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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

Measuring color memory in a color glass condensate at electron–ion colliders

The color memory effect is the non-abelian gauge theory analog of the gravitational memory effect, in which the passage of color radiation induces a net relative SU(3) color rotation of a pair of nearby quarks. It is proposed that this effect can be measured in the Regge limit of deeply inelastic scattering at electron–ion colliders.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Comparing X-ray Color Selection in Separating X-ray Binary Classes using Color-Color-Intensity Diagrams

X-ray binaries exhibit a wide range of properties but there are few accepted methods to determine the nature of the compact object. Color-Color-Intensity diagrams have been suggested as a means of distinguishing between systems containing black holes from those containing neutron stars. However, this technique has been verified with data from only one instrument (RXTE/ASM) with a single set of X-ray colors defined using data available only in pre-determined energy bands. We test a selection of X-ray colors with a more sensitive instrument to determine the reliability of this method. We use data from the MAXI/Gas Slit Camera, which allows users to specify energy-bands. We test X-ray colors that have been previously defined in the literature as well as ones that we define specifically in this paper. A representative set of systems are used to construct Color-Color-Intensity diagrams in each set of colors to determine which are best for separating different classes. For studying individual sources certain bands are more effective than others. For a specified energy range, the separation of soft states in black hole binaries was possible only where both soft and hard colors included information from the lowest energy band. We confirm that Color-Color-Intensity diagrams can distinguish between systems containing black holes or neutron stars in all X-ray colors tested; this suggests an universality in the accretion processes governing these different classes. We suggest possible physical processes driving different classes of X-ray binaries to different locations in Color-Color-Intensity diagrams.

N Islam↗

Chroma Shift and Gamut Shape: Going Beyond Average Color Fidelity and Gamut Area

Though sometimes referred to as a two-measure system for evaluating color rendition, IES TM-30-15 includes other key components that go beyond the high-level average values IES Rf and IES Rg. This article focuses on the Color Vector Graphic and Local Chroma Shift (IES Rcs,hj), discussing the calculation methods for these evaluation tools and providing context for the interpretation of the values. It also presents alternatives for quantifying the same characteristics, which can inform the development of future measures. The Color Vector Graphic (CVG) is a visual representation of hue and chroma shifts across different hues. It quickly communicates complex information about how object colors will be rendered by a light source, although it is difficult or impossible to use for writing a specification. CVGs demonstrate that increases in chroma for certain hues sometimes means a decrease in chroma for other hues, and illustrates hue shifts for intermediate colors. The combination of shifts over different hues can be referred to as gamut shape. Complementing this information are the IES Rcs,hj values, which quantify the average relative chroma shift for samples in each of the 16 hue-angle bins (j) specified in IES TM-30-15. Unlike measures of average color fidelity and gamut area, gamut shape and hue-specific chroma shift are new concepts with no directly-comparable historical references. It will be critical to incorporate the Color Vector Graphic and Local Chroma Shift values into practice because they capture information about color rendition that is impossible to describe with average measures (such as CIE Ra, IES Rf, or IES Rg), but that is critical to understanding human evaluations of color quality in architectural environments.

Chroma Shift↗

Colors and color gradients in bulges of galaxies

We have obtained surface photometry in U, B, R, and I for a complete optically selected sample of 45 early-type spiral galaxies, to investigate the colors and color gradients of spiral bulges. Color profiles in U-R, B-R, U-B, and R-I have been determined in wedges opening on the semiminor axes. Based on several criteria, like the smoothness of the color profiles, the absence of dust lanes, and the central colors, we have defined a subsample of 18 objects whose colors are largely unaffected by dust. We believe such colors are suitable for inferring properties of the stellar populations of bulges. We find that the colors of bulges are predominantly bluer than those of ellipticals. This result holds even when bulges are compared to ellipticals of the same luminosity, and indicates that bulges are younger and/or more metal poor than old elliptical galaxies. Most bulges do not reach solar metallicities. Bulges show predominantly negative color gradients (bluer outward). For bright bulges (M(sup Bulge sub R) is less than -20.0), the magnitude of the gradient increases with bulge luminosity. For fainter bulges, gradients scatter around large negative values. The behavior of color gradients as a function of bulge luminosity suggests different formation mechanisms for faint and bright spheroids. For bright bulges, the scaling of gradients with luminosity suggests a formation process involving dissipation. The similarity with ellipticals suggests that the formation of the disk did not affect the stellar populations of the bulge in a major way. For small bulges (M(sub R) is greater than -20), the existence of pronounced color gradients suggests a different formation mechanism. For these objects, the presence of the disk may have severely affected the radial population distribution in the bulge.

