Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Selection Bias”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2007

Bias Selectable Dual Band AlGaN Ultra-violet Detectors

Bias selectable dual band AlGaN ultra-violet (UV) detectors, which can separate UV-A and UV-B using one detector in the same pixel by bias switching, have been designed, fabricated and characterized. A two-terminal n-p-n photo-transistor-like structure was used. When a forward bias is applied between the top electrode and the bottom electrode, the detectors can successfully detect W-A and reject UV-B. Under reverse bias, they can detect UV-B and reject UV-A. The proof of concept design shows that it is feasible to fabricate high performance dual-band UV detectors based on the current AlGaN material growth and fabrication technologies.

Yan, Feng↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Avoiding Selection Bias in Generating Examples of Plans in the Presence of Heuristic Error

It is generally understood that heuristic error hurts the performance of search algorithms, measured in terms of search effort. Hence there is an interest in understanding how to reduce heuristic error. One way to do this is to learn a heuristic from a set of examples of plans generated offline, e.g. bootstrapping methods. In this paper, we consider how some methods for generating examples of plans may skew the training set in the presence of heuristic errors. Initial theoretical results show that duplicate detection is one source of selection bias in the canonical A* algorithm. We introduce a duplicate selection scheme for A* that avoids selection bias in generating cost-optimal examples, without compromising memory efficiency, and develop ideas in the satisficing setting. We evaluate our approach on n x m grids with multiple cost-optimal solutions and synthetic heuristic error. Finally, we attempt to extend these ideas to the problem of generating extreme examples of plans.

Alison S Paredes↗
NASA NTRS2006

Bias Selective Operation of Sb-Based Two-Color Photodetectors

Multicolor detectors have a strong potential to replace conventional single-color detectors in application dealing with the simultaneous detection of more than one wavelength. This will lead to the reduction of heavy and complex optical components now required for spectral discrimination for multi-wavelengths applications. This multicolor technology is simpler, lighter, compact and cheaper with respect to the single-color ones. In this paper, Sb-based two-color detectors fabrication and characterization are presented. The color separation is achieved by fabricating dual band pn junction on a GaSb substrate. The first band consists of an InGaAsSb pn junction for long wavelength detection, while the second band consists of a GaSb pn junction for shorter wavelength detection. Three metal contacts were deposited to access the individual junctions. Surface morphology of multi-layer thin films and also device characteristics of quasi-dual band photodetector were characterized using standard optical microscope and electro-optic techniques respectively. Dark current measurements illustrated the diode behavior of both lattice-matched detector bands. Spectral response measurements indicated either independent operation of both detectors simultaneously, or selective operation of one detector, by the polarity of the bias voltage, while serially accessing both devices.

Abedin, M. N.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Particle sensor array

A particle sensor array which in a preferred embodiment comprises a static random access memory having a plurality of ion-sensitive memory cells, each such cell comprising at least one pull-down field effect transistor having a sensitive drain surface area (such as by bloating) and at least one pull-up field effect transistor having a source connected to an offset voltage. The sensitive drain surface area and the offset voltage are selected for memory cell upset by incident ions such as alpha-particles. The static random access memory of the present invention provides a means for selectively biasing the memory cells into the same state in which each of the sensitive drain surface areas is reverse biased and then selectively reducing the reversed bias on these sensitive drain surface areas for increasing the upset sensitivity of the cells to ions. The resulting selectively sensitive memory cells can be used in a number of applications. By way of example, the present invention can be used for measuring the linear energy transfer of ion particles, as well as a device for assessing the resistance of CMOS latches to Cosmic Ray induced single event upsets. The sensor of the present invention can also be used to determine the uniformity of an ion beam.

Buehler, Martin G.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The muon content of EAS as a function of primary energy

The muon content of extensive air showers (EAS) was measured over the wide primary energy range 10 to the 16th power to 10 to the 20th power eV. It is reported that the relative muon content of EAS decreases smoothly over the energy range 10 to the 17th power to 10 to the 19th power eV and concluded that the primary cosmic ray flux has a constant mass composition over this range. It is also reported that an apparent significant change in the power index occurs below 10 to the 17th power eV rho sub c (250 m) sup 0.78. Such a change indicates a significant change in primary mass composition in this range. The earlier conclusions concerning EAS of energy 10 to the 17th power eV are confirmed. Analysis of data in the 10 to the 16th power - 10 to the 17th power eV range revealed a previously overlooked selection bias in the data set. The full analysis of the complete data set in the energy range 10 to the 16th power - 10 to the 17th power ev with the selection bias eliminated is presented.

