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At least 271 records · Page 15

Wavelength Shifts of the 7.7 Micron Emission Band in Reflection Nebulae

Using spatial-spectral data cubes of reflection nebulae obtained by ISOCAM, we have observed a shift in the central wavelength of the 7.7 micron band within several reflection nebulae. The band shifts progressively from approx. 7.8 microns near the edge of the nebulae to approx. 7.6 microns towards the center of the nebulae. The ratio of the 11.3/7.7 micron bands also changes with distance from the central star, first rising from the center towards the edge of the nebula, then falling at the largest distances from the star, consistent with the 11.3/7.7 micron band ratio being controlled by the PAH ionization state. The behavior of the 7.7 micron band center can be explained either by assuming that anions are the origin of the 7.85 micron band and cations the 7.65 micron band, or that the band center wavelength depends on the chemical nature of the PAHs.

Bregman, Jesse↗

Mitigating Headward Fluid Shifts with Venoconstrictive Thigh Cuffs during Spaceflight

Venoconstrictive thigh cuffs (VTC) are a mechanical countermeasure capable of attenuating the spaceflight induced headward fluid shift, and thus may be a viable spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) countermeasure. Crewmembers can use VTC to mitigate the headward fluid shift to aid in adapting to spaceflight. However, data are needed to determine if VTC affect ocular structures. PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of long duration use of VTC application to mitigate the spaceflight-induced headward fluid shift. We hypothesize that a VTC countermeasure will temporarily reverse the headward fluid shift and attenuate spaceflight-induced changes of internal jugular vein (IJV) cross-sectional area, IJV pressure, stroke volume, cardiac output, intraocular pressure (IOP), and optic nerve head and retinal morphology. METHODS This study will evaluate the effectiveness of VTC countermeasure application on the headward fluid shift, as well as cardiovascular and ocular variables. VTC during spaceflight will be worn for an extended duration (up to 6 hours) with data collected at three time points (30 minutes, 3 hours, and 6 hours) to characterize the temporal profile of key fluid shift outcome measures of the vascular fluid shift, IOP, and ocular structure changes. Ten astronauts will be recruited to participate and will be studied before and during approximately 180-day International Space Station (ISS) spaceflight missions. Baseline data collection will occur approximately 90-days before launch (Figure). Preflight, each leg of the crewmember will be measured to determine the VTC cuff size and a cuff fit check session will occur prior to the preflight baseline ground imaging to verify the appropriate fit measured via a surface contact pressure. Prior to donning the VTC, baseline measures without VTC will be collected seated, supine, and supine followed by data collection with the VTC. The baseline data collection will include ultrasound (IJV area and pressure, stroke volume and cardiac output), brachial blood pressure and heart rate, optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging (total retinal thickness and choroid thickness), and IOP. An inflight cuff fit check session, same as the preflight fit check, will occur prior to VTC use on ISS. The inflight VTC experiment will be conducted early (FD45) and late (R-45) to determine if mission duration affects VTC fit and the efficacy of fluid redistribution. A system usability scale comfort questionnaire will be included in each VTC session to capture feedback from crewmembers regarding the comfort and usability of the VTC. SCIENTIFIC & MISSION IMPACT Results will narrow knowledge gaps described in the Human Research Roadmap to mitigate the headward fluid shift during spaceflight and help NASA to 1) determine the efficacy of extended use VTC application to mitigate the spaceflight-induced headward fluid shift and 2) further the understanding of the use of VTC on vascular fluid shifts, IOP, and ocular structure during spaceflight. Supported by NASA Human Research Program Directed Research. Figure. Detailed Testing Schedule. Baseline data collection at L-90 will be performed in a randomized order of position.

