Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Radiation Imaging”

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 397 records · Page 22

Dose, LET, time and strain dependence of radiation-induced 53BP1 foci in 15 mouse strains ex vivo and associations to in vivo radiation susceptibility

We present a comparative analysis on the repair of radiation-induced DNA damage ex vivo in 15 strains of mice, including 5 inbred reference strains and 10 collaborative-cross strains, of both sexes. Non-immortalized primary skin fibroblasts derived from 76 mice were subjected to both low- and high-LET radiation (0.1, 1 and 4 Gy of X rays; 1.1 and 3 particles/100μm2 of 350 MeV/n 40Ar and 600 MeV/n 56Fe). Automated image quantification of 53BP1 radiation-induced foci (RIF) during the first 4-48 h post-irradiation was performed as a function of dose and LET. Similarly to what we had previously reported for immortalized human cell lines [1], we observed a saturation of RIF number with dose at 4h post-irradiation, with more RIF/Gy for lower LET (X rays and 40Ar) compared to 56Fe. However at later time points (24h and above), the trend was inverted with more RIF/Gy for higher LET. Our data suggest that multiple DSBs cluster into RIF: as the linear density of DSBs increases with LET, so does the probability of having more DSBs per RIF, which makes it more difficult for cells to fully resolve high-LET-induced RIF, explaining the hypersensitivity to high-LET radiation despite a low number of RIF. Taking into account the amount of clustering at a given dose and LET, but also the kinetics of DNA damage repair, we introduced a novel mathematical formalism to evaluate the number of remaining RIF over time. We showed that the newly introduced kinetic metrics can be used as surrogate biomarkers for in vivo radiation toxicity, with potential applications in radiotherapy and human space exploration. In particular, we observed an association between the repairable fraction of RIF measured in vitro and survival levels of immune cells collected from irradiated mice. Moreover, the speed of DNA damage repair correlated with spontaneous cancer incidence data collected from the Mouse Tumor Biology database, suggesting a relationship between the efficiency of DSB repair after irradiation and cancer risk. In addition to the efficacy of repair and persistent RIF levels, even the amount of spontaneous foci without irradiation was shown to be strain dependent, indicating that these phenotypes are at least partially driven by genetics, and supporting their potential as indicators of individual radiation sensitivity. [1] Neumaier, T., et al., PNAS, 2012 (8) 109:443

Radiation, DNA damage, repair kinetics↗

The Track Imaging Cerenkov Experiment

We describe a dedicated cosmic-ray telescope that explores a new method for detecting Cerenkov radiation from high-energy primary cosmic rays and the large particle air shower they induce upon entering the atmosphere. Using a camera comprising 16 multi-anode photomultiplier tubes for a total of 256 pixels, the Track Imaging Cerenkov Experiment (TrICE) resolves substructures in particle air showers with 0.086deg resolution. Cerenkov radiation is imaged using a novel two-part optical system in which a Fresnel lens provides a wide-field optical trigger and a mirror system collects delayed light with four times the magnification. TrICE records well-resolved cosmic-ray air showers at rates ranging between 0.01-0.1 Hz.

Wissel, S. A.↗

PyPhase – a Python package for X-ray phase imaging

X-ray propagation-based imaging techniques are well established at synchrotron radiation and laboratory sources. However, most reconstruction algorithms for such image modalities, also known as phase-retrieval algorithms, have been developed specifically for one instrument by and for experts, making the development and diffusion of such techniques difficult. Here, PyPhase, a free and open-source package for propagation-based near-field phase reconstructions, which is distributed under the CeCILL license, is presented. PyPhase implements some of the most popular phase-retrieval algorithms in a highly modular framework supporting its deployment on large-scale computing facilities. This makes the integration, the development of new phase-retrieval algorithms, and the deployment on different computing infrastructures straightforward. Its capabilities and simplicity are presented by application to data acquired at the synchrotron source MAX IV (Lund, Sweden).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The Track Imaging Cerenkov Experiment

We describe a. dedicated cosmic-ray telescope that explores a new method for detecting Cerenkov radiation from high-energy primary cosmic rays and the large particle air shower they induce upon entering the atmosphere. Using a camera comprising 16 multi-anode photomultiplier tubes for a total of 256 pixels, the Track Imaging Cerenkov Experiment (TrICE) resolves substructures in particle air showers with 0,086 deg resolution. Cerenkov radiation is imaged using a novel two-part optical system in which a Fresnel lens provides a wide-field optical trigger and a mirror system collects delayed light with four times the magnification. TrICE records well-resolved cosmic-ray air showers at rates ranging between 0.01-0.1 Hz.

