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NASA NTRS2004

TeV Blazars: Observations and Models

Since the first TeV blazar Markarian (Mrk) 421 was detected in 1992, the number of established TeV gamma-ray emitting BL Lac objects has grown to 6, with redshifts ranging from 0 031 (Mrk 421) to 0.129 (H 1426+428). The intensive study of these sources has had a major impact on our understanding of the blazar phenomenon. The most notable observational results have been extremely fast large amplitude flux and spectral variability on hour time scales, and a pronounced X-ray - TeV gamma-ray flux correlation. In this paper, we discuss recent observational results and report on progress in their theoretical interpretation.

Krawczynski, Henric↗

NASA NTRS1997

Direct Numerical Simulations of Boundary Layer Transition on a Flat Plate

In recent years the techniques of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have been used to compute flows associated with geometrically complex configurations. However, success in terms of accuracy and reliability has been limited to cases where the effects of turbulence and transition could be modeled in a straightforward manner. Even in simple flows, the accurate computation of skin friction and heat transfer using existing turbulence models has proved to be a difficult task, one that has required extensive fine-tuning of the turbulence models used. In more complex flows (for example, in turbomachinery flows in which vortices and wakes impinge on airfoil surfaces causing periodic transitions from laminar to turbulent flow) the development of a model that accounts for all scales of turbulence and predicts the onset of transition is an extremely difficult task. Fortunately, current trends in computing suggest that it may be possible to perform direct simulations of turbulence and transition at moderate Reynolds numbers in some complex cases in the near future. This presentation will focus on direct simulations of transition and turbulence using high-order accurate finite-difference methods. The advantage of the finite-difference approach over spectral methods is that complex geometries can be treated in a straightforward manner. Additionally, finite-difference techniques are the prevailing methods in existing application codes. An application of accurate finite-difference methods to direct simulations of transition and turbulence in a spatially evolving boundary layer subjected to high levels of freestream turbulence will be presented.

Rai, Man Mohan↗

NASA NTRS2018

Satellite Sensor Requirements for Monitoring Essential Biodiversity Variables of Coastal Ecosystems

The biodiversity and high productivity of coastal terrestrial and aquatic habitats are the foundation for important benefits to human societies around the world. These globally distributed habitats need frequent and broad systematic assessments, but field surveys only cover a small fraction of these areas. Satellite-based sensors can repeatedly record the visible and near-infrared reflectance spectra that contain the absorption, scattering, and fluorescence signatures of functional phytoplankton groups, colored dissolved matter, and particulate matter near the surface ocean, and of biologically structured habitats (floating and emergent vegetation, benthic habitats like coral, seagrass, and algae). These measures can be incorporated into Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs), including the distribution, abundance, and traits of groups of species populations, and used to evaluate habitat fragmentation. However, current and planned satellites are not designed to observe the EBVs that change rapidly with extreme tides, salinity, temperatures, storms, pollution, or physical habitat destruction over scales relevant to human activity. Making these observations requires a new generation of satellite sensors able to sample with these combined characteristics: (1) spatial resolution on the order of 30 to 100-m pixels or smaller; (2) spectral resolution on the order of 5 nm in the visible and 10 nm in the short-wave infrared spectrum (or at least two or more bands at 1,030, 1,240, 1,630, 2,125, and/or 2,260 nm) for atmospheric correction and aquatic and vegetation assessments; (3) radiometric quality with signal to noise ratios (SNR) above 800 (relative to signal levels typical of the open ocean), 14-bit digitization, absolute radiometric calibration less than 2%, relative calibration of 0.2%, polarization sensitivity less than 1%, high radiometric stability and linearity, and operations designed to minimize sunglint; and (4) temporal resolution of hours to days. We refer to these combined specifications as H4 imaging. Enabling H4 imaging is vital for the conservation and management of global biodiversity and ecosystem services, including food provisioning and water security. An agile satellite in a 3-d repeat low-Earth orbit could sample 30-km swath images of several hundred coastal habitats daily. Nine H4 satellites would provide weekly coverage of global coastal zones. Such satellite constellations are now feasible and are used in various applications.

aquatic↗

NASA NTRS2020

The Destruction and Recreation of the X-Ray Corona in a Changing-look Active Galactic Nucleus

