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At least 145 records · Page 8

The Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES): Preliminary Results

The Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) is being developed as part of the risk reduction activities associated with the Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI). HyspIRI is one of the Tier 2 Decadal Survey Missions. HyTES will provide information on how to place the filters on the HyspIRI Thermal Infrared Instrument (TIR) as well as provide antecedent science data. The pushbroom design has 512 spatial pixels over a 50-degree field of view and 256 spectral channels between 7.5 micrometers to 12 micrometers. HyTES includes many key enabling state-of-the-art technologies including a high performance convex diffraction grating, a quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal plane array, and a compact Dyson-inspired optical design. The Dyson optical design allows for a very compact and optically fast system (F/1.6). It also minimizes cooling requirements due to the fact it has a single monolithic prism-like grating design which allows baffling for stray light suppression. The monolithic configuration eases mechanical tolerancing requirements which are a concern since the complete optical assembly is operated at cryogenic temperatures ((is) approximately 100K). The QWIP allows for optimum spatial and spectral uniformity and provides adequate responsivity or D-star to allow 200mK noise equivalent temperature difference (NEDT) operation across the LWIR passband. Assembly of the system is nearly complete. After completion, alignment results will be presented which show low keystone and smile distortion. This is required to minimize spatial-spectral mixing between adjacent spectral channels and spatial positions. Predictions show the system will have adequate signal to noise for laboratory calibration targets.

Moon Mineralogical Mapper (M3).↗

On-chip Broadband Load Calibrators for Characterizing Transition-Edge Sensor Bolometers

We describe the design and fabrication of on-chip broadband load calibrators for element-by- element and full circuit characterization of transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers for cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarimetry. Fabricated in a 4 X 4 grid on a 100 mm silicon wafer, the chips allow systematic testing of individual detector circuit elements without the need for an external blackbody source. This in-situ testing approach provides rapid and efficient characterization of various pixel designs in order to optimize the optical efficiency and control of systematic effects of the detectors. In this work, we demonstrate the on-chip calibrators on the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS) W-band pixels. In particular, we investigate the loss on microstrip transmission lines and measure the performance of various designs of TESs, magic-tees, via-less crossovers, and signal terminations. We also test a filter-bank spectrometer with eight resonators spanning 80 – 105 GHz to characterize the spectral response of circuit elements across the detector bandwidth.

Sumit Dahal↗

A gas filter correlation monitor for CO, CH4, and HCl

A fast response instrument for monitoring the atmospheric constituents CO, CH4, and HCl, using a modified nondispersive infrared technique, was designed, assembled, and tested. This gas filter correlation method uses a sample of gas to provide a selective filter for radiation absorbed in a gas mixture containing the specified gas. Depending on the spectral line broadening, temperature, and optical depth of the gas selected, exceptionally high spectral resolution may be attained. A description of the single beam rotating cell system and its specific application is presented along with the signal processing circuit. Calibrations of the instrument show that the technique can be used to measure CO, CH4, and HCl concentrations as small as 5 ppm-m. A field version was employed to measure diurnal variations of CO and CH4 and the interfering effects of other atmospheric gases were analyzed.

Sebacher, D. I.↗

An image recorded by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS)

The airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) is described, and an example of a false-color image recorded by this device is provided. The AVIRIS is capable of sensing in 209 visible and near-infrared wavebands with an 11km swath and a 20m spatial resolution. Evaluation flights for AVIRIS were made at an altitude of approximately 20km x 10.2km of low-lying and relatively flat irrigated land near Yuba City and Sacramento, California. Raw data were converted from digital numbers to radiance and radiometrically corrected at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Notch filtering in the frequency domain of the image was used to remove periodic noise. The illustration of both spatial and spectral properties on the false-color image are explained. AVIRIS is designed to be flown in an ER-2 aircraft and will serve as a test-bed sensor for the High-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (HIRIS) planned for the Earth Observing System.