Wissel, S. A.↗

Induction and quantification of gammma-H2AX foci following cx- and gamma-irradiaton

Following DNA damage the histone H2AX becomes phosphorylated and can be visualised by immunofluorescence as an indicator of DSBs in individual cells. Using a wild type hamster cell line (V79-4) exposed to either a-particles or to Co-60 gamma-rays to induce DNA DSBs at different doses (20-200OmGy), the dose dependent induction of gamma-H2AX foci were scored both manually (by eye) and using image analysis. A linearly dependence on dose was found for both radiations. The number of DSBs determined by image analysis after a post-irradiation period of 30 minutes at 37 C, is 16.6 foci/cell/Gy for alpha-irradiation and 12.2 foci/cell/Gy for gamma-irradiation; the latter being 3-4 times the levels observed by eye and comparable to gamma-radiation-induced levels of prompt DSBs more recently reported using pulse field gel electrophoresis (approx. 16 DSBs/Gy). The average size of the gamma-H2AX foci induced by alpha-irradiation (0.30 square micrometers) is approximately 1.5 times larger than those induced by gamma-irradiation (0.19 square micrometers). The timescale of induction and removal of DSBs up to 24 hours post-irradiation, was investigated with gamma-H2AX foci levels found to remain significantly higher than controls for 4 or 6 hours in gamma-irradiated samples or alpha irradiated samples, respectively. These results demonstrate that not only gamma radiation but also alpha-radiation induce phosphorylation of the H2AX histone in response to DSBs even at low doses (20mGy for gamma-rays, 1 track/cell on average for alpha-particles) and the variation in size and dephosphorylation of the induced foci is dependent on radiation quality (LET).

Leatherbarrow, E. L.↗

In-situ sensor monitoring of multi-class gas porosity formation in laser powder bed fusion using convolutional neural network

In-situ monitoring of defect formation remains a significant challenge in the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process. Recent advances have enabled real-time defect detection with machine learning and in-situ sensing technologies; however, most studies focus on binary classification of keyhole pores, limiting nuanced multi-class pore differentiation and formation mechanisms. This work introduces a multi-class pore detection framework (no pore, small pores < 15 µm, and large pores > 15 µm) by leveraging photodiode sensor data alongside high-fidelity synchrotron X-ray imaging. The 15 µm threshold is selected to distinguish between two fundamentally different defect mechanisms, following the physical size-mechanism boundary established by prior high-resolution synchrotron X-ray characterization of Al6061 LPBF. Distinguishing these classes is critical because large keyhole pores are structurally detrimental, whereas small gas pores are often benign, requiring different process control strategies. Thermal emission monitoring data collected simultaneously with high-speed X-ray imaging at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), are correlated with subsurface melt pool dynamics to establish ground truth. Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) with optimized parameters converts the photodiode time-series signals into time–frequency images, facilitating feature extraction. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are then applied for real-time multi-class pore classification in an average inference time of 1 ms per signal window. It achieves 79% accuracy and an Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUC ROC) score of 0.89 with five-fold cross-validation. The results demonstrate that coupling CWT-based feature engineering with CNN architecture enables reliable multi-class pore detection in Al6061 builds using affordable in-situ sensors. This approach advances scalable and affordable quality assurance in additive manufacturing by moving beyond binary defect detection toward more nuanced classification of porosity mechanisms with in-situ sensors and machine learning.

Laser powder bed fusion, Multi-class pores, In-sit↗

Reduced volume of diabetic pancreatic islets in rodents detected by synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast microtomography and deep learning network

