SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “HISTOGRAM”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 397 records · Page 22

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1990

Sub-electron noise charge coupled devices

A charge coupled device designed for celestial spectroscopy has achieved readout noise as low as 0.6 electrons rms. A nondestructive output circuit was operated in a special manner to read a single pixel multiple times. Off-chip electronics averaged the multiple values, reducing the random noise by the square root of the number of readouts. Charge capacity was measured to be 500,000 electrons. The device format is 1600 pixels horizontal by 64 pixels vertical. Pixel size is 28 microns square. Two output circuits are located at opposite ends of the 1600 bit CCD register. The device was thinned and operated backside illuminated at -110 degrees C. Output circuit design, layout, and operation are described. Presented data includes the photon transfer curve, noise histograms, and bar-target images down to 3 electrons signal. The test electronics are described, and future improvements are discussed.

Chandler, Charles E.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Diurnal variations of outgoing longwave radiation and albedo from ERBE scanner data

The scanning instruments of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment provide measurements of instantaneous broadband albedo and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) with a spatial resolution of about 50 km. Data from the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), which is in an orbit that precesses through local time at the rate of one hour every three days, can be used to describe the mean, hourly diurnal variations in the distribution of OLR and albedo on this scale. Much of this variation is caused by cloud type and amount changes. Two-dimensional histograms show the coevolution of OLR and albedo with the diurnal cycle, and the distribution of albedo-OLR pairings associated with the cloud distribution in a particular region and season. The albedo-OLR pairing characterizes a cloud type and determines its net effect on the energy balance at the top of the atmosphere. Diurnal variations in cloud type and amount in many regions are sufficient to cause substantial errors in radiation budget quantities and cloud properties estimated from observations taken from a single sun-synchronous orbit. Errors in estimated net radiation can be as large as 50 W/sq m for oceanic stratus regions and for land regions during summer.

Hartmann, Dennis L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Radiation damage in a Tektronix 512 CCD

A Tektronix CCD was subjected to a proton beam. Comparisons were made of the CCD characteristics before, during, and after radiation. Gain and readout noise were not affected and charge transfer efficiency, full well, and dark current were. Permanent CTE damage resulted immediately upon radiation, but full well damage developed two days after radiation, while the dark current showed signs of recovery before permanent damage occurred. Histogram analysis showed that the most spiky-type behavior resulted from damage to defects existing in the CCD before radiation.

Brown, Larry W.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Radiation test results on TK 1024 CCDs

Results are presented from tests on TK 1024 CCDs with a multipinned phase (MPP) implant built into an experiental mask set. The average dark current as a function of temperature increased by a factor of about 3 for the 5 krads of gammas, which is a 10-fold increase for the extra 2 krads of protons. Histograms of the dark current show two types of dark current, an average level change, and dark current spikes.

Delamere, Alan↗

NASA NTRS1991

SO2-rich equatorial basins and epeirogeny of Io

Comparison of Io's large scale topography with an SO2 abundance map shows that SO2 is concentrated in equatorial topographic basins. In these basins, about 30 pct. of the surface is covered by SO2 at all elevations above the mean triaxial figure, and SO2 coverage increases with decreasing elevation to as much as 56 pct. at elevations below -1.5 km. The correlation is not good from long 240 to 360 degs where bright areas are covered by red, Pele type plume fallout, and in the polar regions where the topography is poorly known. The histogram of SO2 abundance binned by elevation appears bimodal, with a secondary concentration of SO2 at high elevations, but it is not certain that this is significant. Additional observations suggest that the basins have relatively little higher frequency topographic relief. The distribution of active plumes and hotspots show no obvious correlation with the topography. However, the Pele type plume all erupted from regions higher than the mean figure, and five of the eight Prometheus type plumes are more energetic and are associated with high temperature hotspots, whereas Prometheus type plumes are long lived and require large volatile reservoirs.

