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At least 199 records · Page 11

Far Ultraviolet Imaging from the Image Spacecraft: System Design - 1

Direct imaging of the magnetosphere by the IMAGE spacecraft A,ill be supplemented by observation of the global aurora, the footprint of magnetospheric regions. To assure the simultaneity of these observations and tile measurement of the magnetospheric back-round neutral gas density, the IMAGE satellite instrument complement includes three Far Ultraviolet (FUV) instruments. In tile wavelength region 120-1 90 nm. a downward-viewing aurora imager is only minimally contaminated sunlight, scattered from clouds and ground, and radiance of the aurora observed in a nadir viewing geometry can be observed in the presence of the high-latitude day-low. Tile Wideband Imaging Camera (WIC) will provide broadband ultraviolet images of the aurora for maximum spatial and temporal resolution by imaging the LBH N2 bands of the aurora. The Spectrographic Imager (SI), a monochromatic imager, will image different types of aurora, filtered by wavelength. By measuring the Doppler-shifted Lyman-alpha, the proton-induced component of the aurora will be imaged separately. Finally, the GEO instrument will observe the distribution of the geocoronal emission, which is a measure of the neutral background density source of the charge exchange in the magnetosphere. The FUV instrument complement looks radially outward from the rotating IMAGE satellite and, therefore, it spends only a short time observing tile aurora and the Earth during, each spin. Detailed descriptions of the WIC, Si, GEO, and their individual performance validations are discussed in companion papers. This paper summarizes the system requirements and system design approach taken to satisfy the science requirements. One primary requirement is to maximize photon collection efficiency and use efficiently tile short time available foe exposures. The FUV auroral imagers WIC and SI both have wide fields of view and take data continuously as the auroral region proceeds through the field of view. To minimize data volume, multiple images are taken and electronically co-added by suitably shifting each image to compensate for the spacecraft rotation. In order to minimize resolution loss, the images have to be distortion-corrected in real time foe both WIC and Si prior to co-adding. The distortion correction is accomplished using high-speed look Lip tables that are pre-generated by least square fitting to polynomial functions by the on-orbit processor. The instruments were calibrated individually while on stationary platforms, mostly in vacuum chambers as described in the companion papers. Extensive -round-based testing was performed with visible and near UV simulators mounted oil a rotating platform to estimate their on-orbit performance. The predicted instrument system performance is summarized and some of the preliminary data formats are shown.

Mende, S. B.↗

High-Rate Digital Receiver Board

A high-rate digital receiver (HRDR) implemented as a peripheral component interface (PCI) board has been developed as a prototype of compact, general-purpose, inexpensive, potentially mass-producible data-acquisition interfaces between telemetry systems and personal computers. The installation of this board in a personal computer together with an analog preprocessor enables the computer to function as a versatile, highrate telemetry-data-acquisition and demodulator system. The prototype HRDR PCI board can handle data at rates as high as 600 megabits per second, in a variety of telemetry formats, transmitted by diverse phase-modulation schemes that include binary phase-shift keying and various forms of quadrature phaseshift keying. Costing less than $25,000 (as of year 2003), the prototype HRDR PCI board supplants multiple racks of older equipment that, when new, cost over $500,000. Just as the development of standard network-interface chips has contributed to the proliferation of networked computers, it is anticipated that the development of standard chips based on the HRDR could contribute to reductions in size and cost and increases in performance of telemetry systems.

