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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Precision orbit determination for the TOPEX/Poseidon mission

Computation of precise orbits for the TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) spacecraft is analyzed focusing on gravity field modeling, nonconservative force modeling, satellite tracking technologies, and orbit determination software. It was found that the radial orbit error budget for T/P allows 10 cm rms error due to gravity field mismodeling, 3 cm due to solid earth and ocean tides, and 6 cm due to radiative forces, and 3 cm due to atmospheric drag. It is concluded that the current models are capable of achieving the radial orbit error requirements.

Nerem, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS2008

TPF-C Performance Modeling

This slide presentation reviews the performance modeling of the Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph (TPF-C). Included is a chart of the Error Budget Models, definitions of the static and dynamic terms, a chart showing the aberration sensitivity at 2 lambda/D, charts showing the thermal performance models and analysis, surface requirements, high-level requirements, and calculations for the beam walk model.Also included is a description of the control systems, and a flow for the iterative design and analysis cycle.

terrestrial planet finder↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparing Compressed and Full-Modeling analyses with FOLPS: implications for DESI 2024 and beyond

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) will provide unprecedented information about the large-scale structure of our Universe. In this work, we study the robustness of the theoretical modelling of the power spectrum of F OLPS , a novel effective field theory-based package for evaluating the redshift space power spectrum in the presence of massive neutrinos. We perform this validation by fitting the AbacusSummit high-accuracy N -body simulations for Luminous Red Galaxies, Emission Line Galaxies and Quasar tracers, calibrated to describe DESI observations. We quantify the potential systematic error budget of F OLPS finding that the modelling errors are fully sub-dominant for the DESI statistical precision within the studied range of scales. Additionally, we study two complementary approaches to fit and analyse the power spectrum data, one based on direct Full-Modelling fits and the other on the ShapeFit compression variables, both resulting in very good agreement in precision and accuracy. In each of these approaches, we study a set of potential systematic errors induced by several assumptions, such as the choice of template cosmology, the effect of prior choice in the nuisance parameters of the model, or the range of scales used in the analysis. Furthermore, we show how opening up the parameter space beyond the vanilla ΛCDM model affects the DESI observables. These studies include the addition of massive neutrinos, spatial curvature, and dark energy equation of state. We also examine how relaxing the usual Cosmic Microwave Background and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis priors on the primordial spectral index and the baryonic matter abundance, respectively, impacts the inference on the rest of the parameters of interest. This paper pathways towards performing a robust and reliable analysis of the shape of the power spectrum of DESI galaxy and quasar clustering using F OLPS .

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2015

Evaluation of CALIOP 532-nm Aerosol Optical Depth Over Opaque Water Clouds

With its height-resolved measurements and near global coverage, the CALIOP lidar onboard the CALIPSO satellite offers a new capability for aerosol retrievals in cloudy skies. Validation of these retrievals is difficult, however, as independent, collocated and co-temporal data sets are generally not available. In this paper, we evaluate CALIOP aerosol products above opaque water clouds by applying multiple retrieval techniques to CALIOP Level 1 profile data and comparing the results. This approach allows us to both characterize the accuracy of the CALIOP above-cloud aerosol optical depth (AOD) and develop an error budget that quantifies the relative contributions of different error sources. We focus on two spatial domains: the African dust transport pathway over the tropical North Atlantic and the African smoke transport pathway over the southeastern Atlantic. Six years of CALIOP observations (2007-2012) from the northern hemisphere summer and early fall are analyzed. The analysis is limited to cases where aerosol layers are located above opaque water clouds so that a constrained retrieval technique can be used to directly retrieve 532 nm aerosol optical depth and lidar ratio. For the moderately dense Sahara dust layers detected in the CALIOP data used in this study, the mean/median values of the lidar ratios derived from a constrained opaque water cloud (OWC) technique are 45.1/44.4 +/- 8.8 sr, which are somewhat larger than the value of 40 +/- 20 sr used in the CALIOP Level 2 (L2) data products. Comparisons of CALIOP L2 AOD with the OWC-retrieved AOD reveal that for nighttime conditions the L2 AOD in the dust region is underestimated on average by approx. 26% (0.183 vs. 0.247). Examination of the error sources indicates that errors in the L2 dust AOD are primarily due to using a lidar ratio that is somewhat too small. The mean/median lidar ratio retrieved for smoke is 70.8/70.4 +/- 16.2 sr, which is consistent with the modeled value of 70 +/- 28 sr used in the CALIOP L2 retrieval. Smoke AOD is found to be underestimated, on average, by approx. 39% (0.191 vs. 0.311). The primary cause of AOD differences in the smoke transport region is the tendency of the CALIOP layer detection scheme to prematurely assign layer base altitudes and thus underestimate the geometric thickness of smoke layers.