J V Jasien↗

Genetic models in applied physiology: selected contribution: effects of spaceflight on immunity in the C57BL/6 mouse. I. Immune population distributions

There are several aspects of the spaceflight environment that may lead to changes in immunity: mission-related psychological stress, radiation, and changes in gravity. On December 5, 2001, the space shuttle Endeavor launched for a 12-day mission to examine these effects on C57BL/6 mice for the first time. On their return, assays were performed on the spleen, blood, and bone marrow. In response to flight, there were no significant differences in the general circulating leukocyte proportions. In contrast, there was an increase in splenic lymphocyte percentages, with a corresponding decrease in granulocytes. There was an overall shift in splenic lymphocytes away from T cells toward B cells, and a decrease in the CD4-to-CD8 ratios due to a decrease in T helpers. In contrast, there were proportional increases in bone marrow T cells, with decreases in B cells. Although the blast percentage and count were decreased in flight mice, the CD34(+) population was increased. The data were more consistent with a shift in bone marrow populations rather than a response to changes in the periphery. Many of the results are similar to those using other models. Clearly, spaceflight can influence immune parameters ranging from hematopoiesis to mature leukocyte mechanisms.

Non-NASA Center↗

Search for Doppler-shifted gamma-ray emission from SS 433 using the SMM spectrometer

Data accumulated from 1980 to 1983 with the Gamma Ray Spectrometer aboard NASA's Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite were searched for evidence of red and blue Doppler-shifted 1.37 MeV Mg-24 nuclear lines from SS 433. The SMM data base covers 270 days when SS 433 was in the field of view and includes periods of radio flaring and quiescence. No evidence was found for Doppler-shifted line emission in any of the spectra. The range of 3-sigma upper limits for individual 9 day integration periods was 0.0008-0.0023 photons/sq cm per sec for the blue beam, encompassing the reported about 1.5 MeV line, and 0.0008-0.002 photons/sq cm per sec for the red beam, encompassing the reported about 1.2 MeV line; the average 3-sigma upper limit in each beam for shifted about 1.37 MeV lines is 0.0015 photons/sq cm per sec for single 9 day integrations. The 3-sigma upper limit on 1.37 MeV gamma-ray emission over 23 9-day integration intervals for the red beam and 28 intervals for the blue beam is 0.0002 photons/sq cm per sec. These new limits from SMM can be reconciled with the HEAO 3 results only if SS 433 emits gamma radiation at or above the SMM sensitivity limit on rare occasions due to variable physical conditions in the system.

Geldzahler, B. J.↗

Overcoming Dynamic Disturbances in Imaging Systems

We develop and discuss a methodology with the potential to yield a significant reduction in complexity, cost, and risk of space-borne optical systems in the presence of dynamic disturbances. More robust systems almost certainly will be a result as well. Many future space-based and ground-based optical systems will employ optical control systems to enhance imaging performance. The goal of the optical control subsystem is to determine the wavefront aberrations and remove them. Ideally reducing an aberrated image of the object under investigation to a sufficiently clear (usually diffraction-limited) image. Control will likely be distributed over several elements. These elements may include telescope primary segments, telescope secondary, telescope tertiary, deformable mirror(s), fine steering mirror(s), etc. The last two elements, in particular, may have to provide dynamic control. These control subsystems may become elaborate indeed. But robust system performance will require evaluation of the image quality over a substantial range and in a dynamic environment. Candidate systems for improvement in the Earth Sciences Enterprise could include next generation Landsat systems or atmospheric sensors for dynamic imaging of individual, severe storms. The technology developed here could have a substantial impact on the development of new systems in the Space Science Enterprise; such as the Next Generation Space Telescope(NGST) and its follow-on the Next NGST. Large Interferometric Systems of non-zero field, such as Planet Finder and Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure, could benefit. These systems most likely will contain large, flexible optomechanical structures subject to dynamic disturbance. Furthermore, large systems for high resolution imaging of planets or the sun from space may also benefit. Tactical and Strategic Defense systems will need to image very small targets as well and could benefit from the technology developed here. We discuss a novel speckle imaging technique with the potential to separate dynamic aberrations from static aberrations. Post-processing of a set of image data, using an algorithm based on this technique, should work for all but the lowest light levels and highest frequency dynamic environments. This technique may serve to reduce the complexity of the control system and provide for robust, fault-tolerant, reduced risk operation. For a given object, a short exposure image is "frozen" on the focal plane in the presence of the environmental disturbance (turbulence, jitter, etc.). A key factor is that this imaging data exhibits frame-to-frame linear shift invariance. Therefore, although the Point Spread Function is varying from frame to frame, the source is fixed; and each short exposure contains object spectrum data out to the diffraction limit of the imaging system. This novel speckle imaging technique uses the Knox-Thompson method. The magnitude of the complex object spectrum is straightforward to determine by well-established approaches. The phase of the complex object spectrum is decomposed into two parts. One is a single-valued function determined by the divergence of the optical phase gradient. The other is a multi-valued function determined by the circulation of the optical phase gradient-"hidden phase." Finite difference equations are developed for the phase. The novelty of this approach is captured in the inclusion of this "hidden phase." This technique allows the diffraction-limited reconstruction of the object from the ensemble of short exposure frames while simultaneously estimating the phase as a function of time from a set of exposures.

