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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.

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NASA NTRS1994

Convective flow effects on protein crystal growth

The long-term stability of the interferometric setup for the monitoring of protein morphologies has been improved. Growth or dissolution of a crystal on a 100 A scale can now be clearly distinguished from dimensional changes occurring within the optical path of the interferometer. This capability of simultaneously monitoring the local interfacial displacement at several widely-spaced positions on the crystal surface with high local depth resolution, has already yielded novel results. We found with lysozyme that (1) the normal growth rate is oscillatory, and (2) the mean growth step density is greater at the periphery of a facet than in its center. The repartitioning of Na(+) and Cl(-) ions between lysozyme solutions and crystals was studied for a wide range of crystallization conditions. A nucleation-growth-repartitioning model was developed to interpret the large body of data in a unified way. The results strongly suggests that (1) the ion to lysozyme ratio in the crystal depends mostly on kinetic rather than crystallographic parameters, and (2) lysozyme crystals possess a salt-rich core with a diameter on the order of 10 microns. The computational model for diffusive-convective transport in protein crystallization (see the First Report) has been applied to a realistic growth cell geometry, taking into account the findings of the above repartitioning studies. These results show that some elements of a moving boundary problem must be incorporated into the model in order to obtain a more realistic description. Our experimental setup for light scattering investigations of aggregation and nucleation in protein solutions has been extensively tested. Scattering intensity measurements with a true Rayleigh scatterer produced systematically increased forward scattering, indicating problems with glare. These have been resolved. Preliminary measurements with supersaturated lysozyme solutions revealed that the scatterers grow with time. Work has begun on a computer program for the unified evaluation of simultaneously obtained, multi-angle static and dynamic light scattering data.

Rosenberger, Franz↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Chesapeake Lighthouse and Aircraft Measurements for Satellites (CLAMS) Experiment

NASA has developed an Earth Observing System (EOS) consisting of a series of satellites designed to study global change from space. The EOS flagship is the EOS TERRA satellite, launched in December 1999, equipped with five unique sensors to monitor and study the Earth s heat budget and many of the key controlling variables governing the Earth's climate system. CLAMS, the Chesapeake Lighthouse and Aircraft Measurements for Satellites field campaign was conducted from NASA Wallops Flight Facility and successfully executed over the middle Atlantic eastern seaboard from July 10 August 2, 2001. CLAMS is primarily a shortwave closure experiment designed to validate and improve EOS TERRA satellite data products being derived from three sensors: CERES (Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System), MISR (Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer) and MODIS (MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). CLAMS is jointly sponsored by the CERES, MISR and MODIS instrument teams and the NASA GEWEX Global Aerosol Climatology Project (GACP). CLAMS primary objectives are to validate satellite-based retrievals of aerosol properties and vertical profiles of radiative flux, temperature and water vapor. Central to CLAMS measurement strategy is the Chesapeake Lighthouse, a stable sea platform located in the Atlantic Ocean, 13 miles east of Virginia Beach near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and the site of an ongoing CERES Ocean Validation Experiment (COVE). Six research aircraft were deployed to make detailed measurements of the atmosphere and ocean surface in the vicinity of COVE, over the surrounding ocean, over nearby NOAA buoys and over a few land sites. The measurements are used to validate and provide ground truth for simultaneous products being derived from TERRA data, a key step toward an improved understanding and ability to predict changes in the Earth's climate. One of the two CERES instruments on-board TERRA was programmed for Rotating Azimuth Plane Scans (RAPS) during CLAMS, increasing the CERES coverage over COVE by a factor of 10. Nine coordinated aircraft missions and numerous additional sorties were flown under a variety of atmospheric conditions and aerosol loadings. On one golden day, July 17, all six aircraft flew coordinated patterns, vertically stacked between 100 ft and 65,000 ft over the COVE site as the TERRA satellite orbited overhead. A summary of CLAMS measurement campaign and a description of the platforms and measurements is given.

