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At least 469 records · Page 26

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NASA NTRS1988

Patterns of megafloral change across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains

The spatial and temporal distribution of vegetation in the terminal Cretaceous of Western Interior North America was a complex mosaic resulting from the interaction of factors including a shifting coastline, tectonic activity, a mild, possibly deteriorating climate, dinosaur herbivory, local facies effects, and a hypothesized bolide impact. In order to achieve sufficient resolution to analyze this vegetational pattern, over 100 megafloral collecting sites were established, yielding approximately 15,000 specimens, in Upper Cretaceous and lower Paleocene strata in the Williston, Powder River, and Bighorn basins in North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. These localities were integrated into a lithostratigraphic framework that is based on detailed local reference sections and constrained by vertebrate and palynomorph biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and sedimentary facies analysis. A regional biostratigraphy based on well located and identified plant megafossils that can be used to address patterns of floral evolution, ecology, and extinction is the goal of this research. Results of the analyses are discussed.

Johnson, Kirk R.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Macrofossil extinction patterns at Bay of Biscay Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary sections

Researchers examined several K-T boundary cores at Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) core repositories to document biostratigraphic ranges of inoceramid shell fragments and prisms. As in land-based sections, prisms in the deep sea cores disappear well before the K-T boundary. Ammonites show a very different extinction pattern than do the inoceramids. A minimum of seven ammonite species have been collected from the last meter of Cretaceous strata in the Bay of Biscay basin. In three of the sections there is no marked drop in either species numbers or abundance prior to the K-T boundary Cretaceous strata; at the Zumaya section, however, both species richness and abundance drop in the last 20 m of the Cretaceous, with only a single ammonite specimen recovered to date from the uppermost 12 m of Cretaceous strata in this section. Researchers conclude that inoceramid bivalves and ammonites showed two different times and patterns of extinction, at least in the Bay of Biscay region. The inoceramids disappeared gradually during the Early Maestrichtian, and survived only into the earliest Late Maestrichtian. Ammonites, on the other hand, maintained relatively high species richness throughout the Maestrichtian, and then disappeared suddenly, either coincident with, or immediately before the microfossil extinction event marking the very end of the Cretaceous.

Ward, Peter D.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Realizable feed-element patterns and optimum aperture efficiency in multibeam antenna systems

The results of an earlier paper by Rahmat-Samii et al. (1981), regarding realizable patterns from feed elements that are part of an array that feeds a reflector antenna, are extended. The earlier paper used a cos exp q theta model for the element radiation pattern, whereas here a parametric study is performed, using a model that assumes a central beam of cos exp q theta shape, with a constant sidelobe level outside the central beam. Realizable q-values are constrained by the maximum directivity based on feed element area. The optimum aperture efficiency (excluding array feed network losses) in an array-reflector system is evaluated as a function of element spacing using this model as well as the model of the earlier paper. Experimental data for tapered slot antenna (TSA) arrays are in agreement with the conclusions based on the model.

Yngvesson, K. S.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Pattern-based fault diagnosis using neural networks

An architecture for a real-time pattern-based diagnostic expert system capable of accommodating noisy, incomplete, and possibly erroneous input data is outlined. Results from prototype systems applied to jet and rocket engine fault diagnosis are presented. The ability of a neural network-based system to be trained via the presentation of behavioral patterns associated with fault conditions is demonstrated.

Dietz, W. E.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Magnetic properties of C IV Doppler shift patterns

Coaligned pairs of C IV Dopplergrams and Fe I magnetograms are used to investigate the relationship between Doppler shift patterns observed in the transition region and magnetic field patterns observed in the photosphere. It is found that V(0) lines associated with neutral lines tend to have limbward blueshifts, and that V(0) lines associated with unipolar regions tend to have limbward redshifts. The results are consistent with the active region model of Klimchuk (1984) in which relative redshifts occur where strong vertical fields penetrate the surface, and relative blueshifts occur where these same fields have spread out to become horizontal. It is suggested that the relative blueshifts may correspond to absolute Doppler shifts of very small amplitide.

