Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Hough transform”

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.

49 records · Page 3

Automatic extraction of planetary image features

A method for the extraction of Lunar data and/or planetary features is provided. The feature extraction method can include one or more image processing techniques, including, but not limited to, a watershed segmentation and/or the generalized Hough Transform. According to some embodiments, the feature extraction method can include extracting features, such as, small rocks. According to some embodiments, small rocks can be extracted by applying a watershed segmentation algorithm to the Canny gradient. According to some embodiments, applying a watershed segmentation algorithm to the Canny gradient can allow regions that appear as close contours in the gradient to be segmented.

LeMoigne-Stewart, Jacqueline J.↗

Application of a Hough Search for Continuous Gravitational Waves on Data from the Fifth LIGO Science Run

We report on an all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves in the frequency range 50-1000 Hertz with the first derivative of frequency in the range −8.9 × 10(exp −10) Hertz per second to zero in two years of data collected during LIGO's fifth science run. Our results employ a Hough transform technique, introducing a chi(sup 2) test and analysis of coincidences between the signal levels in years 1 and 2 of observations that offers a significant improvement in the product of strain sensitivity with compute cycles per data sample compared to previously published searches. Since our search yields no surviving candidates, we present results taking the form of frequency dependent, 95% confidence upper limits on the strain amplitude h(sub 0). The most stringent upper limit from year 1 is 1.0 × 10(exp −24) in the 158.00-158.25 Hertz band. In year 2, the most stringent upper limit is 8.9 × 10(exp −25) in the 146.50-146.75 Hertz band. This improved detection pipeline, which is computationally efficient by at least two orders of magnitude better than our flagship Einstein@Home search, will be important for 'quicklook' searches in the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detector era.

neutron stars↗

Einstein@Home All-Sky Search for Periodic Gravitational Waves in LIGO S5 Data

This paper presents results of an all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves in the frequency range [50, 1 190] Hzand and with frequency derivative range of approx. [-20,1.1] x 10(exp-10) H(sub 0)z s(exp-1) for the fifth LIGO science run (S5). The search uses a noncoherent Hough-transform method to combine the information from coherent searches on time scales of about one day. Because these searches are very computationally intensive, they have been carried out with the Einstein@Home volunteer distributed computing project. Postprocessing identifies eight candidate signals; deeper follow-up studies rule them out. Hence, since no gravitational wave signals have been found, we report upper limits on the intrinsic gravitational wave strain amplitude ho. For example, in the 0.5 Hz-wide band at 152.5 Hz, we can exclude the presence of signals with h(exp 0) greater than 7.6 x 10(exp-25) at a 90% confidence level. This search is about a factor 3 more sensitive than the previous Einstein@Home search of early S5 LIGO data.

J Aasi↗

A Method for Obtaining Surface Flow Vectors and Its Implementation in Interferometric Skin Friction Measurement

A new method was developed to extract surface flow vectors from an oilflow visualization image that has oil streaklines. The method is analogous to the PIV processing where the image is divided into interrogation windows. A representative flow direction is obtained for each interrogation window using image processing with a line-detection algorithm. Repeating the process for the entire image, one can find the surface vector field. The Hough transformation, Radon transformation and Machine Learning were used as line-detection algorithms. The obtained vector field is then postprocessed to filter spurious vectors and to apply smoothing. The method was tested on 2D and 3D models with different flow complexities. The method was able to predict surface flow vectors for all cases tested. The predicted surface flow vectors were used in obtaining the surface skin friction. The successful implementation of the surface flow vectors enables interferometric skin friction measurements on surfaces beneath 3D complex flows. In addition, the surface flow vectors can be superimposed on the oilflow visualization images to better explain the surface flow topology.

Surface flow vectors↗

A Method for Obtaining Surface Flow Vectors and Its Implementation in Interferometric Skin Friction Measurement

A new method was developed to extract surface flow vectors from an oilflow visualization image that has oil streaklines. The method is analogous to the PIV processing where the image is divided into interrogation windows. A representative flow direction is obtained for each interrogation window using image processing with a line-detection algorithm. Repeating the process for the entire image, one can find the surface vector field. The Hough transformation, Radon transformation and Machine Learning were used as line-detection algorithms. The obtained vector field is then postprocessed to filter spurious vectors and to apply smoothing. The method was tested on 2D and 3D models with different flow complexities. The method was able to predict surface flow vectors for all cases tested. The predicted surface flow vectors were used in obtaining the surface skin friction. The successful implementation of the surface flow vectors enables interferometric skin friction measurements on surfaces beneath 3D complex flows. In addition, the surface flow vectors can be superimposed on the oilflow visualization images to better explain the surface flow topology.

Surface flow vectors↗

A 3D FPGA Track Segment Seeding Engine Based on the Tiny Triplet Finder

A 3D track segment seeding engine core based on the Tiny Triplet Finder has been implemented and tested in a low-cost FPGA device. The seeding engine is designed to preselect and group hits (stubs) from cylindrical detector layers to feed subsequent track fitting stage. The seeding engine consists of a Hough transform space for r-z view and a Tiny Triplet Finder for r-phi view to implement 3D constraints. The seeding engine is organized as a pipeline so that each hit is processed in a single clock cycle. Test results show that the seeding engine operates as expected.

