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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

Implementation and Testing of the First Prompt Search for Electromagnetic Counterparts to Gravitational Wave Transients

A transient astrophysical event observed in both gravitational wave (OW) and electromagnetic (EM) channels would yield rich scientific rewards. A first program initiating EM follow-ups to possible transient OW events has been developed and exercised by the LIGO and Virgo community in association with several partners. In this paper, we describe and evaluate the methods used to promptly identify and localize OW event candidates and to request images of targeted sky locations. Methods. During two observing periods (Dec 172009 to Jan 8 2010 and Sep 2 to Oct 20 2010), a low-latency analysis pipeline was used to identify OW event candidates and to reconstruct maps of possible sky locations. A catalog of nearby galaxies and Milky Way globular clusters was used to select the most promising sky positions to be imaged, and this directional information was delivered to EM observatories with time lags of about thirty minutes. A Monte Carlo simulation has been used to evaluate the low-latency OW pipeline's ability to reconstruct source positions correctly. Results. For signals near the detection threshold, our low-latency algorithms often localized simulated GW burst signals to tens of square degrees, while neutron star/neutron star inspirals and neutron star/black hole inspirals were localized to a few hundred square degrees. Localization precision improves for moderately stronger signals. The correct sky location of signals well above threshold and originating from nearby galaxies may be observed with approx.50% or better probability with a few pointings of wide-field telescopes. Key words. gravitational waves - methods: observational

Camp, Jordan↗
NASA NTRS2011

Implementation and Testing of the First Prompt for Electromagnetic Counterparts to Gravitational Wave Transients

A transient astrophysical event observed in both gravitational wave (GW) and electromagnetic (EM) channels would yield rich scientific rewards. A first program initiating EM follow-ups to possible transient GW events has been developed and exercised by the LIGO and Virgo community in association with several partners. In this paper, we describe and evaluate the methods used to promptly identify and localize GW event candidates and to request images of targeted sky locations. Methods. During two observing periods (Dec 17 2009 to Jan 8 2010 and Sep 2 to Oct 20 2010), a low-latency analysis pipeline was used to identify GW-event candidates and to reconstruct-maps of possible sky locations. A catalog of nearby galaxies and Milky Way globular clusters was used to select the most promising sky positions to be imaged, and this directional information was delivered to EM observatories with time lags of about thirty minutes. A Monte Carlo simulation has been used to evaluate the low-latency GW pipeline s ability to reconstruct source positions correctly. Results. For signals near the detection threshold, our low-latency algorithms often localized simulated GW burst signals to tens of square degrees, while neutron star/neutron star inspirals and neutron star/black hole inspirals were localized to a few hundred square degrees. Localization precision improves for moderately stronger signals. The correct sky location of signals well above threshold and originating from nearby galaxies may be observed with 50% or better probability with a few pointings of wide-field telescopes.

Abadie, J.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Implementation and Testing of the First Prompt Search for Gravitational Wave Transients with Electromagnetic Counterparts

Aims. A transient astrophysical event observed in both gravitational wave (GW) and electromagnetic (EM) channels would yield rich scientific rewards. A first program initiating EM follow-ups to possible transient GW events has been developed and exercised by the LIGO and Virgo community in association with several partners. In this paper, we describe and evaluate the methods used to promptly identify and localize GW event candidates and to request images of targeted sky locations. Methods. During two observing periods (Dec. 17, 2009 to Jan. 8, 2010 and Sep. 2 to Oct. 20, 2010), a low-latency analysis pipeline was used to identify GW event candidates and to reconstruct maps of possible sky locations. A catalog of nearby galaxies and MilkyWay globular clusters was used to select the most promising sky positions to be imaged, and this directional information was delivered to EM observatories with time lags of about thirty minutes. A Monte Carlo simulation has been used to evaluate the low-latency GW pipeline's ability to reconstruct source positions correctly. Results. For signals near the detection threshold, our low-latency algorithms often localized simulated GW burst signals to tens of square degrees, while neutron star/neutron star inspirals and neutron star/black hole inspirals were localized to a few hundred square degrees. Localization precision improves for moderately stronger signals. The correct sky location of signals well above threshold and originating from nearby galaxies may be observed with ∼50% or better probability with a few pointings of wide-field telescopes.