Ghuman, Parminder↗

Behavior of Triple Langmuir Probes in Non-Equilibrium Plasmas

A model of current collection in Langmuir probes is used to investigate the effect representative non- equilibrium plasmas under various conditions have on the electron temperature and number density that would be calculated through analysis of the probe collection characteristics. The model uses the distribution function to calculate the charged particle flux to a probe and then, for fixed applied voltages, the current values that satisfy continuity in the probes are determined. The triple probe is not scanned in voltage, so there is no practical way using experimental triple probe data to determine if the plasma is in equilibrium. As a consequence, a triple probe analysis typically relies on the assumption that the plasma is in equilibrium. Proceeding from this point, the numerically-generated non-equilibrium triple probe data are analyzed assuming that the plasma is in equilibrium, with the data compared to the initial distribution function inputs of plasma temperature and number density to determine the effect the non-equilibrium distribution has on plasma measurements. The temperature and number density are both significantly affected when a fraction of the particles in the distribution are shifted from the equilibrium configuration into the non-equilibrium part of the distribution function. For all instances studied, the computed electron temperature and number density are extremely sensitive to small deviations from equilibrium ( ≤ 5% of the plasma shifted into the non-equilibrium function). Shifting more of the plasma into the non-equilibrium distribution beyond this initial level does not produce a significant additional shift in the computed plasma properties.

Polzin, Kurt A.↗

Top‐Down Regulation by a Reindeer Herding System Limits Climate‐Driven Arctic Vegetation Change at a Regional Scale

Warming-driven growth of tall woody vegetation in the Arctic has the potential to accelerate climate change through multiple positive feedbacks. Local-scale evidence suggests that large herbivores limit this vegetation shift, but there is uncertainty at larger, regional scales whether current herbivory pressure is a major top-down control on ecosystem structure and functioning. Across a 67,000 km2 region of the Yamal Peninsula in West Siberia, we integrated satellite remote sensing with a novel data set mapping the migrations of herds comprising 151,000 domesticated reindeer. Where reindeer numbers varied over space, higher reindeer herbivory pressure was consistently linked with lower coverage of tall woody vegetation. Within areas dominated by this vegetation type, productivity and climate were increasingly decoupled where reindeer density was higher. Our spaceborne fingerprint detection suggests that large herbivores, at current population densities, counteract Arctic vegetation responses to climate change over large spatial scales.

Reindeer Herding System↗

Effects of heat stress on baroreflex function in humans

INTRODUCTION: Heat stress significantly reduces orthostatic tolerance in humans. The mechanism(s) causing this response remain unknown. The purpose of this review article is to present data pertaining to the hypothesis that reduced orthostatic tolerance in heat stressed individuals is a result of heat stress induced alterations in baroflex function. METHODS: In both normothermic and heat stressed conditions baroreflex responsiveness was assessed via pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods. In addition, the effects of heat stress on post-synaptic vasoconstrictor responsiveness were assessed. RESULTS: Generally, whole body heating did not alter baroreflex sensitivity defined as the gain of the linear portion of the baroreflex curve around the operating point. However, whole body heating shifted the baroreflex curve to the prevailing (i.e. elevated) heart rate and muscle sympathetic nerve activity. Finally, the heat stress impaired vasoconstrictor responses to exogenous administration of adrenergic agonists. CONCLUSION: Current data do not support the hypothesis that reduced orthostatic tolerance associated with heat stress in humans is due to impaired baroreflex responsiveness. This phenomenon may be partially due to the effects of heat stress on reducing vasoconstrictor responsiveness.

Review, Tutorial↗

Collective excitations and low-energy ionization signatures of relativistic particles in silicon detectors

Abstract Solid-state detectors with a low energy threshold have several applications, including searches of non-relativistic halo dark-matter particles with sub-GeV masses. When searching for relativistic, beyond-the-Standard-Model particles with enhanced cross sections for small energy transfers, a small detector with a low energy threshold may have better sensitivity than a larger detector with a higher energy threshold. In this paper, we calculate the low-energy ionization spectrum from high-velocity particles scattering in a dielectric material. We consider the full material response including the excitation of bulk plasmons. We generalize the energy-loss function to relativistic kinematics, and benchmark existing tools used for halo dark-matter scattering against electron energy-loss spectroscopy data. Compared to calculations commonly used in the literature, such as the Photo-Absorption-Ionization model or the free-electron model, including collective effects shifts the recoil ionization spectrum towards higher energies, typically peaking around 4–6 electron-hole pairs. We apply our results to the three benchmark examples: millicharged particles produced in a beam, neutrinos with a magnetic dipole moment produced in a reactor, and upscattered dark-matter particles. Our results show that the proper inclusion of collective effects typically enhances a detector’s sensitivity to these particles, since detector backgrounds, such as dark counts, peak at lower energies.

