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NASA NTRS2004

Optical Modeling Activities for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Project: Determining Image Motion and Wavefront Error Over an Extended Field of View with a Segmented Optical System - II

This is part two of a series on the optical modeling activities for JWST. Starting with the linear optical model discussed in part one, we develop centroid and wavefront error sensitivities for the special case of a segmented optical system such as JWST, where the primary mirror consists of 18 individual segments. Our approach extends standard sensitivity matrix methods used for systems consisting of monolithic optics, where the image motion is approximated by averaging ray coordinates at the image and residual wavefront error is determined with global tip/tilt removed. We develop an exact formulation using the linear optical model, and extend it to cover multiple field points for performance prediction at each instrument aboard JWST. This optical model is then driven by thermal and dynamic structural perturbations in an integrated modeling environment. Results are presented.

Howard, Joseph M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Photoionization Modeling and the K Lines of Iron

We calculate the efficiency of iron K line emission and iron K absorption in photoionized models using a new set of atomic data. These data are more comprehensive than those previously applied to the modeling of iron K lines from photoionized gases, and allow us to systematically examine the behavior of the properties of line emission and absorption as a function of the ionization parameter, density and column density of model constant density clouds. We show that, for example, the net fluorescence yield for the highly charged ions is sensitive to the level population distribution produced by photoionization, and these yields are generally smaller than those predicted assuming the population is according to statistical weight. We demonstrate that the effects of the many strongly damped resonances below the K ionization thresholds conspire to smear the edge, thereby potentially affecting the astrophysical interpretation of absorption features in the 7-9 keV energy band. We show that the centroid of the ensemble of K(alpha) lines, the K(beta) energy, and the ratio of the K(alpha(sub 1)) to K(alpha(sub 2)) components are all diagnostics of the ionization parameter of our model slabs.

Kallman, T. R.↗
NASA NTRS2003

The Spatial Distribution of Fluorescent H2 Emission Near T Tauri

New subarcsecond far-UV observations of T Tau with Hubble Space Telescope STIS show spatially resolved structure in the 2in. x 2in. area around the star. The structures are apparent in multiline emission of fluorescent H2 pumped by Ly(alpha). One emission structure follows the cavity walls observed around T Tau N in scattered light in the optical. A temperature of greater than or = l000 K is required to have a high enough population in the H2 to produce the observed fluorescent lines; in the cool environment of the T Tau system, shock heating is required to achieve this temperature at distances of a few tens of AU. Fluorescent H2 along the cavity wall represent the best evidence to date for the action of low-density, wide opening angle outflows driving cavities into the molecular medium at scales less than or = 100 AU. A southern region of emission consists of two arcs, with shape and orientation similar to the arcs of H2 2.12 microns and forbidden-line emission crossing the outflow associated with the embedded system T Tau S. This region is located near the centroid of forbidden-line emission at the blueshifted lobe of the north-south outflow.

Saucedo, Jose↗
NASA NTRS2004

Co-Seismic Mass Displacement and its Effect on Earth's Rotation and Gravity

Mantle processes often involve large-scale mass transport, ranging from mantle convection, tectonic motions, glacial isostatic adjustment, to tides, atmospheric and oceanic loadings, volcanism and seismicity. On very short time scale of less than an hour, co-seismic event, apart from the "shaking" that is the earthquake, leaves behind permanent (step-function-like) displacements in the crust and mantle. This redistribution of mass changes the Earth's inertia tensor (and hence Earth's rotation in both length-of-day and polar motion), and the gravity field. The question is whether these effects are large enough to be of any significance. In this paper we report updated calculation results based on Chao & Gross. The calculation uses the normal mode summation scheme, applied to over twenty thousand major earthquakes that occurred during 1976-2002, according to source mechanism solutions given by the Harvard Centroid Moment Tensor catalog. Compared to the truly large ones earlier in the century, the earthquakes we study are individually all too small to have left any discernible signature in geodetic records of Earth rotation or global gravity field. However, their collective effects continue to exhibit an extremely strong statistical tendencies, conspiring to decrease J2 and J22 while shortening LOD, resulting in a rounder and more compact Earth. Strong tendency is also seen in the earthquakes trying to "nudge" the Earth rotation pole towards approx. 140 deg.E, roughly opposite to the observed polar drift direction. Currently, the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) is measuring the time-variable gravity to high degree and order with unprecedented accuracy. Our results show that great earthquakes such as the 1960 Chilean or 1964 Alaskan events cause gravitational field changes that are large enough to be detected by GRACE.

