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The calibration and flight test performance of the space shuttle orbiter air data system

The Space Shuttle air data system (ADS) is used by the guidance, navigation and control system (GN&C) to guide the vehicle to a safe landing. In addition, postflight aerodynamic analysis requires a precise knowledge of flight conditions. Since the orbiter is essentially an unpowered vehicle, the conventional methods of obtaining the ADS calibration were not available; therefore, the calibration was derived using a unique and extensive wind tunnel test program. This test program included subsonic tests with a 0.36-scale orbiter model, transonic and supersonic tests with a smaller 0.2-scale model, and numerous ADS probe-alone tests. The wind tunnel calibration was further refined with subsonic results from the approach and landing test (ALT) program, thus producing the ADS calibration for the orbital flight test (OFT) program. The calibration of the Space Shuttle ADS and its performance during flight are discussed in this paper. A brief description of the system is followed by a discussion of the calibration methodology, and then by a review of the wind tunnel and flight test programs. Finally, the flight results are presented, including an evaluation of the system performance for on-board systems use and a description of the calibration refinements developed to provide the best possible air data for postflight analysis work.

Dean, A. S.↗

THE ARAUCARIA PROJECT: A STUDY OF THE CLASSICAL CEPHEID IN THE ECLIPSING BINARY SYSTEM OGLE LMC562.05.9009 IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD

We present a detailed study of the classical Cepheid in the double-lined, highly eccentric eclipsing binary system OGLE-LMC562.05.9009. The Cepheid is a fundamental mode pulsator with a period of 2.988 days. The orbital period of the system is 1550 days. Using spectroscopic data from three 4–8-m telescopes and photometry spanning 22 years, we were able to derive the dynamical masses and radii of both stars with exquisite accuracy. Both stars in the system are very similar in mass, radius, and color, but the companion is a stable, non-pulsating star. The Cepheid is slightly more massive and bigger (M{sub 1} = 3.70 ± 0.03 M{sub ⊙}, R{sub 1} = 28.6 ± 0.2 R{sub ⊙}) than its companion (M{sub 2} = 3.60 ± 0.03 M{sub ⊙}, R{sub 2} = 26.6 ± 0.2 R{sub ⊙}). Within the observational uncertainties both stars have the same effective temperature of 6030 ± 150 K. Evolutionary tracks place both stars inside the classical Cepheid instability strip, but it is likely that future improved temperature estimates will move the stable giant companion just beyond the red edge of the instability strip. Within current observational and theoretical uncertainties, both stars fit on a 205 Myr isochrone arguing for their common age. From our model, we determine a value of the projection factor of p = 1.37 ± 0.07 for the Cepheid in the OGLE-LMC562.05.9009 system. This is the second Cepheid for which we could measure its p-factor with high precision directly from the analysis of an eclipsing binary system, which represents an important contribution toward a better calibration of Baade-Wesselink methods of distance determination for Cepheids.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Galaxy cluster matter profiles - I. Self-similarity, mass calibration, and observable-mass relation validation employing cluster mass posteriors