We present the drastic transformation of the X-ray properties of the active galactic nucleus 1ES 1927+654, following a changing-look event. After the optical/UV outburst the power-law component, produced in the X-ray corona, disappeared, and the spectrum of 1ES 1927+65 instead became dominated by a blackbody component (kT ∼ 80− 120 eV). This implies that the X-ray corona, ubiquitously found in AGN, was destroyed in the event. Our dense ∼ 450 day long X-ray monitoring shows that the source is extremely variable in the X-ray band. On long time scales the source varies up to ∼ 4 dex in ∼ 100 days, while on short timescales up to ∼ 2 dex in ∼ 8 hours. The luminosity of the source is found to first show a strong dip down to ∼ 10(exp 40) erg/s, and then a constant increase in luminosity to levels exceeding the pre-outburst level &300 days after the optical event detection, rising up asymptotically to ∼ 2 × 10(exp 44) erg/s. As the X-ray luminosity of the source increases, the X-ray corona is recreated, and a very steep power-law component (Γ ≃ 3) reappears, and dominates the emission for 0.3–2 keV luminosities & 10(exp 43.7) erg/s, ∼ 300 days after the beginning of the event. We discuss possible origins of this event, and speculate that our observations could be explained by the interaction between the accretion flow and debris from a tidally disrupted star. Our results show that changing-look events can be associated with dramatic and rapid transformations of the innermost regions of accreting SMBHs.

C. Ricci↗

NASA NTRS2014

Comparing Evaporative Sources of Terrestrial Precipitation and Their Extremes in MERRA Using Relative Entropy

A quasi-isentropic back trajectory scheme is applied to output from the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications and a land-only replay with corrected precipitation to estimate surface evaporative sources of moisture supplying precipitation over every ice-free land location for the period 1979-2005. The evaporative source patterns for any location and time period are effectively two dimensional probability distributions. As such, the evaporative sources for extreme situations like droughts or wet intervals can be compared to the corresponding climatological distributions using the method of relative entropy. Significant differences are found to be common and widespread for droughts, but not wet periods, when monthly data are examined. At pentad temporal resolution, which is more able to isolate floods and situations of atmospheric rivers, values of relative entropy over North America are typically 50-400 larger than at monthly time scales. Significant differences suggest that moisture transport may be the key to precipitation extremes. Where evaporative sources do not change significantly, it implies other local causes may underlie the extreme events.

Climatological Distributions↗

NASA NTRS1960

Oxidation Behavior of Binary Niobium Alloys

This investigation concludes a study to determine the effects of up to 25 atomic percent of 55 alloying additions on the oxidation characteristics of niobium. The alloys were evaluated by oxidizing in an air atmosphere for 4 hours at 1000 C and 2 hours at 1200 C. Titanium and chromium improved oxidation resistance at both evaluation conditions. Vanadium and aluminum improved oxidation resistance at 1000 C, even though the V scale tended to liquefy and the Al specimens became brittle and the scale powdery. Copper, cobalt, iron, and iridium improved oxidation resistance at 1200 C. Other investigations report tungsten and molybdenum are protective up to about 1000 C, and tantalum at 1100 C. The most important factor influencing the rate of oxidation was the ion size of the alloy additions. Ions slightly smaller than the Nb(5+) ion are soluble in the oxide lattice and tend to lower the compressive stresses in the bulk scale that lead to cracking. The solubility of the alloying addition also depends on the valence to some extent. All of the elements mentioned that improve the oxidation resistance of Nb fit this size criterion with the possible exception of Al, whose extremely small size in large concentrations would probably lead to the formation of a powdery scale. Maintenance of a crack-free bulk scale for as long as possible may contribute to the formation of a dark subscale that ultimately is rate- controlling in the oxidation process. The platinum-group metals, especially Ir, appear to protect by entrapment of the finely dispersed alloying element by the incoming Nb2O5 metal-oxide interface. This inert metallic Ir when alloyed in a sufficient amount with Yb appears to give a ductile phase dispersed in the brittle oxide. This scale would then flow more easily to relieve the large compressive stresses to delay cracking. Complex oxide formation (which both Ti and Zr tend to initiate) and valence effects, which probably change the vacancy concentration in the scale, are masked by the overriding tendency for a porous scale.