Chao, B. F.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Integrated Modeling Activities for the James Webb Space Telescope: Optical Jitter Analysis

This is a continuation of a series of papers on the integrated modeling activities for the James Webb Space Telescope(JWST). Starting with the linear optical model discussed in part one, and using the optical sensitivities developed in part two, we now assess the optical image motion and wavefront errors from the structural dynamics. This is often referred to as "jitter: analysis. The optical model is combined with the structural model and the control models to create a linear structural/optical/control model. The largest jitter is due to spacecraft reaction wheel assembly disturbances which are harmonic in nature and will excite spacecraft and telescope structural. The structural/optic response causes image quality degradation due to image motion (centroid error) as well as dynamic wavefront error. Jitter analysis results are used to predict imaging performance, improve the structural design, and evaluate the operational impact of the disturbance sources.

Hyde, T. Tupper↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Solar Flare 4: 10 keV X-ray Spectrum

The 4-10 keV solar flare spectrum includes highly excited lines of stripped Ca, Fe, and Ni ions as well as a continuum steeply falling with energy. Groups of lines at approximately 7 keV and approximately 8 keV, observed during flares by the broad-band RHESSI spectrometer and called here the Fe-line and Fe/Ni-line features, are formed mostly of Fe lines but with Ni lines contributing to the approximately 8 keV feature. Possible temperature indicators of these line features are discussed - the peak or centroid energies of the Fe-line feature, the line ratio of the Fe-line to the Fe/Ni-line features, and the equivalent width of the Fe-line feature. The equivalent width is by far the most sensitive to temperature. However, results will be confused if, as is commonly believed, the abundance of Fe varies from flare to flare, even during the course of a single flare. With temperature determined from the thermal continuum, the Fe-line feature becomes a diagnostic of the Fe abundance in flare plasmas. These results are of interest for other hot plasmas in coronal ionization equilibrium such as stellar flare plasmas, hot gas in galaxies, and older supernova remnants.

Phillips, K. J. H.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Evidence for Magnetic Reconnection in Three Homologous Solar Flares Observed by RHESSI

We present RHESSI observF5oss of three homologous flares, which occurred between April 14 and 16, 2002. We find that the RHESSI images of all three flares at energies between 6 and 25 keV had some common features: (1) A. separate coronal source up to approx. 30 deg. above the flare loop appeared in the early impulsive phase and stayed stationary for several minutes. (2) Before the flare loop moved upward; previously reported by others, the flare loop-top centroid moved downward for 2-4 minutes during the early impulsive phase of the Ears: falling by 13 - 30% of its initial height with a speed between 8 and 23 km/s. We conclude that these features are associated with the formation and development of a current sheet between the loop-top and the coronal source. In the April 14-15 flare, we find that the hard X-ray flux (greater than 25 keV) is correlated with the rate at which the flare loop moves upward, indicating that the faster the loop grows, the faster the reconnection rate, and therefore, the greater the flux of accelerated electrons. Subject headings: Sun: L'iaies-Sun: X-1-ay-s -

Sui, Lin-Hui↗
NASA NTRS2005

Determining the Sun's Deep Meridional Flow Speed Using Active Latitude Drift Rates Since 1874

Dynamo models that incorporate a deep meridional return flow indicate that this flow regulates both the period and the amplitude of the sunspot cycle. We recently examined the equatorward drift of the active latitudes (as given by the centroid of the sunspot areas in each hemisphere) and found evidence supporting this view. In those studies we fit the equatorward drift in each hemisphere for each sunspot cycle with a simple parabola - giving us a drift rate and its deceleration for each hemisphere/cycle. Here we analyze the same data (the Royal Greenwich Observatory/JSAF/NOAA daily active region summaries) to determine the drift rates in each hemisphere on a yearly basis (rotation-by- rotation measurements smoothed to remove high frequencies) and fit them with a simple model for the meridional flow that provides the meridional flow speed as a function of latitude and time from 1874 to 2005. These flow speeds can be used to test dynamo models - some of which have predictive capabilities.

Hathaway, David H.↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Growth, Polarization and Motion of the Radio Afterglow from the Giant Flare from SGR 1806-20

The extraordinary giant flare (GF) of 2004 December 27 from the soft gamma repeater (SGR) 1806-20 was followed by a bright radio afterglow. We present an analysis of VLA observations of this radio afterglow from SGR 1806-20, consisting of previously reported 8.5 GHz data covering days 7 to 20 after the GF, plus new observations at 8.5 and 22 GHz from day 24 to 81. We find a deceleration in the expansion, from approximately 4.5 mas/day to less than 2.5 mas/day. The time of deceleration is roughly coincident with the rebrightening in the radio light curve, as expected to result when the ejecta from the GF sweeps up enough of the external medium, and transitions from a coasting phase to the Sedov-Taylor regime. The radio afterglow is elongated and maintains a 2:l axis ratio with an average position angle of -40 degrees (north through east), oriented perpendicular to the average intrinsic linear polarization angle. We also report on the discovery of motion in the flux centroid of the afterglow, at an average velocity of 0.26 plus or minus 0.03 c (assuming a distance of 15 kpc) at a position angle of -40 degrees. This motion, in combination with the growth and polarization measurements, suggests an initially asymmetric outflow, mainly from one side of the magnetar.

