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At least 325 records · Page 18

Assimilation of SMOS Brightness Temperatures or Soil Moisture Retrievals into a Land Surface Model

Three different data products from the Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission are assimilated separately into the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, version 5 (GEOS-5) to improve estimates of surface and root-zone soil moisture. The first product consists of multi-angle, dual-polarization brightness temperature (Tb) observations at the bottom of the atmosphere extracted from Level 1 data. The second product is a derived SMOS Tb product that mimics the data at a 40 degree incidence angle from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission. The third product is the operational SMOS Level 2 surface soil moisture (SM) retrieval product. The assimilation system uses a spatially distributed ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) with seasonally varying climatological bias mitigation for Tb assimilation, whereas a time-invariant cumulative density function matching is used for SM retrieval assimilation. All assimilation experiments improve the soil moisture estimates compared to model-only simulations in terms of unbiased root-mean-square differences and anomaly correlations during the period from 1 July 2010 to 1 May 2015 and for 187 sites across the US. Especially in areas where the satellite data are most sensitive to surface soil moisture, large skill improvements (e.g., an increase in the anomaly correlation by 0.1) are found in the surface soil moisture. The domain-average surface and root-zone skill metrics are similar among the various assimilation experiments, but large differences in skill are found locally. The observation-minus-forecast residuals and analysis increments reveal large differences in how the observations add value in the Tb and SM retrieval assimilation systems. The distinct patterns of these diagnostics in the two systems reflect observation and model errors patterns that are not well captured in the assigned EnKF error parameters. Consequently, a localized optimization of the EnKF error parameters is needed to further improve Tb or SM retrieval assimilation.

SMOS↗

A Technique to Measure Coronal Electron Density, Temperature, and Velocity Above 2.5 R⨀ from Sun Center using Polarized Brightness Spectrum

The current model for the polarized brightness (pB) spectrum has a decades-long history of progressively incorporating its dependence on electron density Ne, temperature Te, and flow velocity in the radial direction V e . The pB N e spectrum follows the exact shape of the photosphere spectrum, which is not smooth, which is expected from the thermal Doppler broadening of the photosphere spectrum due to the high coronal T e ; the pB N e T e spectrum is smooth, but the free coronal electrons remain static and unaffected by solar wind, and the pB N e T e V e spectrum is red-shifted by electrons seeing a red-shifted photosphere spectrum as they flow away from the Sun as solar wind, which takes a radial direction above 2.5 R ⨀ from Sun center. In this article, we review the progress of the above three model pB spectra in describing the observations and highlight the differences, first by comparing the three model pB spectra against wavelength using a model for Ne and constant values for T e and V e , and second by generating three model 2D pB maps by integrating over a selected wavelengthregion in the three model pB spectra along lines of sight passing through the 14 July 2000 (“Bastille Day”) coronal mass ejection (CME) model, which contains 3D information on N e , T e , and V e . In this regard, the COronal Diagnostic EXperiment (CODEX) on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024 will measure N e , T e , and V e by matching the measured pB with modeled pB N e T e V e in selected wavelength regions using multiple filters.

Electron density↗

SNPP and NOAA-20 VIIRS On-Orbit Geolocation Trending and Improvements

Two Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensors have been in operations for more than 8.5 and 2.5 years since they were launched in October 2011 on SNPP satellite and in November 2017 on NOAA-20 satellite, respectively. These are two satellites in the Join Polar Satellite System (JPSS) constellation, of which Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) is a risk reduction satellite and NOAA-20 is the first of four JPSS satellites(JPSS-1 became NOAA-20 after launch). Accurate geolocation is a critical element in data calibration for accurate retrieval of global biogeophysical parameters. In this paper, we describe the latest trends in the continuously improved geolocation accuracy in VIIRS Collection-1 (C1) and C2 re-processing. We implemented a VIIRS instrument geometric model update (VIGMU)for both sensors that correct for geolocation error oscilations in the scan direction. We borrowed code from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) geolocation software to correct for time-dependent pointing variations, that are particularly acute in NOAA-20 VIIRS, and some pointing anomalies in SNPP VIIRS. We developed a Kalman Filter using gyrodata to correct for attitude errors due to the degradation of the star trackers performance from the SNPP satellite. We also present an improved ground control point matching (CPM) tool, in which the ground control point (GCP) chips library is refreshed using recently launched Landsat-8 images.