Smith, William L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and observations of the land surface

The moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a NASA facility instrument that is being designed for flight on the Earth Observing System (EOS) series of missions. It is designed to measure biophysical states and dynamics of the land, atmosphere, and ocean. Plans are required for use of other instruments that will be accompanying MODIS on the EOS missions, such as the High-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (HIRIS) and the Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR). The HIRIS instrument, a spectrometer operating in the visible to shortwave infrared parts of the spectrum, would be employed in combination with the MODIS to understand the impact of sampling the spectrum and the effects of land cover mixtures within the MODIS pixel. The MISR will help in understanding the effects of anisotropy in reflected solar radiation. Both instruments will work in combination with MODIS to better quantify the effects of the atmosphere on observations of surface properties.

Salomonson, V. V.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Shape and Structure

The convenient availability and simplicity of the Lorenz-Mie theory has resulted in a widespread practice of treating nonspherical particles (especially those in random orientation) as if they were spheres to which Lorenz-Mie results are applicable. However, the assumption of sphericity is rarely made after first having studied the effects of nonsphericity and having concluded that they are negligible. On the contrary, overwhelming evidence suggests that scattering properties of nonspherical particles, including those in random orientation, can significantly differ from those of volume- or surface-equivalent spheres. Hence, the last few decades have demonstrated major research efforts aimed at a significantly better understanding of the effects of particle shape and morphology on electromagnetic scattering. The goal of this presentation is to provide a concise summary of these efforts. The recent availability of theoretical techniques for computing single and multiple scattering of light by realistic polydispersions of spherical and nonspherical particles and the strong dependence of the Stokes scattering matrix on particle size, shape, and refractive index make polarization and depolarization measurements a powerful particle characterization tool. This presentation will focus on recent applications of photopolarimetric and lidar depolarization measurements to remote sensing characterization of tropospheric aerosols, polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) and contrails. The talk will include (1) a short theoretical overview of the effects of particle microphysics on particle single-scattering characteristics; (2) the use of multi-angle multi-spectral photopolarimetry to retrieve the optical thickness, size distribution, refractive index, and number concentration of tropospheric aerosols over the ocean surface; and (3) the application of the T-matrix method to constraining the PSC and contrail particle microphysics using multi-spectral measurements of lidar backscatter and depolarization

Mishchenko, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2001

Retrievals of Aerosol and Cloud Particle Microphysics Using Polarization and Depolarization Techniques

The recent availability of theoretical techniques for computing single and multiple scattering of light by realistic polydispersions of spherical and nonspherical particles and the strong dependence of the Stokes scattering matrix on particle size, shape, and refractive index make polarization and depolarization measurements a powerful particle characterization tool. In this presentation I will describe recent applications of photopolarimetric and lidar depolarization measurements to remote sensing characterization of tropospheric aerosols, polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs), and contrails. The talk will include (1) a short theoretical overview of the effects of particle microphysics on particle single-scattering characteristics; (2) the use of multi-angle multi-spectral photopolarimetry to retrieve the optical thickness, size distribution, refractive index, and number concentration of tropospheric aerosols over the ocean surface; and (3) the application of the T-matrix method to constraining the PSC and contrail particle microphysics using multi-spectral measurements of lidar backscatter and depolarization.

Mishchenko, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2000

What we Hope to Learn about Global Mineral Dust Aerosols from EOS Multi-Angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR)