Physics↗

Scattering matrix pole expansions for complex wave numbers in R -matrix theory

In this followup article to Ducru et al., we establish new results on scattering matrix pole expansions for complex wave numbers in R-matrix theory. In the past, two branches of theoretical formalisms emerged to describe the scattering matrix in nuclear physics: R-matrix theory and pole expansions. The two have been quite isolated from one another. Recently, our study of Brune's alternative parametrization of R-matrix theory has shown the need to extend the scattering matrix (and the underlying R-matrix operators) to complex wave numbers. Two competing ways of doing so have emerged from a historical ambiguity in the definitions of the shift S and penetration P functions: the legacy Lane and Thomas's “force closure” approach versus analytic continuation (which is the standard in mathematical physics). The R-matrix community has not yet come to a consensus as to which to adopt for evaluations in standard nuclear data libraries, such as ENDF. Here, in this article, we argue in favor of analytic continuation of R-matrix operators. We bridge R-matrix theory with the Humblet-Rosenfeld pole expansions, and discover new properties of the Siegert-Humblet radioactive poles and widths, including their invariance properties to changes in channel radii a c . We then show that analytic continuation of R-matrix operators preserves important physical and mathematical properties of the scattering matrix—canceling spurious poles and guaranteeing generalized unitarity—while still being able to close channels below thresholds.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Fire and Drought Affect Multiple Aspects of Diversity in a Migratory Bird Stopover Community

Drought and high-severity, stand-replacing wildfires can have substantial impacts on the composition of avian communities, including stop-over communities during migration. An inextricable link exists between drought and wildfire, each operating and impacting across different timescales. Many studies have found nonlinear avian abundance trends in breeding community time series data that include pre- and post-fire observations, describing an initial decrease in abundance followed by rapid increases that can attenuate over time. Here, we use a fall bird-banding dataset to evaluate shifts in a drought-impacted avian community following wildfire from taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic perspectives. We looked at the community as a whole and also categorized birds as residents, migrants, and breeders to assess potential varying responses at the study site. We observed post-fire shifts in functional and phylogenetic diversity that corresponded to changes in vegetation. An influx of migratory insectivores post-fire drove much of the variation between pre- and post-fire avian communities and toward a more related, less phylogenetically dispersed community. A concurrent monsoon season drought was also associated with functional and phylogenetic diversity, highlighting the intertwined pulse press effects on avian communities. Overall, our results suggest that, although bird communities are immediately impacted by fire-driven resource changes, they can rebound over time, it is unclear how long-term drought may continue to shape the composition of these avian communities.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Millimeter wave propagation modeling of inhomogeneous rain media for satellite communications systems

A theoretical propagation model that represents the scattering properties of an inhomogeneous rain often found on a satellite communications link is presented. The model includes the scattering effects of an arbitrary distribution of particle type (rain or ice), particle shape, particle size, and particle orientation within a given rain cell. An associated rain propagation prediction program predicts attenuation, isolation and phase shift as a function of ground rain rate. A frequency independent synthetic storm algorithm is presented that models nonuniform rain rates present on a satellite link. Antenna effects are included along with a discussion of rain reciprocity. The model is verified using the latest available multiple frequency data from the CTS and COMSTAR satellites. The data covers a wide range of frequencies, elevation angles, and ground site locations.

Persinger, R. R.↗

Modulation/demodulation techniques for satellite communications. Part 4: Appendices

The use of the Viterbi algorithm in a general context is examined. The generalized transfer function bounds are given which permit the following applications to be carried out: maximum likelihood demodulation of such bandwidth modulations as minimum-shift-keying and continuous phase frequency-shift-keying, demodulation of intersymbol interference and partial response signals, estimation and smoothing, and simultaneous phase synchronization, and data detection. Sufficient conditions are reviewed for tightening Chernoff and Rhattacharyya bounds.