Barrett, Charles A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Coherent structures in the universe and the adhesion model

An adhesion model is used to study the formation process of large-scale structures due to nonlinear gravitational growth of small initial fluctuations in the universe dominated by dark matter. The model is compared with 2D N-body simulations with initial power-law spectral indices n = -2, 0, +2, and various cutoffs. It is found that the adhesion model imitates the skeleton of the structure extremely well for the parameters of the initial spectra until the stage when the nonlinear scale reaches the correlation length R(phi) of the initial gravitational potential. The model explains the origin of large-scale coherent sructures, such as superpancakes and superfilaments, as a result of coherent motion of clumps due to large-scale inhomogeneities in the initial gravitational potential. It is found that clumps of mass identified in the N-body simulations correspond to several knots in the adhesion model, which influences the way of calculating the mass distribution function. The distribution functions of velocities and masses of clumps and areas of cells in the adhesion model satisfy self-similar scaling laws of the n = 2 model.

Kofman, Lev↗

NASA NTRS2012

On the Causes of and Long Term Changes in Eurasian Heat Waves

The MERRA reanalysis, other observations, and the GEOS-S model have been used to diagnose the causes of Eurasian heat waves including the recent extreme events that occurred in Europe during 2003 and in Russia during 2010. The results show that such extreme events are an amplification of natural patterns of atmospheric variability (in this case a particular large-scale atmospheric planetary wave) that develop over the Eurasian continent as a result of internal atmospheric forcing. The amplification occurs when the wave occasionally becomes locked in place for several weeks to months resulting in extreme heat and drying with the location depending on the phase of the upper atmospheric wave. Model experiments suggest that forcing from both the ocean (SST) and land playa role phase-locking the waves. An ensemble of very long GEOS-S model simulations (spanning the 20th century) forced with observed SST and greenhouse gases show that the model is capable of generating very similar heat waves, and that they have become more extreme in the last thirty years as a result of the overall warming of the Asian continent.

Schubert, Siegfried↗

NASA NTRS2009

NM-Scale Anatomy of an Entire Stardust Carrot Track

Comet Wild-2 samples collected by NASA s Stardust mission are extremely complex, heterogeneous, and have experienced wide ranges of alteration during the capture process. There are two major types of track morphologies: "carrot" and "bulbous," that reflect different structural/compositional properties of the impactors. Carrot type tracks are typically produced by compact or single mineral grains which survive essentially intact as a single large terminal particle. Bulbous tracks are likely produced by fine-grained or organic-rich impactors [1]. Owing to their challenging nature and especially high value of Stardust samples, we have invested considerable effort in developing both sample preparation and analytical techniques tailored for Stardust sample analyses. Our report focuses on our systematic disassembly and coordinated analysis of Stardust carrot track #112 from the mm to nm-scale.

Nakamura-Messenger, K.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Principles of gas phase processing of ceramics during combustion

In recent years, ceramic materials have found applications in an increasingly wider range of industrial processes, where their unique mechanical, electrical and optical properties are exploited. Ceramics are especially useful for applications in high temperature, corrosive environments, which impose particularly stringent requirements on mechanical reliability. One approach to provide such materials is the manufacture of submicron (and more recently nanometer scale) particles, which may subsequently be sintered to produce a material with extremely high mechanical integrity. However, high quality ceramic materials can only be obtained if particles of known size, polydispersity, shape and chemical purity can be produced consistently, under well controlled conditions. These requirements are the fundamental driving force for the renewed interest in studying particle formation and growth of such materials.

Zachariah, Michael R.↗

NASA NTRS1997

White-light coronal mass ejections: A new perspective from LASCO

More than 275 coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were recorded by the large angle spectroscopic coronagraph (LASCO) from January 1996 through August 1997. Some of the characteristics of 65 of these CMEs, occurring during a three month period (May to July 1997) were quantified. During this time the rate of CME detection was about 0.7 CMEs per day; the distribution of apparent latitudes was clustererd near the equator with an average latitude of 3 deg N; the average width of the CMEs was 49 deg; and the average speed was 324 km/s. The statistical measures and the distributions for these CMEs agree with the existing literature. One new result was the high fraction (plus or minus 35 deg) of CMEs with at least one concave-outward morphological feature, which was considered a possible signature of magnetic disconnection. A new small-scale phenomenon that appears to be the white light counterpart of the extreme ultraviolet microjets detected in the polar coronal holes is described.