On global scales, just a few broad atmospheric aerosol compositional groups are commonly observed. Of these, "mineral dust" is the only group which both contains non-spherical particles, and typically has size distributions with enough large particles for particle shape to affect its visible-light-scattering properties. The MISR instrument is scheduled for launch into a 10:30 AM sun-synchronous, polar orbit aboard the EOS Terra satellite in 1999. MISR will measure the upwelling visible radiance from Earth in 4 spectral bands centered at 446, 558, 672, and 866 nm, at each of 9 emission angles spread out in the forward and aft directions along the flight path at +/-70.5 deg, +/-60.0 deg, +/-45.6 deg, +/-26.1deg, and nadir. Over a period of 7 minutes, as the spacecraft flies along, a 360 km wide swath of Earth will successively be viewed by each of the cameras, allowing MISR to sample a very large range of scattering angles; in mid latitudes, the instrument will observe scattering angles between about 60 deg and 160 deg. Global coverage will be acquired about once in 9 days at the equator; the nominal mission lifetime is 6 years. The distinction in single scattering phase function between natural distributions of spherical and randomly oriented, non-spherical particles, with a broad range of aspect ratios, shows up strongly for scattering angles ranging from about 90 deg to near 180 deg. For non-spherical particle distributions, single scattering phase functions tend to be much flatter in this region than for spherical particles. Since MISR samples the relevant range of scattering angles very well, we expect to be able to make critical distinctions between natural distributions of spherical and randomly oriented, non-spherical particles with MISR data. We anticipate that the new multiangle, multispectral data from MISR will also contain other information about particle properties, a major step beyond current spacecraft remote sensing retrievals, which obtain aerosol optical depth based on entirely assumed particle microphysical properties. According to simulations over cloud-free, calm ocean, for pure particles with natural ranges of optical depth, particle size, and indices of refraction, MISR should retrieve column optical depth for all but the darkest particles, to an uncertainty of at most 0.05 or 20%, whichever is larger, even if the particle properties are poorly known. For one common particle type, soot, constraints on the optical depth over dark ocean are very poor. The simulated measurements also should allow us to separate two to four compositional groups based on indices of refraction, and to identify three to four distinct size groups between 0.1 and 2.0 microns characteristic radius at most latitudes. The technique is most sensitive to particle microphysical properties in the "accumulation mode" sizes. where particle scattering undergoes the transition from Rayleigh to large-particle regimes for the MISR wavelengths. Based on these results, we expect to distinguish air masses containing different aerosol types, routinely and globally, with multiangle remote sensing data. Such data complements in situ and field data, which can provide details about aerosol size and composition locally that are needed to assess the radiative effects of aerosols quantitatively. Both field data and correlations in space and time with likely source and sink regions will also be helpful in developing a global picture of mineral dust aerosol budgets. Further work on the expected sensitivity of MISR to natural mixtures of pure particles, including climatologically likely mineral dust components, is currently underway.

Kahn, Ralph↗
NASA NTRS1997

Ground-based Validation of the EOS Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) Aerosol Retrieval Algorithms and Science Data Products

A plan for the ground-based validation of MISR aerosol retrieval is outlined. Activities occur in two phases: (1) pre-launch, work is focused on technique development and MISR algorithm validation using conventional ground-base methods and a MISR simulator (AirMISR) operating from the ER-2 aircraft to simulate MISR on-orbit observations. (2) Post-launch, the validation program relies on ground campaigns, underflights wit the MISR simulator and the use of local measurements fo aerosol loading and properties and irradiance measurements derived from the AERONET and ISIS networks.

algorithm↗
NASA NTRS1995

Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR): Optical Characterization of the Spectralon Calibration Panels

The reflectance properties of an engineering model of the Spectralon panel intended for use within an On-Board Calibrator (OBC) on the NASA Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument have been fully characterized with regard to panel uniformity and isotropy in response to three incident laser wavelengths of 442, 632.8 and 859.9 nm. A regional variation in bidirectional reflectance function (BRF) across the surface of the engineering model (EM) panel, contributing to spatial non-uniformity at the +/-2% level has been measured at all three laser wavelengths. Further, a BRF anisotropy has been identified. The mechanism causing these departures from the ideal Lambertian surface may originate in the sanding of the Spectralon surface in the final stage of preparation. This is corroborated by measurements made on a 'pressed' polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) panel in which a greatly reduced anisotropy in panel BRF is measured. The EM panel BRF reveals deviation from a Lambertian characteristic manifest as an off-specular peak in the forward scattering direction. A common cross-over point at an angle of reflection of around 37 at which the BRF is constant within 0.4% for an illumination angle range of ui = 30 60 is observed at all three wavelengths. Two Spectralon protoflight panels which were fabricated after the engineering model was studied were also the subject of a uniformity study over part of the area of the Spectralon panels at the 442 nm wavelength. The analysis indicated that the panel uniformity satisfies the 0.5% criterion indicating improved panel preparation. However, the off specular peak in the forward scattering direction is essentially unchanged with the cross-over point at approximately 37.

Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer↗
NASA NTRS2006

Merging IceSAT GLAS and Terra MODIS Data in Order to Derive Forest Type Specific Tree Heights in the Central Siberian Boreal Forest

Mapping of boreal forest's type, biomass, and other structural parameters are critical for understanding of the boreal forest's significance in the carbon cycle, its response to and impact on global climate change. We believe the nature of the forest structure information available from MISR and GLAS can be used to help identify forest type, age class, and estimate above ground biomass levels beyond that now possible with MODIS alone. The ground measurements will be used to develop relationships between remote sensing observables and forest characteristics and provide new information for understanding forest changes with respect to environmental change. Lidar is a laser altimeter that determines the distance from the instrument to the physical surface by measuring the time elapsed between the pulse emission and the reflected return. Other studies have shown that the returned signal may identify multiple returns originating from trees, building and other objects and permits the calculation of their height. Studies using field data have shown that lidar data can provide estimates of structural parameters such as biomass, stand volume and leaf area index and allows remarkable differentiation between primary and secondary forest. NASA's IceSAT Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) was launched in January 2003 and collected data during February and September of that year. This study used data acquired over our study sites in central Siberia to examine the GLAS signal as a source of forest height and other structural characteristics. The purpose of our Siberia project is to improve forest cover maps and produce above-ground biomass maps of the boreal forest in Northern Eurasia from MODIS by incorporating structural information inherent in the Terra MISR and ICESAT Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) instruments. A number of forest cover classifications exist for the boreal forest. We believe the limiting factor in these products is the lack of structural information, particularly in the vertical dimension. The emphasis of this project is to improve upon satellite maps of boreal forest structure parameters (i.e. height and biomass) using temporal, multi-angle, and vertical profile information of GLAS data. The existing and near future lidar data is useful for demonstrating these techniques and pursuing current estimates. Future lidar missions may be several years in the future, so we will work other new data sets that may aide in biomass estimates such as ALOS PALSAR We will continue this work to produce an accurate map of current above ground forest phytomass/carbon storage possible for the study area. We plan to develop, test, and integrate remote sensing methods for extracting forest canopy structure measures. We are compiling our field measurements and will compare them with the remote sensing methods where possible. We also be able to produce a realistic error bound on the remotely sensed carbon estimates.

Ranson, K. Jon↗
NASA NTRS2004

Development of a Submillimeter/Far-Infrared Radiometer for Cirrus Measurements

We introduce a low-cost, lightweight and compact polarisation-sensitive radiometer for the measurement of Cirrus clouds in the submillimeter and far-infrared region (10 150 cm-1). It is widely recognised that enhanced global measurements of cirrus properties are essential to the development of General Circulation and Climate Prediction Models since cirrus clouds have a strong effect on the Earth's Global Radiation Budget. The purpose of this project is to design and build a novel instrument suitable for aircraft deployment in order to measure Ice Water Path (IWP) along with cirrus particle size and shape. This airborne instrument, which is currently under development in Cardiff, will serve as a prototype for a future satellite-based radiometer. The radiometer will capitalize on the ongoing measurements of the NASA-led, Fourier Transform interferometer-based, FIRSC (Far-Infrared Sensor for Cirrus) instrument for which Cardiff has been closely associated. Data from FIRSC campaigns is being used to select optimum radiometer channels that exhibit good sensitivity to specific cirrus. This new multichannel radiometer will, however, have some key advantages over similar spectroscopic instruments, for example, portability, increased optical efficiency, a multi-angle field of view and a reduced integration period leading to an improved spatial resolution. The radiometer will benefit from the application of state-of-the-art submm/FIR polarizer and solid filter technology currently being developed in Cardiff. The instrument will require a detector array that is robust enough to withstand aircraft/space deployment.