Wu, Jinyuan↗

An Autonomous Robot for Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Inspection

Shell and tube heat exchangers (STHEs) are critical to energy conversion efficiency of power plants. Eddy current examination is a way to evaluate working conditions of these tubes. However, the current testing apparatus requires human to manually insert an eddy current testing (ECT) probe into and extract it out of individual tubes, and meanwhile monitor measurement results for diagnosis. It is a time-consuming and labor-intensive procedure even for an experienced technician. To tackle this challenge, in this work, we developed a robot enabled ECT system for autonomous inspection of STHEs. The robotic platform employs Mecanum wheeled chassis for high mobility, machine vision to locate tube bundle and tube inlets, a rotational Cartesian mechanism to operate at planes with all possible inclinations, and a task-specific mechanism for ECT probe delivery. Machine vision locates tube bundle and tube inlets by an April tag detection algorithm and a Circle Hough Transform (CHT) algorithm, respectively. Assisted by a guidance cone, the ECT probe is continuously fed into the tubes with a fill factor of 0.819. During this process, the eddy current data are automatically collected and real-time analyzed by convolutional neural networks (CNN), showing accuracy of nearly 100% for identifying defective and non-defective tubes and 85% for four types of defective tubes and non-defective tubes.

autonomy, deep learning, eddy current testing, hea↗

The Tiny Triplet Finder as a Versatile Track Segment Seeding Engine for Trigger Systems

In high energy physics experiment trigger systems, track segment seeding is a resource consuming function and the primary reason is the computing complexity of the segment finding process. As the Moore's Law is reaching its physical limit, reducing computing complexity should be carefully considered, rather than keep piling up silicon resources. The Tiny Triplet Finder is a scheme that reduces the computing complexity of the segment seeding. As a proof of concept, a 3D track segment seeding engine core based on the Tiny Triplet Finder has been implemented and tested in a low-cost FPGA device. The seeding engine is designed to preselect and group hits (stubs) from detector layers to feed subsequent track fitting stage. The seeding engine consists of a Hough transform space for r-z view and a Tiny Triplet Finder for r-phi view to implement 3D constraints. The seeding engine is organized as a pipeline so that each hit is processed in a single clock cycle. Taking advantage of the register-like storage block scheme which enables effectively resetting of a block RAM within a single clock cycle, clearing or refreshing the seeding engine takes only one clock cycles between two events. The Tiny Triplet Finder is also a generic coincidence finding scheme that can be used for many tasks. As a versatility demonstration, track segment finding performances for two distinctive detector geometries are tested in our seeding engine. In a collider barrel-layer geometry, the fake segment rates are studied for 3D (i.e., both r-phi and r-z views) and 2D (i.e., r-phi or r-z view only) configurations for high hit multiplicity events (>4000 hits/layer in the barrel region). Another detector geometry contains strip plane layers with timing information. The numbers of coincidences, both real or fake, with or without timing ("3D" or "2D") information at various hit multiplicities are studied.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Synthesizing pseudo-Kossel lines from neutron transmission data. I. An analytical approach for recovering single-crystal orientation

The energy-dispersive neutron spectra transmitted through single crystals are characterized by sharp Bragg dips at specific wavelengths, where Bragg's law is being fulfilled for certain crystallographic planes. This phenomenon allows for developing methods for crystal-orientation determination techniques similar to electron backscatter diffraction and X-ray diffraction microscopy. This work presents a new procedure to recover the orientation matrix for single crystals using transmission spectra recorded during rotation of a crystal about an axis perpendicular to a polychromatic neutron beam. The proposed method consists of an initial transformation of the as-collected wavelength–rotation maps to a wavevector $\textit{K}$ space, resulting in linear pseudo-Kossel lines that are suitable for analysis and indexing using image-processing procedures. Further, simulated neutron transmission spectra through a copper crystal with known orientations were used to set and prove the numerical approach. This technique may be expanded for cases where the neutron beam intersects multiple single-crystal grains with different orientations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Quantitative x ray phase contrast imaging of oblique shock wave–interface interactions

Oblique shock wave–interface interactions of gases and liquids have been extensively studied in shock tubes using optical methods to measure equation-of-state (EOS) parameters. However, this is difficult with solids due to their opaqueness to visible light. X ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) has the penetrative strength to probe solids while still being sensitive to mass density and enhancing the visibility of material boundaries. We investigate the accuracy and repeatability of measuring the mean value of the average mass density (areal density divided by thickness) over region S (B S ) and flow deflection angle (θ) from XPCI images of a sample. To that end, a Hough transform-based method for measuring θ is developed. To measure B S , the XPCI image intensity probability density function (PDF) is modeled accounting for the spatial distribution of x ray energy, scintillator response, and pulse-to-pulse variation in the x ray intensity. In addition, a Monte Carlo-based algorithm for computing the B S PDF is developed. Both methods are validated on an impact-generated oblique shock wave interacting at a solid polymer-to-polymer interface. Furthermore this is accomplished through a comparison to hydrodynamic simulations using well-established EOS. Under the modeling framework for the XPCI image intensity, B S is computed with an accuracy of < 0.1% and precision of 3%–5%, while θ has an uncertainty of 0.2°, respectively. This shows that the XPCI-based model that is developed here could be an invaluable tool for high-fidelity testing of hydrodynamic models in shock polar configurations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Synthesizing pseudo-Kossel lines from neutron transmission data. II. Validation with neutron diffraction data