Taylor, G. B.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Stellar, Remnant, Planetary, and Dark-Object Masses from Astrometric Microlensing

The primary goal of our project is to make a complete census of the stellar population of the Galaxy. We are broadening the term stellar here to include both ordinary stars and dark stars. Ordinary stars, burning their nuclear fuel and shining, can perhaps best be studied with traditional astronomical techniques, but dark stars, by which we include old brown dwarfs, black holes, old white dwarfs, neutron stars, and perhaps exotic objects such as mirror matter stars or primordial black holes, can only be studied by their gravitational effects. Traditionally, these objects have been probed in binaries, and thus selected in a way that may or may not be representative of their respective field populations. The only way to examine the field population of these stars is through microlensing, the deflection of light from a visible star in the background by an object (dark or not) in the foreground. When lensed, there are two images of the background star. Although these images cannot be resolved when the lens has a stellar mass, the lensing effect can be detected in two ways: photometrically, i.e. by measuring the magnification of the source by the lens, and astrometrically, i.e. by measuring the shift in the centroid of the two images. Photometric microlensing experiments have detected hundreds of microlensing events over the past decade. Despite its successes, photometric microlensing has so far been somewhat frustrating because these events are difficult to interpret. Almost nothing is known about the masses of individual lenses and very little is known about the statistical properties of the lenses treated as a whole, such as their average mass. Although probably over 100 of the lenses are in fact dark objects, we can't determine which they are, let alone investigate finer details such as what their masses are, and where they are in the Galaxy. With SIM, we will break the microlensing degeneracy, and allow detailed interpretation of individual microlensing events. We will thus develop a detailed census of the dark and luminous stellar population of the Galaxy.

Gould, Andrew P.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Tracker: Image-Processing and Object-Tracking System Developed

Tracker is an object-tracking and image-processing program designed and developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center to help with the analysis of images generated by microgravity combustion and fluid physics experiments. Experiments are often recorded on film or videotape for analysis later. Tracker automates the process of examining each frame of the recorded experiment, performing image-processing operations to bring out the desired detail, and recording the positions of the objects of interest. It can load sequences of images from disk files or acquire images (via a frame grabber) from film transports, videotape, laser disks, or a live camera. Tracker controls the image source to automatically advance to the next frame. It can employ a large array of image-processing operations to enhance the detail of the acquired images and can analyze an arbitrarily large number of objects simultaneously. Several different tracking algorithms are available, including conventional threshold and correlation-based techniques, and more esoteric procedures such as "snake" tracking and automated recognition of character data in the image. The Tracker software was written to be operated by researchers, thus every attempt was made to make the software as user friendly and self-explanatory as possible. Tracker is used by most of the microgravity combustion and fluid physics experiments performed by Lewis, and by visiting researchers. This includes experiments performed on the space shuttles, Mir, sounding rockets, zero-g research airplanes, drop towers, and ground-based laboratories. This software automates the analysis of the flame or liquid s physical parameters such as position, velocity, acceleration, size, shape, intensity characteristics, color, and centroid, as well as a number of other measurements. It can perform these operations on multiple objects simultaneously. Another key feature of Tracker is that it performs optical character recognition (OCR). This feature is useful in extracting numerical instrumentation data that are embedded in images. All the results are saved in files for further data reduction and graphing. There are currently three Tracking Systems (workstations) operating near the laboratories and offices of Lewis Microgravity Science Division researchers. These systems are used independently by students, scientists, and university-based principal investigators. The researchers bring their tapes or films to the workstation and perform the tracking analysis. The resultant data files generated by the tracking process can then be analyzed on the spot, although most of the time researchers prefer to transfer them via the network to their offices for further analysis or plotting. In addition, many researchers have installed Tracker on computers in their office for desktop analysis of digital image sequences, which can be digitized by the Tracking System or some other means. Tracker has not only provided a capability to efficiently and automatically analyze large volumes of data, saving many hours of tedious work, but has also provided new capabilities to extract valuable information and phenomena that was heretofore undetected and unexploited.