Hayton, Darren↗
NASA NTRS2004

An Integrated Multiangle, Multispectral, and Polarimetric Imaging Concept for Aerosol Remote Sensing from Space

Techniques for passive remote sensing of aerosol optical and microphysical properties from space include visible, near and shortwave-infrared imaging (e.g., from MODIS), multiangle intensity imaging (e.g., ATSR-2, AATSR, MISR), near-ultraviolet mapping (e.g., TOMSIOMI), and polarimetry (e.g., POLDER, APS). Each of these methods has unique strengths. In this paper, we present a concept for integrating these approaches into a unified sensor. Design goals include spectral coverage from the near-UV to the shortwave infrared; intensity and polarimetric imaging simultaneously at multiple view angles; global coverage within a few days; kilometer to sub-kilometer spatial resolution; and measurement of the degree of linear polarization (DOLP) for a subset of the spectral complement with an uncertainty of 0.5% or less.

polarimetric↗
NASA NTRS2003

Environmental Snapshots for Satellite Multi-Angle Aerosol Retrieval Validation During the ACE-Asia Field Campaign

On five occasions spanning the ACE-Asia field experiment in spring 2001, the multi-angle imaging MISR instrument, flying aboard the NASA Earth Observing System s Terra satellite, took quarter-kilometer data over a 400-km-wide swath, coincident with high-quality observations by multiple instruments on two or more participating surface and airborne platforms. The cases capture a range of clean, polluted, and dusty aerosol conditions. They represent some of the best opportunities during ACE- Asia for comparative studies among intensive and extensive aerosol observations in their environmental context. We inter-compare related measurements and discuss the implications of apparent discrepancies for each case, at a level of detail appropriate to the analysis of satellite observations. With a three-stage optical modeling process, we synthesize data from multiple sources into layer-by-layer snapshots that summarize what we know about the state of the atmosphere and surface at key locations during each event, to be used for satellite vicarious calibration and aerosol retrieval validation. Aerosols within a few kilometers of the surface were composed primarily of pollution and Asian dust mixtures, as expected. Accumulation and coarse-mode particle size distributions varied little among the events studied, but column aerosol optical depth changed by more than a factor of four, and the near-surface proportion of dust ranged from about 25% to 50%. The amount of absorbing material in the sub-micron fraction was highest when near-surface winds crossed Beijing and the Korean Peninsula, and was considerably lower for all other cases. Ambiguities remain in segregating size distributions by composition; having simultaneous single scattering albedo measurements at more than a single wavelength would significantly reduce the resulting optical model uncertainties, as would integral constraints from surface and atmospheric radiative flux observations. The consistency of component particle micro-physical properties among the five events, even in this relatively complex aerosol environment, suggests that global, satellite-derived maps of aerosol-air-mass-type extent, combined with targeted in situ measurements, can provide a detailed global picture of aerosol behavior. Further joint satellite and in situ analysis is needed to assess the spatial variability of both intensive and extensive aerosol properties within aerosol air masses in two spatial dimensions.

Kahn, Ralph↗
NASA NTRS1999

Constraining the Global, Cloud-Free Reflected Solar Radiation Flux (RSRF) with Earth Observing System (EOS) Instruments