Omura, J. K.↗

Digital 8-DPSK Modem For Trellis-Coded Communication

Digital real-time modem processes octuple differential-phase-shift-keyed trellis-coded modulation. Intended for use in communicating data at rate up to 4.8 kb/s in land-mobile satellite channel (Rician fading) of 5-kHz bandwidth at carrier frequency of 1 to 2 GHz. Modulator and demodulator contain digital signal processors performing modem functions. Design flexible in that functions altered via software. Modem successfully tested and evaluated in both laboratory and field experiments, including recent full-scale satellite experiment. In all cases, modem performed within 1 dB of theory. Other communication systems benefitting from this type of modem include land mobile (without satellites), paging, digitized voice, and frequency-modulation subcarrier data broadcasting.

Jedrey, T. C.↗

Data Format Classification for Autonomous Software Defined Radios

We present maximum-likelihood (ML) coherent and noncoherent classifiers for discriminating between NRZ and Manchester coded (biphase-L) data formats for binary phase-shift-keying (BPSK) modulation. Such classification of the data format is an essential element of so-called autonomous software defined radio (SDR) receivers (similar to so-called cognitive SDR receivers in the military application) where it is desired that the receiver perform each of its functions by extracting the appropriate knowledge from the received signal and, if possible, with as little information of the other signal parameters as possible. Small and large SNR approximations to the ML classifiers are also proposed that lead to simpler implementation with comparable performance in their respective SNR regions. Numerical performance results obtained by a combination of computer simulation and, wherever possible, theoretical analyses, are presented and comparisons are made among the various configurations based on the probability of misclassification as a performance criterion. Extensions to other modulations such as QPSK are readily accomplished using the same methods described in the paper.

classification↗

The Atlantic Jet Response to Stratospheric Events: A Regime Perspective

The tropospheric response to Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSWs) is associated with an equatorward shift in the midlatitude jet and associated storm tracks, while Strong Polar Vortex (SPV) events elicit a contrasting response. Recent analyses of the North Atlantic jet using probability density functions of a jet latitude index have identified three preferred jet latitudes, raising the question of whether the tropospheric response to SSWs and SPVs results from a change in relative frequencies of these preferred jet regimes rather than a systematic jet shift. We explore this question using atmospheric reanalysis data from 1979 to 2018 (26 SSWs and 33 SPVs), and a 202-years integration of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (92 SSWs and 68 SPVs). Following SSWs, the northern jet regime becomes less common and the central and southern regimes become more common. These changes occur almost immediately following “split” vortex events, but are more delayed following “displacement” events. In contrast, the northern regime becomes more frequent and the southern regime less frequent following SPV events. Following SSWs, composites of 500-hPa geopotential heights, surface air temperatures, and precipitation most closely resemble composites of the southern jet regime, and are generally opposite in sign to the composites of the northern jet regime. These comparisons are reversed following SPVs. Thus, one possible interpretation is that the two southernmost regimes appear to be favored following SSWs, while the southernmost regime becomes less common following SPVs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Implicit model following and parameter identification of unstable aircraft

A transformation in the s-plane is described which has utility in implicit model-following optimal control design application and in estimation or parameter identification problems. The objective of the transformation is, for the control problem, to achieve an unstable closed-loop system, and, for the estimation problem, to alleviate algorithm convergence problems that may arise in identifying unstable systems. For the control problem, the transformation is a shift along the real (sigma) axis of the plant and model poles and zeros. This transformation is shown to be equivalent to a modified performance index but offers the advantage of compatibility with existing optimal control solution algorithms. For the estimation problem, the data are multiplied by an exponential function and the assumed measurement and process noise covariances are appropriately modified. Examples of both control and estimation applications are presented.