Mcewen, Alfred S.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Application of machine learning and expert systems to Statistical Process Control (SPC) chart interpretation

Statistical Process Control (SPC) charts are one of several tools used in quality control. Other tools include flow charts, histograms, cause and effect diagrams, check sheets, Pareto diagrams, graphs, and scatter diagrams. A control chart is simply a graph which indicates process variation over time. The purpose of drawing a control chart is to detect any changes in the process signalled by abnormal points or patterns on the graph. The Artificial Intelligence Support Center (AISC) of the Acquisition Logistics Division has developed a hybrid machine learning expert system prototype which automates the process of constructing and interpreting control charts.

Shewhart, Mark↗

NASA NTRS1991

Stochastic robustness

To carry out stochastic robustness analysis, an expected probability distribution is assigned to each uncertain parameter in the system. The Monte Carlo analysis proceeds by repeatedly assigning shaped random values to each plant parameter, evaluating the stability of performance metric, and performing the binary classification (stable/unstable, etc.). If the system is stable, the state response to a unit disturbance impulse can be propagated to establish whether the response would violate settling time envelopes and whether peak actuator use would violate predetermined maximums. The final estimates of the probability of each form of unacceptable behavior are found by dividing the number of cases in which the overall system had that form of unacceptability by the number of cases run. Stability robustness can be portrayed graphically using the stochastic root locus and by using histograms of parameter values found in the unacceptable cases.

Marrison, C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Crab pulsar giant pulses: Simultaneous radio and GRO observations

Observations are reported of the Crab pulsar made at radio frequencies concurrent with Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) observations from 15 to 27 May 1991. Using the 43 m telescope at Green Bank at 0.8 and 1.4 GHz, samples were made continuously for 10 hrs/day at intervals of 100 to 300 microsecs. The analysis of the radio data includes calculation of histograms of pulse intensities, absolute timing to about 20 microsec precision, and characterization of intensity variations on time scales from the 33 ms spin period to days. The most detailed analysis is presented made of giant pulses. The ultimate goal is to bin the radio data into giant and nongiant pulses and to form average waveforms of OSSE data for the corresponding pulse periods. A test is done to see whether the violet radio fluctuations (which are not seen in other radio pulsars to the same degree) are correlated with low energy gamma rays, yielding constraints on the radio coherence mechanism and the steadiness of the electron-positron outflow in the magnetosphere. Timing analysis of the radio data provides a well defined ephemeris over the specified range of epochs. The gamma ray pulse phase was predicted with an error of less than 70 microsecs.

Lundgren, Scott C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Spacecraft particulate sizing spectrometer

An evaluation prototype device is described, together with conclusions and several recommendations for follow-on flight hardware. The device detects individual particles crossing an external sensing zone, and produces a histogram displaying the size distribution of particles sensed, over the nominal range of 5 to 50 microns. The output is totally independent of the particle refractive index, and is also largely unaffected by particle shape. The reported diameters are in terms of the equivalent sphere, as judged by the scattered light intercepted by the receiving channels, which develop signals whenever a particle crosses the beam of illumination in the sensing zone. Supporting evidence for the latter assertion is discussed on the basis of experimental test data for non-spherical particulates. Also included is a technical appendix which presents theoretical arguments that provide a firm foundation for this assertion.

Miranda, Henry A., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Airborne lidar and radiometric observations of PBL- and low clouds