Liu, Z.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Computer modeling for a space power transmission system

The paper summarizes the development of a computer program that simulates the performance of a large phased array antenna composed of 7220 smaller subarrays, each made up of klystron modules which act as individual radiators. The purpose of this program is to: (1) study the far-field pattern near the rectenna, (2) calculate the beam efficiency, and (3) observe the grating lobe behavior. Attention is given to the computer program which consists of a main program and four subroutines, as well as to the system configurations. The effects of amplitude, phase and random subarray failures are examined and an error budget was specified for 10 to the 0 phase error, + or - 1 dB amplitude error, and a 2% random failure rate.

Rathjen, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The Magsat mission

The cesium-vapor scalar and fluxgate vector magnetometers aboard the Magsat spacecraft, which has a twilight, sun-synchronous orbit with a 96.76-deg inclination, have together measured the earth's magnetic field magnitude to accuracies better than 2 nT, and the magnitude of each field component to better than 6 nT. The magnetometers are located at the end of a boom to isolate them from the effects of spacecraft fields, and an optical system was used to measure the attitude of the vector magnetometer and sun sensor at the boom relative to the two star cameras of the main spacecraft structure. The data gathered is available from the National Space Science Data Center in several formats and is currently undergoing analysis. Scalar and vector error budget values are given for the spacecraft's five error sources, which include the instrument, position and time errors, digitization noise, attitude errors, and spacecraft fields.

Langel, R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Overview of the TOPEX/Poseidon Platform Harvest Verification Experiment

An overview is given of the in situ measurement system installed on Texaco's Platform Harvest for verification of the sea-level measurement from the TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite. The pre-launch error budget suggested that the total root mean square (RMS) error due to measurements made at this verification site would be less than four centimeters.

satellite↗
NASA NTRS1993

Impact of shorter wavelengths on optical quality for laws

This study explores parametrically as a function of wavelength the degrading effects of several common optical aberrations (defocus, astigmatism, wavefronttilts, etc.), using the heterodyne mixing efficiency factor as the merit function. A 60 cm diameter aperture beam expander with an expansion ratio of 15:1 and a primary mirror focal ratio of f/2 was designed for the study. An HDOS copyrighted analysis program determined the value of merit function for various optical misalignments. With sensitivities provided by the analysis, preliminary error budget and tolerance allocations were made for potential optical wavefront errors and boresight errors during laser shot transit time. These were compared with the baseline 1.5 m CO2 laws and the optical fabrication state of the art (SOA) as characterized by the Hubble Space Telescope. Reducing wavelength and changing optical design resulted in optical quality tolerances within the SOA both at 2 and 1 micrometer. However, advanced sensing and control devices would be necessary to be tightened by a factory of 1.8 for a 2 micrometer system and by 3.6 for a 1 micrometer system relative to the baseline CO2 LAWS. Available SOA components could be used for operation at 2 micrometers but operation at 1 micrometer does not appear feasible.

