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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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At least 757 records · Page 42

Evaluating Ground Motion Predictions of USGS 3D Seismic Model of the San Francisco Bay Area with Broadband Seismograms

The USGS (Menlo Park) developed a three-dimensional (3D) geologic and seismic model of the greater San Francisco Bay Area for the purposes of computing earthquake ground motions. This model was used to compute scenario ground motions for the 1906 San Francisco, 1989 Loma Prieta and a suite of Hayward Fault earthquakes. While scenario ground motion calculations are important for investigating the amplitude, duration and variability of motions from large damaging earthquakes, the accuracy of such predictions depends on the accuracy of the 3D model. We evaluated the USGS 3D model of the Bay Area by computing predictions of broadband waveforms for 12 moderate (Mw 4-5) earthquakes and comparing them to the observed waveforms. Calculations were performed using WPP (an elastic finite difference code developed at LLNL) on massively parallel computers. Data were obtained from IRIS for Berkeley Digital Seismic Network (BDSN) and USArray broadband stations. The figure below shows a snapshot of the vertical component displacements for an earthquake near Glen Ellen (Sonoma County). Also shown is the comparison of the observed (blue) and computed (red) three-component seismograms at two stations: BKS (Berkeley) and JRSC (Stanford). Note that the motions at BKS are more complex and longer duration due to basin propagation effects from the San Pablo Bay, however the 3D model predicts this energy quite well. The motions at JRSC are simpler and the 3D model predicts the weaker late arriving energy on the transverse (T) component. This analysis found that the USGS 3D model could predict the amplitude, duration and waveform shapes of moderate earthquake ground motions quite well however we did find that phase delays reveal that shear velocities in the model were too fast. This information was used to revise the model for subsequent ground motion modeling.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

The NANOGrav 11 yr data set: Limits on Gravitational Wave Memory

The mergers of supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) promise to be incredible sources of gravitational waves (GWs).While the oscillatory part of the merger gravitational waveform will be outside the frequency sensitivity range of pulsar timing arrays, the nonoscillatory GW memory effect is detectable. Further, any burst of GWs will produce GW memory, making memory a useful probe of unmodeled exotic sources and new physics. We searched the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) 11 yr data set for GW memory. This data set is sensitive to very low-frequency GWs of ∼3 to 400 nHz (periods of ∼11 yr–1 month). Finding no evidence for GWs, we placed limits on the strain amplitude of GW memory events during the observation period. We then used the strain upper limits to place limits on the rate of GW memory causing events. At a strain of 2.5 × 10−14, corresponding to the median upper limit as a function of source sky position, we set a limit on the rate of GW memory events at <0.4 yr−1. That strain corresponds to an SMBHB merger with reduced mass of ηM ~2 × 1010Mmoonand inclination of ι = π/3 at a distance of 1 Gpc. As a test of our analysis, we analyzed the NANOGrav 9 yr data set as well. This analysis found an anomolous signal, which does not appear in the 11 yr data set. This signal is not a GW, and its origin remains unknown.

K Aggarwal↗

Vibration Analysis of the Space Shuttle External Tank Cable Tray Flight Data with and without PAL Ramp

External Tank Cable Tray vibration data for three successive Space Shuttle flights were analyzed to assess response to buffet and the effect of removal of the Protuberance Air Loads (PAL) ramp. Waveform integration, spectral analysis, cross-correlation analysis and wavelet analysis were employed to estimate vibration modes and temporal development of vibration motion from a sparse array of accelerometers and an on-board system that acquired 16 channels of data for approximately the first two minutes of each flight. The flight data indicated that PAL ramp removal had minimal effect on the fluctuating loads on the cable tray. The measured vibration frequencies and modes agreed well with predicted structural response.