Boundary layer- and low altitude clouds over open ocean and continent areas have been studied during several field campaigns since mid-1990 using the French airborne backscatter lidar LEANDRE in conjunction with on-board IR and visible radiometers. LEANDRE is an automatic system, and a modification of the instrumental parameters, when airborne, is computer controlled through an operator keyboard. The vertical range squared lidar signals and instrument status are displayed in real time on two dedicated monitors. The lidar is used either down- or up-looking while the aircraft is flying above or below clouds. A switching of the viewing configuration takes about a minute. The lidar measurements provide a high resolution description of cloud morphology and holes in cloud layers. The flights were conducted during various meteorological conditions on single or multilayer stratocumulus and cumulus decks. Analysis on a single shot basis of cloud top (or bottom) altitude and a plot of the corresponding histogram allows one to determine a probability density function (PDF). The preliminary results show the PDFs for cloud top are not Gaussian and symmetric about the mean value. The skewness varies with atmospheric conditions. An example of results recorded over the Atlantic ocean near Biarritz is displayed, showing: (1) the range squared lidar signals as a function of time (here 100 s corresponds to about 8 km, 60 shots are averaged on horizontal); the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) - up to 600 m - is observed at the beginning of the leg as well as on surface returns, giving an indication of the porosity; (2) the cloud top altitude variation between 2.4 to 2.8 km during the 150 to 320 s section; and (3) the corresponding PDF. Similar results are obtained on stratocumulus over land. Single shot measurements can be used also to determine an optical porosity at a small scale as well as a fractional cloudiness at a larger scale. A comparison of cloud top altitude retrieved from lidar and narrowbeam IR radiometer is conducted to study the scale integration problem. A good agreement within less than 100 m relies on spatial uniformity and an optically thick layer. In the presence of holes, a discrepancy is observed. This is illustrated in figure 2, displaying as a function of time (1) the lidar signals; (2) the target temperature (either clouds or sea surface) retreived from a narrowbeam IR radiometer, 17 C is the sea surface temperature on that day; and (3) the visible flux, linked to cloud albedo, measured by a pyranometer. In preparation of ASTEX, down- and up-looking measurements where conducted on stratocumulus clouds over the Atlantic Ocean near Quimper in Brittany. Depending on the flight pattern orientation with respect to the wind, the top and bottom cloud morphologies are different. Preliminary results are given on cloud morphology, cloud top PDFs, optical porosity, fractional cloudiness, and comparison of lidar and radiometric measurements.

Flamant, P. H.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Radiometric calibration and monitoring of NOAA AVHRR visible data

Results and corrections to calibration for the NOAA-7, -8, -9, -10, and -11 AVHRR Channel 1 data, covering the period from July 1983 through December 1989, are presented. Results from the NOAA-7 and NOAA-9 analysis are used as examples to illustrate key points and present detailed results. In the AVHRR monitor procedure, the spatial variability index is calculated first to classify the data as CLEAR or CLOUD. This classification is then used to sort the data to produce three 1D radiance histograms for different surface types. The surface reflectances are retrieved from the radiances, and a set of reflectance filters are applied to sort the data into global surface reflectance maps. An examination of the NOAA-7 results shows that the NOAA-7 radiometer sensitivity actually decreased at a rate of about 0.5-1.0 percent per year. Trends inferred from the point measurements representing independent calibrations at different times, using models, known sites, and coincident aircraft measurements, agree well with the satellite methods.

Brest, Christopher L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

The spectral archive of cosmic X-ray sources observed by the Einstein Observatory Focal Plane Crystal Spectrometer

The Einstein Observatory Focal Plane Crystal Spectrometer (FPCS) used the technique of Bragg spectroscopy to study cosmic X-ray sources in the 0.2-3 keV energy range. The high spectral resolving power (E/Delta-E is approximately equal to 100-1000) of this instrument allowed it to resolve closely spaced lines and study the structure of individual features in the spectra of 41 cosmic X-ray sources. An archival summary of the results is presented as a concise record the FPCS observations and a source of information for future analysis by the general astrophysics community. For each observation, the instrument configuration, background rate, X-ray flux or upper limit within the energy band observed, and spectral histograms are given. Examples of the contributions the FPCS observations have made to the understanding of the objects observed are discussed.

Lum, Kenneth S. K.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Validation of Earth Radiation Budget Experiment scanning radiometer data inversion procedures

Validation techniques were implemented in the inversion of scanner radiometer data to assess the accuracy of the top of atmosphere radiant fluxes. An evaluation of SW radiant flux standard deviations for the same scene type shows that they contribute about 6.0 W/sq m for viewing zenith angles less than 55 deg and can reach values of up to 17.6 W/sq m for larger zenith angles in the backward scanning position. Three-channel intercomparison results, presented as color graphic displays and histograms, effectively validate the radiance measurements and the spectral factors. Along-track data were used to validate limb-darkening models and showed good agreement with current ERBE models. These validation techniques were found to be very effective in assessing the quality of the radiant fluxes generated by the ERBE inversion algorithm.