Klimchuk, James A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Time-Resolved Measurements Of Laser Far-Field Patterns

Computer-controlled scanning photometric instrumentation system measures intensity pattern in far field of pulsed laser as function of time during each pulse (provided that pulse is at least 1 ns long). Such measurements important in studying dynamics of laser operation: they reveal such previously unobservable phenomena as oscillations of undesired spatial modes of radiation pattern during pulse, steering of beam during pulse, and instability of intensity of laser beam. Principal advantages of system are its relatively low cost and its ability to function under normal lighting conditions without incurring damage.

Forrest, Kathrine↗

NASA NTRS1989

Radar transponder antenna pattern analysis for the space shuttle

In order to improve tracking capability, radar transponder antennas will soon be mounted on the Shuttle solid rocket boosters (SRB). These four antennas, each being identical cavity-backed helices operating at 5.765 GHz, will be mounted near the top of the SRB's, adjacent to the intertank portion of the external tank. The purpose is to calculate the roll-plane pattern (the plane perpendicular to the SRB axes and containing the antennas) in the presence of this complex electromagnetic environment. The large electrical size of this problem mandates an optical (asymptotic) approach. Development of a specific code for this application is beyond the scope of a summer fellowship; thus a general purpose code, the Numerical Electromagnetics Code - Basic Scattering Code, was chosen as the computational tool. This code is based on the modern Geometrical Theory of Diffraction, and allows computation of scattering of bodies composed of canonical problems such as plates and elliptic cylinders. Apertures mounted on a curved surface (the SRB) cannot be accomplished by the code, so an antenna model consisting of wires excited by a method of moments current input was devised that approximated the actual performance of the antennas. The improvised antenna model matched well with measurements taken at the MSFC range. The SRB's, the external tank, and the shuttle nose were modeled as circular cylinders, and the code was able to produce what is thought to be a reasonable roll-plane pattern.

Radcliff, Roger↗

NASA NTRS1989

Growth and patterning of laser ablated superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 films on LaAlO3 substrates

A high quality superconducting film on a substrate with a low dielectric constant is desired for passive microwave circuit applications. In addition, it is essential that the patterning process does not effect the superconducting properties of the thin films to achieve the highest circuit operating temperatures. YBa2Cu3O7 superconducting films were grown on lanthanum aluminate substrates using laser ablation with resulting maximum transition temperature (T sub c) of 90 K. The films were grown on a LaAlO3 which was at 775 C and in 170 mtorr of oxygen and slowly cooled to room temperature in 1 atm of oxygen. These films were then processed using photolithography and a negative photoresist with an etch solution of bromine and ethanol. Results are presented on the effect of the processing on T(sub c) of the film and the microwave properties of the patterned films.

Warner, J. D.↗

NASA NTRS1990

The analysis of polar clouds from AVHRR satellite data using pattern recognition techniques

The cloud cover in a set of summertime and wintertime AVHRR data from the Arctic and Antarctic regions was analyzed using a pattern recognition algorithm. The data were collected by the NOAA-7 satellite on 6 to 13 Jan. and 1 to 7 Jul. 1984 between 60 deg and 90 deg north and south latitude in 5 spectral channels, at the Global Area Coverage (GAC) resolution of approximately 4 km. This data embodied a Polar Cloud Pilot Data Set which was analyzed by a number of research groups as part of a polar cloud algorithm intercomparison study. This study was intended to determine whether the additional information contained in the AVHRR channels (beyond the standard visible and infrared bands on geostationary satellites) could be effectively utilized in cloud algorithms to resolve some of the cloud detection problems caused by low visible and thermal contrasts in the polar regions. The analysis described makes use of a pattern recognition algorithm which estimates the surface and cloud classification, cloud fraction, and surface and cloudy visible (channel 1) albedo and infrared (channel 4) brightness temperatures on a 2.5 x 2.5 deg latitude-longitude grid. In each grid box several spectral and textural features were computed from the calibrated pixel values in the multispectral imagery, then used to classify the region into one of eighteen surface and/or cloud types using the maximum likelihood decision rule. A slightly different version of the algorithm was used for each season and hemisphere because of differences in categories and because of the lack of visible imagery during winter. The classification of the scene is used to specify the optimal AVHRR channel for separating clear and cloudy pixels using a hybrid histogram-spatial coherence method. This method estimates values for cloud fraction, clear and cloudy albedos and brightness temperatures in each grid box. The choice of a class-dependent AVHRR channel allows for better separation of clear and cloudy pixels than does a global choice of a visible and/or infrared threshold. The classification also prevents erroneous estimates of large fractional cloudiness in areas of cloudfree snow and sea ice. The hybrid histogram-spatial coherence technique and the advantages of first classifying a scene in the polar regions are detailed. The complete Polar Cloud Pilot Data Set was analyzed and the results are presented and discussed.