Curran, Paul J.↗

Bandwidth Efficient Baseband Multi-Modulator

The High Rate Baseband Multi-Modulator (HRBM) ASIC is being developed to provide High-speed Bandwidth Efficient Modulations to NASA missions. Bandwidth efficiencies from 2.0 bits/symbol/Hz to 2.75 bits/symbl/Hz are selectable from three CCSDS modulations: Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK), Filter Offset Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (Filtered- OQSK) and 8-Phase Shift Keying Trellis Coded Modulation (8-PSK TCM). An FPGA version of the HRBM is developed first to verify the individual modulation designs and characterize timing and performance issues involved with digital baseband modulation synthesis. A Finite Input Response (FIR) filter is included to provided baseband pulse shaping to reduce out-of-band spectral emissions. This is filter is programmable and can be tailored to meet system requirements. The ASIC is targeted to provide up to 600 Mbps throughput and will provide serial as well as parallel input. This paper provides an overview of the technology development and current status.

Fong, Wai↗

Automated Tracking of Shallow Maritime Clouds on Geostationary Imagery to Extract Lifecycle Characteristics

Shallow moist convection is ubiquitous throughout the tropics and represents a key player in boundary layer processes. Satellites have provided many statistics on shallow clouds, such as size, structure, and geographical coverage, from static views of recurring cloud fields. But determining why certain cloud features appear and persist for different periods requires a time-evolving view of their behaviors. Geostationary satellites provide a unique opportunity to follow the time evolution of individual convective features, given their enhanced spatial and temporal sampling. A cloud-tracking tool was developed to identify properties of cloud lifecycle from the NASA Cloud, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2EX) field campaign of 2019. The mission conducted intensive sampling of shallow cumulus in the West Pacific Ocean, in tandem with Rapid Scan imagery from the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) on the Japan Meteorological Agency’s (JMA) Himawari-8 satellite. Shallow cumulus was segmented according to thresholds in 0.5-km visible reflectance and with blurring techniques. Despite being limited to daytime hours, the segmentations yielded the best resolution possible for capturing cloud initiation and decay. The tracking procedure is based on a computer vision package that includes Kalman filters for motion prediction, object overlap search, and the Hungarian (or Kuhn-Munkres) matching algorithm for track designation. AHI radiances available within the tracked cloud boundaries are assembled to form individual spectral histories. The resulting catalog provides thousands of cloud histories for domains measuring only a few degrees in latitude and longitude. We present an overview of the cloud-tracking tool, strategies to identify development stages from cloud tracks, and preliminary results that document cumulus lifecycle properties from satellite. The application of AHI 0.5-km reflectance has both strengths and limitations when attempting to track lifecycles of the smallest resolvable clouds. We show that by aggregating cloud tracks from a few case studies of CAMP2EX, we can discern differences in cloud lifetime and development according to ensembles selected from areas of interest. The results demonstrate an ability to quantify lifetimes and assess rates of change in cloud characteristics that are likely controlled by the surrounding environment and meteorology.

Cloud Tracking↗

Automated Tracking of Shallow Maritime Clouds on Geostationary Imagery to Extract Lifecycle Characteristics

Shallow moist convection is ubiquitous throughout the tropics and represents a key player in boundary layer processes. Satellites have provided valuable insight on shallow clouds, such as size, structure, and geographical coverage, from static views of recurring cloud fields. But determining why certain cloud features appear and persist for different periods requires a time-evolving view of their behaviors. Geostationary satellites provide a unique opportunity to follow the time evolution of individual convective features, given their enhanced spatial and temporal sampling. A cloud-tracking tool was developed to identify properties of cloud lifecycle from the NASA Cloud, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2EX) field campaign of 2019. The mission conducted intensive sampling of shallow cumulus in the West Pacific Ocean, in tandem with Rapid Scan imagery from the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) on the Japan Meteorological Agency’s (JMA) Himawari-8 satellite. Shallow cumulus were segmented according to thresholds in 0.5-km visible reflectance and with blurring techniques. Despite being limited to daytime hours, the segmentations yielded the best resolution available for capturing cloud initiation, growth, and decay. The tracking procedure is based on a computer vision package that includes Kalman filters for motion prediction, object overlap search, and the Hungarian (or Kuhn-Munkres) matching algorithm for track designation. AHI radiances available within the tracked cloud boundaries are assembled to form individual spectral histories. The resulting catalog provides thousands of cloud histories for domains measuring only a few degrees in latitude and longitude. We present an overview of the cloud-tracking tool and its results for cloud fields sampled throughout CAMP2EX by the airborne P-3. Cloud tracks were selected from about 10 flights to form ensembles, specific groups of tracks occurring in a region with airborne sampling. Cloud lifecycle properties, including duration and maximum area, are calculated for all ensemble members, and analyzed for cloud behavior and P-3 coincidences. By following this strategy, we quantitatively assess the degree of airborne sampling for specific cloud classes defined by the lifecycle calculations. We can summarize which cloud classes had more sampling, the stage of development during sampling, and general differences in character (e.g., isolated congestus vs. cold-pool producer).