Blake, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Why Do Compact Active Galactic Nuclei at High Redshift Twinkle Less?

The fraction of compact active galactic.nuclei (AGNs) that exhibit interstellar scintillation (ISS) at radio wavelengths, as well as their scintillation amplitudes, have been found to decrease significantly for sources at redshifts z approx greater than 2. This can be attributed to an increase in the angular sizes of the mu-as-scale cores or a decrease in the flux densities of the compact mu-as cores relative to that of the mas-scale components with increasing redshift, possibly arising from (1) the space-time curvature of an expanding Universe, (2) AGN evolution, (3) source selection biases, (4) scatter broadening in the ionized intergalactic medium (IGM), or (5) gravitational lensing. We examine the frequency scaling of this redshift dependence of ISS to determine its origin, using data from a dual-frequency survey of ISS of 128 sources at 0 approx < z approx < 4. We present a novel method of analysis which accounts for selection effects in the source sample. We determine that the redshift dependence of ISS is partially linked to the steepening of source spectral indices (alpha (sup 8.4, sub 4.9)) with redshift, caused either by selection biases or AGN evolution, coupled with weaker ISS in the alpha (sup 8.4, sub 4.9) < -0.4 sources. Selecting only the -0.4 < alpha (sup 8.4, sub 4.9) < 0.4 sources, we find that the redshift dependence of ISS is still significant, but is not significantly steeper than the expected (1 + z)(exp 0.5) scaling of source angular sizes due to cosmological expansion for a brightness temperature and flux-limited sample of sources. We find no significant evidence for scatter broadening in the IGM, ruling it out as the main cause of the redshift dependence of ISS. We obtain an upper limit to IGM scatter broadening of approx. < 110 mu-as at 4.9 GHz with 99% confidence for all lines of sight, and as low as approx. < 8 mu-as for sight-lines to the most compact, approx 10 mu-as sources.

Koay, J. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Gamma ray burst size-frequency distributions: Spectral selection effects

The effects of spectral variation on the detection of gamma ray bursts were investigated. Selection biases resulting from these effects can account for the reported deviation of the observed size-frequency distribution in peak energy flux from that expected for a simple uniform distribution of sources. Thus these observations as yet provide no clear evidence for structure in the burst source distribution. Because of selection biases, the intrinsic average temperature of the bursts is much harder (kT approximately MeV) than the observed average (approximately 200 KeV).

Higdon, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Gamma-ray burst size-frequency distributions - Spectral and temporal selection effects

The effects of spectral variation on the detection of gamma ray bursts were investigated. Selection biases resulting from these effects can account for the reported deviation of the observed size-frequency distribution in peak energy flux from that expected for a simple uniform distribution of sources. Thus these observations as yet provide no clear evidence for structure in the burst source distribution. Because of selection biases, the intrinsic average temperature of the bursts is much harder (kT approximately MeV) than the observed average (approximately 200 keV).

Higdon, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Stellar Populations of Lyman Break Galaxies at z approx. to 1-3 in the HST/WFC3 Early Release Science Observations

We analyze the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of Lyman break galaxies . (LBGs) at z approx = 1-3 selected using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) UVIS channel filters. These HST /WFC3 obse,rvations cover about 50 arcmin2 in the GOODS-South field as a part of the WFC3 Early Release Science program. These LBGs at z approx = 1-3 are selected using dropout selection criteria similar to high redshift LBGs. The deep multi-band photometry in this field is used to identify best-fit SED models, from which we infer the following results: (1) the photometric redshift estimate of these dropout selected LBGs is accurate to within few percent; (2) the UV spectral slope f3 is redder than at high redshift (z > 3), where LBGs are less dusty; (3) on average, LBGs at .z approx = 1-3 are massive, dustier and more highly star-forming, compared to LBGs at higher redshifts with similar luminosities, though their median values are similar within 1a uncertainties. This could imply that identical dropout selection technique, at all. redshifts, find physically similar galaxies; and (4) the stellar masses of these LBGs are directly proportional to their UV luminosities with a logarithmic slope of approx 0.46, and star-formation rates are proportional to their stellar masses with a logarithmic slope of approx 0.90. These relations hold true - within luminosities probed in this study - for LBGs from z approx = 1.5 to 5. The star-forming galaxies selected using other color-based techniques show similar correlations at z approx = 2, but to avoid any selection biases, and for direct comparison with LBGs at z > 3, a true Lyman break selection at z approx = 2 is essential. The future HST UV surveys,. both wider and deeper, covering a large luminosity range are important to better understand LBG properties, and their evolution.