Walker, B. E.↗

Vibration Analysis of the Space Shuttle External Tank Cable Tray Flight Data With and Without PAL Ramp

External Tank Cable Tray vibration data for three successive Space Shuttle flights were analyzed to assess response to buffet and the effect of removal of the Protuberance Air Loads (PAL) ramp. Waveform integration, spectral analysis, cross-correlation analysis and wavelet analysis were employed to estimate vibration modes and temporal development of vibration motion from a sparse array of accelerometers and an on-board system that acquired 16 channels of data for approximately the first 2 min of each flight. The flight data indicated that PAL ramp removal had minimal effect on the fluctuating loads on the cable tray. The measured vibration frequencies and modes agreed well with predicted structural response.

Walker, Bruce E.↗

Development of Software for a Lidar-Altimeter Processor

A report describes the development of software for a digital processor that operates in conjunction with a finite-impulse-response (FIR) chip in a spaceborne lidar altimeter. Processing is started by a laser-fire interrupt signal that is repeated at intervals of 25 ms. For the purpose of discriminating between returns from the ground and returns from such things as trees, buildings, and clouds, the software is required to scan digitized lidar-return data in reverse of the acquisition sequence in order to distinguish the last return pulse from within a commanded ground-return range window. The digitized waveform information within this range window is filtered through 6 matched filters, in the hardware electronics, in order to maximize the probability of finding echoes from sloped or rough terrain and minimize the probability of selecting cloud returns. From the data falling past the end of the range window, there is obtained a noise baseline that is used to calculate a threshold value for each filter. The data from each filter is analyzed by a complex weighting scheme and the filter with the greatest weight is selected. A region around the peak of the ground return pulse associated with the selected filter is placed in telemetry, as well as information on its location, height, and other characteristics. The software requires many uplinked parameters as input. Included in the report is a discussion of major software-development problems posed by the design of the FIR chip and the need for the software to complete its process within 20 ms to fit within the overall 25-ms cycle.

Rosenberg, Jacob S.↗

The ADAQ framework: An integrated toolkit for data acquisition and analysis with real and simulated radiation detectors

Here, the ADAQ framework is a collection of software tools that is designed to streamline the acquisition and analysis of radiation detector data produced in modern digital data acquisition (DAQ) systems and in Monte Carlo detector simulations. The purpose of the framework is to maximize user scientific pro-ductivity by minimizing the effort and expertise required to fully utilize radiation detectors in a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines. By using a single set of tools to span the real and simulation domains, the framework eliminates redundancy and provides an integrated workflow for high-fidelity comparison between experimental and simulated detector performance. Built on the ROOT data analysis framework, the core of the ADAQ framework is a set of Cþþ and Python libraries that enable high-level control of digital DAQ systems and detector simulations with data stored into standardized binary ROOT files for further analysis. Two graphical user interface programs utilize the libraries to create powerful tools: ADAQAcquisition handles control and readout of real-world DAQ systems and ADAQAnalysis provides data analysis and visualization methods for experimental and simulated data. At present, the ADAQ framework supports digital DAQ hardware from CAEN S.p.A. and detector simulations performed in Geant4; however, the modular design will facilitate future extension to other manufacturers and simulation platforms.

detector simulation↗

Calibration of a compact ASIC-based data acquisition system for neutron/$γ$ discrimination and spectroscopy with organic scintillators

Segmented neutron detectors that use silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are receiving significant attention in nuclear security applications. Some of these detectors employ hundreds of channels and would therefore benefit from the use of high-channel-density and low-cost-per-channel data acquisition (DAQ) systems. Candidate DAQ systems that meet these requirements exist, but few perform full waveform digitization, which permits neutron and gamma-ray interaction discrimination via pulse shape. In this work, we study the performance of the TOFPET2 (PETsys Electronics), an ASIC-based DAQ designed for positron emission tomography, which has been adapted to provide sensitivity to pulse shape by the use of variable-period charge integration. We use a light-emitting diode to calibrate a combination of an ON Semiconductor (SensL) 60035-64P J-Series SiPM and TOPFET2 DAQ and evaluate the linearity of their response and dynamic range. Here, the calibration curve was obtained by comparing the DAQ response to that measured with a photodiode interfaced with a traditional waveform digitizer. This calibration process was used for rudimentary spectroscopy of various neutron and sources.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Kinetic simulation of a low-pressure helium discharge with comparison to experimental measurements

