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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2014

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER)

The Primordial Inflation Polarization ExploreR (Piper) is a balloon-borne cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarimeter designed to search for evidence of inflation by measuring the large-angular scale CMB polarization signal. Bicep2 recently reported a detection of B-mode power corresponding to the tensor-to-scalar ratio r = 0.2 on approximately 2 degree scales. If the Bicep2 signal is caused by inflationary gravitational waves (IGWs), then there should be a corresponding increase in B-mode power on angular scales larger than 18 degrees. Piper is currently the only suborbital instrument capable of fully testing and extending the Bicep2 results by measuring the B-mode power spectrum on angular scales theta θ = approximately 0.6 deg to 90 deg, covering both the reionization bump and recombination peak, with sensitivity to measure the tensor-to-scalar ratio down to r = 0.007, and four frequency bands to distinguish foregrounds. Piper will accomplish this by mapping 85% of the sky in four frequency bands (200, 270, 350, 600 GHz) over a series of 8 conventional balloon flights from the northern and southern hemispheres. The instrument has background-limited sensitivity provided by fully cryogenic (1.5 K) optics focusing the sky signal onto four 32×40-pixel arrays of time-domain multiplexed Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) bolometers held at 140 milli-Kelvin. Polarization sensitivity and systematic control are provided by front-end Variabledelay Polarization Modulators (VPMs), which rapidly modulate only the polarized sky signal at 3 Hz and allow Piper to instantaneously measure the full Stokes vector (I,Q,U,0V) for each pointing. We describe the Piper instrument and progress towards its first flight.

polarimeter↗
NASA NTRS2018

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER): Current Status and Performance of the First Flight

The Primordial Inflation Polarization ExploreR (PIPER) is a balloon-borne instrument optimized to measure the polarization of the CMB at large angular scales. It will map 85% of the sky over a series of conventional balloon flights from the Northern and Southern hemispheres, measuring the B-mode polarization power spectrumover a range of multipoles from 2-300 covering both the reionization bump and the recombination peak, with sensitivity to measure the tensor-to-scalar ratio down to r = 0.007. PIPER will observe in four frequency bands centered at 200, 270, 350, and 600 GHz to characterize dust foregrounds. The instrument has background-limited sensitivity provided by fully cryogenic (1.7 K) optics focusing the sky signal onto kilo-pixel arrays of time-domain multiplexed Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) bolometers held at 100 mK. Polarization sensitivity and systematiccontrol are provided by front-end Variable-delay Polarization Modulators (VPMs). PIPER had its engineering flight in October 2017 from Fort Sumner, New Mexico. This papers outlines the major components in the PIPER system discussing the conceptual design as well as specific choices made for PIPER. We also report on the results of the engineering flight, looking at the functionality of the payload systems, particularly VPM, as well as pointing out areas of improvement.

Pawlyk, Samuel↗
NASA NTRS2010

5,120 Superconducting Bolometers for the PIPER Balloon-Borne CMB Polarization Experiment

We are constructing the Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and search for the imprint of gravity waves produced during an inflationary epoch in the early universe. The signal is faint and lies behind confusing foregrounds, both astrophysical and cosmological, and so many detectors are required to complete the measurement in a limited time. We will use four of our matured 1,280 pixel, high-filling-factor backshort-under-grid bolometer arrays for efficient operation at the PIPER CMB wavelengths. All four arrays observe at a common wavelength set by passband filters in the optical path. PIPER will fly four times to observe at wavelengths of 1500, 1100, 850, and 500 microns in order to separate CMB from foreground emission. The arrays employ leg-isolated superconducting transition edge sensor bolometers operated at 145 mK; tuned resonant backshorts for efficient optical coupling; and a second-generation superconducting quantum interference device multiplexer readout. We describe the design, development, and performance of PIPER bolometer array technology to achieve background-limited sensitivity for a cryogenic balloon-borne telescope.