Hathi, N. P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Bias properties of extragalactic distance indicators. 3: Analysis of Tully-Fisher distances for the Mathewson-Ford-Buchhorn sample of 1355 galaxies

The observational selection bias properties of the large Mathewson-Ford-Buchhorn (MFB) sample of axies are demonstrated by showing that the apparent Hubble constant incorrectly increases outward when determined using Tully-Fisher (TF) photometric distances that are uncorreted for bias. It is further shown that the value of H(sub 0) so determined is also multivlaued at a given redshift when it is calculated by the TF method using galaxies with differenct line widths. The method of removing this unphysical contradiction is developed following the model of the bias set out in Paper II. The model developed further here shows that the appropriate TF magnitude of a galaxy that is drawn from a flux-limited catalog not only is a function of line width but, even in the most idealistic cases, requires a triple-entry correction depending on line width, apparent magnitude, and catalog limit. Using the distance-limited subset of the data, it is shown that the mean intrinsic dispersion of a bias-free TF relation is high. The dispersion depends on line width, decreasing from sigma(M) = 0.7 mag for galaxies with rotational velocities less than 100 km s(exp-1) to sigma(M) = 0.4 mag for galaxies with rotational velocities greater than 250 km s(exp-1). These dispersions are so large that the random errors of the bias-free TF distances are too gross to detect any peculiar motions of individual galaxies, but taken together the data show again the offset of 500 km s(exp-1) fond both by Dressler & Faber and by MFB for galaxies in the direction of the putative Great Attractor but described now in a different way. The maximum amplitude of the bulk streaming motion at the Local Group is approximately 500 km s(exp-1) but the perturbation dies out, approaching the Machian frame defined by the CMB at a distance of approximately 80 Mpc (v is approximately 4000 km s(exp -1)). This decay to zero perturbation at v is approximately 4000 km s(exp -1) argues against existing models with a single attraction at approximately 4500 km s(exp -1) (the Great Attactor model) pulling the local region. Rather, the cause of the perturbation appears to be the well-known clumpy mass distribution within 4000 km s(exp -1) in the busy directions of Hydra, Centaurus, Antila and Dorado, as postulated earlier (Tammann & Sandage 1985).

Federspiel, Martin↗
NASA NTRS2007

Dual Band Deep Ultraviolet AlGaN Photodetectors

We report on the design, fabrication and characterization of a back-illuminated voltage bias selectable dual-band AlGaN UV photodetector. The photodetector can separate UVA and W-B band radiation by bias switching a two terminal n-p-n homojunction structure that is fabricated in the same pixel. When a forward bias is applied between the top and bottom electrodes, the detector can sense UV-A and reject W-B band radiation. Alternatively, under reverse bias, the photodetector can sense UV-B and reject UV-A band radiation.

Aslam, S.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Queries for Bias Testing

Selecting a good bias prior to concept learning can be difficult. Therefore, dynamic bias adjustment is becoming increasingly popular. Current dynamic bias adjustment systems, however, are limited in their ability to identify erroneous assumptions about the relationship between the bias and the target concept. Without proper diagnosis, it is difficult to identify and then remedy faulty assumptions. We have developed an approach that makes these assumptions explicit, actively tests them with queries to an oracle, and adjusts the bias based on the test results.

Gordon, Diana F.↗
NASA NTRS2021

IQ Collaboratory. II. The Quiescent Fraction of Isolated, Low-mass Galaxies across Simulations and Observations

We compare three major large-scale hydrodynamical galaxy simulations (EAGLE, Illustris-TNG, and SIMBA) by forward modeling simulated galaxies into observational space and computing the fraction of isolated and quiescent low-mass galaxies as a function of stellar mass. Using SDSS as our observational template, we create mock surveys and synthetic spectroscopic and photometric observations of each simulation, adding realistic noise and observational limits. All three simulations show a decrease in the number of quiescent, isolated galaxies in the mass range M * = 10 9−10 M ꙩ , in broad agreement with observations. However, even after accounting for observational and selection biases, none of the simulations reproduce the observed absence of quiescent field galaxies below M * = 10 9 M ꙩ . We find that the low-mass quiescent populations selected via synthetic observations have consistent quenching timescales, despite an apparent variation in the late-time star formation histories. The effect of increased numerical resolution is not uniform across simulations and cannot fully mitigate the differences between the simulations and the observations. The framework presented here demonstrates a path toward more robust and accurate comparisons between theoretical simulations and galaxy survey observations, while the quenching threshold serves as a sensitive probe of feedback implementations.

