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At least 109 records · Page 6

Large Field-of-view KD*P Modulator for Solar Polarization Measurements

This paper will describe the evolution of the Marshall Space Flight Center electro-optical polarimeter with emphasis on the field of view characteristics of the its KD*P modulator. Understanding the field of view characteristics was essential to the success of the MSFC vector magnetograph. The paper will show how the field of view errors of KD*P look similar to the polarization patterns seen in simple sunspots and why the placement of the KD*P in a collimated beam was essential in separating the instrumental polarization from the solar signal. Finally, this paper will describe a modulator design which minimizes those field-of-view errors and will used in the new magnetograph development program at the University of Alabama, Huntsville.

West, Edward A.↗

A Three-Dimensional Linearized Unsteady Euler Analysis for Turbomachinery Blade Rows

A three-dimensional, linearized, Euler analysis is being developed to provide an efficient unsteady aerodynamic analysis that can be used to predict the aeroelastic and aeroacoustic response characteristics of axial-flow turbomachinery blading. The field equations and boundary conditions needed to describe nonlinear and linearized inviscid unsteady flows through a blade row operating within a cylindrical annular duct are presented. In addition, a numerical model for linearized inviscid unsteady flow, which is based upon an existing nonlinear, implicit, wave-split, finite volume analysis, is described. These aerodynamic and numerical models have been implemented into an unsteady flow code, called LINFLUX. A preliminary version of the LINFLUX code is applied herein to selected, benchmark three-dimensional, subsonic, unsteady flows, to illustrate its current capabilities and to uncover existing problems and deficiencies. The numerical results indicate that good progress has been made toward developing a reliable and useful three-dimensional prediction capability. However, some problems, associated with the implementation of an unsteady displacement field and numerical errors near solid boundaries, still exist. Also, accurate far-field conditions must be incorporated into the FINFLUX analysis, so that this analysis can be applied to unsteady flows driven be external aerodynamic excitations.

Montgomery, Matthew D.↗

Systems and methods for detecting a failure event in a field programmable gate array

An embodiment generally relates to a method of self-detecting an error in a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The method includes writing a signature value into a signature memory in the FPGA and determining a conclusion of a configuration refresh operation in the FPGA. The method also includes reading an outcome value from the signature memory.

Ng, Tak-Kwong↗

Analysis of the new polarimeter for the Marshall Space Flight Center vector magnetograph

The magnetograph was upgraded in both electronic control of the magnetograph hardware and in the polarization optics. The problems associated with the orignal polarimeter were: (1) field of view errors associated with the natural birefringence of the KD*P crystals; (2.) KD*P electrode failure due to the halfwave dc voltage required in one of the operational sequences; and (3) breakdown of the retardation properties of some KD*Ps when exposed to a zero to halfwave modulation (DC) scheme. The new polarimeter gives up the flexibility provided by two variable waveplates to adjust the retardances of the optics for a particular polarization measurement, but solves the problems associated with the original polarimeter. With the addition of the quartz quarterwave plates, a new optical alignment was developed to allow the remaining KD*P to correct for errors in the waveplates. The new optical alignment of the polarimeter is prescribed. The various sources of error, and how those errors are minimized so that the magnetograph can look at the transverse field in real time are discussed.

West, E. A.↗

Optimum employment of satellite indirect soundings as numerical model input

The characteristics of satellite-derived temperature soundings that would significantly affect their use as input for numerical weather prediction models were examined. Independent evaluations of satellite soundings were emphasized to better define error characteristics. Results of a Nimbus-6 sounding study reveal an underestimation of the strength of synoptic scale troughs and ridges, and associated gradients in isobaric height and temperature fields. The most significant errors occurred near the Earth's surface and the tropopause. Soundings from the TIROS-N and NOAA-6 satellites were also evaluated. Results again showed an underestimation of upper level trough amplitudes leading to weaker thermal gradient depictions in satellite-only fields. These errors show a definite correlation to the synoptic flow patterns. In a satellite-only analysis used to initialize a numerical model forecast, it was found that these synoptically correlated errors were retained in the forecast sequence.

Horn, L. H.↗

A computer-aided telescope pointing system utilizing a video star tracker

The Video Inertial Pointing (VIP) System developed to satisfy the acquisition and pointing requirements of astronomical telescopes is described. A unique feature of the system is the use of a single sensor to provide information for the generation of three axis pointing error signals and for a cathode ray tube (CRT) display of the star field. The pointing error signals are used to update the telescope's gyro stabilization and the CRT display is used by an operator to facilitate target acquisition and to aid in manual positioning of the telescope optical axis. A model of the system using a low light level vidicon built and flown on a balloon-borne infrared telescope is briefly described from a state of the art charge coupled device (CCD) sensor. The advanced system hardware is described and an analysis of the multi-star tracking and three axis error signal generation, along with an analysis and design of the gyro update filter, are presented. Results of a hybrid simulation are described in which the advanced VIP system hardware is driven by a digital simulation of the star field/CCD sensor and an analog simulation of the telescope and gyro stabilization dynamics.