Benford, Dominic J.↗
NASA NTRS2010

5,120 Superconducting Bolometers for the PIPER Balloon-Borne CMB Polarization Experiment

We are constructing the Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) to measure the polarization o[ the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and search for the imprint of gravity waves produced during an inflationary epoch in the early universe. The signal is faint and lies behind confusing foregrounds, both astrophysical and cosmological, and so many detectors are required to complete the measurement in a limited time. We will use four of our matured 1,280 pixel, high-filling-factor backshort-under-grid bolometer arrays for efficient operation at the PIPER CMB wavelengths. All four arrays observe at a common wavelength set by passband filters in the optical path. PIPER will fly four times to observe at wavelengths of 1500, 1100, 850, and 500 microns in order to separate CMB from foreground emission. The arrays employ leg-isolated superconducting transition edge sensor bolometers operated at 128mK; tuned resonant backshorts for efficient optical coupling; and a second-generation superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) multiplexer readout. We describe the design, development, and performance of PIPER bo|ometer array technology to achieve background-limited sensitivity for a cryogenic balloon-borne telescope.

Benford, Dominic J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Mechanical Design of a 4-Stage ADR for the PIPER mission

The four 1,280 bolometer detector arrays that will fly on the balloon borne PIPER mission will be cooled by a 4-stage adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR). Two of the three mechanically independent ADR assemblies provide thermal isolation to their salt pills through Kevlar suspensions while the other provides thermal isolation to its salt pill through the use of bellows and Vespel material. The ADR integrates with the detector arrays and it sits in a large bucket Dewar containing superfluid liquid helium. This paper will describe the complex mechanical design of the PIPER ADR, and summarize the mechanical analysis done to validate the design.The four 1,280 bolometer detector arrays that will fly on the balloon borne PIPER mission will be cooled by a 4-stage adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR). Two of the three mechanically independent ADR assemblies provide thermal isolation to their salt pills through Kevlar suspensions while the other provides thermal isolation to its salt pill through the use of bellows and Vespel material. The ADR integrates with the detector arrays and it sits in a large bucket Dewar containing superfluid liquid helium. This paper will describe the complex mechanical design of the PIPER ADR, and summarize the mechanical analysis done to validate the design.

Cryogenics↗
NASA NTRS2010

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER)

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is a balloon-borne polarimeter that will measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background to search for evidence for inflation. PIPER will observe more than half of the sky in four frequency bands from 200 to 600 GHz with a beam size of 21 arcminutes at the lowest frequency. PIPER simultaneously measures all four Stokes parameters using four co-aligned 32 by 40 element planar bolometer arrays. We give an instrument overview and report on the current status of the instrument.

Chuss, David↗
NASA NTRS2010

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER)

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is it balloon-borne instrument designed to search for the faint signature of inflation in the polarized component of the cosmic microwave background (C-N-113). Each flight will be configured for a single frequency, but in order to aid in the removal of the polarized foreground signal due to Galactic dust, the filters will be changed between flights. In this way, the CMB polarization at a total of four different frequencies (200, 270, 350, and 600 GHz) will be, measured on large angular scales. PIPER consists of a pair of cryogenic telescopes, one for measuring each of Stokes Q and U in the instrument frame. Each telescope receives both linear orthogonal polarizations in two 32 x 40 element planar arrays that utilize Transition-Edge Sensors (TES). The first element in each telescope is a variable-delay polarization modulator (VPM) that fully modulates the linear Stokes parameter to which the telescope is sensitive. There are several advantages to this architecture. First, by modulating at the front of the optics, instrumental polarization is unmodulated and is therefore cleanly separated from source polarization. Second, by implementing this system with the appropriate symmetry, systematic effects can be further mitigated. In the PIPER design, many of the. systematics are manifest in the unmeasured linear Stokes parameter for each telescope and this can be separated from the desired signal. Finally, the modulation cycle never mixes the Q and U linear Stokes parameters, and thus residuals in the modulation do not twist the observed polarization vector. This is advantageous because measuring the angle of linear polarization is critical for separating the inflationary signal from other polarized components.

Chuss, David T.↗
NASA NTRS2012

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER)

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is a balloon-borne instrument to measure the gravity-wave signature of primordial inflation through its distinctive imprint on the polarization of the cosmic microwave background. PIPER combines cold (1.5 K) optics, 5120 bolometric detectors, and rapid polarization modulation using VPM grids to achieve both high sensitivity and excellent control of systematic errors. A series of flights alternating between northern and southern hemisphere launch sites will produce maps in Stokes I, Q, U, and V parameters at frequencies 200, 270, 350, and 600 GHz (wavelengths 1500, 1100, 850, and 500 microns) covering 85% of the sky. We describe the PIPER instrument and discuss the current status and expected science returns from the mission.