testing↗
NASA NTRS1992

Automating sky object classification in astronomical survey images

We describe the application of machine classification techniques to the development of an automated tool for the reduction of a large scientific data set. The 2nd Palomer Observatory Sky Survey is nearly completed. This survey provides comprehensive coverage of the northern celestial hemisphere in the form of photographic plates. The plates are being transformed into digitized images whose quality will probably not be surpassed in the next ten to twenty years. The images are expected to contain on the order of 10(exp 7) galaxies and 10(exp 8) stars. Astronomers wish to determine which of these sky objects belong to various classes of galaxies and stars. The size of this data set precludes manual analysis. Our approach is to develop a software system which integrates the functions of independently developed techniques for image processing and data classification. Digitized sky images are passed through image processing routines to identify sky objects and to extract a set of features for each object. These routines are used to help select a useful set of attributes for classifying sky objects. Then GID3* and O-BTree, two inductive learning techniques, learn classification decision trees from examples. These classifiers will be used to process the rest of the data. This paper gives an overview of the machine learning techniques used, describes the details of our specific application, and reports the initial encouraging results. The results indicate that our approach is well-suited to the problem. The primary benefits of the approach are increased data reduction throughput and consistency of classification. The classification rules which are the product of the inductive learning techniques will form an object, examinable basis for classifying sky objects. A final, not to be underestimated benefit is that astronomers will be freed from the tedium of an intensely visual task to pursue more challenging analysis and interpretation problems based on automatically cataloged data.

Fayyad, Usama M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Radio and optical interferometric imaging

Since diffraction-limited imaging with a single aperture yields angular resolution approx. lambda/D, the attainment of high angular resolution with single apertures requires the construction of correspondingly large monolithic apertures, the whole surface of which must be figured to much less than a wavelength. At the longer wavelengths, it is impossible to build a sufficiently large single aperture: for example, at lambda 21 cm, arcsec resolution requires an aperture of diameter approx. 50 km. At the shorter wavelengths, the atmosphere imposes a natural limit in resolution of about one arcsec. However, another route is possible; that is, using synthetic apertures to image the sky. Synthetic apertures are now in use in many fields, e.g., radio interferometry, radar imaging, and magnetic-resonance imaging. Radio-interferometric techniques developed in radio astronomy over the past 40 years are now being applied to optical and IR astronomical imaging by a number of groups. Furthermore, the problem of figuring synthetic apertures is considerably simpler, and can be implemented in a computer: new 'self-calibration' techniques allow imaging even in the presence of phase errors due to the atmosphere.

Cornwell, Tim J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Infrared Astronomy with Arrays: The Next Generation; Sunset Village, Los Angeles, CA, Oct. 1993

Conference papers on infrared array techniques and methods for infrared astronomy are presented. Topics covered include the following: infrared telescopes; infrared spectrometers; spaceborne astronomy; astronomical observatories; infrared cameras; imaging techniques; sky surveys; infrared photography; infrared photometry; infrared spectroscopy; equipment specifications; data processing and analysis; control systems; cryogenic equipment; adaptive optics; image resolution; infrared detector materials; and focal plane arrays.

Mclean, Ian S.↗
NASA NTRS2013

1SXPS: A Deep Swift X-Ray Telescope Point Source Catalog with Light Curves and Spectra

We present the 1SXPS (Swift-XRT point source) catalog of 151,524 X-ray point sources detected by the Swift-XRT in 8 yr of operation. The catalog covers 1905 sq deg distributed approximately uniformly on the sky. We analyze the data in two ways. First we consider all observations individually, for which we have a typical sensitivity of approximately 3 × 10(exp −13) erg cm(exp −2) s(exp −1) (0.3-10 keV). Then we co-add all data covering the same location on the sky: these images have a typical sensitivity of approximately 9 × 10(exp −14) erg cm(exp −2) s(exp −1) (0.3-10 keV). Our sky coverage is nearly 2.5 times that of 3XMM-DR4, although the catalog is a factor of approximately 1.5 less sensitive. The median position error is 5.5 (90% confidence), including systematics. Our source detection method improves on that used in previous X-ray Telescope (XRT) catalogs and we report greater than 68,000 new X-ray sources. The goals and observing strategy of the Swift satellite allow us to probe source variability on multiple timescales, and we find approximately 30,000 variable objects in our catalog. For every source we give positions, fluxes, time series (in four energy bands and two hardness ratios), estimates of the spectral properties, spectra and spectral fits for the brightest sources, and variability probabilities in multiple energy bands and timescales.