Claire M. Dickey↗
NASA NTRS1992

The asymmetric distribution of satellite galaxy velocities

Companion galaxies tend to have redshifts that exceed that of their associated primary. We show that the latest sample of satellite galaxies (from Zaritsky et al.) corroborates this assertion. We examine whether selection biases and contamination by galaxies that are not physical satellites can create the observed velocity asymmetry. As shown by Valtonen and Byrd (1986) for previous samples, simple models of the selection process reproduce the sense of the asymmetry, but not its magnitude unless the samples are dominated by interlopers. We expand on this model by using numerical simulations that include a simple model of galaxy clustering, and demonstrate that clustering can increase the magnitude of the expected asymmetry for a particular level of contamination. Depending on input assumptions, these models imply 1 sigma lower limits on the contamination level in the Zaritsky et al. (1992) sample of between 8 and 20 percent. Using the results from the analysis of that sample and the models, we conclude that, for the type of satellite galaxy sample discussed, here, a moderate level of contamination (about 10 percent) is sufficient to account for the observed asymmetry.

Zaritsky, Dennis↗
NASA NTRS1993

Star counts from the Hubble Space Telescope Snapshot Survey. I - Galactic models

We report a photometric study of stars from 450 fields at high Galactic latitudes that were observed in the Hubble Space Telescope Snapshot Survey to an average limiting apparent magnitude of V = 21.4. There are 166 fields that contain quasars selected in radio, X-ray, and color-excess surveys. This sample of 273 stars is free of selection bias with respect to the density of stars. To within the Poisson errors, the total counts and magnitude distribution of this unbiased sample are in agreement with the Bahcall-Soneira model (Bahcall, 1986). The angular distribution of the faint stars favors, at the 2 sigma level, a somewhat steeper disk luminosity function and a smaller spheroid main-sequence normalization than given by the model. The sample does not have enough statistical power to distinguish between the two-component Bahcall-Soneira model and the three-component model first proposed by Gilmore and Reid (1983), which contains a thick disk. The statistical power of the survey would increase about 15-fold if colors were obtained for the stars: the data probe the main sequences of the disk, thick disk, and spheroid. Models with and without a thick disk could then be distinguished at the 6 sigma level. The HST Snapshot Survey includes an additional 284 fields, 279 of which are centered on quasars that were selected by objective-prism surveys. These 279 fields are expected to show and do exhibit bias against bright stars, making them unsuitable for testing Galactic models.

Gould, A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Biases In A Magnitude Limited Versus A Distant Limited Planet Search

All methods utilized to conduct a search or survey inevitably have some built-in biases. These biases are often traced to some limitation of the instrument used or some inherent character of the signal being recorded. We address these limitations for various methods used or proposed for planet detection: spectroscopy, astrometry, interferometry, and photometry. For spectroscopy, the turbulence in the photosphere limits the minimum measurable dossier velocity to 3 m/s and hence the minimum planet to star mass ratio, thereby favoring massive close-in planets. Limited available observing time will necessarily introduce additional selection biases in the targets observed and telescope aperture will limit the faintest magnitude stars to be measured; For astrometry, the angular resolution of the instrument along with motions in the photometric center of the star limit the furthest distance for which giant planets can be detected to about 10 pc and favor massive outer orbit planets around low mass non-solar like stars; For imaging interferometry, the minimum angular size of the central null limits both the distance to the star and closeness of the planet to the host star to about 1 AU at 10 pc and thus to the very few solar-like stars within 10 pc. Solar and extra-solar zodiacal emission will limit the minimum size of the detectable planet. For photometry, the inherent variability of the star does not limit the minimum planet size until earth-sized or smaller planets are considered around solar-like stars. The telescope aperture limits the faintest stars that can be monitored. As with spectroscopy, there is no inherent distant limit to the method. After addressing the limiting factors of each method, an estimate is made of the number of planets of various sizes that could be found for each stellar type based on the detection probability and the number of stars that can be searched for planets.

Koch, David↗