Kogut, Alan J.↗
DOE OSTI2017

PIPER: Performance Insight for Programmers and Exascale Runtimes: Guiding the Development of the Exascale Software Stack

The PIPER project set out to develop methodologies and software for measurement, analysis, attribution, and presentation of performance data for extreme-scale systems. Goals of the project were to support analysis of massive multi-scale parallelism, heterogeneous architectures, multi-faceted performance concerns, and to support both post-mortem performance analysis to identify program features that contribute to problematic performance and on-line performance analysis to drive adaptation. This final report summarizes the research and development activity at Rice University as part of the PIPER project. Producing a complete suite of performance tools for exascale platforms during the course of this project was impossible since both hardware and software for exascale systems is still a moving target. For that reason, the project focused broadly on the development of new techniques for measurement and analysis of performance on modern parallel architectures, enhancements to HPCToolkit’s software infrastructure to support our research goals or use on sophisticated applications, engaging developers of multithreaded runtimes to explore how support for tools should be integrated into their designs, engaging operating system developers with feature requests for enhanced monitoring support, engaging vendors with requests that they add hardware measure- ment capabilities and software interfaces needed by tools as they design new components of HPC platforms including processors, accelerators and networks, and finally collaborations with partners interested in using HPCToolkit to analyze and tune scalable parallel applications.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS2008

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER)

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is a balloon-borne experiment designed to search for the polarized imprint of gravitational waves from cosmic inflation. The discovery of such a signal would provide direct evidence for inflation, and its characterization would provide a means to explore energy scales orders of magnitude larger than any conceivable particle accelerator. PIPER will consist of two cryogenic telescopes-one for each of the Q and U Stokes parameters. Each will use a variable-delay polarization modulator (VPM) as its first element. This architecture is designed to minimize both T->B and E->B systematics. The detectors will be four 32x40 arrays of BUG detectors, utilizing transition-edge sensors and time-domain multiplexing. Each flight will observe approximately 25% of the sky at a single frequency. Additional flights will increase the frequency coverage.

Chuss, David T.↗
NASA NTRS2009

PIPER and Polarized Galactic Foregrounds

In addition to probing inflationary cosmology, PIPER will measure the polarized dust emission from the Galaxy. PIPER will be capable of full (I,0,U,V) measurement over four frequency bands ' These measurements will provide insight into the physics of dust grains and a probe of the Galactic magnetic field on large and intermediate scales.

Chuss, David↗
NASA NTRS2010

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER)

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is a ba1loon-borne instrument designed to search for the faint signature of inflation in the polarized component of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). PIPER will measure the CMB polarization at 4 frequencies (l per flight) using a pair of cryogenic telescopes, one for measuring each of Stokes Q and U in the instrument frame. Each telescope receives both linear orthogonal polarizations in two 32 by 40 element planar arrays that utilize Transition-Edge Sensors (TES). The first element in each telescope is a variable-delay polarization modulator (VPM) that fully modulates the Stokes parameter to which the telescope is sensitive.

Chuss, David T.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Sub-Kelvin Cooling for Two Kilopixel Bolometer Arrays in the PIPER Receiver

The Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) is a balloon-borne telescope mission to search for inflationary gravitational waves from the early universe. PIPER employs two 32 × 40 arrays of superconducting transition-edge sensors, which operate at 100 mK. An open bucket Dewar of liquid helium maintains the receiver and telescope optics at 1.7 K. We describe the thermal design of the receiver and sub-Kelvin cooling with a continuous adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (CADR). The CADR operates between 70 and 130 mK and provides ≈10 μW cooling power at 100 mK, nearly five times the loading of the two detector assemblies. We describe electronics and software to robustly control the CADR, overall CADR performance in flightlike integrated receiver testing, and practical considerations for implementation in the balloon float environment.