Cloud Tracking↗

Project STOP (Spectral Thermal Optimization Program)

The spectral thermal optimization of solar cell configurations for various solar panel applications is considered. The method of optimization depends upon varying the solar cell configuration's optical characteristics to minimize panel temperatures, maximize power output and decrease the power delta from beginning of life to end of life. Four areas of primary investigation are: (1) testing and evaluation of ultraviolet resistant coverslide adhesives, primarily FEP as an adhesive; (2) examination of solar cell absolute spectral response and corresponding cell manufacturing processes that affect it; (3) experimental work with solar cell manufacturing processes that vary cell reflectance (solar absorptance); and (4) experimental and theoretical studies with various coverslide filter designs, mainly a red rejection filter. The Hughes' solar array prediction program has been modified to aid in evaluating the effect of each of the above four areas on the output of a solar panel in orbit.

Goldhammer, L. J.↗

High-Resolution Large Field-of-View FUV Compact Camera

The need for a high resolution camera with a large field of view and capable to image dim emissions in the far-ultraviolet is driven by the widely varying intensities of FUV emissions and spatial/temporal scales of phenomena of interest in the Earth% ionosphere. In this paper, the concept of a camera is presented that is designed to achieve these goals in a lightweight package with sufficient visible light rejection to be useful for dayside and nightside emissions. The camera employs the concept of self-filtering to achieve good spectral resolution tuned to specific wavelengths. The large field of view is sufficient to image the Earth's disk at Geosynchronous altitudes and capable of a spatial resolution of >20 km. The optics and filters are emphasized.

Spann, James F.↗

Principles of stray light suppression and conceptual application to the design of the Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment for NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer

The Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) is a 10 band filter photometer that will operate at superfluid helium temperatures. Diffuse galactic and extragalactic infrared radiation in the 1-300 micrometer wavelength region will be measured by the instrument. Polarization measurements will be made for 3 bands in the 1-4 micrometer spectral region. The main sources of unwanted radiation are the sun, earth, thermal radiation from an external sun shield, the moon, the brighter planets and stars, and sky light itself from outside the instrument's nominal one degree square field of view. The system level engineering concepts and the principles of stray light suppression that resulted in the instrument design are presented.

Evans, D. C.↗

Acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) imaging spectrometer for NASA applications - System issues

A recently developed AOTF operating in the visible, 0.4-0.8 micron bandpass is presently compared with other spectrometer designs, with a view to the advantages it may uniquely offer for prospective NASA missions. Since spectral identification is accomplished by this system through the scanning of a few spectral bands, data storage requirements for spectral image analysis can be significantly reduced. Attention is given to spectral and imaging capabilities and their applicability to defense, remote sensing, and industrial uses.

Yu, Jeffrey↗

Requirements and Design Reference Mission for the WFIRST-AFTA Coronagraph Instrument

The WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph instrument take s advantage of AFTA s 2.4 -meter aperture to provide novel exoplanet imaging science at approximately the same instrument cost as an Explorer mission. The AFTA coronagraph also matures direct imaging technologies to high TRL for an Exo-Earth Imager in the next decade. The coronagraph Design Reference Mission (DRM) optical design is based on the highly successful High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT), with modifications to accommodate the AFTA telescope design, service-ability, volume constraints, and the addition of an Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS). In order to optimally satisfy the three science objectives of planet imaging, planet spectral characterization and dust debris imaging, the coronagraph is designed to operate in two different modes : Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph or Shaped Pupil Coronagraph. Active mechanisms change pupil masks, focal plane masks, yot masks, and bandpass filters to shift between modes. A single optical beam train can thus operate alternatively as two different coronagraph architecture s. Structural Thermal Optical Performance (STOP) analysis predict s the instrument contrast with the Low Order Wave Front Control loop closed. The STOP analysis was also used to verify that the optical/structural/thermal design provides the extreme stability required for planet characterization in the presence of thermal disturbances expected in a typical observing scenario. This paper describes the instrument design and the flow down from science requirements to high level engineering requirements.