Lebacqz, J. V.↗

Heavy Versus Light Lanthanide Selectivity for Graphene Oxide Films is Concentration Dependent

Rare earths are important materials in various technologies such as catalysis and optoelectronics. Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising material for separation applications, including the isolation of lanthanides from complex mixtures. Previous works using fatty acid monolayers have demonstrated preferential heavy versus light lanthanide adsorption, which has been attributed to differences in lanthanide ion size. In this work, we used interfacial X-ray fluorescence measurements to reveal that GO thin films at the air/water interface have no lanthanide selectivity for dilute subphases. However, at high subphase concentrations, ~8 times more Lu is adsorbed than La. By comparing the GO results with an ideal monolayer with a carboxylic acid headgroup, arachidic acid (AA), we demonstrate that the number of Lu ions adsorbed to GO is significantly higher than the number expected to compensate for the surface charge. Vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy results on both GO thin films and AA monolayers reveal a red-shifted SFG signal in the OH region, which we attribute to partial dehydration of the adsorbed ions and carboxylic acid headgroups. Liquid surface X-ray reflectivity data show that the GO thin film structure does not significantly change between the very dilute and concentrated subphases. We speculate that the functional groups of both GO and AA facilitate cation dehydration, which is essential for ion adsorption. Heavy lanthanide Lu has stronger ion–ion correlations that can overcome the electrostatic repulsion between cations at higher concentrations compared to light lanthanide La, meaning GO and AA can exhibit apparent overcharge with Lu. Lastly, the layered structure of the GO films and reactive chemical nature of GO itself can accommodate ion adsorption.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Comparison of the Experimental Performance of Ferroelectric CPW Circuits with Method of Moment Simulations and Conformal Mapping

Experimental measurements of coplanar waveguide (CPW) circuits atop thin films of ferroelectric Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3 (BST) were made as a function bias from 0 to 200 V and frequency from 0.045 to 20 GHz. The resulting phase shifts are compared with method of moments electromagnetic simulations and a conformal mapping analysis to determine the dielectric constant of the BST films. Based on the correlation between the experimental and the modeled data, an analysis of the extent to which the electromagnetic simulators provide reliable values for the dielectric constant of the ferroelectric in these structures has been performed. In addition, to determine how well the modeled data compare with experimental data, the dielectric constant values were also compared to low frequency measurements of interdigitated capacitor circuits on the same films. Results of these comparisons will be presented.

VanKeuls, Fred W.↗

Immune Dysregulation Following Short versus Long Duration Space Flight

Immune system dysregulation has been demonstrated to occur during spaceflight and has the potential to cause serious health risks to crewmembers participating in exploration-class missions. A comprehensive immune assessment was recently performed on 13 short duration Space Shuttle crewmembers and 8 long duration International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers. Statistically significant post-flight phenotype alterations (as compared to pre-flight baseline) for the Shuttle crewmembers included: granulocytosis, increased percentage of B cells, reduced percentage of NK cells, elevated CD4/CD8 ratio, elevated levels of memory CD4+ T cells, and a CD8+ T cell shift to a less differentiated state. For the Shuttle crewmembers, T cell function was surprisingly elevated post-flight, among both the CD4+ and CD8+ subsets. This is likely an acute stress response in less-deconditioned crewmembers. The percentage of CD4+/IL-2+, CD4+/IFNg+ and CD8+/IFNg+ T cells were all decreased at landing. Culture secreted IFNg production was significantly decreased at landing, whereas production of Th2 cytokines was largely unchanged. It was found that the IFNg:IL-10 ratio was obviously declined in the Shuttle crewmembers immediately post-flight. A similar pattern of alterations were observed for the long duration ISS crewmembers. In contrast to Shuttle crewmembers, the ISS crewmembers demonstrated a dramatic reduction in T cell function immediately post-flight. This may be related to the effect of acute landing stress in conjunction with prolonged deconditioning associated with extended flight. The reduction in IFNg:IL-10 ratio (Th2 shift) was also observed post-flight in the ISS crewmembers to a much higher degree. These data indicate consistent peripheral phenotype changes and altered cytokine production profiles occur following space travel of both short and long duration.

Crucian, Brian E.↗