Variations in the top-of-atmosphere reflected solar radiation flux, and in the factors that determine its value, are among the most important diagnostic indicators of changes in Earth's energy balance. Data from the MISR (Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer), MODIS (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), SAGE-3 (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment), and CERES (Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System), all of which are spacecraft instruments scheduled for launch in 1999, will each constrain pieces of the RSRF budget. Prior to launch, we are performing studies to determine the sensitivity of these instruments to key factors that influence the cloud-free RSRF: aerosol optical depth, aerosol scattering properties, and surface visible bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). We are also assessing the ability of the aggregate of instruments to constrain the overall RSRF budget under natural conditions over the globe. Consider the MISR retrieval of aerosols: according to simulations over cloud-free, calm ocean, for pure particles with natural ranges of optical depth, particle size, and indices of refraction, MISR can retrieve column aerosol optical depth for all but the darkest particles, to an uncertainty of at most 0.05 or 20%, whichever is larger, even if the particle properties are poorly known. For one common particle type, soot, constraints on the optical depth over dark ocean are very poor. The simulated measurements also allow us to distinguish spherical from non-spherical particles, to separate two to four compositional groups based on indices of refraction, and to identify three to four distinct size groups between 0. 1 and 2.0 microns characteristic radius at most latitudes. Based on these results, we expect to distinguish air masses containing different aerosol types, routinely and globally, with multiangle remote sensing data. Such results far exceed current satellite aerosol retrieval capabilities, which provide only total optical depth for assumed particle properties; the new information will complement in situ data, which give details about aerosol size and composition locally. In addition, our team is using climatologies that reflect the constraints each instrument is expected to provide, along with ERBE (Earth Radiation Budget Experiment) data and a radiative transfer code, to study overall sensitivity to RSRF, helping us prepare for similar studies with new data from the EOS-era instruments.

Kahn, Ralph↗
NASA NTRS2006

Use of Photoelastic Modulators for High-accuracy Spectropolarimetric Imaging of Aerosols

Passive multiangular, multispectral, and polarimetric sensing approaches each have unique strengths for the measurement of tropospheric aerosol column abundances and microphysical properties. Current spaceborne multispectral and multiangular aerosols sensors operate at approximately 1 km resolution. Under NASA's Instrument Incubator Program, we are developing an electro-optic imaging approach that will enable adding high-accuracy polarimetry to such observations. To achieve a degree of linear polarization (DOLP) uncertainty of 0.5%, our approach temporally modulates the linear-polarization component of incoming light at a rapid rate, enabling each detector within a focal-plane array, combined with polarization analyzers, to measure the relative proportions of the linear Stokes components Q or U to the total intensity. Our system uses tandem photoelastic modulators (PEMs) within a high-reflectance, low diattenuation camera design. The two PEMs vibrate at slightly different resonant frequencies, leading to modulation of the polarized light at a heterodyne frequency of ~25 Hz. High-speed (1 kHz) readout of the detector arrays samples the output waveforms from which Q/I and U/I are derived. We report on experimental and theoretical analyses of PEM and optical system performance, along with plans for developing ruggedized PEMs capable of withstanding launch and on-orbit stresses.