St.Cyr, O. C.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Troposphere-Stratosphere Connections in Recent Northern Winters in NASA GEOS Assimilated Datasets

The northern winter stratosphere displays a wide range of interannual variability, much of which is believed to result from the response to the damping of upward-propagating waves. However, there is considerable (growing) evidence that the stratospheric state can also impact the tropospheric circulation. This issue will be examined using datasets generated in the Data Assimilation Office (DAO) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Just as the tropospheric circulation in each of these years was dominated by differing synoptic-scale structures, the stratospheric polar vortex also displayed different evolutions. The two extremes are the winter 1998/1999, when the stratosphere underwent a series of warming events (including two major warmings), and the winter 1999/2000, which was dominated by a persistent, cold polar vortex, often distorted by a dominant blocking pattern in the troposphere. This study will examine several operational and research-level versions of the DAO's systems. The 70-level-TRMM-system with a resolution of 2-by-2.5 degrees and the 48-level, 1-by-l-degree resolution ''Terra'' system were operational in 1998/1999 and 1999/2000, respectively. Research versions of the system used a 48-level, 2-by-2.5-degree configuration, which facilitates studies of the impact of vertical resolution. The study includes checks against independent datasets and error analyses, as well as the main issue of troposphere-stratosphere interactions.

Pawson, Steven↗

NASA NTRS2000

Phase-Shifting Liquid Crystal Point-Diffraction Interferometry

Microgravity fluid physics experiments frequently measure concentration and temperature. Interferometers such as the Twyman Green illustrated have performed full-field measurement of these quantities. As with most such devices, this interferometer uses a reference path that is not common with the path through the test section. Recombination of the test and reference wavefronts produces interference fringes. Unfortunately, in order to obtain stable fringes, the alignment of both the test and reference paths must be maintained to within a fraction of the wavelength of the light being used for the measurement. Otherwise, the fringes will shift and may disappear. Because these interferometers are extremely sensitive to bumping, jarring and transmitted vibration, they are typically mounted on optical isolation tables. Schlieren deflectometers or the more recent Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors also measure concentration and temperature in laboratory fluid flows. Ray optics describe the operation of both devices. In a schlieren system, an expanded, collimated beam passes through a test section where refractive index gradients deflect rays. A lens focuses the beam to a filter placed in the rear focal plane of the decollimating lens. In a quantitative color schlieren system, gradients in the index of refraction appear as colors in the field of view due to the action of the color filter. Since sensitivity is a function of the focal length of the decollimating lens, these systems are rather long and filter fabrication and calibration is rather difficult. A Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is an array of small lenslets. Typical diameters are on the order of a few hundred microns. Since these lenslets divide the test section into resolution elements, the spatial resolution can be no smaller than an individual lenslet. Such a device was recently used to perform high-speed tomography of heated air exiting a 1.27 cm diameter nozzle. While these wavefront sensors are very compact, the limited spatial resolution and the methods required for data reduction suggest that a more useful instrument needs to be developed. The category of interferometers known as common path interferometers can eliminate much of the vibration sensitivity associated with traditional interferometry as described above. In these devices, division of the amplitude of the wavefront following the test section produces the reference beam. Examples of these instruments include shearing and point diffraction interferometers. In the latter case, shown schematically, a lens focuses light passing through the test section onto a small diffracting object. Such objects are typically either a circle of material on a high quality glass plate or a small sphere in a glass cell. The size of the focused spot is several times larger than the object so that the light not intercepted by the diffracting object forms the test beam while the diffracted light generates a spherical reference beam. While this configuration is mechanically stable, phase shifting one beam with respect to the other is difficult due to the common path. Phase shifting enables extremely accurate measurements of the phase of the interferogram using only gray scale intensity measurements and is the de facto standard of industry. Mercer and Creath 2 demonstrated phase shifting in a point diffraction interferometer using a spherical spacer in a liquid crystal cell as the diffracting object. By changing the voltage across the cell, they were able to shift the phase of the undiffracted beam relative to the reference beam generated by diffraction from the sphere. While they applied this technology to fluid measurements, the device shifted phase so slowly that it was not useful for studying transient phenomena. We have identified several technical problems that precluded operation of the device at video frame rates and intend to solve them to produce a phase-shifting liquid crystal point-diffraction interferometer operating at video frame rates. The first task is to produce high contrast fringes. Since the diffracted beam is much weaker than the transmitted beam, interferograms have poor contrast unless a dye is added to the liquid crystal to reduce the intensity of the undiffracted light. Dyes previously used were not rigorously characterized and suffered from hysteresis in both the initial alignment state of the device and the electro-optic switching characteristics. Hence, our initial effort will identify and characterize dyes that do not suffer from these difficulties and are readily soluble in the liquid crystal host. Since the ultimate goal of this research is to produce interferometers capable of phase shifting at video frame rates, we will quantify the difference in switching times between ferroelectric and nematic liquid crystals. While we have more experience with nematic crystals, they typically switch more slowly than ferroelectric cells. As part of that effort, we will investigate the difference in the modulation of the interferograms as a function of the type of liquid crystal in the cell. Because the temporal switching response of a liquid crystal cell is directly related its thickness, we intend to explore techniques required to produce cells that are as thin as possible. However, the cells must still produce a total phase shift of two pi radians.

