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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 127 records · Page 7

Interplanetary radio storms. II - Emission levels and solar wind speed in the range 0.05-0.8 AU

Storms of interplanetary type III radio bursts (IP storms) are commonly observed in the interplanetary medium by the ISEE-3 radio instrument. This instrument has the capability of accurately determining the arrival direction of the radio emission. At each observing frequency, the storm radio sources are tracked as they cross the line-of-sight to the sun. Using a simple model, the emission levels are determined at a number of radio frequencies for four separate storms. The IP storm radiation is found to occur in regions of enhanced density at levels of 0.05 to 0.8 AU. The density in these enhancements falls off faster than R(-2). The solar wind speed in the storm region is also measured. The analysis is consistent with steady conditions in the storm region during a few days around the III storm burst radio emission at the harmonic of the local plasma frequency.

Bougeret, J.-L.↗

Very long baseline interferometric observations made with an orbiting radio telescope

An orbiting spacecraft and ground observatories have been used to obtain interferometric observations of cosmic radio sources. The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) was used as the orbiting observatory in conjunction with two 64-meter radio telescopes at ground observatories, one in Australia and one in Japan. The quasars 1730-130 (NRAO 530), 1510-089, and 1741-038 were observed at a frequency of 2.3 gigahertz, and a maximum projected baseline of 1.4 earth diameters was achieved. All quasar observations for which valid data were acquired resulted in detected fringes. Many of the techniques proposed for a dedicated very long baseline interferometry observatory in space were used successfully in this experiment.

Levy, G. S.↗

CCD TV focal plane guider development and comparison to SIRTF applications

It is expected that the SIRTF payload will use a CCD TV focal plane fine guidance sensor to provide acquisition of sources and tracking stability of the telescope. Work has been done to develop CCD TV cameras and guiders at Lick Observatory for several years and have produced state of the art CCD TV systems for internal use. NASA decided to provide additional support so that the limits of this technology could be established and a comparison between SIRTF requirements and practical systems could be put on a more quantitative basis. The results of work carried out at Lick Observatory which was designed to characterize present CCD autoguiding technology and relate it to SIRTF applications is presented. Two different design types of CCD cameras were constructed using virtual phase and burred channel CCD sensors. A simple autoguider was built and used on the KAO, Mt. Lemon and Mt. Hamilton telescopes. A video image processing system was also constructed in order to characterize the performance of the auto guider and CCD cameras.

Rank, David M.↗

Pinatubo Aerosol Evolution: Using Composite Data Sets to Build the Global- to Micro-Scale Picture and Assess Consistency of Different Measurements

This paper brings together experimental evidence required to build realistic models of the global evolution of physical, chemical, and optical properties of the aerosol resulting from the 1991 Pinatubo volcanic eruption. Such models are needed to compute the effects of the aerosol on atmospheric chemistry, dynamics, radiation, and temperature. Whereas there is now a large and growing body of post-Pinatubo measurements by a variety of techniques, some results are in conflict, and a self-consistent, unified picture is needed, along with an assessment of remaining uncertainties. This paper examines data from photometers, radiometers, impactors, optical counters/sizers, and lidars operated on the ground, aircraft, balloons, and spacecraft. Example data sources include: - Tracking sunphotometers and lidars at Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) and on the DC-8 - Particle spectrometers and wire impactors on the ER-2 and DC-8 - Dustsondes (particle counters/sizers on balloons) - SAGE II, SAM II, AVHRR, CLAES, and ISAMS sensors on a variety of satellites. We assess the mutual consistency of these disparate data sets and recommend 'consensus" properties and uncertainties in the process of developing a composite data set. Recommended properties include the spatial and temporal evolution of particle chemical composition, shape, wavelength and temperature-dependent refractive index, size distribution, and optical depth spectra. Supporting references are cited and representative data shown.

Russell, P. B.↗

Media Calibration in the Deep Space Network: A Status Report

A new media calibration system (MCS) has been implemented at the Goldstone complex of the DSN (Deep Space Network). It is intended to calibrate the delay of radio signals imposed by the neutral atmosphere. The system provides periodic measurements of both the static dry and fluctuating wet components of this delay. In particular, the system will calibrate the fluctuations in line of sight path delay due to atmospheric water vapor that we believe will dominate the error budget for several radio science and radio astronomy experiments. We have compared two of these media calibration systems with a connected element interferometer on a 21 km baseline. In this report we describe a total of 30 observations in which a radio source was tracked for an hour or more and the delay residuals then calibrated using the MCS. The accuracy of the comparison appears to be limited by systematic errors in the interferometer, which are under investigation. However, our results do indicate that the MCS can meet or exceed the two-way Allan standard deviation specification of 1.5 x 10( exp -15) on time scales of 2,000 - 10,000 sec, as required by the Cassini GWE (Gravitational Wave Experiment) for two way Doppler tracking.