telescope↗
NASA NTRS2002

High Resolution X-ray Imaging

NAG5-5020 covered a period of 7.5 years during which a great deal of progress was made in x-ray optical techniques under this grant. We survived peer review numerous times during the effort to keep the grant going. In 1994, when the grant started we were actively pursuing the application of spherical mirrors to improving x-ray telescopes. We had found that x-ray detectors were becoming rapidly more sophisticated and affordable, but that x-ray telescopes were only being improved through the intense application of money within the AXAF program. Clearly new techniques for the future were needed. We were successful in developing and testing at the HELSTF facility in New Mexico a four reflection coma-corrected telescope made from spheres. We were able to demonstrate 0.3 arcsecond resolution, almost to the diffraction limit of the system. The community as a whole was, at that time, not particularly interested in looking past AXAF (Chandra) and the effort needed to evolve. Since we had reached the diffraction limit using non-Wolter optics we then decided to see if we could build an x-ray interferometer in the laboratory. In the lab the potential for improved resolution was substantial. If synthetic aperture telescopes could be built in space, then orders of magnitude improvement would become feasible. In 1998 NASA, under the direction of Dr Nick White of Goddard, started a study to assess the potential and feasibility of x-ray interferometry in space. My work became of central interest to the committee because it indicated that such was possible. In early 1999 we had the breakthrough that allowed us build a practical interferometer. By using flats and hooking up with the Marshall Space Flight Center facilities we were able to demonstrate fringes at 1.25keV on a one millimeter baseline. This actual laboratory demonstration provided the solid proof of concept that NASA needed. As the year progressed the future of x-ray astronomy jelled around the Maxim program. Maxim is a set of two major x-ray astronomy missions based on the concepts I developed and demonstrated under this SR&T grant. The first Maxim is to image the sky at 100 micro-arcsecond resolution. That is one thousand times higher resolution than Hubble. The full Maxim has the ultimate goal of imaging the event horizon of a black hole in an active galactic nucleus (ALAN). This will require 0.1 micro-arcsecond resolution - one million times higher than Hubble! Nonetheless, using the techniques developed under this grant, it has become possible. Maxim Pathfinder is now in the NASA planning for a new start in approximately 20 10. The full Maxim is carried as a vision mission for the post 2015 timeframe. Finally, this grant is the evolved version of the SR&T grant we carried during the 1980s and up to 1994. At that point in time this grant was also working on x-ray optics, but concentrating on x-ray spectroscopy. The techniques developed by 1990 were not chosen for use on Chandra or XMM-Newton because they were too new. During the last year, however, the Constellation-X mission recognized the need for better spectroscopy techniques and tapped our expertise. We were able to support the initial work on Con-X through this program. It now appears that the off-plane mount will be used in Con-X, increasing performance and decreasing cost and risk.

Cash, Webster↗
DOE OSTI2023

Galaxy Spin Classification. I. Z-wise versus S-wise Spirals with the Chirality Equivariant Residual Network

The angular momentum of galaxies (galaxy spin) contains rich information about the initial condition of the universe, yet it is challenging to efficiently measure the spin direction for the tremendous amount of galaxies that are being mapped by ongoing and forthcoming cosmological surveys. We present a machine-learning-based classifier for the Z-wise versus S-wise spirals, which can help to break the degeneracy in the galaxy spin direction measurement. The proposed chirality equivariant residual network (CE-ResNet) is manifestly equivariant under a reflection of the input image, which guarantees that there is no inherent asymmetry between the Z-wise and S-wise probability estimators. We train the model with Sloan Digital Sky Survey images, with the training labels given by the Galaxy Zoo 1 project. A combination of data augmentation techniques is used during the training, making the model more robust to be applied to other surveys. We find an ~30% increase in both types of spirals when Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) images are used for classification, due to the better imaging quality of DESI. We verify that the ~7σ difference between the numbers of Z-wise and S-wise spirals is due to human bias, since the discrepancy drops to <1.8σ with our CE-ResNet classification results. We discuss the potential systematics relevant to future cosmological applications.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2000