Balcells, Marc↗

Müllerian mimicry and the coloration patterns of sympatric coral snakes

Abstract Coral snakes in the genus Micrurus are venomous, aposematic organisms that signal danger to predators through vivid coloration. Previous studies found that they serve as models to several harmless species of Batesian mimics. However, the extent to which Micrurus species engage in Müllerian mimicry remains poorly understood. We integrate detailed morphological and geographical distribution data to investigate if coral snakes are Müllerian mimics. We found that coloration is spatially structured and that Micrurus species tend to be more similar where they co-occur. Though long supposed, we demonstrate for the first time that coral snakes might indeed be Müllerian mimics as they show some convergence in coloration patterns. Additionally, we found that the length of red-coloured rings in Micrurus is conserved, even at large geographic scales. This finding suggests that bright red rings may be under more substantial stabilizing selection than other aspects of coloration and probably function as a generalized signal for deterring predators.

Evolutionary Biology↗

Evaluating tradeoffs between energy efficiency and color rendition

Color rendition and energy efficiency have long been considered characteristics of light sources that cannot be maximized simultaneously. The tradeoff has been studied extensively, but usually considering only average color fidelity. This work examines the color rendition versus energy efficiency tradeoff in the context of ANSI/IES TM-30-18, Method for Evaluating Light Source Color Rendition, which provides numerous measures beyond average color fidelity. The analysis demonstrates that color rendition criteria based on combinations of ANSI/IES TM-30-18 values can be used to improve color quality with less of an effect on spectral efficiency (luminous efficacy of radiation) than increasing CIE Ra alone. No change in the direction of LED emitter or downconverter development is needed.

Royer, Michael P.↗

Munsell color analysis of Landsat color-ratio-composite images of limonitic areas in southwest New Mexico

The causes of color variations in the green areas on Landsat 4/5-4/6-6/7 (red-blue-green) color-ratio-composite (CRC) images, defined as limonitic areas, were investigated by analyzing the CRC images of the Lordsburg, New Mexico area. The red-blue-green additive color system was mathematically transformed into the cylindrical Munsell color coordinates (hue, saturation, and value), and selected areas were digitally analyzed for color variation. The obtained precise color characteristics were then correlated with properties of surface material. The amount of limonite (L) visible to the sensor was found to be the primary cause of the observed color differences. The visible L is, is turn, affected by the amount of L on the material's surface and by within-pixel mixing of limonitic and nonlimonitic materials. The secondary cause of variation was vegetation density, which shifted CRC hues towards yellow-green, decreased saturation, and increased value.

Kruse, F. A.↗

Surface color perception under two illuminants: the second illuminant reduces color constancy

This study investigates color perception in a scene with two different illuminants. The two illuminants, in opposite corners, simultaneously shine on a (simulated) scene with an opaque dividing wall, which controls how much of the scene is illuminated by each source. In the first experiment, the height of the dividing wall was varied. This changed the amount of each illuminant reaching objects on the opposite side of the wall. Results showed that the degree of color constancy decreased when a region on one side of the wall had cues to both illuminants, suggesting that cues from the second illuminant are detrimental to color constancy. In a later experiment, color constancy was found to improve when the specular highlight cues from the second illuminant were altered to be consistent with the first illuminant. This corroborates the influence of specular highlights in surface color perception, and suggests that the reduced color constancy in the first experiment is due to the inconsistent, though physically correct, cues from the two illuminants.

Contrast Sensitivity/physiology↗

Impact of Color Space and Color Resolution on Vehicle Recognition Models

In this study, we analyze both linear and nonlinear color mappings by training on versions of a curated dataset collected in a controlled campus environment. We experiment with color space and color resolution to assess model performance in vehicle recognition tasks. Color encodings can be designed in principle to highlight certain vehicle characteristics or compensate for lighting differences when assessing potential matches to previously encountered objects. The dataset used in this work includes imagery gathered under diverse environmental conditions, including daytime and nighttime lighting. Experimental results inform expectations for possible improvements with automatic color space selection through feature learning. Moreover, we find there is only a gradual decrease in model performance with degraded color resolution, which suggests the need for simplified data collection and processing. By focusing on the most critical features, we could see improved model generalization and robustness, as the model becomes less prone to overfitting to noise or irrelevant details in the data. Such a reduction in resolution will lower computational complexity, leading to quicker training and inference times.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Color Memory: A Yang-Mills Analog of Gravitational Wave Memory

A transient color flux across null infinity in classical Yang-Mills theory is considered here. It is shown that a pair of test `quarks' initially in a color singlet generically acquire net color as a result of the flux. A nonlinear formula is derived for the relative color rotation of the quarks. For weak color flux the formula linearizes to the Fourier transform of the soft gluon theorem. Furthermore, this color memory effect is the Yang-Mills analog of the gravitational memory effect.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