Naudet, Charles J.↗

Detection Performance of Upgraded "Polished Panel" Optical Receiver Concept on the Deep-Space Network's 34 Meter Research Antenna

Initial optical communications experiments with a Vertex polished aluminum panel have been described. The polished panel was mounted on the main reflector of the DSN's research antenna at DSS-13. The PSF was recorded via remotely controlled digital camera mounted on the subreflector structure. Initial PSF generated by Jupiter showed significant tilt error and some mechanical deformation. After upgrades, the PSF improved significantly, leading to much better concentration of light. Communications performance of the initial and upgraded panel structure were compared. After the upgrades, simulated PPM symbol error probability decreased by six orders of magnitude. Work is continuing to demonstrate closed-loop tracking of sources from zenith to horizon, and better characterize communications performance in realistic daytime background environments.

polished panel optical receiver↗

A Geostationary Instrument Simulator for Aerosol Observing System Simulation Experiments

In the near future, there will be several new instruments measuring atmospheric composition from geostationary orbit over North America, East Asia, and Europe. This constellation of satellites will provide high resolution, time resolved measurements of trace gases and aerosols for monitoring air quality and tracking pollution sources. This paper describes a detailed, fast, and accurate (less than 1.0% uncertainty) method for calculating synthetic top of the atmosphere (TOA) radiances from a global simulation with a mesoscale free running model, the GEOS-5 Nature Run, for remote sensing instruments in geostationary orbit that measure in the ultraviolet-visible spectral range (UV-Vis). Generating these synthetic observations is the first step of an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE), a framework for evaluating the impact of a new observation or algorithm. This paper provides details of the model sampling, aerosol and cloud optical properties, surface reflectance modeling, Rayleigh scattering calculations, and a discussion of the uncertainties of the simulated TOA radiance. An application for the simulated TOA radiance observations is demonstrated in the manuscript. Simulated TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) and GOES-R (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites) observations were used to show how observations from the two instruments could be combined to facilitate aerosol type discrimination. The results demonstrate the viability of a detailed instrument simulator for radiance measurements in the UV-Vis that is capable of accurately simulating high resolution, time-resolved measurements with reasonable computational efficiency.

Castellanos, Patricia↗

Prediction of Aircraft Estimated Time of Arrival Using A Supervised Learning Approach

We present a novel data-driven approach for prediction of the estimated time of arrival (ETA) of aircraft in the terminal area via the implementation of a Random Forest regression model. The model uses data fused from a number of sources (flight track, weather, flight plan information, etc.) and provides predictions for the remaining flight time for aircraft landing at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport. The predictions are made when the aircraft is at a distance of 200-miles from the airport. The results show that the model is able to predict estimated time of arrival to within ± 5 min for 90% of the flights in the test data with the mean absolute error being lower at 145 seconds. This paper covers the entire pipeline of data collection, preprocessing, setup and training of the ML model, and the results obtained for DFW.

Machine learning↗

Preliminary Node Separation Orbit Determination Analysis for the HelioSwarm Observatory

The HelioSwarm Observatory is a nine-spacecraft swarm design, consisting of one Hub and eight Node spacecraft co-orbiting the Earth in a ~13.7-day orbit. Each Node separates from the Hub during the Node Commissioning Phase, and the Nodes’ sole source of tracking is inter-satellite relative ranging with the Hub. This study characterizes how soon the relative ranging should occur post-separation to maintain a reasonable knowledge of the Nodes’ position relative to the hub and quantifies how often, and at what measurement cadence, relative ranging needs to occur during the early days of commissioning.

orbit determination↗

Data Analysis and Detector Troubleshooting for the Silicon Muon Scanner

Muon tomography is the calculation of the density distribution of a material from the probable angles of muon Coulomb scattering in a sampled object. This allows the probing of internal object structures that cannot otherwise be observed. It has many important applications for both national security and other fields, such as archaeology and geology. Its uses range from detecting radioactive material intended for nuclear weaponry to searching for hidden chambers in the Egyptian pyramids. In this project we intend to demonstrate the capability of a tomographic system which uses cosmic rays as the muon source and tracks each muon's initial and final trajectories to ascertain information about their scattering pattern. This method can be used to determine the structure or composition of an object, such as testing to see if a nuclear fuel cask is empty or full. We intend this as an early R&D exploration into the practicality of implementing silicon microstrip sensors in border scans for radioactive contraband, as an alternative to existing drift tube technology.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Acceptable Knowledge Summary Report for REMOTE-HANDLED DEPLETED URANIUM INGOTS FROM MATERIALS AND FUELS COMPLEX

This Acceptable Knowledge (AK) Summary Report has been prepared for the Central Characterization Program (CCP) for remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste generated and managed by the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC), formerly Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) and part of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The waste described in this report, depleted uranium ingots (waste stream ID-MFC-DU-INGOT), was historically generated in Building 765, the Fuel Conditioning Facility (FCF), formerly, Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF)-South. This AK Summary Report, along with the referenced supporting documents, provides a defensible and auditable record of AK for the designated waste stream, depleted uranium ingots, produced from the FCF electrorefining process. The references and AK source documents used to prepare this report are listed in Sections 8.0 and 9.0 respectively. The source documents cited throughout this report are identified by alphanumeric designations corresponding to a unique Source Document Tracking Number (e.g., AKA01, C001, CCE01, DR001, M001, P001, and U001).