We present a study of the weak lensing inferred matter profiles ΔΣ(R) of 698 South Pole Telescope (SPT) thermal Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect (tSZE) selected and MCMF optically confirmed galaxy clusters in the redshift range 0.25 < z < 0.94 that have associated weak gravitational lensing shear profiles from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Rescaling these profiles to account for the mass dependent size and the redshift dependent density produces average rescaled matter profiles ΔΣ(R/R200c)/(ρcritR200c) with a lower dispersion than the unscaled ΔΣ(R) versions, indicating a significant degree of self-similarity. Galaxy clusters from hydrodynamical simulations also exhibit matter profiles that suggest a high degree of self-similarity, with RMS variation among the average rescaled matter profiles with redshift and mass falling by a factor of approximately six and 23, respectively, compared to the unscaled average matter profiles. We employed this regularity in a new Bayesian method for weak lensing mass calibration that employs the so-called cluster mass posterior P(M200|ζ̂, λ̂, z), which describes the individual cluster masses given their tSZE (ζ̂) and optical (λ̂, z) observables. This method enables simultaneous constraints on richness λ-mass and tSZE detection significance ζ-mass relations using average rescaled cluster matter profiles. We validated the method using realistic mock datasets and present observable-mass relation constraints for the SPT×DES sample, where we constrained the amplitude, mass trend, redshift trend, and intrinsic scatter. Our observable-mass relation results are in agreement with the mass calibration derived from the recent cosmological analysis of the SPT×DES data based on a cluster-by-cluster lensing calibration. Our new mass calibration technique offers a higher efficiency when compared to the single cluster calibration technique. We present new validation tests of the observable-mass relation that indicate the underlying power-law form and scatter are adequate to describe the real cluster sample but that also suggest a redshift variation in the intrinsic scatter of the λ-mass relation may offer a better description. In addition, the average rescaled matter profiles offer high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) constraints on the shape of real cluster matter profiles, which are in good agreement with available hydrodynamical ΛCDM simulations. This high S/N profile contains information about baryon feedback, the collisional nature of dark matter, and potential deviations from general relativity.Key words: gravitational lensing: weak / galaxies: clusters: general / large-scale structure of Universe

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Measuring the thermal conductivity of hydrogels with a bidirectional 3w method

Hydrogels are soft, water-absorbing polymer materials with diverse applications in biomedicine and agriculture. Recently, hydrogels have been proposed to encapsulate water-soluble phase change materials which store energy in their latent heat of solidification. In these applications, the thermal conductivity of these materials affects their performance. Few methods exist for measuring the thermal conductivity of small quantities of hydrogels. Here, we describe an implementation of the bidirectional 3w technique to measure the thermal conductivity of hydrogels with particular attention to their moisture content. Our implementation of the technique can probe sample volumes as little as ~20 mL and yields the thermal conductivity without requiring fitting of additional thermal parameters. We numerically simulate 3w sensor designs with frequency-domain 3-D models to quantify and reduce errors introduced by the choice of substrate and insulation layer thickness. Frequencies in the ~1−20 Hz range yield less error for the materials considered here. We verify our setup with measurements on water and report values for polyacrylamide and poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) (PAMPS) hydrogels. Our swollen hydrogels exhibited thermal conductivities nearly equivalent to water, 0.6 W m-1 K-1, and we estimate thermal conductivities of 0.43 and 0.42 W m-1 K-1 for neat polyacrylamide and PAMPS, respectively. Finally, we estimate an error of ±7%, consistent with other 3ω methods, with the largest error coming from the sensor calibration. We find our implementation of the bidirectional 3w method gives reasonable results and can be employed for prototyping soft materials relevant for thermal storage.

3-omega, thermal conductivity, hydrogel, moisture ↗

Identification of heavy-flavour jets with the CMS detector in pp collisions at 13 TeV

Many measurements and searches for physics beyond the standard model at the LHC rely on the efficient identification of heavy-flavour jets, i.e. jets originating from bottom or charm quarks. In this paper, the discriminating variables and the algorithms used for heavy-flavour jet identification during the first years of operation of the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, are presented. Heavy-flavour jet identification algorithms have been improved compared to those used previously at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. For jets with transverse momenta in the range expected in simulated events, these new developments result in an efficiency of 68% for the correct identification of a b jet for a probability of 1% of misidentifying a light-flavour jet. The improvement in relative efficiency at this misidentification probability is about 15%, compared to previous CMS algorithms. In addition, for the first time algorithms have been developed to identify jets containing two b hadrons in Lorentz-boosted event topologies, as well as to tag c jets. The large data sample recorded in 2016 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV has also allowed the development of new methods to measure the efficiency and misidentification probability of heavy-flavour jet identification algorithms. The b jet identification efficiency is measured with a precision of a few per cent at moderate jet transverse momenta (between 30 and 300 GeV) and about 5% at the highest jet transverse momenta (between 500 and 1000 GeV).