The AGN Content of the Micron all Sky Survey

The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) began routine operations from its northern facility on Mt. Hopkins, AZ in June of 1997, and from its southern facility on Cerro Tololo, Chile in March of 1998. At each site, highly automated 1.3 m telescopes equipped with identical 3-channel cameras, are systematically imaging the sky in three near infrared wavelength bands, J (1.25 um), H (1.65 um) and K-s (2.17 um). The Survey will ultimately produce an Image Atlas containing nearly two million 512 x 1024 pixel images (1 arcsec/pix) in the three colors, a highly complete and reliable catalog containing approx. 300 million point sources having SNR greater than 10 photometry at J less or = 15.8, H less or = 15.1 and K-s less or = 14.3 mag. and an astrometric accuracy greater than 0.511 RMS, and a catalog of 1-2 million resolved sources, primarily galaxies, having SNR greater than 10 photometric accuracy at J less than or = 15.5, H less than or = 14.8 and K-s less than or = 13.5 mag. The 2MASS Sampler, an introductory set of data, was released to the community in December of 1998 (see http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/2mass/). We review the near IR and optical/IR properties of "conventional" QSOs from UV and optical samples, and estimate the number that will be detected by 2MASS. We also discuss 2MASS's ability to test for for new populations of extremely red AGN that have been missed by UV and Visual surveys, as suggested by from IRAS and radio studies. Results of spectroscopic follow-up of 2MASS-selected new AGN candidates will also be presented.

Cutri, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Distribution to the Astronomy Community of the Compressed Digitized Sky Survey

The Space Telescope Science Institute has compressed an all-sky collection of ground-based images and has printed the data on a two volume, 102 CD-ROM disc set. The first part of the survey (containing images of the southern sky) was published in May 1994. The second volume (containing images of the northern sky) was published in January 1995. Software which manages the image retrieval is included with each volume. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) is handling the distribution of the lOx compressed data and has sold 310 sets as of October 1996. ASP is also handling the distribution of the recently published 100x version of the northern sky survey which is publicly available at a low cost. The target markets for the 100x compressed data set are the amateur astronomy community, educational institutions, and the general public. During the next year, we plan to publish the first version of a photometric calibration database which will allow users of the compressed sky survey to determine the brightness of stars in the images.

Postman, Marc↗
DOE OSTI2024

Automating galaxy morphology classification using k -nearest neighbours and non-parametric statistics

ABSTRACT Morphology is a fundamental property of any galaxy population. It is a major indicator of the physical processes that drive galaxy evolution and in turn the evolution of the entire Universe. Historically, galaxy images were visually classified by trained experts. However, in the era of big data, more efficient techniques are required. In this work, we present a k-nearest neighbours based approach that utilizes non-parametric morphological quantities to classify galaxy morphology in Sloan Digital Sky Survey images. Most previous studies used only a handful of morphological parameters to identify galaxy types. In contrast, we explore 1023 morphological spaces (defined by up to 10 non-parametric statistics) to find the best combination of morphological parameters. Additionally, while most previous studies broadly classified galaxies into early types and late types or ellipticals, spirals, and irregular galaxies, we classify galaxies into 11 morphological types with an average accuracy of ${\sim} 80\!-\!90 \, {{\rm per\, cent}}$ per T-type. Our method is simple, easy to implement, and is robust to varying sizes and compositions of the training and test samples. Preliminary results on the performance of our technique on deeper images from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Survey reveal that an extension of our method to modern surveys with better imaging capabilities might be possible.

