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Nelson, David

Publications and source records attributed to Nelson, David.

12 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

A mid-scale plasma-electrode Pockels cell for the FLUX laser

A mid-scale (270 x 270-mm aperture) plasma-electrode Pockels cell (PEPC) has been developed for the pump laser system in FLUX (the fourth-generation laser for ultrabroadband experiments). The FLUX mid-scale PEPC is adapted from the PEPC used in the OMEGA EP beamlines (410 x 410-mm aperture), with certain dimensions scaled to reduce capacitance while maintaining key plasma characteristics. After experimental optimization of operating parameters, particularly the plasma current, <70-ns switching time with excellent (>1000:1) contrast has been demonstrated. Dependence of optical switching performance on operating conditions is explained by a plasma model.

AMICA↗
DOE OSTI2022

Enabling cooperative adaptive cruise control on strings of vehicles with heterogeneous dynamics and powertrains

Recent studies have shown that positive impact of Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) can only be guaranteed as market penetration rate increases. Removing the string homogeneity constraint is essential to encourage widespread adoption. In this work, a hierarchical architecture is proposed to enable CACC on vehicles with not only mixed dynamics but also different powertrain types. A low-level layer deals with the vehicle and powertrain dynamics to provide accurate and consistent reference speed tracking response. The high-level layer uses: (1) a Linear Parameter Varying feedback system to provide loop stability, robustness and enforce a variable time gap policy and (2) a feedforward system that processes Vehicle-to-Vehicle information to enhance string stability and response bandwidth, by dealing with the string heterogeneity. A gap management strategy is built on top of the CACC architecture to handle gap setting changes or cut-in/out situations, via a dynamics constrained time gap trajectory planning algorithm. We report the proposed work has been designed, developed and validated on three different real passenger vehicles on public highways and test tracks, showing the potential of the proposed algorithm to enable robust string stable CACC, despite the different dynamics and powertrains considered.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Tunable UV upgrade on OMEGA EP

The OMEGA EP laser has been upgraded to provide a UV wavelength-tunable beam to support the study of wavelength detuning for the mitigation of cross-beam energy transfer in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. The beamline delivers up to 0.5 TW in pulses up to 1-ns duration (0.1 TW up to 2.5 ns), to either the OMEGA or OMEGA EP target chambers with wavelength tunable from 350.2 to 353.4 nm. The upgrade leverages the existing optical parametric amplification (OPA) system in the short-pulse front end of OMEGA EP Beamline 1 for amplification of a new tunable, narrowband fiber front end over a broad spectral range. The tunable OPA output is spatially shaped to form a round OMEGA-like beam, which is amplified in the OMEGA EP beamline, then frequency tripled and characterized using the existing OMEGA EP long-pulse infrastructure. A new 3ω beam-transport system intercepts the tunable UV beam near the OMEGA EP target chamber and image relays it to the P9 port of the OMEGA target chamber for joint shots with the OMEGA 60-beam laser. Commissioning of the tunable UV capability has been completed, and four experimental campaigns have been supported with the tunable beam.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

In-tank, on-shot characterization of the OMEGA laser system focal spot

Direct-drive fusion implosion experiments using the 60-beam OMEGA Laser System require ~1% rms uniformity on target. Measurements from laser diagnostics indicate that beam-to-beam power variation has been sufficiently reduced such that the uniformity nearly meets this requirement; however, experimental results suggest otherwise. To better understand this discrepancy, a full-beam-in-tank diagnostic has been developed to characterize the on-shot, full-energy focal spot of a single beam inside the target chamber using a small sample of the beam from the final optic assembly. In this paper, we describe the diagnostic and present the results of commissioning experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Comparison of on-shot, in-tank, and equivalent-target-plane measurements of the OMEGA Laser System focal spot

The newly developed full-beam-in-tank (FBIT) diagnostic has the capability to characterize multiple beamlines in the target chamber. In addition to measuring multiple beams, we can obtain measurements of the step-by-step changes to achieve smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD), the SSD kernel, and SSD synchronization. Since other existing diagnostics are all located upstream of the target chamber, this diagnostic can be used to explore a propagating beam through the final optics assembly. In this work, we investigate current discrepancies between laser diagnostics and experimental results by comparing results of on-shot direct measurements using FBIT and the equivalent-target-plane diagnostic.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Towards long-term standardised carbon and greenhouse gas observations for monitoring Europe’s terrestrial ecosystems: A review

Research infrastructures play a key role in launching a new generation of integrated long-term, geographically distributed observation programmes designed to monitor climate change, better understand its impacts on global ecosystems, and evaluate possible mitigation and adaptation strategies. The pan-European Integrated Carbon Observation System combines carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG; CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O, H 2 O) observations within the atmosphere, terrestrial ecosystems and oceans. High-precision measurements are obtained using standardised methodologies, are centrally processed and openly available in a traceable and verifiable fashion in combination with detailed metadata. The Integrated Carbon Observation System ecosystem station network aims to sample climate and land-cover variability across Europe. In addition to GHG flux measurements, a large set of complementary data (including management practices, vegetation and soil characteristics) is collected to support the interpretation, spatial upscaling and modelling of observed ecosystem carbon and GHG dynamics. The applied sampling design was developed and formulated in protocols by the scientific community, representing a trade-off between an ideal dataset and practical feasibility. Finally, the use of open-access, high-quality and multi-level data products by different user communities is crucial for the Integrated Carbon Observation System in order to achieve its scientific potential and societal value.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Improved annotation of the insect vector of citrus greening disease: biocuration by a diverse genomics community