Murphy, J. P.↗

X-Ray Emission from the Unidentified Gamma Ray Transient GRO J1838-0415 and X-Ray Localization of Gamma-Ray Transients near the Galactic Plane

The investigation was focused on studying the residual X-ray emission from possible counterparts of enigmatic gamma-ray transients near the Galactic plane. These sources (discovered by our group at Columbia) are highly variable gamma-ray sources with no radio-loud spectrally flat blazar in their approx 1 deg. diameter error box. BSAX Narrow Field Instruments pointed the gamma-ray error box of the prominent non-blazar Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) source GRO 1838-04 twice on April 17, 1997, and on April 20, 1997. Most of the EGRET error box was imaged and several faint X-ray sources were detected. BSAX Wide Field Camera data were also obtained for a variety of sources near the Galactic plane, including GRO J1838-04.

Tavani, Marco↗

An error analysis of tropical cyclone divergence and vorticity fields derived from satellite cloud winds on the Atmospheric and Oceanographic Information Processing System (AOIPS)

An advanced Man-Interactive image and data processing system (AOIPS) was developed to extract basic meteorological parameters from satellite data and to perform further analyses. The errors in the satellite derived cloud wind fields for tropical cyclones are investigated. The propagation of these errors through the AOIPS system and their effects on the analysis of horizontal divergence and relative vorticity are evaluated.

Hasler, A. F.↗

A computer-aided telescope pointing system utilizing a video star tracker

The Video Inertial Pointing (VIP) System is being developed to satisfy the acquisition and pointing requirements of astronomical telescopes. VIP employs a single video sensor to generate three-axis pointing error signals and to provide inputs for a cathode ray tube (CRT) display of the star field. The pointing error signals update the telescope's gyro stabilization system. The CRT display facilitates target acquisition and positioning of the telescope by a remote operator. The present paper describes the analysis, simulation, and hardware development of a prototype, advanced VIP system. An early model of the system utilizing a silicon-intensified target vidicon camera has flown on a balloon-borne telescope and is briefly described. The advanced system, which can employ either a vidicon camera or a charge-coupled device video sensor, has been tested using an analog/digital hybrid simulation. The advanced VIP hardware is described, and the simulation results presented.

Lorell, K. R.↗

The synchronous orbit magnetic field data set

The magnetic field at synchronous orbit is the result of superposition of fields from many sources such as the earth, the magnetopause, the geomagnetic tail, the ring current and field-aligned currents. In addition, seasonal changes in the orientation of the earth's dipole axis causes significant changes in each of the external sources. Main reasons for which the synchronous orbit magnetic field data set is a potentially valuable resource are outlined. The primary reason why synchronous magnetic field data have not been used more extensively in magnetic field modeling is the presence of absolute errors in the measured fields. Nevertheless, there exists a reasonably large collection of synchronous orbit magnetic field data. Some of these data can be useful in quantitative modeling of the earth's magnetic field. A brief description is given of the spacecraft, the magnetometers, the standard graphical data displays, and the digital data files.

Mcpherron, R. L.↗

Multi-star processing and gyro filtering for the video inertial pointing system

The video inertial pointing (VIP) system is being developed to satisfy the acquisition and pointing requirements of astronomical telescopes. The VIP system uses a single video sensor to provide star position information that can be used to generate three-axis pointing error signals (multi-star processing) and for input to a cathode ray tube (CRT) display of the star field. The pointing error signals are used to update the telescope's gyro stabilization system (gyro filtering). The CRT display facilitates target acquisition and positioning of the telescope by a remote operator. Linearized small angle equations are used for the multistar processing and a consideration of error performance and singularities lead to star pair location restrictions and equation selection criteria. A discrete steady-state Kalman filter which uses the integration of the gyros is developed and analyzed. The filter includes unit time delays representing asynchronous operations of the VIP microprocessor and video sensor. A digital simulation of a typical gyro stabilized gimbal is developed and used to validate the approach to the gyro filtering.

Murphy, J. P.↗

Mapping electrodynamic features of the high-latitude ionosphere from localized observations - Technique

This paper describes a novel procedure for mapping high-latitude electric fields and currents and their associated magnetic variations, using sets of localized observational data derived from different types of measurements. The technique provides a formalism for incorporating simultaneously such different classes of data as electric fields from radars and satellites, electric currents from radars, and magnetic perturbations at the ground and at satellite heights; the technique also uses available statistical information on the averages and variances of electrodynamic fields. The technique provides a more rigorous way of quantitatively estimating high-latitude electric field and current patterns than other methods and has a capability to quantify the errors in the mapped fields, based on the distribution of available data, their errors, and the statistical variances of the fields. The technique is illustrated by an application to a substorm which was analyzed by Kamide et al. (1982) by an earlier technique.