Klimek, Robert B.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Estimation of Length-Scales in Soils by MRI

Soil can be best described as an unconsolidated granular media that forms porous structure. The present macroscopic theory of water transport in porous media rests upon the continuum hypothesis that the physical properties of porous media can be associated with continuous, twice-differentiable field variables whose spatial domain is a set of centroids of Representative Elementary Volume (REV) elements. MRI is an ideal technique to estimate various length-scales in porous media. A 0.267 T permanent magnet at NASA GRC was used for this study. A 2D or 3D spatially-resolved porosity distribution were obtained from the NMR signal strength from each voxel and the spin-lattice relaxation time. A classical spin-warp imaging with Multiple Spin Echos (MSE) was used to evaluate proton density in each voxel. Initial resolution of 256 x 256 was subsequently reduced by averaging neighboring voxels and the porosity convergence was observed. A number of engineered "space candidate" soils such as Isolite(trademark), Zeoponics(trademark), Turface(trademark), and Profile(trademark) were used. Glass beads in the size range between 50 microns to 2 mm were used as well. Initial results with saturated porous samples have shown a good estimate of the average porosity consistent with the gravimetric porosity measurement results. For Profile(trademark) samples with particle sizes ranging between 0.25 to 1 mm and characteristic interparticle pore size of 100 microns the characteristic Darcy scale was estimated to be about delta(sub REV) = 10 mm. Glass beads porosity show clear convergence toward a definite REV which stays constant throughout homogeneous sample. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

N E Daidzic↗
NASA NTRS2004

General-Purpose Stereo Imaging Velocimetry Technique Developed for Space and Industrial Applications

A new three-dimensional, full-field analysis technique has been developed for industrial and space applications. Stereo Imaging Velocimetry (SIV) will provide full-field analysis for three-dimensional flow data from any optically transparent fluid that can be seeded with tracer particles. The goal of SIV is to provide a means to measure three-dimensional fluid velocities quantitatively and qualitatively at many points. SIV is applicable to any optically transparent fluid experiment. Except for the tracer particles, this measurement technique is nonintrusive. Velocity accuracies are on the order of 95 to 99 percent of fullfield. The system components of SIV include camera calibration, centroid determination, overlap decomposition, particle tracking, stereo matching, and three-dimensional velocity analysis. SIV has been used successfully for space shuttle experiments as well as for fluid flow applications for business and industry.

McDowell, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2005

Coronal Dynamics and Complete Flare Energy Budget for the M Dwarf AD Leo

This grant supported the observing and data analysis for FUSE Cycle 3 project C114 to observe the flare star AD Leo for 50 ksec coordinated with HST (Hubble Space Telescope) STIS ultraviolet spectroscopy and Chandra X-ray spectroscopy. Unfortunately, it was impossible to obtain the planned FUSE observations because AD Leo is a low declination target (delta approximately 20 degrees) and was rendered unobservable by restrictions in the sky coverage for FUSE observations. In April 2002 another M dwarf star, EV Lac, which is at significantly higher declination, was substituted for this project. EV Lac was observed by FUSE for a cumulative exposure of 35 ksec on 2002 July 1. The observation used the large LWRS aperture and collected data in time-tagged mode. The LWRS aperture is large enough that the target should remain within the aperture despite the normal level of pointing jitter and target drift experienced during FUSE observing. Our examination of the stellar signal showed that the target was well within the aperture throughout the observation. The data were split into night-time and day-time data so that the effects of airglow emission were recognizable. No obvious flaring, the primary science objective, was detected during the observation. The only stellar lines detected are 0 VI 1031.9, 1037.6 Angstrom, and the C III 1175 Angstrom, UV multiplet and the 977 Angstrom, resonance line. A comparison of the day-time and night-time spectra show that the 0 VI lines and the C III intersystem multiplet are unaffected by airglow features. The day-time data 977 Angstrom profile shows the presence of significant scattered solar C III photons, which should not be present in the night time spectrum. Emission fluxes for these lines were measured by direct summation of the emission lines. No continuum signal was detected in the region of these lines. The cleanest emission line profiles are for the O VI lines and we performed Gaussian fitting for these profiles. Both lines are clearly skewed with the emission peak shifted shortward of the line centroid and with emission extending further in the longward wing than for the shortward wing. A single Gaussian fits the 1032 Angstrom line profile reasonably and gives a line flux similar to that from direct integration with a line width (FWHM) of 0.16 Angstrom, (46 kilometers per second).