contrast↗

Analysis of Spacecraft Materials Discrimination Using Color Indices for Remote Sensing for Space Situational Awareness

The increasing number of space missions have resulted in an augmented density of artificial objects positioned in orbital domains near Earth. Knowing the material composition of the resident space object can be of value in object identification and risk assessment using remote sensing techniques. To perform this task, it is increasingly imperative to optically characterize spacecraft materials to identify unique material-specific spectroscopic markers. In this work, a variety of materials frequently utilized by the aerospace industry in spacecraft design and construction were analyzed using reflectance spectroscopy. The collected data provide a spectral characterization baseline for modern-day and historical spacecraft materials. The color index was computed for standard astronomical and suggested theoretical filter passbands and compared to each other in their capability to discriminate materials belonging to different classes. The color index was calculated from reflectance spectra of common spacecraft materials in their pristine, as-received conditions that fell under different family groupings. Different color-index combinations were studied using color-color diagrams. Visual and quantitative analysis of the color-color diagrams were used to evaluate the possibility of discriminating materials from one another by means of optical measurements. Results of the analysis show that polyimide and photovoltaic materials are most easy to discriminate from all other materials via color indices using different filter passbands evaluated in this study.

spectral reflectance↗

Identification of the dynamics of a two-dimensional grid structure using least square lattice filters

It is doubtful whether the dynamics of large space structures (LSS) can be predicted well enough for control system design applications. Hence, dynamic modeling from on-orbit measurements followed by a modification of the control system is of interest, taking into account the utilization of adaptive control concepts. The present paper is concerned with the model determination phase of the adaptive control problem. Using spectral decoupling to determine mode shapes, mode frequency and damping data can be obtained with the aid of an equation error parameter identification method. This method employs a second-order auto-regressive moving average (ARMA) model to represent the natural mode amplitudes. The discussed procedure involves an extension of the application of the least square lattice filter in system identification to a nonintegral, two-dimensional grid structure made of overlapping bars.

Montgomery, R. C.↗

Chromatic effects on the PSF and shear measurement for the Roman Space Telescope High-Latitude Wide Area Survey

Weak gravitational lensing (WL) is a key cosmological probe that requires precise measurement of galaxy images to infer shape distortions, or shear, and constrain cosmology. Accurate estimation of the point spread function (PSF) is crucial for shear measurement, but the wavelength dependence of the PSF introduces chromatic biases that can systematically impact shear inference. We focus on biases arising from spectral energy distribution (SED) differences between stars, used for PSF modelling, and galaxies, used for shear measurement. We investigate these effects in Roman’s four design reference mission WL bands (Y106, J129, H158, F184) and wide filter (W146). Using Roman-like image simulations, we quantify the induced shear biases and compare them to requirements on those biases. Multiplicative biases over all galaxies hover around ~0.2 per cent in the WL bands and 2 per cent in the wide filter, exceeding the mission requirement of |m| < 0.032 per cent and relaxed requirement of |m| < 0.1 per cent⁠. In individual redshift bins, biases can reach 0.4–0.9 per cent for the WL bands and 3–6 per cent for the wide filter. Additive biases remain acceptable in the WL bands but exceed systematic limits in the wide filter. We develop and test PSF-level corrections, showing that a first-order correction reduces biases within survey requirements for the WL bands; however, higher-order terms are necessary for the wide filter. Our results highlight the necessity of chromatic corrections for precision WL with Roman and provide a framework for mitigating these biases. Finally, we compare analytical colour-based corrections to self-organizing maps and find that both methods effectively reduce biases.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Spectral analysis of linear, shift-invariant interpolants

The use of a spectral analysis technique to evaluate the reconstruction/interpolation performance of linear, shift-invariant interpolants is examined. The technique was utilized to measure the performance of cubic hermite, quintic hermite, exponential, cubic, spline, Nu, PCC, Keys cubic, and BAWA cubic interpolants. The performance criterion is based upon the mean square error of the difference between the sampled and reconstructed functions. The reconstruction properties, interpolation functions, and reconstruction filters for the interpolants are studied and compared. It is noted that the spectral analysis technique is applicable to reconstruction algorithms used in signal and image processes, and interpolants used in numerical analysis, computer-aided design, and computer graphics.