photoelastics↗
NASA NTRS2005

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 13

Contents include the following: A Fast, Non-Destructive Method for Classifying Ordinary Chondrite Falls Using Density and Magnetic Susceptibility. An Update on Results from the Magnetic Properties Experiments on the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Measurement Protocols for In Situ Analysis of Organic Compounds at Mars and Comets. Piping Structures on Earth and Possibly Mars: Astrobiological Implications. Uranium and Lead in the Early Planetary Core Formation: New Insights Given by High Pressure and Temperature Experiments. The Mast Cameras and Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) for the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory. MGS MOC: First Views of Mars at Sub-Meter Resolution from Orbit. Analysis of Candor Chasma Interior Layered Deposits from OMEGA/MEX Spectra. Analysis of Valley Networks on Valles Marineris Plateau Using HRSC/MEX Data. Solar Abundance of Elements from Neutron-Capture Cross Sections. Preliminary Evaluation of the Secondary Ion/Accelerator Mass Spectrometer, MegaSIMS. Equilibrium Landforms in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica: Implications for Landscape Evolution and Climate Change on Mars. Continued Study of Ba Isotopic Compositions of Presolar Silicon Carbide Grains from Supernovae. Paleoenviromental Evolution of the Holden-Uzboi Area. Stability of Magnesium Sulfate Minerals in Martian Environments. Tungsten Isotopic Constraints on the Formation and Evolution of Iron Meteorite Parent Bodies. Migration of Dust Particles and Volatiles Delivery to the Inner Planets. On the Sitting of Trapped Noble Gases in Insoluble Organic Matter of Primitive Meteorites. Trapping of Xenon Upon Evaporation-Condensation of Organic Matter Under UV Irradiation: Isotopic Fractionation and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Analysis. Stability of Water on Mars. A Didactic Activity. Analysis of Coronae in the Parga Chasma Region, Venus. Photometric and Compositional Surface Properties of the Gusev Crater Region, Mars, as Derived from Multi-Angle, Multi-Spectral Investigation of Mars Express HRSC Data. Mapping Compositional Diversity on Mars: Spatial Distribution and Geological Implications. A New Simulation Chamber for Studying Planetary Environments. Folded Structure in Terra Sirenum. Mars. Nitrogen-Noble Gas Static Mass Spectrometry of Genesis Collector Materials. Neon Isotope Heterogeneity in the Terrestrial Mantle: Implication for the Acquisition of Volatile Elements in Terrestrial Planets. The Cosmic Clock, the Cycle of Terrestrial Mass Extinctions.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1993

Modeling Spectralon's Bidirectional Reflectance for In-flight Calibration of Earth-Orbiting Sensors

The in-flight calibration of the EOS Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) will be achieved, in part, by observing deployable Spectralon panels. This material reflects light diffusely, and allows all cameras to view a near constant radiance field. This is particularly true when a panel is illuminated near the surface normal. To meet the challenging MISR calibration requirements, however, very accurate knowledge of the panel reflectance must be known for all utilized angles of illumination, and for all camera and monitoring photodiode view angles. It is believed that model predictions of the panels Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) can be used in conjunction with a measurements program to provide the required characterization. This paper describes the results of a model inversion which was conducted using measured Spectralon BRDF data at several illumination angles. Four physical parameters of the material were retrieved, and are available for use with the model to predict reflectance for any arbitrary illumination or view angle. With these data the root mean square difference between the model and the observations is currently of the order of the noise in the data, at about +/- l%. With this success the model will now be used in a variety of future studies, including the development of a measurements test plan, the validation of these data, and the prediction of a new BRDF profile, should the material degrade in space.

Flasse, Stephane P.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Assessing the Tundra-taiga Boundary with Multi-Sensor Satellite Data

Monitoring the dynamics of the circumpolar boreal forest (taiga) and Arctic tundra boundary is important for understanding the causes and consequences of changes observed in these areas. This ecotone, the world's largest, stretches for over 13,400 km and marks the transition between the northern limits of forests and the southern margin of the tundra. Because of the inaccessibility and large extent of this zone, remote sensing data can play an important role for mapping the characteristics and monitoring the dynamics. Basic understanding of the capabilities of existing space borne instruments for these purposes is required. In this study we examined the use of several remote sensing techniques for identifying the existing tundra- taiga ecotone. These include Landsat-7, MISR, MODIS and RADARSAT data. Historical cover maps, recent forest stand measurements and high-resolution IKONOS images were used for local ground truth. It was found that a tundra-taiga transitional area can be characterized using multi- spectral Landsat ETM+ summer images, multi-angle MISR red band reflectance images, RADARSAT images with larger incidence angle, or multi-temporal and multi-spectral MODIS data. Because of different resolutions and spectral regions covered, the transition zone maps derived from different data types were not identical, but the general patterns were consistent.

Ranson, K. J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

MISR Science Data Validation Plan Summary Charts

The purpose of the MISR experiment is to acquire systematic multi-angle imagery for global monitoring over a multi-year period of top-of-atmosphere and surface albedos and to measure the shortwave radiative properties of aerosols, clouds, and surface scenes.

MISR science data validation plan summary charts↗