Brown, Alexander↗
NASA NTRS2006

Dynamics of the Shocked Gas in the Eta Carinae System as Seen by Chandra

We report on a series of X-ray spectra of the supermassive star Eta Carinae obtained by the High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer on the CHANDRA X-ray observatory before, during and after the star's X-ray minimum in the summer of 2003. The X-ray spectra show significant variations in emission measure and absorption, in the strength of the iron K edge and fluorescent iron emission, but show little change in the distribution of emission measure with temperature. The CHANDRA spectra also resolve emission from Si, S, Fe and other elements in H-like and He-like configurations. The HETGS spectra show that these lines change in centroid energy along with evidence of changes in the forbidden-to-intercombination ratios of the He-like triplets. These spectra offer strong support that the X-ray emission originates within a shock cone around an unseen, massive companion. The variations of the X-ray line spectrum provide a direct measure of the dynamics of the shocked gas in this cone and also evidence that the hottest region of the shock is not always in collisional ionization equilibrium. We discuss these results in light of the recent discovery of He II 4686 emission and the reported discovery of FUV emission from the companion star. This work was supported by SAO/Chandra grant GO3-4008A.

Corcoran, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The 2004 Hyperflare from SGR 1806-20: Further Evidence for Global Torsional Vibrations

We report an analysis of the archival Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) data from the December 2004 hyperflare from SGR 1806-20. In addition to the approx. equal to 90 Hz QPO first discovered by Israel et al., we report the detection of higher frequency oscillations at approx. equal to 150, 625, and 1,835 Hz. In addition to these frequencies there are indications of oscillations at approx. equal to 720, and 2,384 Hz, but with lower significances. The 150 Hz QPO has a width (FWHM) of about 17 Hz, an average amplitude (rms) of 6.5%, and is detected in average power spectra centered on the rotational phase of the strongest peak in the pulse profile. This is approximately half a rotational cycle from the phase at which the 90 Hz QPO is strongly detected. The 625 Hz oscillation was first detected in an average power spectrum from nine successive cycles beginning approximately 180 s after the initial hard spike. It has a width (FWHM) of approx. equal to 2 Hz and an average amplitude (rms) during this interval of 9%. We find a strong detection of the 625 Hz oscillation in a pair of successive rotation cycles beginning about 230 s after the start of the flare. In these cycles we also detect the 1,835 Hz QPO with the 625 Hz oscillation. The rotational phase in which the 625 Hz &PO is detected is similar to that for the 90 Hz QPO, indeed, this feature is seen in the same average power spectrum. During the time the 625 Hz QPO is detected we also confirm the simultaneous presence of 30 and 92 Hz QPOs, first reported by Israel et al. The centroid frequency of the 625 Hz QPO detected with RXTE is within 1 Hz of the M 626 Hz oscillation recently found in RHESSI data from this hyperflare by Watts & Strohmayer, however, the two detections were made in different phase and energy intervals. Nevertheless, we argue that the two results likely represent detections of the same oscillation frequency intrinsic to the source, but we comment on some of the difficulties in making direct comparisons between the RXTE and RHESSI measurements

Strohmayer, Tod E.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Distributed control topologies for deep space formation flying spacecraft

A formation of satellites flying in deep space can be specified in terms of the relative satellite positions and absolute satellite orientations. The redundancy in the relative position specification generates a family of control topologies with equivalent stability and reference tracking performance, one of which can be implemented without requiring communication between the spacecraft. A relative position design formulation is inherently unobservable, and a methodology for circumventing this problem is presented. Additional redundancy in the control actuation space can be exploited for feed-forward control of the formation centroid's location in space, or for minimization of total fuel consumption.

formation flying distributed spacecraft distribute↗
NASA NTRS2003

An L-band SAR for repeat pass deformation measurements on a UAV platform

We are proposing to develop a miniaturized polarimetric L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for repeat-pass differential interferometric measurements of deformation for rapidly deforming surfaces of geophysical interest such as volcanoes or earthquakes that is to be flown on a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or minimally piloted vehicle (MPV). Upon surveying the capabilities and availabilities of such aircraft, the Proteus aircraft and the ALTAIR UAV appear to meet our criteria in terms of payload capabilities, flying altitude, and endurance. To support the repeat pass deformation capability it is necessary to control flight track capability of the aircraft to be within a specified 10 m tube with a goal of 1 m. This requires real-time GPS control of the autopilot to achieve these objectives that has not been demonstrated on these aircraft. Based on the Proteus and ALTAIR's altitude of 13.7 km (45,000 ft), we are designing a fully polarimetric L-band radar with 80 MHz bandwidth and a 16 km range swath. The radar will have an active electronic beam steering antenna to achieve a Doppler centroid stability that is necessary for repeat-pass interferometry. This paper presents some of the trade studies for the platform, instrument and the expected science.

interferometers↗