Mukundan, Kavya↗
NASA NTRS1993

High-performance compression of astronomical images

Astronomical images have some rather unusual characteristics that make many existing image compression techniques either ineffective or inapplicable. A typical image consists of a nearly flat background sprinkled with point sources and occasional extended sources. The images are often noisy, so that lossless compression does not work very well; furthermore, the images are usually subjected to stringent quantitative analysis, so any lossy compression method must be proven not to discard useful information, but must instead discard only the noise. Finally, the images can be extremely large. For example, the Space Telescope Science Institute has digitized photographic plates covering the entire sky, generating 1500 images each having 14000 x 14000 16-bit pixels. Several astronomical groups are now constructing cameras with mosaics of large CCD's (each 2048 x 2048 or larger); these instruments will be used in projects that generate data at a rate exceeding 100 MBytes every 5 minutes for many years. An effective technique for image compression may be based on the H-transform (Fritze et al. 1977). The method that we have developed can be used for either lossless or lossy compression. The digitized sky survey images can be compressed by at least a factor of 10 with no noticeable losses in the astrometric and photometric properties of the compressed images. The method has been designed to be computationally efficient: compression or decompression of a 512 x 512 image requires only 4 seconds on a Sun SPARCstation 1. The algorithm uses only integer arithmetic, so it is completely reversible in its lossless mode, and it could easily be implemented in hardware for space applications.

White, Richard L.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Macro-physical Properties of Shallow Cumulus from Integrated ARM Observations (Final Report)

Fair-weather shallow cumuli (ShCu) play an important role in many climate-related processes. Irregular geometry of ShCu and their strong temporal and spatial variability make it challenging to observe ShCu holistically and to represent them correctly in climate models. To improve ShCu parameterizations, information on both vertically and horizontally resolved cloud properties is required. Commonly, the vertically resolved cloud properties are provided by zenith pointing lidar-radar observations with a very narrow field of view (FOV). Thus, these “pencil-beam” properties may not be representative of a larger surrounding area. Limited number of areal-averaged cloud properties, such as fractional sky cover (FSC), are offered typically by wide-FOV observations. The main goal of our project was to integrate advantages of the narrow-FOV (vertical structure of clouds) and wide-FOV (spatial arrangement of clouds) observations for an improved characterization of single-layer ShCu observed at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site for an 18-yr period (2000-2017). There are four major accomplishments of our project, First, an updated operational cloud classification for days with ShCu has been suggested and evaluated through a detailed comparison with the manually curated records. Our classification extends successfully the latest ARM cloud type Value Added Product (VAP) based on the Active Remote Sensing of Clouds (ARSCL) cloud product by incorporating both cloud fraction (CF) provided by narrow-FOV ceilometer data and FSC from wide-FOV images offered by a Total Sky Imager (TSI). Moreover, our classification allows one to identify impact of instrumentation changes at the SGP site, namely the transition to KAZRARSCL with the updated cloud radar, on the identification of periods with single-layer ShCu. Second, a new approach that resolves cloud area distributions for a given region (up to 4x4 km 2 ) has been suggested and cloud equivalent diameters (CEDs) have been estimated for the first time. These estimations have been performed over a wide range of cloud sizes (about 0.01–3.5 km) with high temporal resolution (30s) using wide-FOV TSI images and cloud base height (CBH) provided by complementary narrow-FOV lidar measurements. Our simple and computationally inexpensive approach offers a previously unavailable dataset for process studies in the convective boundary layer and evaluation of ShCu parameterizations in cloud-resolving models. Third, a long-term integrated record of ShCu macrophysical properties has been developed. The developed record represents the longest available compilation of events with ShCu and includes (i) a novel visualization of the spatial variability in cloud cover both along- and across-wind directions, (ii) updated estimates of narrow-FOV CF and wide-FOV FSC, (iii) updated narrow-FOV CBH, and (iv) complementary data, such as wind speed and direction from the 915-MHz Radar Wind Profiler (RWP) data. The developed record has been used successfully to assess conventional observational estimates of cloud cover and their sensitivity to the following two factors: (i) instrument-dependent cloud detection and data merging criteria and (ii) FOV configuration. Fourth, co-variability of the ShCu macrophysical properties and environmental parameters has been analyzed for a 3-yr period (2016-2018). Our initial analysis includes diurnal changes of FSCs obtained for clouds with small, moderate and large CEDs and several environmental parameters, such as lifted condensation level (LCL) and mixed layer height (zi). Preliminary results of our analysis suggest that the horizontal extent of ShCu is controlled substantially by the sign and magnitude of difference between these two parameters (zi-LCL): the CED tends to grow with increase of this difference (zi exceeds LCL). We have initiated relationships between the ShCu and key atmospheric parameters that control both the development and evolution of ShCu using our new data product, which combines effectively the advantages of narrow-FOV data offered by zenith pointing cloud radars and lidars and wide-FOV TSI images. While the latest instrumentation at the ARM sites may address these challenging relationships in the future, we believe that the historical ARM data at the SGP site has not yet been fully utilized. Overall, our data product can be used by researchers working on a wide range of climate-related projects. These projects may include (i) a comprehensive evaluation of outputs from the Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) and single-column models for their future improvement, (ii) the representativeness of “short-period” results obtained from the previous model and observational studies and (iii) the planning of future field campaigns with focus on improved understanding of the diurnal cycle of cumulus convection.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Deep optical imaging of star-forming blue early-type galaxies: Color map structures and faint features indicative of recent mergers