Young, Eric W.↗

Overcoming Dynamic Disturbances in Imaging Systems

We develop and discuss a methodology with the potential to yield a significant reduction in complexity, cost, and risk of space-borne optical systems in the presence of dynamic disturbances. More robust systems almost certainly will be a result as well. Many future space-based and ground-based optical systems will employ optical control systems to enhance imaging performance. The goal of the optical control subsystem is to determine the wavefront aberrations and remove them. Ideally reducing an aberrated image of the object under investigation to a sufficiently clear (usually diffraction-limited) image. Control will likely be distributed over several elements. These elements may include telescope primary segments, telescope secondary, telescope tertiary, deformable mirror(s), fine steering mirror(s), etc. The last two elements, in particular, may have to provide dynamic control. These control subsystems may become elaborate indeed. But robust system performance will require evaluation of the image quality over a substantial range and in a dynamic environment. Candidate systems for improvement in the Earth Sciences Enterprise could include next generation Landsat systems or atmospheric sensors for dynamic imaging of individual, severe storms. The technology developed here could have a substantial impact on the development of new systems in the Space Science Enterprise; such as the Next Generation Space Telescope(NGST) and its follow-on the Next NGST. Large Interferometric Systems of non-zero field, such as Planet Finder and Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure, could benefit. These systems most likely will contain large, flexible optormechanical structures subject to dynamic disturbance. Furthermore, large systems for high resolution imaging of planets or the sun from space may also benefit. Tactical and Strategic Defense systems will need to image very small targets as well and could benefit from the technology developed here. We discuss a novel speckle imaging technique with the potential to separate dynamic aberrations from static aberrations. Post-processing of a set of image data, using an algorithm based on this technique, should work for all but the lowest light levels and highest frequency dynamic environments. This technique may serve to reduce the complexity of the control system and provide for robust, fault-tolerant, reduced risk operation. For a given object, a short exposure image is "frozen" on the focal plane in the presence of the environmental disturbance (turbulence, jitter, etc.). A key factor is that this imaging data exhibits frame-to-frame linear shift invariance. Therefore, although the Point Spread Function is varying from frame to frame, the source is fixed; and each short exposure contains object spectrum data out to the diffraction limit of the imaging system. This novel speckle imaging technique uses the Knox-Thompson method. The magnitude of the complex object spectrum is straightforward to determine by well-established approaches. The phase of the complex object spectrum is decomposed into two parts. One is a single-valued function determined by the divergence of the optical phase gradient. The other is a multi-valued function determined by, the circulation of the optical phase gradient-"hidden phase." Finite difference equations are developed for the phase. The novelty of this approach is captured in the inclusion of this "hidden phase." This technique allows the diffraction-limited reconstruction of the object from the ensemble of short exposure frames while simultaneously estimating the phase as a function of time from a set of exposures.