Modern computational validation efforts rely on comparison of known experimental quantities such as current, voltage, particle densities, and other plasma properties with the same values determined through simulation. A discrete photon approach for radiation transport was recently incorporated into a particle-in-cell/direct simulation Monte Carlo code. As a result, spatially and temporally resolved synthetic spectra may be generated even for non-equilibrium plasmas. The generation of this synthetic spectra lends itself to potentially new validation opportunities. In this work, initial comparisons of synthetic spectra are made with experimentally gathered optical emission spectroscopy. A custom test apparatus was constructed that contains a 0.5 cm gap distance parallel plane discharge in ultra high purity helium gas (99.9999%) at a pressure of 75 Torr. Plasma generation is initiated with the application of a fast rise-time, 100 ns full-width half maximum, 2.0 kV voltage pulse. Transient electrical diagnostics are captured along with time-resolved emission spectra. A one-dimensional simulation is run under the same conditions and compared against the experiment to determine if sufficient physics are included to model the discharge. To sync the current measurements from experiment and simulation, significant effort was undertaken to understand the kinetic scheme required to reproduce the observed features. Additionally, the role of the helium molecule excimer emission and atomic helium resonance emission on photocurrent from the cathode are studied to understand which effect dominates photo-feedback processes. Results indicate that during discharge development, atomic helium resonance emission dominates the photo-flux at the cathode even though it is strongly self-absorbed. A comparison between the experiment and simulation demonstrates that the simulation reproduces observed features in the experimental discharge current waveform. Here, the synthesized spectra from the kinetic method produces more favorable agreement with the experimental data than a simple local thermodynamic equilibrium calculation and is a first step towards using spectra generated from a kinetic method in validation procedures. The results of this study produced a detailed compilation of important helium plasma chemistry reactions for simulating transient helium plasma discharges.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Chemical Blast Standard (1 kg)

Chemical explosions create blast waves with large overpressure disturbances. It is important to develop a standard blast model based on data to accurately predict acoustic blast-wave amplitudes near detonations and invert for explosion energy from distant observations of blast-wave signals. However, open data from large, controlled chemical explosions with reliable ground truth can be challenging to find. The lack of access to such data could limit the number of contributions to related research and potentially stifle the rate of discoveries or validation of existing models. Here, to address these data scarcity problem, we have curated and compiled a standardized set of 817 blast-wave waveforms from 19 distinct high-explosive events. The blast-wave waveforms are standardized to a 1 kg trinitrotoluene explosion using scaling laws and corrections for location effects. A brief overview of the dataset is presented along with explosion feature models as well as recommendations for extracting explosion features. The resulting dataset is distributed to an open repository in both Seismic Analysis Code and pandas DataFrame formats containing the waveforms, the scaled distances, and the sample rates.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Multi-Phenomenology Explosion Monitoring (Multi-PEM). Signal Detection. Research to target smaller sources for tomorrow’s missions

This a guide on how to detect and identify explosions from various sources. For example, nuclear explosions produce acoustic, optical, and EMP outputs. Each signal can be buried in noise, but fusing detection statistics from seismic, acoustic, and electromagnetic signals results in clear detection otherwise unobtainable.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Quantifying uncertainty in regional-scale seismic moment tensors

We examine the ability of three different inversion methods: 1) first motion (FM) inversions, 2) amplitude inversions, and 3) full waveform (FW) time variable moment tensor (TVMT) inversions, to recover an accurate source mechanism for simulated data for an earthquake as well as an explosion. The ability of inversion methods, such as the ones described above, to recover accurate models representative of the data depends on both a priori information as well as the quality of data being inverted. Therefore, we examine the effect that station geometry, geologic model, and noise level has on the inversion and estimated source mechanism. We find that FM data can provide more robust solutions than amplitude data and are not as sensitive to inaccurate earth models, especially in low-noise cases, and overall FW inversions are the most accurate out of the methods examined, but can still be biased by inaccurate earth models.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Observation and modeling of compressional Pi 3 magnetic pulsations