Switzer, E. R.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Passive Thermal Control of the Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) Flight Electronics

The scientific balloon program at NASA offers an exciting and open area of opportunity for testing new technologies and for conducting meaningful experimentation at a fraction of the cost of a space mission. This paper outlines a simple thermal model developed and employed for the Primordial Inflation Polarization ExplorER (PIPER). The sub-orbital environment that PIPER operates in hosts an interesting mix of atmospheric and space thermal challenges. The work done was to mitigate thermal loads and passively cool the payload's exterior mounted electronics at an altitude of 36.6 km. This was done by characterizing the thermal environment and then designing solutions for the heat loads through a combined radiation and conduction passive cooling radiator system thermal model. Despite the simplicity and subsequent limitations of the model, as well as some unexpected payload operational events, the model produced results between 0.31% and 11.8% difference between the predicted values and measured average temperatures. From these results, the model was able to successfully provide estimates for the electronics temperatures. Additional flights will be needed to eliminate unknowns encountered in this flight in order to further refine the model for higher accuracy.

Walts, Alexander R.↗
DOE OSTI2019

An Investigation into the Influence of Filler Piper nigrum Leaves Extract on Physicochemical and Antimicrobial Properties of Chitosan/Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) Blend Films

The influence of Piper nigrum (P. nigrum) leaves extract on structural and physicochemical properties of chitosan/poly (vinyl alcohol) (CH/PVA) blend films were studied. The hypothesis of the study was confirmed by using UTM, SEM, AFM, TGA, DSC, XRD, and FTIR studies. Interestingly, increased mechanical properties were observed with inclusion of P. nigrum leaves extract to the CH/PVA blend films. SEM micrographs revealed that there is a smooth homogeneous phase morphology with better compatibility. The results of X-ray diffraction study confirmed that influence of crystallinity on mechanical properties of the blend films. Further, the results of TGA witnessed that addition of P. nigrum leaves extract did not influence much on thermal stability of the CH/PVA blend films. The presence of a single glass transition temperature (T{sub g}) indicated that complete miscibility among the blend components. The result of FTIR study confirmed the presence of a significant interaction among the chitosan, PVA and P. nigrum leaves extract. The water contact angle measurement and the antimicrobial study revealed that CH/PVA/P. nigrum leaves extract blend films showed decreased hydrophobicity and enhanced antimicrobial activity. Hence, this partly stimulated research data obtained from the study might be an advantage for new packaging material preparations in the future.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

PIPER: Performance Insights for Programmers and Exascale Runtimes

During the lifetime of the project, the PIPER at the University of Utah worked in collaboration with the team from the partner institutions to establish a set of software tools for analyzing and improving the performance parallel computing tools. These activities complement and complete the work performed by the other X-Stack 2 projects with the definition of a common data models and computing infrastructures, which have been a central element in the targeted performance analysis pipeline and new programming models. The University of Utah team have focused mainly on developing data analysis and visualization systems to facilitate exploration, comparison and evaluation of the behavior and performance of complex algorithms in modern HPC infrastructures. This is involved several demonstrations of the performance achieved and presentation of the results in a way that facilitates the users understand bottlenecks and ways to overcome them. One major focus of the University of Utah activities has been the analysis of the performance characteristics of Fat-Tree and Dragonfly topology networks. The work involved the development of practical visualization systems especially in collaboration with the team at LLNL, and published several papers and gave invited talks at prestigious venues such as the Salishan Conference on High-Speed Computing or the International Conference on High Performance Computing, Data, and Analytics. In addition, the university of Utah team has advanced the core activities on analyzing the performance characteristics of I/O and other data movement systems and their practical use for scaling Uintah and other simulation codes poised for use in the exascale computing environments of the future.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1981

A flight investigation of the ultra-deep-stall descent and spin recovery characteristics of a 1/6 scale radiocontrolled model of the Piper PA38 Tomahawk

Ultradeep stall descent and spin recovery characteristics of a 1/6 scale radio controlled model of the Piper PA38 Tomahawk aircraft was investigated. It was shown that the full scale PA38 is a suitable aircraft for conducting ultradeep stall research. Spin recovery was accomplished satisfactorily by entry to the ultradeep stall mode, followed by the exit from the ultradeep stall mode. It is concluded that since the PA38 has excellent spin recovery characteristics using normal recovery techniques (opposite rudder and forward control colum pressure), recovery using ultradeep stall would be beneficial only if the pilot suffered from disorientation.

Blanchard, W. S., Jr.↗