Young, Eric W.↗

Validation of 1985-1997 Active Cavity Radiometer Spacecraft Measurements of Total Solar Irradiance Variability

Since 1978, long-term variations in the total solar irradiance (solar constant) have been monitored using spacecraft radiometers, at the 0.01% precision level. The irradiance measurements were performed from the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite [ERBS], Nimbus-7, Solar Maximum Mission [SMM], Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite [UARS], European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA), Solar and Heliospheric Observatory [SOHO], and the Space Shuttle Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science [ATLAS] spacecraft platforms. Radiometer responses can drift or shift at precision levels of a few hundreds of a percent. In-flight calibration sources are not available to detect radiometer response changes at radiometric accuracy or precision levels near the 0.01% (0.1 W/sq m) level. Inconsistent trends among the sets were used to identify possible instrumental drifts or shifts which may be incorrectly interpreted as solar irradiance changes while consistent trends among the different measurement sets were used to detect long-term irradiance variability components. In this paper, 1991-1998 corresponding ERBS, UARS, SOHO, and ATLAS irradiance measurements are inter-compared with each other as well as with the ERBS empirical irradiance fit. The empirical irradiance fit is based upon 10.7-cm solar radio flux (F10) and photometric sunspot index (PSI), indices of solar magnetic activity. Analyses of recent data sets identified no long-term shifts and drifts in the ERBS, SOHO, or UARS data sets. The typical value of the total solar irradiance is approximately 1365 Watts per meter squared (W/sq m).

Lee, Robert B., III↗

Simple demodulator for telemetry phase- shift keyed subcarriers

Circuit, suitable for operation at high signal-to-noise ratio environments, recovers pulse-code modulated data from digital telemetry systems which use phase-shift keyed subcarrier techniques. This demodulator is easily constructed from microcircuit elements and may be applied where low-cost, relatively high-level signal systems are used.

Couvillon, L. A.↗

Electron density irregularities observed on DE-2

Observations of electron density irregularities have been made with the Langmuir probe (LANG) on DE-2. The DE-2 LANG data were examined for irregularities with scale sizes of 30 to 170 km. Such irregularities were found at all longitudes in the polar cap and auroral oval with stronger fluctuations in the oval. Night time equatorial passes having local times near 1900 or 2400 LT and occurring in an 80 day wide band about equinox were examined for irregularity occurrence. A definite longitude pattern was found in the data from several hundred orbits which showed an eastward shift at later local times. The equatorial irregularity occurrence pattern found in the LANG data is consistent with earlier in situ and remote observations of irregularities and spread F. In fact, the combined data set was found to closely follow the season-longitude pattern determined by the condition of solar terminator alignment with magnetic field lines. Tsunoda (1985) first showed this correlation with scintillation data.

Hoegy, W. R.↗

Field and airborne spectral characterization of suspected damage in red spruce (picea rubens) from Vermont

The utilization of remote sensing to monitor forest damage due to acid deposition is investigated. Spectral and water measurements and aircraft radiance data of red spruce and balsam fir, collected in Camels Hump Mountain and Ripton, Vermont between August 13-20, 1984, are analyzed to evaluate the damage levels of the trees. Variations in reflectance features and canopy moisture content are studied. It is observed that damage correlates with elevation (greater damage at higher elevations); xylem water column tension is greater at higher damage sites; and a 'blue shift' is indicated in the spectral data at high damage sites.