Compressional magnetic pulsations with irregular waveforms and periods longer than 150 s (here termed Pi 3) have been studied by using data from Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers Charge Composition Explorer (AMPTE/CCE) and GOES 5 and 6 in the dayside magnetosphere and compared with signatures on the ground at low latitudes by using data from Kakioka station (L = 1.25). On the ground, the pulsations appear in the horizontal component. A study of 17 such concurrent events during a 2-month period in 1986 reveals the following pulsation characteristics. (1) The peak-to-peak amplitudes in space (delta B(sub T)) and on the ground (delta H) are comparable and are in the range of 0.5-7 nT. (2) On the ground the pulsations can be seen at all local times, even at midnight, while at geostationary orbit they are observed only on the dayside with a clear amplitude maximum at noon. (3) The pulsations on the ground lag those observed by CCE near local noon, and the lag increases as the local time separation between CCE and the ground station increases. The time lag is 1-2 min longer when the ground station is on the nightside than when it is on the dayside. (4) The time lag between pulsations observed at geostationary orbit and near noon by CCE varies systematically with local time and is about 2 min per 6 hours of local time separation. These observations indicate that some nightside pulsations in the Pi 3 band have dayside origins. The position dependence of the pulsation amplitude can be explained well by changes in the magnetopause current, which are in turn presumably caused by changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure. The time lags observed in space are consistent with signal propagation in the MHD fast mode, but the variation in space-ground time lags with ground station local time must be attributed to another mechanism.

Matsuoka, Hitoshi↗

Characterization of Piezoelectric Stacks for Space Applications

Future NASA missions are increasingly seeking to actuate mechanisms to precision levels in the nanometer range and below. Co-fired multilayer piezoelectric stacks offer the required actuation precision that is needed for such mechanisms. To obtain performance statistics and determine reliability for extended use, sets of commercial PZT stacks were tested in various AC and DC conditions at both nominal and high temperatures and voltages. In order to study the lifetime performance of these stacks, five actuators were driven sinusoidally for up to ten billion cycles. An automated data acquisition system was developed and implemented to monitor each stack's electrical current and voltage waveforms over the life of the test. As part of the monitoring tests, the displacement, impedance, capacitance and leakage current were measured to assess the operation degradation. This paper presents some of the results of this effort.

active mirrors↗

Connect Global Positioning System RF Module

The CoNNeCT Global Positioning System RF Module (GPSM) slice is part of the JPL CoNNeCT Software Defined Radio (SDR). CoNNeCT is the Communications, Navigation, and Net working reconfigurable Testbed project that is part of NASA's Space Communication and Nav igation (SCaN) Program. The CoNNeCT project is an experimental dem onstration that will lead to the advancement of SDRs and provide a path for new space communication and navigation systems for future NASA exploration missions. The JPL CoNNeCT SDR will be flying on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2012 in support of the SCaN CoNNeCT program. The GPSM is a radio-frequency sampler module (see Figure 1) that directly sub-harmonically samples the filtered GPS L-band signals at L1 (1575.42 MHz), L2 (1227.6 MHz), and L5 (1176.45 MHz). The JPL SDR receives GPS signals through a Dorne & Margolin antenna mounted onto a choke ring. The GPS signal is filtered against interference, amplified, split, and fed into three channels: L1, L2, and L5. In each of the L-band channels, there is a chain of bandpass filters and amplifiers, and the signal is fed through each of these channels to where the GPSM performs a one-bit analog-to-digital conversion (see Figure 2). The GPSM uses a sub-harmonic, single-bit L1, L2, and L5 sampler that samples at a clock rate of 38.656 MHz. The new capability is the down-conversion and sampling of the L5 signal when previous hardware did not provide this capability. The first GPS IIF Satellite was launched in 2010, providing the new L5 signal. With the JPL SDR flying on the ISS, it will be possible to demonstrate navigation solutions with 10-meter 3-D accuracy at 10-second intervals using a field-program mable gate array (FPGA)-based feedback loop running at 50 Hz. The GPS data bits will be decoded and used in the SDR. The GPSM will also allow other waveforms that are installed in the SDR to demonstrate various GNSS tracking techniques.