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Neutrino event selection in the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber using Wire-Cell 3D imaging, clustering, and charge-light matching

An accurate and efficient event reconstruction is required to realize the full scientific capability of liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs). The current and future neutrino experiments that rely on massive LArTPCs create a need for new ideas and reconstruction approaches. Wire-Cell, proposed in recent years, is a novel tomographic event reconstruction method for LArTPCs. The Wire-Cell 3D imaging approach capitalizes on charge, sparsity, time, and geometry information to reconstruct a topology-agnostic 3D image of the ionization electrons prior to pattern recognition. A second novel method, the many-to-many charge-light matching, then pairs the TPC charge activity to the detected scintillation light signal, thus enabling a powerful rejection of cosmic-ray muons in the MicroBooNE detector. A robust processing of the scintillation light signal and an appropriate clustering of the reconstructed 3D image are fundamental to this technique. In this paper, we describe the principles and algorithms of these techniques and their successful application in the MicroBooNE experiment. A quantitative evaluation of the performance of these techniques is presented. Using these techniques, a 95% efficient pre-selection of neutrino charged-current events is achieved with a 30-fold reduction of non-beam-coincident cosmic-ray muons, and about 80% of the selected neutrino charged-current events are reconstructed with at least 70% completeness and 80% purity.

3D imaging↗

SU-E-J-45: The Correlation Between CBCT Flat Panel Misalignment and 3D Image Guidance Accuracy

Purpose To simulate the impact of CBCT flat panel misalignment on the image quality, the calculated correction vectors in 3D image guided proton therapy and to determine if these calibration errors can be caught in our QA process. Methods The X-ray source and detector geometrical calibration (flexmap) file of the CBCT system in the AdaPTinsight software (IBA proton therapy) was edited to induce known changes in the rotational and translational calibrations of the imaging panel. Translations of up to ±10 mm in the x, y and z directions (see supplemental) and rotational errors of up to ±3° were induced. The calibration files were then used to reconstruct the CBCT image of a pancreatic patient and CatPhan phantom. Correction vectors were calculated for the patient using the software’s auto match system and compared to baseline values. The CatPhan CBCT images were used for quantitative evaluation of image quality for each type of induced error. Results Translations of 1 to 3 mm in the x and y calibration resulted in corresponding correction vector errors of equal magnitude. Similar 10mm shifts were seen in the y-direction; however, in the x-direction, the image quality was too degraded for a match. These translational errors can be identified through differences in isocenter from orthogonal kV images taken during routine QA. Errors in the z-direction had no effect on the correction vector and image quality.Rotations of the imaging panel calibration resulted in corresponding correction vector rotations of the patient images. These rotations also resulted in degraded image quality which can be identified through quantitative image quality metrics. Conclusion Misalignment of CBCT geometry can lead to incorrect translational and rotational patient correction vectors. These errors can be identified through QA of the imaging isocenter as compared to orthogonal images combined with monitoring of CBCT image quality.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

In situ calibration of large-radius jet energy and mass in 13 TeV proton–proton collisions with the ATLAS detector

The response of the ATLAS detector to large-radius jets is measured in situ using 36.2 fb -1 of $\sqrt{2}$ =13 TeV proton–proton collisions provided by the LHC and recorded by the ATLAS experiment during 2015 and 2016. The jet energy scale is measured in events where the jet recoils against a reference object, which can be either a calibrated photon, a reconstructed Z boson, or a system of well-measured small-radius jets. The jet energy resolution and a calibration of forward jets are derived using dijet balance measurements. The jet mass response is measured with two methods: using mass peaks formed by W bosons and top quarks with large transverse momenta and by comparing the jet mass measured using the energy deposited in the calorimeter with that using the momenta of charged-particle tracks. The transverse momentum and mass responses in simulations are found to be about 2–3% higher than in data. This difference is adjusted for with a correction factor. The results of the different methods are combined to yield a calibration over a large range of transverse momenta (p T ). The precision of the relative jet energy scale is 1–2% for 200 GeV < pT < 2 TeV , while that of the mass scale is 2–10%. Hence, the ratio of the energy resolutions in data and simulation is measured to a precision of 10–15% over the same p T range.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The preliminary checkout, evaluation and calibration of a 3-component force measurement system for calibrating propulsion simulators for wind tunnel models