SNPP↗

The Large Area Pulsed Solar Simulator (LAPSS)

A Large Area Pulsed Solar Simulator (LAPSS) has been installed at JPL. It is primarily intended to be used to illuminate and measure the electrical performance of photovoltaic devices. The simulator, originally manufactured by Spectrolab, Sylmar, California, occupies an area measuring about 3 meters wide by 12 meters long. The data acquisition and data processing subsystems have been modernized. Tests on the LAPSS performance resulted in better than +/- 2 percent uniformity of irradiance at the test plane and better than +/- 0.3 percent measurement repeatability after warm-up. Glass absorption filters are used to reduce the level of ultraviolet light emitted from the xenon flash lamps. This provides a close match to standard airmass zero and airmass 1.5 spectral irradiance distributions. The 2 millisecond light pulse prevents heating of the device under test, resulting in more reliable temperature measurements. Overall, excellent electrical performance measurements have been made of many different types and sizes of photovoltaic devices.

Mueller, R. L.↗

Hand-Held Color Meters Based on Interference Filters

Small, inexpensive, hand-held optoelectronic color-measuring devices based on metal-film/dielectric-film interference filters are undergoing development. These color meters could be suitable for use in a variety of applications in which there are requirements to quantify or match colors for aesthetic purposes but there is no need for the high spectral resolution of scientific-grade spectrometers. Such applications typically occur in the paint, printing, and cosmetic industries, for example. The figure schematically depicts a color meter of this type being used to measure the color of a sample in terms of the spectrum of light reflected from the sample. Light from a white source (for example, a white light-emitting diode) passes through a collimating lens to the sample. Another lens collects some of the light reflected from the sample and focuses the light onto the input end of optical fiber. Light emerging from the output end of the optical fiber illuminates an array of photodetectors covered with metal/dielectric-film interference filters like those described in Metal/Dielectric-film Interference Color Filters (NPO-20217), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 23, No. 2 (February 1999), page 70. Typically, these are wide-band-pass filters, as shown at the bottom of the figure. The photodetector array need not be of any particular design: it could be something as simple as an assembly containing several photodiodes or something as elaborate as an active-pixel sensor or other imaging device. What is essential is that each of the photodetectors or each of several groups of photodetectors is covered with a metal/dielectric-film filter of a different color. In most applications, it would be desirable to have at least three different filters, each for a spectral band that contains one of the three primary additive red, green, and blue colors. In some applications, it may be necessary to have more than three different color filters in order to characterize subtle differences in color (or in the sensation of color) that cannot be characterized with sufficient precision by use of the primary colors alone.

Snyder, G. Jeffrey↗

Multicolor Detectors for Ultrasensitive Long-Wave Imaging Cameras

A document describes a zeptobolometer for ultrasensitive, long-wavelength sensors. GSFC is developing pixels based on the zeptobolometer design that sense three THz wavelengths simultaneously. Two innovations are described in the document: (1) a quasiparticle (QO) filter arrangement that enables a compact multicolor spectrum at the focal plane, and (2) a THz antenna readout by up to three bolometers. The innovations enable high efficiency by greatly reducing high, frequency-dependent microstrip losses, and pixel compactness by eliminating the need for bulky filters in the focal plane. The zeptobolometer is a small TES bolometer, on the scale of a few microns, which can be readily coupled through an impedance-matching resistor to a metal or dielectric antenna. The bolometer is voltage-biased in its superconducting transition, allowing the use of superconducting RF multiplexers to read out large arrays. The antenna is geometrically tapped at three locations so as to efficiently couple radiation of three distinct wavelengths to the individual TESs. The transition edge hot electrons in metals offer a simple, compact arrangement for antenna readout, which can be crucial in the THz where line losses at high frequencies can be substantial. A metallic grill filter acts as a high-pass filter and directs the low-frequency components to a location where they will be absorbed. The absorption spectrum shows that three well-separated THz bands are feasible. The filters can be made from high-purity dielectrics such as float zone silicon or sapphire.