The pancreatic islet is a highly structured micro-organ that produces insulin in response to rising blood glucose. Here we develop a label-free and automatic imaging approach to visualize the islets in situ in diabetic rodents by the synchrotron radiation X-ray phase-contrast microtomography (SRμCT) at the ID17 station of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The large-size images (3.2 mm × 15.97 mm) were acquired in the pancreas in STZ-treated mice and diabetic GK rats. Each pancreas was dissected by 3000 reconstructed images. The image datasets were further analysed by a self-developed deep learning method, AA-Net. All islets in the pancreas were segmented and visualized by the three-dimension (3D) reconstruction. After quantifying the volumes of the islets, we found that the number of larger islets (=>1500 μm 3 ) was reduced by 2-fold (wt 1004 ± 94 vs GK 419 ± 122, P < 0.001) in chronically developed diabetic GK rat, while in STZ-treated diabetic mouse the large islets were decreased by half (189 ± 33 vs 90 ± 29, P < 0.001) compared to the untreated mice. Our study provides a label-free tool for detecting and quantifying pancreatic islets in situ. It implies the possibility of monitoring the state of pancreatic islets in vivo diabetes without labelling.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Tropical Cirrus Physical and Radiation Characteristics from the NASA Aircraft Observations in Toga/Coare

During the Toga/Coare experiment in the tropical west Pacific, a cloud radiation experiment involving measurement from the NASA ER-2 high altitude aircraft and DC-8 airborne laboratory was performed. Observations include multispectral visible/IR and microwave radiometric imaging, active lidar profiling and radiation flux measurements. On a number of missions coordinated flights were made for simultaneous cloud observations with the ER-2 remote sensing and DC-8 below cloud and in cloud measurements. Since the field experiment there has been systematic analysis of the observations. Intercomparison of retrieved measurements will be presented. These include the relation between visible bi-directional reflectivity and infrared emissivity of tropical cirrus. Upper troposphere microwave water vapor retrievals and cirrus optical parameters have been correlated. The relation observed short wave flux divergence to retrieved cloud thickness and type has been studied. Calculations and statistics for the short and long wave heating profiles of observed clouds have been derived. A summary of key results will be presented.

Spinhirne, James D.↗

Radiation Mapping for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: Development and Simulated Testing of Algorithms for Source Mapping and Navigation Path Generation

Image reconstruction algorithms were developed for radiation source mapping and used for generating the search path of a moving radiation detector, such as one onboard an unmanned aerial vehicle. Simulations consisted of first assuming radioactive sources of varying complexity and estimating the radiation fields that would then be produced by that source distribution. Next, the "measurements" that would result from a pair of adjacent spatial locations were computed. A crude estimate of the source distribution likely to have produced such "measurements" was reconstructed based upon the limited measurements. Location of the next "measurement" was then determined as halfway between the location of the estimated source and the current "measurement." With each additional sample, improved source distribution reconstructions were made and used to inform the immediate direction of detector motion. Source reconstruction or mapping was formulated as an inverse problem solved with either maximum a posteriori or least squares (LS) regression deconvolution methods. Different amounts of noise were added to the simulated "measurements," allowing evaluation of the methods' performances as functions of signal-to-noise ratio of the measured map. As expected, methods that promote sparsity were better suited in reconstructing point sources. Reliable prior information of the source distribution also improved the reconstruction results, especially with distributed sources. With a non-negative least square algorithm and the suggested paths it generated, location of sources was successfully estimated to an accuracy of 0.014 m within nine iterations in a single-source scenario and 12 iterations in a two-source scenario, given a 10% error on the integrated counts and a Poisson distribution of the noise associated with the measured counts.

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

Image Alignment and Flat-Field Correction of Film and Computed Radiography Images on the LLNL Flash Testbed

Computed radiography (CR) imaging plates and film are used in HEAF firing tanks and in the NDE group. The imaging plates allow for the creation of high-resolution digital images with flash X-ray (FXR). A typical treatment of flash X-ray radiographs is flat-field correction, where the image from an experiment is normalized by a “flat-field” or “bright-field” image. This flat-field image is taken in an identical configuration to the experimental image, but without the object or experiment in the field of view (FOV). This treatment reduces spatial effects from the FXR spot size and detector misalignment, as each pixel value in the corrected image represents a ratio of collected radiation with the object in FOV to the collected radiation without the object in FOV. One challenge in the creation of a corrected image is the misalignment of the CR plate or film pack between capturing the flat-field image and the experimental image. Fiducial structures can remedy this issue. Small (3.18mm) stainless steel ball bearings serve as good fiducial structures due to their small size and high radiographic contrast. Spheres are view-agnostic geometry, always presenting a circular cross section no matter the orientation. This process was developed for images from the flash X-ray testbed. The flash testbed was used to compare the X-ray transmission at different thicknesses of aluminum and copper step wedges. Each step wedge section is a rectangular shape, so evaluation is made much simpler if the rectangles are not rotated with respect to the image. This alignment process aligns the object and flat-field images together and leaves the rectangles of each step aligned with the image.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A parameterization for the shortwave transmissivity of stratiform water clouds based on empirical data and radiative transfer theory