Franklin, Garth W.↗

GRC GSFC TDRSS Waveform Metrics Report

The report presents software metrics and porting metrics for the GGT Waveform. The porting was from a ground-based COTS SDR, the SDR-3000, to the CoNNeCT JPL SDR. The report does not address any of the Operating Environment (OE) software development, nor the original TDRSS waveform development at GSFC for the COTS SDR. With regard to STRS, the report presents compliance data and lessons learned.

Mortensen, Dale J.↗

Status of the Mu2e calorimeter readout electronics

The Mu2e experiment [1] at Fermilab will search for the neutrino-less coherent conversion of a muon into an electron in the field of a nucleus. Mu2e detectors comprise a straw tracker, an electromagnetic calorimeter and a veto for cosmic rays. The calorimeter employs 1348 Cesium Iodide crystals readout by silicon photomultipliers and fast front-end and digitization electronics. The front-end electronics consists of two discrete readout circuits (AMP-HV) for each crystal. These provide the amplification, shaping stage and linear regulation of the SiPM bias voltage and monitoring. The SiPM and front-end control electronics is implemented in a battery of mezzanine boards each equipped with an ARM processor that controls a group of 20 Amp-HV circuits distributing the low voltage and the high-voltage. The electronic is hosted in crates located on the external surface of calorimeter disks. The crates also host the waveform digitizer board (DIRAC) that performs digitization of the front end signals and transmit the digitized data to the Mu2e DAQ. Calorimeter electronic is hosted inside the cryostat and must sustain very high radiation and magnetic field so it was necessary to fully qualify it. The system design and quality assurance procedures will be reviewed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Analysis of shockless dynamic compression data on solids to multi-megabar pressures: Application to tantalum

Magnetically-driven, planar shockless-compression experiments to multi-megabar pressures were performed on tantalum samples using a stripline target geometry. Free-surface velocity waveforms were measured in 15 cases; nine of these in a dual-sample configuration with two samples of different thicknesses on opposing electrodes, and six in a single-sample configuration with a bare electrode opposite the sample. Details are given on the application of inverse Lagrangian analysis (ILA) to these data, including potential sources of error. The most significant source of systematic error, particularly for single-sample experiments, was found to arise from the pulse-shape dependent free-surface reflected wave interactions with the deviatoric-stress response of tantalum. This could cause local, possibly temporary, unloading of material from a ramp compressed state, and thus multi-value response in wave speed that invalidates the free-surface to in-material velocity mapping step of ILA. By averaging all 15 data sets, a final result for the principal quasi-isentrope of tantalum in stress-strain was obtained to a peak longitudinal stress of 330 GPa with conservative uncertainty bounds of ±4.5% in stress. The result agrees well with a tabular equation of state developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Expanded interleaved solid-state memory for a wide bandwidth transient waveform recorder

An interleaved, solid state expanded memory for a 100 MHz bandwidth waveform recorder is described. The memory development resulted in a significant increase in the storage capacity of a commercially available recorder. The motivation for the memory expansion of the waveform recorder, which is used to support in-flight measurement of the electromagnetic characteristics of lightning discharges, was the need for a significantly longer data window than that provided by the commercially available unit. The expanded recorder provides a data window that is 128 times longer than the commercial unit, while maintaining the same time resolution, by increasing the storage capacity from 1024 to 131 072 data samples. The expanded unit operates at sample periods as small as 10 ns. Sampling once every 10 ns, the commercial unit records for about 10 microseconds before the memory is filled, whereas, the expanded unit records for about 1300 microseconds. A photo of the expanded waveform recorder is shown.

Thomas, R. M., Jr.↗