PERIOD–COLOR AND AMPLITUDE–COLOR RELATIONS AT MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM LIGHT FOR RR LYRAE STARS IN THE SDSS STRIPE 82 REGION

Investigation of period–color (PC) and amplitude–color (AC) relations at the maximum and minimum light can be used to probe the interaction of the hydrogen ionization front (HIF) with the photosphere and the radiation hydrodynamics of the outer envelopes of Cepheids and RR Lyraes. For example, theoretical calculations indicated that such interactions would occur at minimum light for RR Lyrae and result in a flatter PC relation. In the past, the PC and AC relations have been investigated by using either the ( V − R ){sub MACHO} or ( V − I ) colors. In this work, we extend previous work to other bands by analyzing the RR Lyraes in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Stripe 82 Region. Multi-epoch data are available for RR Lyraes located within the footprint of the Stripe 82 Region in five ( ugriz ) bands. We present the PC and AC relations at maximum and minimum light in four colors: ( u − g ){sub 0}, ( g − r ){sub 0}, ( r − i ){sub 0}, and ( i − z ){sub 0}, after they are corrected for extinction. We found that the PC and AC relations for this sample of RR Lyraes show a complex nature in the form of flat, linear or quadratic relations. Furthermore, the PC relations at minimum light for fundamental mode RR Lyrae stars are separated according to the Oosterhoff type, especially in the ( g − r ){sub 0} and ( r − i ){sub 0} colors. If only considering the results from linear regressions, our results are quantitatively consistent with the theory of HIF-photosphere interaction for both fundamental and first overtone RR Lyraes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Observation of ionization enhancement in two-color circularly polarized laser fields

When atoms are irradiated by two-color circularly polarized laser fields the resulting strong-field processes are dramatically different than when the same atoms are irradiated by a single-color ultrafast laser. For example, electrons can be driven in complex two-dimensional trajectories before rescattering or circularly polarized high harmonics can be generated, which was once thought impossible. Here, we show that two-color circularly polarized lasers also enable control over the ionization process itself and make a surprising finding: the ionization rate can be enhanced by up to 700% simply by switching the relative helicity of the two-color circularly polarized laser field. This enhancement is experimentally observed in helium, argon, and krypton over a wide range of intensity ratios of the two-color field. Here, we use a combination of advanced quantum and fully classical calculations to explain this ionization enhancement as resulting in part due to the increased density of excited states available for resonance-enhanced ionization in counter-rotating fields compared with co-rotating fields. In the future, this effect could be used to probe the excited state manifold of complex molecules.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Color excesses, intrinsic colors, and absolute magnitudes of Galactic and Large Magellanic Cloud Wolf-Rayet stars

A new method of determining the color excesses of WR stars in the Galaxy and the LMC has been developed and is used to determine the excesses for 44 Galactic and 32 LMC WR stars. The excesses are combined with line-free, narrow-band spectrophotometry to derive intrinsic colors of the WR stars of nearly all spectral subtypes. No correlation of UV spectral index or intrinsic colors with spectral subtype is found for the samples of single WN or WC stars. There is evidence that early WN stars in the LMC have flatter UV continua and redder intrinsic colors than early WN stars in the Galaxy. No separation is found between the values derived for Galactic WC stars and those obtained for LMC WC stars. The intrinsic colors are compared with those calculated from model atmospheres of WR stars and generally good agreement is found. Absolute magnitudes are derived for WR stars in the LMC and for those Galactic WR stars located in clusters and associations for which there are reliable distance estimates.

Vacca, William D.↗

A Hubble Space Telescope survey for novae in M87.I. light and color curves, spatial distributions, and the nova rate

The Hubble Space Telescope has imaged the central part of M87 over a 10 week span, leading to the discovery of 32 classical novae (CNe) and nine fainter, likely very slow, and/or symbiotic novae. In this first paper of a series, we present the M87 nova finder charts, and the light and color curves of the novae. We demonstrate that the rise and decline times, and the colors of M87 novae are uncorrelated with each other and with position in the galaxy. The spatial distribution of the M87 novae follows the light of the galaxy, suggesting that novae accreted by M87 during cannibalistic episodes are well-mixed. Conservatively using only the 32 brightest CNe we derive a nova rate for M87: ${363}_{-45}^{+33}$ novae yr –1 . We also derive the luminosity-specific classical nova rate for this galaxy, which is ${7.88}_{-2.6}^{+2.3}\,{\mathrm{yr}}^{-1}/{10}^{10}\,{L}_{\odot }{,}_{K}$. Both rates are 3–4 times higher than those reported for M87 in the past, and similarly higher than those reported for all other galaxies. As a result, we suggest that most previous ground-based surveys for novae in external galaxies, including M87, miss most faint, fast novae, and almost all slow novae near the centers of galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