Rock, B. N.↗

Unequal-Arms Michelson Interferometers

Michelson interferometers allow phase measurements many orders of magnitude below the phase stability of the laser light injected into their two almost equal-length arms. If, however, the two arms are unequal, the laser fluctuations can not be removed by simply recombining the two beams. This is because the laser jitters experience different time delays in the two arms, and therefore can not cancel at the photo detector. We present here a method for achieving exact laser noise cancellation, even in an unequal-arm interferometer. The method presented in this paper requires a separate readout of the relative phase in each arm, made by interfering the returning beam in each arm with a fraction of the outgoing beam. By linearly combining the two data sets with themselves, after they have been properly time-shifted, we show that it is possible to construct a new data set that is free of laser fluctuations. An application of this technique to future planned space-based laser interferometer detectors of gravitational radiation is discussed.

Tinto, Massimo↗

Plasma Cytokine Levels in Astronauts Before and after Spaceflight

Space flight is a unique experience and results in adverse effects on human physiology. Changes have been reported in various physiological systems, including musculoskeletal, neurovestibular, cardiovascular, endocrine, immunity and increased latent viral reactivation as well as others. The potential mechanisms behind these changes are not fully understood. Various cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, TNF and chemokines have been linked to several of these changes, like muscle loss, bone loss, fatigue, sleep deprivation and viral reactivation. Eighteen astronauts (15 M and 3 F) from 8 spaceflights and 10 healthy age-matched adults (6 M, 4 F) were included in the present study. A panel of 21 plasma cytokines was analyzed with the Luminex 100 to measure the cytokines in these subjects 10 days before the flight (L-10), 2-3 hour after landing (R+0), 3 days after landing (R+3), and at their annual medical exam (AME). IL-10, IL-1, IFN-alpha, MCP-1 and IP-10 increased significantly at L-10 as compared with AME levels. IL-6 and IFN-alpha showed significant increases at R + 0 (P less than .05) over their baseline levels (AME). Cytokine levels at R+3 were not significantly different from R+0. IL-10 and IL-6 have been reported to increase in during viral reactivation. These data show that there was a shift from TH1 to TH2 cytokines L-10 and R+0. We also studied viral reactivation in 10 of the 18 subjects included in the present study before, during, and after space flight. Increased salivary varicella zoster virus (VZV) shedding in these subjects was found either during or after the mission. VZV shedding correlated with the increased levels of cytokines especially IL-10 and IL-6. Overall, our data suggests that cytokines may play an important role in regulating adverse changes in astronauts, and further studies are needed to fully understand the mechanism.

Mehta, Satish K.↗

Spatial Characterization of PACE OCI ETU Using Time-Delay Mode

The OCI (Ocean Color Instrument) is the main sensor on the upcoming PACE (Plankton Aerosol Cloud ocean Ecosystem) mission. OCI has two hyperspectral CCD sensors covering 340nm to 885nm and 9 SWIR (Short Wave IR) bands from 940nm to 2260nm. SWIR bands have nominal 1km ground pixel size and CCD bands have native 1/8 km ground pixel size in diagnostic mode that will be aggregated into 1km pixels to improve SNR and meet the data rate constraints. OCI has a rotating telescope that is synchronized to the readout of the CCD and SWIR detectors. Full pre-launch system level testing for the OCI ETU (Engineering Test Unit) was completed in June 2021.With time-delayed scan mode, a sub-pixel level time-delay step is applied to the detector readout. This sub-pixel level time-delay step causes a sub-pixel level shift in the start of the data collection. After collecting time-delay step scans with different step sizes, a scan profile with sub-pixel resolution can be constructed. 1/8 and 1/4 of CCD pixel resolutions were achieved using this mode. In this paper, the OCI time-delayed scan mode will be described as well as how it was used to calculate OCI’s high spatial resolution PSF (Point Spread Function), IFOV (instantaneous Field of View), MTF (Modulation Transfer Function), and BBR (Band to Band Registration).