Surface measurements of solar flux and total integrated liquid-water content, radiosonde data, and infrared satellite images are analyzed in conjunction with radiative transfer calculations to derive an empirical parameterization for the shortwave transmissivity of continental stratiform water clouds. The data were collected near Denver, Colorado, over a period of six years. A multiple reflection radiative transfer model is employed to estimate stratus cloud transmissivity in terms of the measurable liquid-water path (LWP). A nonlinear fit of estimated transmissivities to the corresponding observations of LWP yields close agreement with a previous, more complicated parameterization. The derived expression for cloud transmissivity is used to predict mean daily surface fluxes for 61 days during which periods of stratiform clouds were observed over the Denver area. A comparison between predicted and measured fluxes shows agreement to within + or - 4 percent, with best agreement for clouds of moderate optical thickness. Potential sources of error are identified with sensitivity studies.

Derr, V. E.↗

Iterative Reconstruction for Multimodal Neutron Tomography

Here, we describe a unified framework for model-based iterative 3-D reconstruction of multimodal neutron transmission, hydrogen-scatter, and induced-fission images from low resolution data recorded using 14.1-MeV neutrons and the associated-particle imaging (API) technique. The framework, which was developed to facilitate use in challenging field-deployment scenarios, is centered around physics-based system models and a total variation (TV) constrained implementation of the simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique (SIRT). Modified to solve a statistically weighted least squares (WLS) problem, the SIRT algorithm is accelerated using ordered subsets and Nesterov’s momentum for which we derive a near-optimal value of the governing Lipschitz constant. The approach enables the reconstruction of images that are high resolution compared to the acquired data and is robust to both limited statistics and a limited number of projection angles. Moreover, the framework is fast enough to be practical. Example images are provided that demonstrate both the ability to perform fast-neutron imaging of high-atomic-number materials with low radiation dose and the benefit of multimodal neutron imaging to identify key materials.

Hydrogen scatter↗

A Novel Segmentation Algorithm for the ARM User Facility All-Sky Imagers Using Machine Learning Applications

Cloud cover plays a pivotal role in modulating the Earth's energy budget through the reflection of incoming solar radiation and the trapping of outgoing longwave radiation. Ground-based all-sky imagers offer an objective assessment of cloud cover that can be used to estimate solar irradiance, classify cloud types, track cloud movement, and serve as a benchmark 10 for the evaluation of satellite and reanalysis data products. The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility has utilized all-sky imagers for more than 25 years to monitor cloud cover and augment its comprehensive suite of atmospheric measurements. Following the retirement of its Total Sky Imager (TSI), ARM recently deployed the TSI’s successor, the All Sky Imager (ASI-16 camera systems). To provide a smooth transition and continuity to the vast amount of knowledge gathered by the TSI over the years, while addressing typical deployment issues, we developed a novel pixel segmentation algorithm, 15 the ASI Sky Cover (ASISKYCOVER). ASISKYCOVER builds on the different strengths and properties of the TSI processing algorithm while integrating machine learning techniques, ensuring data validity and accuracy across diverse atmospheric conditions. It enhances cloud cover characterization with new features such as artifact detection and uncertainty quantification. ASISKYCOVER also includes cloud cover estimates for near-zenith (narrow field-of-view) and reduces susceptibility to false detections. This study introduces ASISKYCOVER, details its algorithm framework, and demonstrates its capabilities using a 20 year-long dataset from the ARM Southern Great Plains site. Comparisons with co-located TSI data and other ARM measurements, such as zenith-pointing radars and lidars, are presented, underscoring the ASISKYCOVER’s potential to improve cloud cover analyses and data evaluation efforts, as well as to be integrated into higher-level data products that synergize instrument suites to generate new and insightful information

Silber, Israel↗

Development of Multi-Sensor Global Cloud and Radiance Composites for DSCOVR EPIC Imager with Subpixel Definition