Manalo, Natividad D.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Pattern recognition analysis of polar clouds during summer and winter

A pattern recognition algorithm is demonstrated which classifies eighteen surface and cloud types in high-latitude AVHRR imagery based on several spectral and textural features, then estimates the cloud properties (fractional coverage, albedo, and brightness temperature) using a hybrid histogram and spatial coherence technique. The summertime version of the algorithm uses both visible and infrared data (AVHRR channels 1-4), while the wintertime version uses only infrared data (AVHRR channels 3-5). Three days of low-resolution AVHRR imagery from the Arctic and Antarctic during January and July 1984 were analyzed for cloud type and fractional coverage. The analysis showed significant amounts of high cloudiness in the Arctic during one day in winter. The Antarctic summer scene was characterized by heavy cloud cover in the southern ocean and relatively clear conditions in the continental interior. A large region of extremely low brightness temperatures in East Antarctica during winter suggests the presence of polar stratospheric cloud.

Ebert, Elizabeth E.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Numerical simulations of thermal detection of disbonds in lap joints

A 2D time-dependent FEM heat-transfer algorithm that is unconditionally stable and implicit is presently used to solve for the time-dependence of a structure's temperature. By examining data-reduction techniques in the framework of simulation data, the contrast enhancement afforded by a given technique can be evaluated without regard to experimental error. The present computational simulations demonstrate that the time-derivative technique can clearly delineate the substructure of lap-joint geometries; in addition, histograms of the front surface images are able to quantitatively measure contrast-enhancements for various inspection and data-reduction techniques.

Howell, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Nimbus-7 SMMR precipitation observations calibrated against surface radar during TAMEX

This paper represents a continuation of work begun by Petty and Katsaros (1990) on refining an attenuation-based technique for estimating rainfall parameters from polarized 37-GHz brightness temperatures. In the present work, Nimbus-7 SMMR normalized 37-GHz polarization differences P are compared with surface digital radar observations of oceanic precipitation, made during the Taiwan Area Mesoscale Experiment (TAMEX) for cases when the SMMR and the radar coverages of significant precipitation features were nearly simultaneous. After the radar data were corrected for range-dependent errors, relationships were determined between the 37-GHz P and the radar reflectivity factor Z. The relationship was used to generate a large set of simulated SMMR observations from all available TAMEX radar scans, to produce histograms and mean values of pixel-averaged rain rate as a function of P.

Petty, Grant W.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Dynamics of clusters of galaxies with central dominant galaxies. I - Galaxy redshifts

Optical redshifts are presented for a sample of 638 galaxies in the fields of the clusters Abell 85, DC 0107-46, Abell 496, Abell 2052, and DC 1842-63. The velocity histograms and wedge diagrams show evidence for a foreground sheet of galaxies in Abell 85 and background sheets of galaxies in DC 0107-46 and Abell 2052. The foreground group projected against the center of Abell 85 found by Beers et al. (1991) is confirmed. No evidence of substructure was found in Abell 496, Abell 2052, and DC 1842-63. The clusters have global velocity dispersions ranging from 551 km/s for DC 1842-63 to 714 km/s for A496, and flat dispersion profiles. Mass estimates using the virial theorem and the projected mass method range from 2.3 x 10 exp 14 solar masses for DC 0107-46 to 1.1 x 10 exp 15 solar masses for A85.

Malumuth, Eliot M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Accurate positions and finding charts for 528 high-redshift, luminous quasars

Finding charts and J2000 positions accurate to about 1 arcsec are presented for the 528 high-redshift (z is greater than 1), luminous (MV is less than -25.5) quasars investigated in the HST Snapshot Survey. A histogram showing the distribution of the differences between the positions determined by the Space Telescope Science Institute Astrometric Support Program and the catalog positions is provided.

Schneider, Donald P.↗