Richmond, A. D.↗

Sensitivity of acoustic predictions to variation of input parameters

The noise prediction code WOPWOP predicts the thickness and loading noise produced by a helicopter rotor, given the blade motion, rotor operating conditions, and fluctuating force distribution over the blade surface. However, the criticality of these various inputs, and their respective effects on the predicted acoustic field, have never been fully addressed. This paper examines the importance of these inputs, and the sensitivity of the acoustic predictions to a variation of each parameter. The effects of collective and cyclic pitch, as well as coning and flapping, are presented. Blade loading inputs are examined to determine the necessary spatial and temporal resolution, as well as the importance of the cordwise distribution. The acoustic predictions show regions in the acoustic field where significant errors occur when simplified blade motions or blade loadings are used. An assessment of the variation in the predicted acoustic field is balanced by a consideration of CPU time necessary for the various approximations.

Brentner, Kenneth S.↗

Sensitivity of acoustic predictions to variation of input parameters

Rotor noise prediction codes predict the thickness and loading noise produced by a helicopter rotor, given the blade motion, rotor operating conditions, and fluctuating force distribution over the blade surface. However, the criticality of these various inputs, and their respective effects on the predicted acoustic field, have never been fully addressed. This paper examines the importance of these inputs, and the sensitivity of the acoustic predicitions to a variation of each parameter. The effects of collective and cyclic pitch, as well as coning and cyclic flapping, are presented. Blade loading inputs are examined to determine the necessary spatial and temporal resolution, as well as the importance of the chordwise distribution. The acoustic predictions show regions in the acoustic field where significant errors occur when simplified blade motions or blade loadings are used. An assessment of the variation in the predicted acoustic field is balanced by a consideration of Central Processing Unit (CPU) time necessary for the various approximations.

Brentner, Kenneth S.↗

Temperature-moisture biases in ECMWF analyses based on clear sky longwave simulations constrained by SSMI and MSU measurements and comparisons to ERBE estimates

Clear sky longwave radiation fluxes for the summer of 1988 and winter of 1989 have been simulated with a radiative transfer model that includes detailed treatment of atmospheric gas absorption. The input data to the model are humidity and temperature profiles from European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses and surface temperature measurements from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project. To reduce the inherent uncertainties in humidity profiles, the ECMWF moisture fields have been adjusted, based on the climatological relationship between the moisture profile and total precipitable water (PW), so that the ECMWF PW is equal to that derived from Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSMI) data. SSMI and ECMWF PW patterns are generally similar, but significant differences in magnitude are found in the low latitudes, particularly over the subtropical oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. At the same time the tropospheric brightness temperature (T(sub B)) at 53.74 GHz has been computed using a microwave transfer model with ECMWF temperature and humidity fields as inputs. The comparison of computed T(sub B) with the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) channel 2 T(sub B) revealed differences larger than 1.5 K over most of the oceans, suggesting that the ECMWF model atmosphere has a cold bias. Maximum biases greater than 3 K are found in low latitudes. After removing the bias from the ECMWF temperature field, a new set of temperature profiles yielding brightness temperature equal to MSU channel 2 T(sub B) has been obtained. Simulation results clearly demonstrate that inclusion of satellite estimates of PW and T(sub B) enhances the accuracy of the clear sky LW flux simulation, substantially reducing the differences from Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) estimates. Global averages indicate that the model-derived top-of-atmosphere (TOA) clear sky fluxes from the adjusted moisture and temperature profiles are in very good agreement with satellite-measured ERBE values, differing by only 1.4 W/sq m. By contrast, the calculation using only ECMWF analyses without any adjustments gives a significant underestimation of TOA clear sky fluxes up to 10.7 W/sq m compared to the satellite measurements, suggesting that the constraint method can significantly improve the accuracy in the radiation budget simulation. The results also indicate that the ECMWF-based simulation errors are, at least for the two seasons studied, mainly attributed to the error in the temperature field rather than to errors in the moisture field.

Sohn, Byung-Ju↗

Limits to size for terrestrial telescopes - Two-stage optics

A wave front corrector inserted at the image of a surface producing an error can remove the wave front error over a reasonable field of view. The relationship of magnitude of error, constants of a given configuration, and the residual wave front error is explored. Results are presented of the production of a sample wave front error surface by diamond turning with the Large Optical Diamond Turning Machine (LODTM). The cost consequences of this new ability to upgrade a submillimeter-quality telescope to a high-acuity optical telescope are shown.

Meinel, Marjorie P.↗