic intolerance (OI) (inability to appropriately control blood pressure while upright) in clinical populations and otherwise healthy individuals after interventions. Post-space flight orthostatic intolerance is a well-known phenomenon, and countermeasures to its development has been an active area of research at NASA. In the NASA HUT protocol, subjects lie horizontally on an automatic tilt table for baseline measurements before being raised to 80deg head-up tilt for a defined period of time or until signs or symptoms of presyncope ensues (light-headedness, nausea, dizziness, sweating, weakness or fainting). Multiple measures are collected to evaluate the cardiovascular system's ability to respond appropriately to the orthostatic challenge. However if the intended duration of the HUT is short, the ability to detect changes in OI due to an intervention or its prevention by a countermeasure may be limited by a small number of failures to permit comparisons based on survival time alone. Thus, the time-trajectory of the cardiovascular data becomes an important additional source of information. In particular, we will show how various measures of trajectory variability can effectively augment survival analysis for the assessment of OI in a joint model when high censoring rates are present.

Feiveson, Alan H.↗
NASA NTRS2019

A Multidisciplinary Modeling Approach of Plant Gas Exchange in Reduced Gravity Environments

In-situ food production is a necessary step for human exploration of the solar system and requires a deep understanding of plant growth in reduced gravity environments. In particular, the lack of buoyancy-driven convection changes the gas exchange at the leaf surface, which decreases photosynthesis and transpiration rates, and ultimately biomass production. To understand the intricate relations between physical, chemical, and biochemical processes, the following methodology combines the development of a mechanistic model of plant growth in reduced gravity environments, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and experiments in different time frames.The model presented here is a coupled mass and energy balance using the single round leaf assumption, including gravity as an entry parameter, and the leaf surface temperature as an output variable. Measures of the leaf surface temperature using infra-red cameras allow for a computation of the transpiration rate. This approach was followed to design a parabolic flight experiment, which performed 7 flights, and enabled data collection for model validation in different gravity and ventilation settings on a short time frame. Current measures of carbon assimilation and transpiration rate at the leaf and canopy level using an infra-red gas analyzer (Li-6800) in 1g lab conditions on several species will enable a validation on longer time frames and further calibration of the model. CFD studies both on the parabolic flight and on the lab experimental set-up allow the precise assessment of ventilation above the canopy and plants' leaves.Ultimately, this work will provide recommendations for the design of future plant growth hardware, especially on the lowest adequate ventilation for optimal plant growth in reduced gravity environments, as well as assessing biomass and oxygen production rates on planetary surfaces and space stations. This work was funded by CNES, CNRS, Clermont Auvergne Metropole, and NASA Space Biology through NASA postdoctoral program / USRA.

Poulet, Lucie↗
NASA NTRS2021

Data-driven landslide nowcasting at the global scale

Landslides affect nearly every country in the world each year. To better understand this global hazard, the Landslide Hazard Assessment for Situational Awareness (LHASA) model was developed previously. LHASA version 1 combines satellite precipitation estimates with a global landslide susceptibility map to produce a gridded map of potentially hazardous areas from 60° North-South every 3 h. LHASA version 1 categorizes the world’s land surface into three ratings: high, moderate, and low hazard with a single decision tree that first determines if the last seven days of rainfall were intense, then evaluates landslide susceptibility. LHASA version 2 has been developed with a data-driven approach. The global susceptibility map was replaced with a collection of explanatory variables, and two new dynamically varying quantities were added: snow and soil moisture. Along with antecedent rainfall, these variables modulated the response to current daily rainfall. In addition, the Global Landslide Catalog (GLC) was supplemented with several inventories of rainfall-triggered landslide events. These factors were incorporated into the machine-learning framework XGBoost, which was trained to predict the presence or absence of landslides over the period 2015–2018, with the years 2019–2020 reserved for model evaluation. As a result of these improvements, the new global landslide nowcast was twice as likely to predict the occurrence of historical landslides as LHASA version 1, given the same global false positive rate. Furthermore, the shift to probabilistic outputs allows users to directly manage the trade-off between false negatives and false positives, which should make the nowcast useful for a greater variety of geographic settings and applications. In a retrospective analysis, the trained model ran over a global domain for 5 years, and results for LHASA version 1 and version 2 were compared. Due to the importance of rainfall and faults in LHASA version 2, nowcasts would be issued more frequently in some tropical countries, such as Colombia and Papua New Guinea; at the same time, the new version placed less emphasis on arid regions and areas far from the Pacific Rim. LHASA version 2 provides a nearly real-time view of global landslide hazard for a variety of stakeholders.

XGBoos↗