Blue early-type galaxies with galaxy-scale ongoing star formation are interesting targets in order to understand the stellar mass buildup in elliptical and S0 galaxies in the local Universe. We study the star-forming population of blue early-type galaxies to understand the origin of star formation in these otherwise red and dead stellar systems. The legacy survey imaging data taken with the dark energy camera in the g, r, and z bands for 55 star-forming blue early-type galaxies were examined, and g – r color maps were created. We identified low surface brightness features near 37 galaxies, faint-level interaction signatures near 15 galaxies, and structures indicative of recent merger activity in the optical color maps of all 55 galaxies. These features are not visible in the shallow Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging data in which these galaxies were originally identified. Low surface brightness features found around galaxies could be remnants of recent merger events. The star-forming population of blue early-type galaxies could be post-merger systems that are expected to be the pathway for the formation of elliptical galaxies. We hypothesize that the star-forming population of blue early-type galaxies is a stage in the evolution of early-type galaxies. The merger features will eventually disappear, fuel for star formation will cease, and the galaxy will move to the passive population of normal early-type galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1990

Camera artifacts in IUE low-dispersion spectra

Sky-background images obtained by the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) were analyzed to study artificial spectral features (camera artifacts) in low-dispersion spectra. The artifacts mimic emission features and have been present in long-exposure spectra since the launch of the IUE satellite. The camera artifacts are strong in spectra characterized by long exposure times because they scale in time-integrated flux with the background level, which increases during the exposure due to camera phosphorescence. The artifacts cannot be detected in spectra obtained from short, direct exposures of flat-field lamps or standard stars. Plots of average sky-background spectra for the three operational IUE cameras (SWP, LWP, and LWR) are given to aid scientists in the identification of artifacts in their spectra.

Crenshaw, D. Michael↗
NASA NTRS2017

Ultra-Stable Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (5STAR)

The Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (4STAR) combines airborne sun tracking and sky scanning with diffraction spectroscopy to improve knowledge of atmospheric constituents and their links to airpollution and climate. Direct beam hyperspectral measurement of optical depth improves retrievals of gas constituentsand determination of aerosol properties. Sky scanning enhances retrievals of aerosol type and size distribution.Hyperspectral cloud-transmitted radiance measurements enable the retrieval of cloud properties from below clouds.These measurements tighten the closure between satellite and ground-based measurements. 4STAR incorporates amodular sun-tracking sky-scanning optical head with optical fiber signal transmission to rack mounted spectrometers,permitting miniaturization of the external optical tracking head, and future detector evolution.4STAR has supported a broad range of flight experiments since it was first flown in 2010. This experience provides thebasis for a series of improvements directed toward reducing measurement uncertainty and calibration complexity, andexpanding future measurement capabilities, to be incorporated into a new 5STAR instrument. A 9-channel photodioderadiometer with AERONET-matched bandpass filters will be incorporated to improve calibration stability. A wide dynamic range tracking camera will provide a high precision solar position tracking signal as well as an image of sky conditions around the solar axis. An ultrasonic window cleaning system design will be tested. A UV spectrometer tailored for formaldehyde and SO2 gas retrievals will be added to the spectrometer enclosure. Finally, expansion capability for a 4 channel polarized radiometer to measure the Stokes polarization vector of sky light will be incorporated. This paper presents initial progress on this next-generation 5STAR instrument.

atmosphere↗