The propulsion simulator calibration laboratory (PSCL) in which calibrations can be performed to determine the gross thrust and airflow of propulsion simulators installed in wind tunnel models is described. The preliminary checkout, evaluation and calibration of the PSCL's 3 component force measurement system is reported. Methods and equipment were developed for the alignment and calibration of the force measurement system. The initial alignment of the system demonstrated the need for more efficient means of aligning system's components. The use of precision alignment jigs increases both the speed and accuracy with which the system is aligned. The calibration of the force measurement system shows that the methods and equipment for this procedure can be successful.

Scott, W. A.↗

Optimization of the number and locations of the calibration stations needed to monitor soil moisture using distributed temperature sensing systems: A proof-of-concept study

The single-probe heat-pulse (SPHP) technique combined with the Fiber-optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) technology can offer novel high-resolution measurements of soil moisture (θ) over spatial scales ranging from several centimeters to several kilometers. However, the key limitation of this method is in obtaining the calibration relationship between θ and soil thermal conductivity (λ) across a specific field. In a previous study, a new methodology using a Gaussian processes model was presented to account for the spatial variability in the λ-θ relationship. The model aggregated θ measurements from soil moisture sensors scattered over the SPHP transect with the corresponding DTS λ measurements at their locations. In this study, a novel methodology is tested to optimize the number and locations of soil moisture sensors required to account for the spatial variability of the λ - θ relationship to achieve higher accuracy from the SPHP technique. The proposed methodology utilizes hierarchical clustering to analyze the information contained in the spatial structure of the SPHP measurements as the soil dries from a nearly-saturated condition. The proposed methodology was tested using data from a field in Oklahoma. Monte-Carlo simulation was performed to validate the performance of the proposed methodology. The predictions obtained from the proposed methodology resulted in θ measurements accuracy comparable to those obtained from the 10% best Monte-Carlo iterations of randomly assigned soil moisture locations. Further, this study demonstrates that the proposed methodology is more efficient than the traditional practice of randomly spreading calibration soil moisture sensors along the SPHP transect.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Recommended Practice for Use of Emissive Probes in Electric Propulsion Testing

Here, this article provides recommended methods for building, operating, and taking plasma potential measurements from electron-emitting probes in electric propulsion devices, including Hall thrusters, gridded ion engines, and others. The two major techniques, the floating point technique and the inflection point technique, are described in detail as well as calibration and error-reduction methods. The major heating methods are described as well as the various considerations for emissive probe construction. Lastly, special considerations for electric propulsion plasmas are addressed, including high-energy densities, ion flows, magnetic fields, and potential fluctuations. Recommendations for probe design and operation are provided.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

A fast particle-based approach for calibrating a 3-D model of the Antarctic ice sheet