PACE↗

Heliomagnetic latitude dependence of the heliospheric magnetic field

Previous studies have revealed systematic variations of the interplanetary magnetic field with heliographic latitude. Luhmann et al. (1987) modeled Pioneer Venus (PVO) and ISEE-3 observations by assuming an asymmetric dependence on heliolatitude with stronger fields in the northern hemisphere. In a subsequent study, using data from ISEE-3/ICE and IMP-8, Burton et al. (1990) found evidence for a similar asymmetry. However, neither model has been completely successful. The model derived from PVO/ICE observations agrees quite well near solar maximum but shows significant discrepancies during the descending phase of the solar cycle. The model derived from the ICE/IMP-8 comparison suffers from significant phase delays between the difference in field magnitude at the two spacecraft and their latitude difference. In an attempt to account for these phase shifts, the IMP-8 and ICE data have been reexamined in heliomagnetic coordinates which are defined by the orientation of the solar magnetic dipole. The latitude and longitude of the dipole inferred from the data have then been compared with those implicit in source surface calculations. The IMP/ICE correlations have been extended into the recent solar maximum and descending phase. Comparisons have also been carried out between IMP-8 and Ulysses as it traveled to -30 deg south heliographic latitude.

Burton, M. E.↗

Data analysis for dual-polarized communication link experiments

The effect of the propagation medium on the performance of dual-polarized radio links operating in the microwave and millimeter wave regions is analyzed, with particular reference to rain and ice depolarization. Three methods of displaying measured cross-polarization discrimination (XPD) versus the attenuation (A) are examined: mean, median, and equiprobable. The mean and median values are shown to be essentially the same, while equiprobable data are sensitive to many errors. Ice depolarization alone or imbedded in rain depolarization can shift the entire XPD vs A relationship for equiprobable data. It is concluded that XPD vs A sets from different experiments can be compared with confidence when mean and median values are used. However, caution must be exercised with equipotential data sets, particularly when ice effects are involved.

Stutzman, W. L.↗

Simulation of a data archival and distribution system at GSFC

A version-0 of a Data Archive and Distribution System (DADS) is being developed at GSFC to support existing and pre-EOS Earth science datasets and test Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) concepts. The performance of DADS is predicted using a discrete event simulation model. The goals of the simulation were to estimate the amount of disk space needed and the time required to fulfill the DADS requirements for ingestion (14 GB/day) and distribution (48 GB/day). The model has demonstrated that 4 mm and 8 mm stackers can play a critical role in improving the performance of the DADS, since it takes, on average, 3 minutes to manually mount/dismount tapes compared to less than a minute with stackers. With two 4 mm stackers and two 8 mm stackers, and a single operator per shift, the DADS requirements can be met within 16 hours using a total of 9 GB of disk space. When the DADS has no stacker, and the DADS depends entirely on operators to handle the distribution tapes, the simulation has shown that the DADS requirements can still be met within 16 hours, but a minimum of 4 operators per shift were required. The compression/decompression of data sets is very CPU intensive, and relatively slow when performed in software, thereby contributing to an increase in the amount of disk space needed.

Bedet, Jean-Jacques↗

Shuttle S-band communications technical concepts

Using the S-band communications system, shuttle orbiter can communicate directly with the Earth via the Ground Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network (GSTDN) or via the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The S-band frequencies provide the primary links for direct Earth and TDRSS communications during all launch and entry/landing phases of shuttle missions. On orbit, S-band links are used when TDRSS Ku-band is not available, when conditions require orbiter attitudes unfavorable to Ku-band communications, or when the payload bay doors are closed. the S-band communications functional requirements, the orbiter hardware configuration, and the NASA S-band communications network are described. The requirements and implementation concepts which resulted in techniques for shuttle S-band hardware development discussed include: (1) digital voice delta modulation; (2) convolutional coding/Viterbi decoding; (3) critical modulation index for phase modulation using a Costas loop (phase-shift keying) receiver; (4) optimum digital data modulation parameters for continuous-wave frequency modulation; (5) intermodulation effects of subcarrier ranging and time-division multiplexing data channels; (6) radiofrequency coverage; and (7) despreading techniques under poor signal-to-noise conditions. Channel performance is reviewed.

Seyl, J. W.↗