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Infrastructure-Based Cooperative Perception at a Traffic Intersection: Overview and Challenges: Preprint

Recent advancement in autonomous driving vehicles and V2X communication has attracted increasing attention towards Intelligent Transportation Systems to build a safe and reliable traffic intersection. However, most of the systems are still at the initial stages and require significant progress to become a reality. This paper presents an overview of NREL Infrastructure Perception and Control (IPC) framework which is an open-source track-data fusion engine which takes input from infrastructure-based perception sensors and cooperatively shared messages from Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) and Connected Vehicle (CVs) and the challenges associated with deploying such cooperative perception framework at a four-way traffic intersection in the city of Colorado Springs, CO, USA. The sensor data is collected by deploying two radars and two LiDAR sensors on the IPC mobile lab and two radars on diagonally opposite traffic poles at the proposed intersection. The sensor output results imply the need for rapid sensor calibration to bring the collective perception to a common coordinate frame, the importance of time synchronization between the sensors in order to capture accurate spatial and temporal alignment of the objects, and the need for a health monitoring system with fail safe closed-loop detection model for real-time deployment.

camera↗

OPEN leaf : an open‐source cloud‐based phenotyping system for tracking dynamic changes at leaf‐specific resolution in Arabidopsis

SUMMARY The first draft of the Arabidopsis genome was released more than 20 years ago and despite intensive molecular research, more than 30% of Arabidopsis genes remained uncharacterized or without an assigned function. This is in part due to gene redundancy within gene families or the essential nature of genes, where their deletion results in lethality (i.e., thedark genome). High‐throughput plant phenotyping (HTPP) offers an automated and unbiased approach to characterize subtle or transient phenotypes resulting from gene redundancy or inducible gene silencing; however, access to commercial HTPP platforms remains limited. Here we describe the design and implementation ofOPEN leaf, an open‐source phenotyping system with cloud connectivity and remote bilateral communication to facilitate data collection, sharing and processing.OPEN leaf, coupled with our SMART imaging processing pipeline was able to consistently document and quantify dynamic changes at the whole rosette level and leaf‐specific resolution when plants experienced changes in nutrient availability. Our data also demonstrate that VIS sensors remain underutilized and can be used in high‐throughput screens to identify and characterize previously unidentified phenotypes in a leaf‐specific time‐dependent manner. Moreover, the modular and open‐source design ofOPEN leafallows seamless integration of additional sensors based on users and experimental needs.

Plant Sciences↗

Fission track studies of xenolithic chondrites - Implications regarding brecciation and metamorphism

Fission tracks in phosphates from one gas-poor chondrite and three gas-rich ones are studied to determine their thermal history and brecciation time scales. Model fission track ages are calculated for given track densities due to Pu-244 and U-238; track densities and uranium measurements for whitlockite are shown, and possible sources of the tracks are mentioned. Details of track density and uranium measurements are discussed for each meteorite separately. Whitlockites from all the meteorites give model fission track ages of 4.4 Gyr assuming a Pu/U ratio at 4.55 Gyr of 0.045. The final brecciation event definitely did not reset the track clock in phosphates of one meteor and probably not in another two. It is concluded that the observed fission track ages date the end of metamorphic cooling in the meteorite parent bodies and support the planetesimal model for the formation of xenolithic chondrites.

Kothari, B. K.↗

Off-Site Source Recovery Project Overview.

This report introduces the Off-Site Source Recovery project and gives a summary of domestic and international work. The mission of OSRP is to eliminate excess, unwanted, abandoned, or orphan radioactive sealed sources that pose a potential risk to health, safety, and national security. OSRP identifies and tracks disused sealed sources potentially requiring recovery, and performs special form encapsulation for sealed sources to simplify transportation.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Science Objectives of the JEM EUSO Mission on International Space Station

JEM-EUSO space observatory is planned with a very large exposure factor which will exceed the critical exposure factor required for observing the most of the sources within the propagational horizon of about one hundred Mpc. The main science objective of JEM-EUSO is the source-identifying astronomy in particle channel with extremey-high-energy particles. Quasi-linear tracking of the source objects through galactic magnetic field should become feasible at energy > 10(exp 20) eV for all-sky. The individual GZK profile in high statistics experiments should differ from source to source due to different distance unless Lorentz invariance is somehow limited. hi addition, JEM-EUSO has three exploratory test observations: (i), extremely high energy neutrinos beginning at E > 10(exp 19) eV: neutrinos as being expected to have a slowly increasing cross section in the Standard Model, and in particular, hundreds of times more in the extra-dimension models. (ii). fundamental physics at extreme Super LHC (Large Hadronic Collider) energies with the hierarchical unified energy much below the GUT scale, and (iii). global atmospheric observation, including large-scale and local plasma discharges, night-glow, meteorites, and others..

Takahashi, Yoshiyuki↗