We consider the scientifically challenging and policy-relevant task of understanding the past and projecting the future dynamics of the Antarctic ice sheet. The Antarctic ice sheet has shown a highly nonlinear threshold response to past climate forcings. Triggering such a threshold response through anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions would drive drastic and potentially fast sea level rise with important implications for coastal flood risks. Previous studies have combined information from ice sheet models and observations to calibrate model parameters. These studies have broken important new ground but have either adopted simple ice sheet models or have limited the number of parameters to allow for the use of more complex models. These limitations are largely due to the computational challenges posed by calibration as models become more computationally intensive or when the number of parameters increases. Here, we propose a method to alleviate this problem: a fast sequential Monte Carlo method that takes advantage of the massive parallelization afforded by modern high-performance computing systems. We use simulated examples to demonstrate how our sample-based approach provides accurate approximations to the posterior distributions of the calibrated parameters. The drastic reduction in computational times enables us to provide new insights into important scientific questions, for example, the impact of Pliocene era data and prior parameter information on sea level projections. These studies would be computationally prohibitive with other computational approaches for calibration such as Markov chain Monte Carlo or emulation-based methods. We also find considerable differences in the distributions of sea level projections when we account for a larger number of uncertain parameters. For example, based on the same ice sheet model and data set, the 99th percentile of the Antarctic ice sheet contribution to sea level rise in 2300 increases from 6.5 m to 13.1 m when we increase the number of calibrated parameters from three to 11. With previous calibration methods, it would be challenging to go beyond five parameters. Here, this work provides an important next step toward improving the uncertainty quantification of complex, computationally intensive and decision-relevant models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Radiometric Calibration and Geocoded Precision Processing of LANDSAT-4 Multispectral Scanner Products by the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing

Inherent in the method used by CCRS for the radiometric calibration of LANDSAT-4 MSS data is the possibility for the user to convert the corrected digital values to the absolute scene radiance of the target under observation. The generation of the constants needed for this final conversion requires both the pre-launch and post-launch radiometric calibration constants as supplied by NASA. Results of some preliminary comparative studies of the radiometric properties of the LANDSAT-4 MSS versus earlier satellites in the LANDSAT series are presented as well as early observations on the stability of the calibration data, within one scene, within one orbit, and over a period of several months. Residual striping in the corrected products is estimated. The method used to perform precision processing of the LANDSAT MSS data for generating geocoded or map compatible LANDSAT MSS products in the Unviersal Transverse Mercator projection is also reviewed. LANDSAT-4 MSS precision processed products are evaluated for geodetic accuracy, and are compared to similar products from the previous LANDSAT satellites to assess the orbit independent registration accuracy.

Murphy, J.↗

Proton reconstruction with the TOTEM Roman pot detectors for high- β * LHC data

The TOTEM Roman pot detectors are used to reconstruct the transverse momentum of scattered protons and to estimate the transverse location of the primary interaction. This paper presents new methods of track reconstruction, measurements of strip-level detection efficiencies, cross-checks of the LHC beam optics, and detector alignment techniques, along with their application in the selection of signal collision events. The track reconstruction is performed by exploiting hit cluster information through a novel method using a common polygonal area in the intercept-slope plane. The technique is applied in the relative alignment of detector layers with μm precision. A tag-and-probe method is used to extract strip-level detection efficiencies. The alignment of the Roman pot system is performed through time-dependent adjustments, resulting in a position accuracy of 3 μm in the horizontal and 60 μm in the vertical directions. The goal is to provide an optimal reconstruction tool for central exclusive physics analyses based on the high-β* data-taking period at $\sqrt({s})$ = 13 TeV in 2018.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Improved dewpoint-probe calibration

Relatively-simple pressure-control apparatus calibrates dewpoint probes considerably faster than conventional methods, with no loss of accuracy. Technique requires only pressure measurement at each calibration point and single absolute-humidity measurement at beginning of run. Several probes can be calibrated simultaneously and points can be checked above room temperature.

Stephenson, J. G.↗

Intercalibration of Meteorological Satellite Imagers Using VIRS, ATSR-2 and MODIS