Lansing, Donald L.↗

Designs and Materials for Better Coronagraph Occulting Masks

New designs, and materials appropriate for such designs, are under investigation in an effort to develop coronagraph occulting masks having broad-band spectral characteristics superior to those currently employed. These designs and materials are applicable to all coronagraphs, both ground-based and spaceborne. This effort also offers potential benefits for the development of other optical masks and filters that are required (1) for precisely tailored spatial transmission profiles, (2) to be characterized by optical-density neutrality and phase neutrality (that is, to be characterized by constant optical density and constant phase over broad wavelength ranges), and/or (3) not to exhibit optical- density-dependent phase shifts. The need for this effort arises for the following reasons: Coronagraph occulting masks are required to impose, on beams of light transmitted through them, extremely precise control of amplitude and phase according to carefully designed transmission profiles. In the original application that gave rise to this effort, the concern has been to develop broad-band occulting masks for NASA s Terrestrial Planet Finder coronagraph. Until now, experimental samples of these masks have been made from high-energy-beam-sensitive (HEBS) glass, which becomes locally dark where irradiated with a high-energy electron beam, the amount of darkening depending on the electron-beam energy and dose. Precise mask profiles have been written on HEBS glass blanks by use of electron beams, and the masks have performed satisfactorily in monochromatic light. However, the optical-density and phase profiles of the HEBS masks vary significantly with wavelength; consequently, the HEBS masks perform unsatisfactorily in broad-band light. The key properties of materials to be used in coronagraph occulting masks are their extinction coefficients, their indices of refraction, and the variations of these parameters with wavelength. The effort thus far has included theoretical predictions of performances of masks that would be made from alternative materials chosen because the wavelength dependences of their extinction coefficients and their indices of refraction are such that that the optical-density and phase profiles of masks made from these materials can be expected to vary much less with wavelength than do those of masks made from HEBS glass. The alternative materials considered thus far include some elemental metals such as Pt and Ni, metal alloys such as Inconel, metal nitrides such as TiN, and dielectrics such as SiO2. A mask as now envisioned would include thin metal and dielectric films having stepped or smoothly varying thicknesses (see figure). The thicknesses would be chosen, taking account of the indices of refraction and extinction coefficients, to obtain an acceptably close approximation of the desired spatial transmittance profile with a flat phase profile

Balasubramanian, Kunjithapatham↗

Images and Spectral Performance of WFC3 Interference Filters

The Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) is a panchromatic imager that will be deployed in the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The mission of the WFC3 is to enhance HST1s imaging capability in the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared spectral regions. Together with a wavelength coverage spanning 2000A to 1.7 micron, the WFC3 high sensitivity, high spatial resolution, and large field-of-view provide the astronomer with an unprecedented set of tools for exploring all types of exciting astrophysical terrain and for addressing many key questions in astronomy today. The filter compliment, which includes broad, medium, and narrow band filters, naturally reflects the diversity of astronomical programs to be targeted with WFC3. The WFC3 holds 61 UVIS filters elements, 14 IR filters, and 3 dispersive elements. During ground testing, the majority of the UVIS filters were found to exhibit excellent performance consistent with or exceeding expectations; however, a subset of filters showed considerable ghost images; some with relative intensity as high as 10-15%. Replacement filters with band-defining coatings that substantially reduce these ghost images were designed and procured. A state-of-the-art characterization setup was developed to measured the intensity of ghost images, focal shift, wedge direction , transmitted uniformity and surface feature of filters that could effect uniform flat field images. We will report on this new filter characterization methods, as well as the spectral performance measurements of the in-band transmittance and blocking.

Quijada, Manuel A.↗