Griffin, DeVon W.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Flood and Landslide Applications of High Time Resolution Satellite Rain Products

Experimental, potentially real-time systems to detect floods and landslides related to heavy rain events are described. A key basis for these applications is high time resolution satellite rainfall analyses. Rainfall is the primary cause for devastating floods across the world. However, in many countries, satellite-based precipitation estimation may be the best source of rainfall data due to insufficient ground networks and absence of data sharing along many trans-boundary river basins. Remotely sensed precipitation from the NASA's TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) operational system (near real-time precipitation at a spatial-temporal resolution of 3 hours and 0.25deg x 0.25deg) is used to monitor extreme precipitation events. Then these data are ingested into a macro-scale hydrological model which is parameterized using spatially distributed elevation, soil and land cover datasets available globally from satellite remote sensing. Preliminary flood results appear reasonable in terms of location and frequency of events, with implementation on a quasi-global basis underway. With the availability of satellite rainfall analyses at fine time resolution, it has also become possible to assess landslide risk on a near-global basis. Early results show that landslide occurrence is closely associated with the spatial patterns and temporal distribution of TRMM rainfall characteristics. Particularly, the number of landslides triggered by rainfall is related to rainfall climatology, antecedent rainfall accumulation, and intensity-duration of rainstorms. For the purpose of prediction, an empirical TMPA-based rainfall intensity-duration threshold is developed and shown to have skill in determining potential areas of landslides. These experimental findings, in combination with landslide surface susceptibility information based on satellite-based land surface information, form a starting point towards a potential operational landslide monitoring/warning system around the globe.

Adler, Robert F.↗

NASA NTRS2015

A Framework for the Cross-Sectoral Integration of Multi-Model Impact Projections: Land Use Decisions Under Climate Impacts Uncertainties

Climate change and its impacts already pose considerable challenges for societies that will further increase with global warming (IPCC, 2014a, b). Uncertainties of the climatic response to greenhouse gas emissions include the potential passing of large-scale tipping points (e.g. Lenton et al., 2008; Levermann et al., 2012; Schellnhuber, 2010) and changes in extreme meteorological events (Field et al., 2012) with complex impacts on societies (Hallegatte et al., 2013). Thus climate change mitigation is considered a necessary societal response for avoiding uncontrollable impacts (Conference of the Parties, 2010). On the other hand, large-scale climate change mitigation itself implies fundamental changes in, for example, the global energy system. The associated challenges come on top of others that derive from equally important ethical imperatives like the fulfilment of increasing food demand that may draw on the same resources. For example, ensuring food security for a growing population may require an expansion of cropland, thereby reducing natural carbon sinks or the area available for bio-energy production. So far, available studies addressing this problem have relied on individual impact models, ignoring uncertainty in crop model and biome model projections. Here, we propose a probabilistic decision framework that allows for an evaluation of agricultural management and mitigation options in a multi-impactmodel setting. Based on simulations generated within the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP), we outline how cross-sectorally consistent multi-model impact simulations could be used to generate the information required for robust decision making. Using an illustrative future land use pattern, we discuss the trade-off between potential gains in crop production and associated losses in natural carbon sinks in the new multiple crop- and biome-model setting. In addition, crop and water model simulations are combined to explore irrigation increases as one possible measure of agricultural intensification that could limit the expansion of cropland required in response to climate change and growing food demand. This example shows that current impact model uncertainties pose an important challenge to long-term mitigation planning and must not be ignored in long-term strategic decision making

farmlands↗

NASA NTRS2011

High Resolution Global Climate Modeling with GEOS-5: Intense Precipitation, Convection and Tropical Cyclones on Seasonal Time-Scales.