Smith, William L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Scattering from coated structures and antenna pattern control using impedance surfaces, part A/B

The scattering from coated, conducting structures, specifically the coated dihedral corner reflector configuration and the coated strip/plate configuration is examined. The formulation uses impedance-wedge Uniform Theory of Diffraction scattering coefficients to calculate the diffracted fields. A finite-thickness coating is approximated using the impedance boundary condition to arrive at an equivalent impedance for the coating. The formulation of the impedance wedge coefficients is outlined. Far-field, perfectly conducting approximations are discussed. Problems with the present dihedral corner reflector model for certain angles of incidence and observation are discussed along with a potentially rectifying modification. Also, the capacity to measure the electromagnetic properties of lossy materials was developed. The effects of using multiple material coatings on the radiation pattern of the horn antenna were studied. Numerous computations were devoted toward the inverse problem of synthesizing desired radiation patterns using the impedance surfaces. Stabilizing the equivalent sheet impedance using the linear control condition was attempted, and it was found to be a very difficult task.

Balanis, Constantine A.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Hex-square moire patterns in imagers using microchannel plates

In electronic imaging detectors using microchannel plates, the mismatch between the pixels on a square mesh and the microchannels on a hexagonal mesh produces moire image defects. Theoretical statistical estimates of the sizes of the microposition offsets and the flat field intensity errors are calculated, showing the trade-off between resolution and position accuracy. A distinction is made between moments of spot images and moments of the single-pixel-response functions. As the resolution between the hex and square meshes is improved, the detector resolution is improved, but at the expense of an about 10 percent moire pattern. These moire patterns will not be properly corrected by dividing by the flat field image.

Lawrence, George M.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Morphological study of the innervation pattern of the rabbit sinoatrial node

The pattern of sinoatrial (SA) node innervations in rabbit was elucidated using a newly developed highly reproducible cholinesterase/silver impregnation staining procedure which made it possible to delineate large nerves, fine processes, and ganglion cells. The SA node and dominant pacemaker sites were identified by microelectrode recording. A generalized pattern of innnervation was recognized, which includes a large ganglionic complex inferior to the SA node; two or more moderately large nerves traversing the SA node parallel to the crista terminalis; nerves entering the intercaval region from the septum, the superior vena cava, and the inferior vena cava to impinge on the SA node; and a fine network of nerve processes, which was particularly dense in the SA node. From the location and distribution of the nerves and ganglionic branches, it can be inferred that the neural network in the intercaval region is capable of performing complex modulatory and integrative functions among the structures within this region.

Roberts, L. A.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Optical pattern recognition; Proceedings of the Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, Jan. 17, 18, 1989

Papers on optical pattern recognition are presented, covering topics such as the estimation of satellite pose and motion parameters using a neural net tracker, associative memory, optical implmentation of programmable neural networks, optoelectronic neural networks, dynamic autoassociative neural memory, heteroassociative memory, bilinear pattern recognition processors, optical processing of optical correlation plane data, and a synthetic discriminant function-based nonlinear optical correlator. Other topics include an interactive optical-digital image processor, geometric transformations for video compression and human teleoperator display, quasiconformal remapping for compensation of human visual field defects, hybrid vision for automated spacecraft landing, advanced symbolic and inference optical correlation filters, and a rotationally invariant holographic tracking system. Additional topics include the detection of rotational and scale-varying objects with a programmable joint transform correlator, a single spatial light modulator binary nonlinear optical correlator, optical joint transform correlation, linear phase coefficient composite filters, and binary phase-only filters.