The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) enables analysis of the daytime Earth radiation budget via the onboard Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) and National Institute of Standards and Technology Advanced Radiometer (NISTAR). EPIC delivers adequate spatial resolution imagery but only in shortwave bands (317-780 nm), while NISTAR measures the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) whole-disk radiance in shortwave and longwave broadband windows. Accurate calculation of albedo and outgoing longwave flux requires a high-resolution scene identification such as the radiance observations and cloud properties retrievals from low earth orbit (LEO, including NASA Terra and Aqua MODIS, Suomi-NPP VIIRS, and NOAA AVHRR) and geosynchronous (GEO, including GOES east and west, METEOSAT, INSAT-3D, MTSAT-2, and Himawari-8) satellite imagers. The cloud properties are derived using the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) mission Cloud Subsystem group algorithms. These properties have to be co-located with EPIC pixels to provide the scene identification and to select anisotropic directional models (ADMs), which are then used to adjust the NISTAR-measured radiance and subsequently obtain the global daytime shortwave and longwave fluxes. This work presents an algorithm for optimal merging of selected radiance and cloud property parameters derived from multiple satellite imagers to obtain seamless global hourly composites at 5-km resolution. Selection of satellite data for each 5-km pixel is based on an aggregated rating that incorporates five parameters: nominal satellite resolution, pixel time relative to the EPIC time, viewing zenith angle, distance from day/night terminator, and probability of sun glint. To provide a smoother transition in the merged output, in regions where candidate pixel data from two satellite sources have comparable aggregated rating, the selection decision is defined by the cumulative function of the normal distribution so that abrupt changes in the visual appearance of the composite data are avoided. Higher spatial accuracy in the composite product is achieved by using the inverse mapping with gradient search during reprojection and bicubic interpolation for pixel resampling.

Khlopenkov, Konstantin V.↗

Seasonal Surface Spectral Emissivity Derived from Terra MODIS Data

The CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System) Project is measuring broadband shortwave and longwave radiances and deriving cloud properties form various images to produce a combined global radiation and cloud property data set. In this paper, simultaneous data from Terra MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) taken at 3.7, 8.5, 11.0, and 12.0 m are used to derive the skin temperature and the surface emissivities at the same wavelengths. The methodology uses separate measurements of clear sky temperature in each channel determined by scene classification during the daytime and at night. The relationships between the various channels at night are used during the day when solar reflectance affects the 3.7- m radiances. A set of simultaneous equations is then solved to derive the emissivities. Global monthly emissivity maps are derived from Terra MODIS data while numerical weather analyses provide soundings for correcting the observed radiances for atmospheric absorption. These maps are used by CERES and other cloud retrieval algorithms.

Sun-Mack, Sunny↗

COSMIC monthly progress report

Activities of the Computer Software Management and Information Center (COSMIC) are summarized for the month of May 1994. Tables showing the current inventory of programs available from COSMIC are presented and program processing and evaluation activities are summarized. Nine articles were prepared for publication in the NASA Tech Brief Journal. These articles (included in this report) describe the following software items: (1) WFI - Windowing System for Test and Simulation; (2) HZETRN - A Free Space Radiation Transport and Shielding Program; (3) COMGEN-BEM - Composite Model Generation-Boundary Element Method; (4) IDDS - Interactive Data Display System; (5) CET93/PC - Chemical Equilibrium with Transport Properties, 1993; (6) SDVIC - Sub-pixel Digital Video Image Correlation; (7) TRASYS - Thermal Radiation Analyzer System (HP9000 Series 700/800 Version without NASADIG); (8) NASADIG - NASA Device Independent Graphics Library, Version 6.0 (VAX VMS Version); and (9) NASADIG - NASA Device Independent Graphics Library, Version 6.0 (UNIX Version). Activities in the areas of marketing, customer service, benefits identification, maintenance and support, and dissemination are also described along with a budget summary.

Source record↗

Rocket-ultraviolet imagery of the North America nebula

New ultraviolet imagery of NGC 7000 has been obtained in a sounding-rocket flight with an electrographic Schmidt camera which covers the 1230-2000 A wavelength range and has a higher angular resolution than the Apollo 16 imagery. The integrated brightness of NGC 7000 near 1450 A is unexpectedly high (three times the brightness of HD 199579 as measured by CHB), but as no emission lines were observed with a nebular spectrograph, it is concluded that the radiation observed in the UV image is nearly pure continuum. Comparison with the blue continuum image is not possible, as the latter image has dominant contributions due to night sky background, hydrogen recombination continuum, and possibly unresolved faint stars. It is suggested that the high UV brightness of NGC 7000 is due to the highly efficient dust scattering of stellar radiation.

Carruthers, G. R.↗