Wissinger, Alan B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Impact of shorter wavelengths on optical quality for laws

This study explores parametrically as a function of wavelength the degrading effects of several common optical aberrations (defocus, astigmatism, wavefront tilts, etc.), using the heterodyne mixing efficiency factor as the merit function. A 60 cm diameter aperture beam expander with an expansion ratio of 15:1 and a primary mirror focal ratio of f/2 was designed for the study. An HDOS copyrighted analysis program determined the value of merit function for various optical misalignments. With sensitivities provided by the analysis, preliminary error budget and tolerance allocations were made for potential optical wavefront errors and boresight errors during laser shot transit time. These were compared with the baseline l.5 m CO2 LAWS and the optical fabrication state of the art (SOA) as characterized by the Hubble Space Telescope. Reducing wavelength and changing optical design resulted in optical quality tolerances within the SOA both at 2 and 1 micrometers. However, advanced sensing and control devices would be necessary to maintain on-orbit alignment. Optical tolerance for maintaining boresight stability would have to be tightened by a factor of 1.8 for a 2 micrometers system and by 3.6 for a 1 micrometers system relative to the baseline CO2 LAWS. Available SOA components could be used for operation at 2 micrometers but operation at 1 micrometers does not appear feasible.

Wissinger, Alan B.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Characterization Approaches to Place Invariant Sites on SI-Traceable Scales

The effort to understand the Earth's climate system requires a complete integration of remote sensing imager data across time and multiple countries. Such an integration necessarily requires ensuring inter-consistency between multiple sensors to create the data sets needed to understand the climate system. Past efforts at inter-consistency have forced agreement between two sensors using sources that are viewed by both sensors at nearly the same time, and thus tend to be near polar regions over snow and ice. The current work describes a method that would provide an absolute radiometric calibration of a sensor rather than an inter-consistency of a sensor relative to another. The approach also relies on defensible error budgets that eventually provides a cross comparison of sensors without systematic errors. The basis of the technique is a model-based, SI-traceable prediction of at-sensor radiance over selected sites. The predicted radiance would be valid for arbitrary view and illumination angles and for any date of interest that is dominated by clear-sky conditions. The effort effectively works to characterize the sites as sources with known top-of-atmosphere radiance allowing accurate intercomparison of sensor data that without the need for coincident views. Data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection and Radiometer (ASTER), Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are used to demonstrate the difficulties of cross calibration as applied to current sensors. Special attention is given to the differences caused in the cross-comparison of sensors in radiance space as opposed to reflectance space. The radiance comparisons lead to significant differences created by the specific solar model used for each sensor. The paper also proposes methods to mitigate the largest error sources in future systems. The results from these historical intercomparisons provide the basis for a set of recommendations to ensure future SI-traceable cross calibration using future missions such as CLARREO and TRUTHS. The paper describes a proposed approach that relies on model-based, SI-traceable predictions of at-sensor radiance over selected sites. The predicted radiance would be valid for arbitrary view and illumination angles and for any date of interest that is dominated by clear-sky conditions. The basis of the method is highly accurate measurements of at-sensor radiance of sufficient quality to understand the spectral and BRDF characteristics of the site and sufficient historical data to develop an understanding of temporal effects from changing surface and atmospheric conditions.

Thome, Kurtis↗
NASA NTRS1989

Atmospheric drag model calibrations for spacecraft lifetime prediction

Although solar activity prediction uncertainty normally dominates decay prediction error budget for near-Earth spacecraft, the effect of drag force modeling errors for given levels of solar activity needs to be considered. Two atmospheric density models, the modified Harris-Priester model and the Jacchia-Roberts model, to reproduce the decay histories of the Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) and Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) spacecraft in the 490- to 540-kilometer altitude range were analyzed. Historical solar activity data were used in the input to the density computations. For each spacecraft and atmospheric model, a drag scaling adjustment factor was determined for a high-solar-activity year, such that the observed annual decay in the mean semimajor axis was reproduced by an averaged variation-of-parameters (VOP) orbit propagation. The SME (SMM) calibration was performed using calendar year 1983 (1982). The resulting calibration factors differ by 20 to 40 percent from the predictions of the prelaunch ballistic coefficients. The orbit propagations for each spacecraft were extended to the middle of 1988 using the calibrated drag models. For the Jaccia-Roberts density model, the observed decay in the mean semimajor axis of SME (SMM) over the 4.5-year (5.5-year) predictive period was reproduced to within 1.5 (4.4) percent. The corresponding figure for the Harris-Priester model was 8.6 (20.6) percent. Detailed results and conclusions regarding the importance of accurate drag force modeling for lifetime predictions are presented.