The Asian citrus psyllid ( Diaphorina citri Kuwayama) is the insect vector of the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the pathogen associated with citrus Huanglongbing (HLB, citrus greening). HLB threatens citrus production worldwide. Suppression or reduction of the insect vector using chemical insecticides has been the primary method to inhibit the spread of citrus greening disease. Accurate structural and functional annotation of the Asian citrus psyllid genome, as well as a clear understanding of the interactions between the insect and CLas, are required for development of new molecular-based HLB control methods. A draft assembly of the D. citri genome has been generated and annotated with automated pipelines. However, knowledge transfer from well-curated reference genomes such as that of Drosophila melanogaster to newly sequenced ones is challenging due to the complexity and diversity of insect genomes. To identify and improve gene models as potential targets for pest control, we manually curated several gene families with a focus on genes that have key functional roles in D. citri biology and CLas interactions. This community effort produced 530 manually curated gene models across developmental, physiological, RNAi regulatory and immunity-related pathways. As previously shown in the pea aphid, RNAi machinery genes putatively involved in the microRNA pathway have been specifically duplicated. A comprehensive transcriptome enabled us to identify a number of gene families that are either missing or misassembled in the draft genome. In order to develop biocuration as a training experience, we included undergraduate and graduate students from multiple institutions, as well as experienced annotators from the insect genomics research community. The resulting gene set (OGS v1.0) combines both automatically predicted and manually curated gene models.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2012

MINK Workshop Presentations for SERVIR

Topics include: MINX Document 1 MISR : The instrument, its orbit and data products. MINX Document 2 MISR : Tools for ordering and viewing data. MINX Document 3 : MINX : Overview and plume case studies. MINX Document 4 : MINX basic features. MINX Document 5 : Measuring aerosol height and motion with MINX. MINX Document 5 : Handling complexities in height retrievals. Plume boundaries, Wind direction, Low Optical Thickness, Other complexities. Digitizing options. Managing plume projects.

MINX↗
NASA NTRS2008

MISR Instrument Data Visualization

The MISR Interactive eXplorer (MINX) software functions both as a general-purpose tool to visualize Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument data, and as a specialized tool to analyze properties of smoke, dust, and volcanic plumes. It includes high-level options to create map views of MISR orbit locations; scrollable, single-camera RGB (red-greenblue) images of MISR level 1B2 (L1B2) radiance data; and animations of the nine MISR camera images that provide a 3D perspective of the scenes that MISR has acquired. NASA Tech Briefs, September 2008 55 The plume height capability provides an accurate estimate of the injection height of plumes that is needed by air quality and climate modelers. MISR provides global high-quality stereo height information, and this program uses that information to perform detailed height retrievals of aerosol plumes. Users can interactively digitize smoke, dust, or volcanic plumes and automatically retrieve heights and winds, and can also archive MISR albedos and aerosol properties, as well as fire power and brightness temperatures associated with smoke plumes derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. Some of the specialized options in MINX enable the user to do other tasks. Users can display plots of top-of-atmosphere bidirectional reflectance factors (BRFs) versus camera-angle for selected pixels. Images and animations can be saved to disk in various formats. Also, users can apply a geometric registration correction to warp camera images when the standard processing correction is inadequate. It is possible to difference the images of two MISR orbits that share a path (identical ground track), as well as to construct pseudo-color images by assigning different combinations of MISR channels (angle or spectral band) to the RGB display channels. This software is an interactive application written in IDL and compiled into an IDL Virtual Machine (VM) ".sav" file.

Nelson, David↗
NASA NTRS2008

Sensitivity of Multiangle Imaging to the Optical and Microphysical Properties of Biomass Burning Aerosols

The treatment of biomass burning (BB) carbonaceous particles in the Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) Standard Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm is assessed, and algorithm refinements are suggested, based on a theoretical sensitivity analysis and comparisons with near-coincident AERONET measurements at representative BB sites. Over the natural ranges of BB aerosol microphysical and optical properties observed in past field campaigns, patterns of retrieved Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), particle size, and single scattering albedo (SSA) are evaluated. On the basis of the theoretical analysis, assuming total column AOD of 0.2, over a dark, uniform surface, MISR can distinguish two to three groups in each of size and SSA, except when the assumed atmospheric particles are significantly absorbing (mid-visible SSA approx.0.84), or of medium sizes (mean radius approx.0.13 pin); sensitivity to absorbing, medium-large size particles increases considerably when the assumed column AOD is raised to 0.5. MISR Research Aerosol Retrievals confirm the theoretical results, based on coincident AERONET inversions under BB-dominated conditions. When BB is externally mixed with dust in the atmosphere, dust optical model and surface reflection uncertainties, along with spatial variability, contribute to differences between the Research Retrievals and AERONET. These results suggest specific refinements to the MISR Standard Aerosol Algorithm complement of component particles and mixtures. They also highlight the importance for satellite aerosol retrievals of surface reflectance characterization, with accuracies that can be difficult to achieve with coupled surface-aerosol algorithms in some higher AOD situations.

Chen, Wei-Ting↗
NASA NTRS1994

HO2 detection by near infrared absorption using tunable diode lasers

The strongest absorption lines are in the v sub 2 vibrational band around 1400/cm; several near-coincident line pairs in this region provide max linestrengths of 1.2 x 10 exp -20 sq. cm/(molecule*cm). High Frequency wavelength modulation coupled with sweep integration were used to minimize noise and maintain spectral discrimination. Reduced pressure sampling was performed using supersonic nozzle and an aerodynamic flow cell to minimize residence time and wall losses of radicals. The astigmatic mirror design provides pathlengths up to 200 m in volume of 3 liters with minimal optical interference fringes; longer pathlengths are possible. The detection limit depends on pathlength and minimum fractional absorptions.

Nelson, David↗