In 2008 the World Modeling Summit for Climate Prediction concluded that "climate modeling will need-and is ready-to move to fundamentally new high-resolution approaches to capitalize on the seamlessness of the weather-climate continuum." Following from this, experimentation with very high-resolution global climate modeling has gained enhanced priority within many modeling groups and agencies. The NASA Goddard Earth Observing System model (GEOS-5) has been enhanced to provide a capability for the execution at the finest horizontal resolutions POS,SIOle with a global climate model today. Using this high-resolution, non-hydrostatic version of GEOS-5, we have developed a unique capability to explore the intersection of weather and climate within a seamless prediction system. Week-long weather experiments, to mUltiyear climate simulations at global resolutions ranging from 3.5- to 14-km have demonstrated the predictability of extreme events including severe storms along frontal systems, extra-tropical storms, and tropical cyclones. The primary benefits of high resolution global models will likely be in the tropics, with better predictions of the genesis stages of tropical cyclones and of the internal structure of their mature stages. Using satellite data we assess the accuracy of GEOS-5 in representing extreme weather phenomena, and their interaction within the global climate on seasonal time-scales. The impacts of convective parameterization and the frequency of coupling between the moist physics and dynamics are explored in terms of precipitation intensity and the representation of deep convection. We will also describe the seasonal variability of global tropical cyclone activity within a global climate model capable of representing the most intense category 5 hurricanes.

Putnam, WilliamM.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Developing Model Benchtop Systems for Microbial Experimental Evolution

Understanding how microbes impact an ecosystem has improved through advances of molecular and genetic tools, but creating complex systems that emulate natural biology goes beyond current technology. In fact, many chemical, biological, and metabolic pathways of even model organisms are still poorly characterized. Even then, standard laboratory techniques for testing microbial impact on environmental change can have many drawbacks; they are time-consuming, labor intensive, and are at risk of contamination. By having an automated process, many of these problems can be reduced or even eliminated. We are developing a benchtop system that can run for long periods of time without the need for human intervention, involve multiple environmental stressors at once, perform real-time adjustments of stressor exposure based on current state of the population, and minimize contamination risks. Our prototype device allows operators to generate an analogue of real world micro-scale ecosystems that can be used to model the effects of disruptive environmental change on microbial ecosystems. It comprises of electronics, mechatronics, and fluidics based systems to control, measure, and evaluate the before and after state of microbial cultures from exposure to environmental stressors. Currently, it uses four parallel growth chambers to perform tests on liquid cultures. To measure the population state, optical sensors (LED/photodiode) are used. Its primary selection pressure is UV-C radiation, a well-studied stressor known for its cell- and DNA-damaging effects and as a mutagen. Future work will involve improving the current growth chambers, as well as implementing additional sensors and environmental stressors into the system. Full integration of multiple culture testing will allow inter-culture comparisons. Besides the temperature and OD sensors, other types of sensors can be integrated such as conductivity, biomass, pH, and dissolved gasses such as CO and O. Additional environmental stressor systems like temperature (extreme heat or cold), metal toxicity, and other forms of radiation will increase the scale and testing range.

Developing↗

NASA NTRS2016

Stellar Echo Imaging of Exoplanets

All stars exhibit intensity fluctuations over several timescales, from nanoseconds to years. These intensity fluctuations echo off bodies and structures in the star system. We posit that it is possible to take advantage of these echoes to detect, and possibly image, Earth-scale exoplanets. Unlike direct imaging techniques, temporal measurements do not require fringe tracking, maintaining an optically-perfect baseline, or utilizing ultra-contrast coronagraphs. Unlike transit or radial velocity techniques, stellar echo detection is not constrained to any specific orbital inclination. Current results suggest that existing and emerging technology can already enable stellar echo techniques at flare stars, such as Proxima Centauri, including detection, spectroscopic interrogation, and possibly even continent-level imaging of exoplanets in a variety of orbits. Detection of Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars appears to be extremely challenging, but cannot be fully quantified without additional data on micro- and millisecond-scale intensity fluctuations of the Sun. We consider survey missions in the mold of Kepler and place preliminary constraints on the feasibility of producing 3D tomographic maps of other structures in star systems, such as accretion disks. In this report we discuss the theory, limitations, models, and future opportunities for stellar echo imaging.

stellar↗