Binebrink, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Binning of satellite magnetic anomalies

Crustal magnetic anomaly signals over satellite orbits were simulated to investigate numerical averaging as an anomaly estimator. Averaging as an anomaly estimator involves significant problems concerning spatial and amplitude smoothing of the satellite magnetic observations. The results of simulations suggest that the error of numerical averaging constitutes a small and relatively minor component of the total error-budget of higher orbital anomaly estimates, whereas for lower orbital estimates numerical averaging error increases substantially. As an alternative to numerical averaging, least-squares collocation was investigated and observed to produce substantially more accurate anomaly estimates, particularly as the orbital elevation of prediction was decreased towards the crustal sources. In contrast to averaging, collocation is a significantly more resource-intensive procedure to apply because of the practical, but surmountable problems related to establishing and inverting the covariance matrix for accurate anomaly prediction. However, collocation may be much more effectively used to exploit the anomaly details contained in the lower orbital satellite magnetic data for geologic analysis.

Goyal, H. K.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Calibrating Atmospheric Delay for the Cassini Gravitational Wave Experiment

The Cassini spacecraft together with one of the stations of the Deep Space Network (DSN) have been instrumented to carry out extremely precise Doppler tracking that will be used to search for the direct evidence of Gravitational radiation passing through our solar system. The two-way communications link between the ground antenna and the spacecraft constitute an "antenna" for gravitational waves that would perturb the phase of the RF signal in the link. The experiments will be carried out during the long cruise phase of the spacecraft on its journey to Saturn and will be sensitive to gravitational wave perturbations larger than the noise level fluctuations of 3 x 10(exp -15) as measured in the Allan Standard Deviation domain. The use of simultaneous, coherent X- and Ka-Band up and down signals will reduce the errors associated with charged particle fluctuations in the interplanetary medium and Earth's ionosphere to a negligible level. The primary fluctuations in the phase of the signals both to and from the spacecraft are expected to be caused by fluctuations in water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere We have designed and are testing a new atmospheric calibration system (with duplicate components) to sense line-of-sight water vapor and its physical temperature with a goal of calibrating 95% or more of tropospheric path delay fluctuations during the Cassini Gravitational Wave Experiment (GWE). The critical component of the calibration system consists of a newly designed water vapor radiometer having a I degree sensing beamwidth and 0.01 K brightness temperature stability over hour time scales. Auxiliary instrumentation includes a microwave temperature profiler to retrieve the vertical distribution of the vapor physical temperature, and surface meteorology. A detailed error budget has been developed to account for all of the possible sources of error during calibration of the GWE and will be discussed. Two identical calibration systems have been constructed in order to provide capability as well as backup during the actual GWE experiment. We will report on side-by-side testing of the vapor and temperature sensing components of this calibrations system as well as a comparison with a short baseline radio interferometric measurement at our Goldstone complex.

Resch, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Space shuttle post-entry and landing analysis. Volume 2: Appendices

Four candidate navigation systems for the space shuttle orbiter approach and landing phase are evaluated in detail. These include three conventional navaid systems and a single-station one-way Doppler system. In each case, a Kalman filter is assumed to be mechanized in the onboard computer, blending the navaid data with IMU and altimeter data. Filter state dimensions ranging from 6 to 24 are involved in the candidate systems. Comprehensive truth models with state dimensions ranging from 63 to 82 are formulated and used to generate detailed error budgets and sensitivity curves illustrating the effect of variations in the size of individual error sources on touchdown accuracy. The projected overall performance of each system is shown in the form of time histories of position and velocity error components.