A new method to recover the orientation matrix of a single crystal with a known unit cell by analyzing synthesized pseudo-Kossel lines from time-of-flight neutron transmission data has been outlined in a companion article [Dessieux et al. (2023). J. Appl. Cryst. 56, https://dx.doi.org/10.1107/S1600576723001346; referred to here as Article I]. In this work, validation of this new technique is presented by employing experimental neutron transmission and diffraction measurements performed on two copper single-crystal specimens. Time-of-flight spectra were recorded during rotation (ω) of the single crystals about a vertical axis perpendicular to the incident neutron beam. The λ–ω maps recorded in transmission are utilized to determine the crystal orientation with respect to the neutron beam, following the procedure presented in Article I. Further, to validate the indexing procedure, the crystal orientations are compared with those obtained via conventional methods using the diffraction data. The resulting pseudo-Kossel lines across the 2D detectors are also observed for the first time.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tracing priming effects in palsa peat carbon dynamics using a stable isotope-assisted metabolomics approach

Introduction: Peatlands store up to a third of global soil carbon, and in high latitudes their litter inputs are increasing and changing in composition under climate change. Although litter significantly influences peatland carbon and nutrient dynamics by changing the overall lability of peatland organic matter, the physicochemical mechanisms of this impact—and thus its full scope—remain poorly understood. Methods: We applied multimodal metabolomics (UPLC-HRMS, 1 H NMR) paired with 13 C Stable Isotope-Assisted Metabolomics (SIAM) to track litter carbon and its potential priming effects on both existing soil organic matter and carbon gas emissions. Through this approach, we achieved molecule-specific tracking of carbon transformations at unprecedented detail. Results: Our analysis revealed several key findings about carbon dynamics in palsa peat. Microbes responded rapidly to litter addition, producing a short-term increase in CO 2 emissions, fueled nearly exclusively by transformations of litter carbon. Litter inputs significantly contributed to the organic nitrogen pool through amino acids and peptide derivatives, which served as readily accessible nutrient sources for microbial communities. We traced the fate of plant-derived polyphenols including flavonoids like rutin, finding evidence of their degradation through heterocyclic C-ring fission, while accumulation of some polyphenols suggested their role in limiting overall decomposition. The SIAM approach detected subtle molecular changes indicating minimal and transient priming activity that was undetectable through conventional gas measurements alone. This transient response was characterized by brief microbial stimulation followed by rapid return to baseline metabolism. Pre-existing peat organic matter remained relatively stable; significant priming of its consumption was not observed, nor was its structural alteration. Discussion: This suggests that while litter inputs temporarily increase CO 2 emissions, they don’t sustain long-term acceleration of stored carbon decomposition or substantially decrease peat’s carbon store capacity. Our findings demonstrate how technological advancements in analytical tools can provide a more detailed view of carbon cycling processes in complex soil systems.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Plant organic matter inputs exert a strong control on soil organic matter decomposition in a thawing permafrost peatland

Peatlands are climate critical carbon (C) reservoirs that could become a C source under continued warming. A strong relationship between plant tissue chemistry and the soil organic matter (SOM) that fuels C gas emissions is inferred, but rarely examined at the molecular level. Here we compared Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy measurements of solid phase functionalities in plants and SOM to ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometric analyses of plant and SOM water extracts across a palsa-bog-fen thaw and moisture gradient in an Arctic peatland. From these analyses we calculated the C oxidation state (NOSC), a measure which can be used to assess organic matter quality. Palsa plant extracts had the highest NOSC, indicating high quality, whereas extracts of Sphagnum, which dominated the bog, had the lowest NOSC. The percentage of plant compounds that are less bioavailable and accumulate in the peat, increases from palsa (25%) to fen (41%) to bog (47%), reflecting the pattern of percent Sphagnum cover. The pattern of NOSC in the plant extracts was consistent with the high number of consumed compounds in the palsa and low number of consumed compounds in the bog. However, in the FT-IR analysis of the solid phase bog peat, carbohydrate content was high implying high quality SOM. Here, we explain this discrepancy as the result of low solubilization of bog SOM facilitated by the low pH in the bog which makes the solid phase carbohydrates less available to microbial decomposition. Plant-associated condensed aromatics, tannins, and lignin-like compounds declined in the unsaturated palsa peat indicating decomposition, but lignin-like compounds accumulated in the bog and fen peat where decomposition was presumably inhibited by the anaerobic conditions. A molecular-level comparison of the aboveground C sources and peat SOM demonstrates that climate-associated vegetation shifts in peatlands are important controls on the mechanisms underlying changing C gas emissions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