Liu, Hua-Kuang↗

NASA NTRS1990

The stability of individual patterns of autonomic responses to motion sickness stimulation

As part of a program to develop a treatment for motion sickness based on self-regulation of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, this study examined the stability of an individual's pattern of ANS responses to motion sickness stimulation on repeated occasions. Motion sickness symptoms were induced in 58 people during two rotating chair test. Physiological responses measured were heart rate, finger pulse volume, respiration rate, and skin conductance. Using standard scores, stability of responses of specific magnitudes across both tests is as examined. Correlational analyses, analysis of variance, and a components of variance analysis all revealed marked, but quite stable, individual differences in ANS responses to both mild and severe motion sickness. These findings confirm the prior observation that people are sufficiently unique in their ANS responses to motion sickness provocation to make it nesessary to individually tailor self-regulation training. Further, these data support the contention that individual ANS patterns are sufficiently consistent from test to test so as to serve as an objective indicator of individual motion sickness malaise levels.

Cowings, Patricia S.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Far field beam pattern of one MW combined beam of laser diode array amplifiers for space power transmission

The far-field beam pattern and the power-collection efficiency are calculated for a multistage laser-diode-array amplifier consisting of about 200,000 5-W laser diode arrays with random distributions of phase and orientation errors and random diode failures. From the numerical calculation it is found that the far-field beam pattern is little affected by random failures of up to 20 percent of the laser diodes with reference of 80 percent receiving efficiency in the center spot. The random differences in phases among laser diodes due to probable manufacturing errors is allowed to about 0.2 times the wavelength. The maximum allowable orientation error is about 20 percent of the diffraction angle of a single laser diode aperture (about 1 cm). The preliminary results indicate that the amplifier could be used for space beam-power transmission with an efficiency of about 80 percent for a moderate-size (3-m-diameter) receiver placed at a distance of less than 50,000 km.

Kwon, Jin H.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Electric potential patterns deduced for the SUNDIAL period of September 23-26, 1986

High-latitude electric potential and ionospheric conductance patterns are presented and discussed for the Northern Hemisphere during the SUNDIAL period of September 23-26, 1986 using the Assimilative Mapping of Ionospheric Electrodynamics (AMIE) technique of Richmond and Kamide (1988). Data sources used for the model are satellite and ground magnetometers, electron precipitation instruments, incoherent scatter radars, and ionospheric coherent radars. The period was characterized by many substorms, and a wide variety of instantaneous patterns of electrodynamic parameters on a hemispheric scale are derived throughout this period, of which only a few examples are displayed. The entire set of electric potentials and conductances are being made available through the NCAR CEDAR Data Base for further analysis and utilization in simulation models.

Emery, B. A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

A biosensor for cadmium based on bioconvective patterns

An 'in vitro' method for monitoring cadmium, one of the most lethal bivalent heavy metals, can detect biologically active levels. The effects of cadmium tend to concentrate in protozoa far above natural levels and therein begin transferring through freshwater food chains to animals and humans. In a small sample volume (approximately 5 ml) the method uses the toxic response to the protozoa, Tetrahymena pyriformis, to cadmium. The assay relies on macroscopic bioconvective patterns to measure the toxic response, giving a sensitivity better than 1 micro-g/1 and a toxicity threshold to 7 micro-g/1 for Cd(2+). Cadmium hinders pattern formation in a dose-dependent manner. Arrested organism growth arises from slowed division and mutation to non-dividing classes. Unlike previous efforts, this method can be performed in a shallow flow device and does not require electronic or chemical analyses to monitor toxicity.

Noever, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Performance effects of irregular communications patterns on massively parallel multiprocessors

A detailed study of the performance effects of irregular communications patterns on the CM-2 was conducted. The communications capabilities of the CM-2 were characterized under a variety of controlled conditions. In the process of carrying out the performance evaluation, extensive use was made of a parameterized synthetic mesh. In addition, timings with unstructured meshes generated for aerodynamic codes and a set of sparse matrices with banded patterns on non-zeroes were performed. This benchmarking suite stresses the communications capabilities of the CM-2 in a range of different ways. Benchmark results demonstrate that it is possible to make effective use of much of the massive concurrency available in the communications network.

Saltz, Joel↗