Crawford, B. S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Statistical magnetic anomalies from satellite measurements for geologic analysis

The errors of numerically averaging satellite magnetic anomaly data for geologic analysis are investigated using orbital anomaly simulations of crustal magnetic sources by Gauss-Legendre quadrature integration. These simulations suggest that numerical averaging errors constitute small and relatively minor contributions to the total error-budget of higher orbital estimates (approx. 400 km), whereas for lower orbital estimates the error of averaging may increase substantially. Least-squares collocation is also investigated as an alternative to numerical averaging and found to produce substantially more accurate anomaly estimates as the elevation of prediction is decreased towards the crustal sources.

Goyal, H. K.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Coherent phasing of segmented mirrors

The technical issues associated with a coherently phased segmented mirror can be divided into two types. The first involves the issues of manufacturing the surface quality of the mirror segments themselves (coherent phasing of individual segments). The second involves assembly issues of initializing in 1 G and retaining in 0 G an aggregate segmented mirror (coherent phasing between individual segments). Using a rectangular coordinate system at the vertex of a mirror segment, the rigid body motions are the six translational and rotational degrees of freedom. A first cut primary mirror wavefront error budget is presented. For a minimum operational wavelength of 30 micrometers, the derived values from the budget are: segment surface quality (0.45 micrometers RMS), radius mismatch (50 PPM), segment piston error (1.3 micrometers, segment tip/tilt error (0.6 microrad). Either active or passive segmented mirrors can be addressed, but if the surface quality of the off-axis segment and the radius matching requirements can be passively met, then only segment alignment need be sensed and controlled during operation in orbit. For the active mirror case, dimensional stability of the mirror material during operation is a key factor in establishing the degree of active figure control required.

Jones, Peter A.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Flavor-dependent radiative corrections in coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering

We calculate coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering cross sections on spin-0 nuclei (e.g. 40 Ar and 28 Si) at energies below 100 MeV within the Standard Model and account for all effects of permille size. We provide a complete error budget including uncertainties at nuclear, nucleon, hadronic, and quark levels separately as well as perturbative error. Our calculation starts from the four-fermion effective field theory to explicitly separate heavy-particle mediated corrections (which are absorbed by Wilson coefficients) from light-particle contributions. Electrons and muons running in loops introduce a non- trivial dependence on the momentum transfer due to their relatively light masses. These same loops, and those mediated by tau leptons, break the flavor universality because of mass-dependent electromagnetic radiative corrections. Nuclear physics uncertainties significantly cancel in flavor asymmetries resulting in subpercent relative errors. We find that for low neutrino energies, the cross section can be predicted with a relative precision that is competitive with neutrino-electron scattering. We highlight potentially useful applications of such a precise cross section prediction ranging from precision tests of the Standard Model, to searches for new physics and to the monitoring of nuclear reactors.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1990

The production rate and spatial distribution of H2O for Comet P/Halley

Spectroscopic observations of the O I 1D lines for Comet P/Halley are used to derive water-production rates; 43 exposures during the period August 1985 to June 1986 are reduced. The reduction procedure involves sky subtraction, ratios with solar analog comparison stars, subtraction of contaminating NH2 emissions, and absolute flux calibration. The flux collected within the 2.5-arcsec-wide x 151-arcsec-long integration aperture is converted to a total comet O I 6300-A luminosity using a cometary gas outflow model. Water-production rates for 10 preperihelion dates and seven postperihelion dates are derived. An error budget yields an estimated uncertainty of + 30 percent in H2O production rates with a maximum error of + or - 50 percent. For the preperihelion period, a good fit of the water-production rate as a function of heliocentric distance can be obtained as Q(H2O) = 4.36 x 10 to the 29th x r exp -2.54. A postperihelion enhancement by about a factor of 1.8, which appears to dissipate by June 1986, is observed. Several values of enhanced water production agree well with the observed light curve of P/Halley. Comparison of H2O production rates with those deduced by other methods shows quite reasonable agreement.

Fink, Uwe↗