Global retrievals of surface, cloud and radiative properties from geostationary (GEO) and low-Earth-orbit (LEO) meteorological satellites require accurate calibration of their imagers. An accurate and consistent calibration increases the reliability and effectiveness of long-term monitoring of climate changes. More emphasis has been placed on calibrating the thermal infrared (IR) channel. The lack of on-board calibration in the visible (VIS) channel has prompted efforts to characterize the degradation of the VIS sensor using vicarious post-launch calibration techniques that measure bright stable desert targets from space and aircraft or using satellite-to-satellite normalizations. While such inter-calibrations are valuable and widely used, the lack of a well-characterized calibration reference source and the lengthy time delay between updates have minimized their effectiveness in climate monitoring. To address these shortcomings, this paper examines the use of research satellite imagers to provide stable calibration references for the visible (VIS, approximately 0.65 micrometers) channels and develops a method for rapid intercalibration of existing satellites. Calibration coefficients are determined for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES-8 to GOES-10), Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS-5), Meteosat-7, and the NOAA-14 Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). As a reference calibration source, this technique uses the self-calibrating sensors on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Visible Infrared Radiometers (VIRS) or the ERS-2 Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR-2). GOES-8 is calibrated with VIRS and then its calibration is transferred to other GEO or LEO satellites. The absolute accuracy of this technique relies on the assumption that the on-board calibration is stable and well maintained. Minnis et al. assessed the VIRS calibration using comparisons with other self-calibrated satellite sensors including the broadband Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) scanners, the ERS-2 Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR-2), and the Terra Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS). Thus, the VIRS data can be confidently used as the initial reference source.

Nguyen, Louis↗

Sea ice motion measurements from Seasat SAR images

Data from the Seasat synthetic aperture radar (SAR) experiment are analyzed in order to determine the accuracy of this information for mapping the distribution of sea ice and its motion. Data from observations of sea ice in the Beaufort Sea from seven sequential orbits of the satellite were selected to study the capabilities and limitations of spaceborne radar application to sea-ice mapping. Results show that there is no difficulty in identifying homologue ice features on sequential radar images and the accuracy is entirely controlled by the accuracy of the orbit data and the geometric calibration of the sensor. Conventional radargrammetric methods are found to serve well for satellite radar ice mapping, while ground control points can be used to calibrate the ice location and motion measurements in the cases where orbit data and sensor calibration are lacking. The ice motion was determined to be approximately 6.4 + or - 0.5 km/day. In addition, the accuracy of pixel location was found over land areas. The use of one control point in 10,000 sq km produced an accuracy of about + or 150 m, while with a higher density of control points (7 in 1000 sq km) the location accuracy improves to the image resolution of + or - 25 m. This is found to be applicable for both optical and digital data.

Leberl, F.↗

Isochrones for old (>5 Gyr) stars and stellar populations. I. Models for –2.4 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤+0.6, 0.25 ≤ Y ≤ 0.33, and –0.4 ≤ [α/Fe] ≤+0.4

Canonical grids of stellar evolutionary sequences have been computed for the helium mass-fraction abundances Y = 0.25, 0.29, and 0.33, and for iron abundances that vary from –2.4 to +0.4 (in 0.2 dex increments) when [α/Fe] =+0.4, or for the ranges –2.0 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤+0.6, –1.8 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤+0.6 when [α/Fe] =0.0 and –0.4, respectively. The grids, which consist of tracks for masses from 0.12 M{sub ⊙} to 1.1-1.5 M{sub ⊙} (depending on the metallicity) are based on up-to-date physics, including the gravitational settling of helium (but not metals diffusion). Interpolation software is provided to generate isochrones for arbitrary ages between ≈5 and 15 Gyr and any values of Y, [α/Fe], and [Fe/H] within the aformentioned ranges. Comparisons of isochrones with published color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) for the open clusters M67 ([Fe/H] ≈0.0) and NGC 6791 ([Fe/H] ≈0.3) and for four of the metal-poor globular clusters (47 Tuc, M3, M5, and M92) indicate that the models for the observed metallicities do a reasonably good job of reproducing the locations and slopes of the cluster main sequences and giant branches. The same conclusion is reached from a consideration of plots of nearby subdwarfs that have accurate Hipparcos parallaxes and metallicities in the range –2.0 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ –1.0 on various CMDs and on the (log T {sub eff}, M{sub V} ) diagram. A relatively hot temperature scale similar to that derived in recent calibrations of the infrared flux method is favored by both the isochrones and the adopted color transformations, which are based on the latest MARCS model atmospheres.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