Brown, Ari↗

Travelling wave effects in large space structures

Several aspects of travelling waves in Large Space Structures(LSS) are discussed. The dynamic similarity among LSS's, electric power systems, microwave circuits and communications network is noted. The existence of time lag between actuation and response is illuminated with the aid of simple examples, and their prediction is demonstrated. To prevent echoes, communications lines have matched terminations; this idea is applied to the design of dampers of one dimensional structures. Periodic structures act as mechanical band pass filters. Implications of this behavior are examined on a simple example. It is noted that the implication is twofold; continuum models of periodic lattice structures may err considerably; on the other hand, it is possible to design favorable transmission (and resonance) characteristics into the structure.

Vonflotow, A.↗

Single mode fiber array for planet detection using a visible nulling interferometer

We report the design, fabrication, and testing of a coherent large mode field diameter fiber array to be used as a spatial filter in a planet finding visible nulling interferometer. The array is a key component of a space instrument for visible-light detection and spectroscopy of Earth like extrasolar planets. In this concept, a nulling interferometer is synthesized from a pupil image of a single aperture which is then spatially filtered by a coherent array of single mode fibers to suppress the residual scattered star light. The use of the fiber array preserves spatial information between the star and planet. The fiber array uses a custom commercial large mode field or low NA step-index single mode fiber to relax alignment tolerances. A matching custom micro lens array is used to couple light into the fibers, and to recollimate the light out of the fiber array. The use of large mode field diameter fiber makes the fabrication of a large spatial filter array with 300 to 1000 elements feasible.

fiber arrays↗

Enhancements to the Open Access Spectral Band Adjustment Factor Online Calculation Tool for Visible Channels

With close to 40 years of satellite observations, from which, cloud, land-use, and aerosol parameters can be measured, inter-consistent calibrations are needed to normalize retrievals across satellite records. Various visible-sensor inter-calibration techniques have been developed that utilize radiometrically stable Earth targets, e.g., deep convective clouds and desert/polar ice pseudo-invariant calibration sites. Other equally effective, direct techniques for intercalibration between satellite imagers are simultaneous nadir overpass comparisons and ray-matched radiance pairs. Combining independent calibration results from such varied techniques yields robust calibration coefficients, and is a form of self-validation. One potential source of significant error when cross-calibrating satellite sensors, however, are the often small but substantial spectral discrepancies between comparable bands, which must be accounted for. As such, visible calibration methods rely on a Spectral Band Adjustment Factor (SBAF) to account for the spectral-response function- induced radiance differences between analogous imagers. The SBAF is unique to each calibration method as it is a function of the Earth-reflected spectra. In recent years, NASA Langley pioneered the use of SCIAMACHY-, GOME-2-, and Hyperion-retrieved Earth spectra to compute SBAFs. By carefully selecting hyperspectral footprints that best represent the conditions inherent to an inter-calibration technique, the uncertainty in the SBAF is greatly reduced. NASA Langley initially provided the Global Space-based Inter-calibration System processing and research centers with online SBAF tools, with which users select conditions to best match their calibration criteria. This article highlights expanded SBAF tool capabilities for visible wavelengths, with emphasis on the use of the spectral range filtering for the purpose of separating scene conditions for the channel that the SBAF is needed based on the reflectance values of other bands. In other words, spectral filtering will enable better scene-type selection for bands where scene determination is difficult without information from other channels, which should prove valuable to users in the calibration community.

Scarino, Benjamin↗

Dependence of Z-R Relations on the Rain Type Classification Scheme

The TRMM Global Validation Program is giving us a unique opportunity to compare radar datasets from different sites since they are analyzed in a relatively uniform procedure. Monthly Ze-R relations for four different sites (i.e, Melbourne Florida, Houston Texas, Darwin Australia and Kwajalein Atoll) were derived. The relations were obtained using the Window Probability Matching Method (WPMM). This version of the PMM relies on matching unconditional probabilities of rain rates, R, and radar reflectivity, Ze, using rain gauge and radar data, respectively. This procedure was done separately for convective and stratiform rain type using the Steiner classification procedure. The radar and gauge data from all sites were quality controlled using the same algorithms, which include also an automatic procedure to filter unreliable rain gauge data upon comparison to radar data. An adjusted power law Z-R for each rain type was also derived by comparing the radar-gauge coincident pairs in order to adjust the total monthly rainfall to match the gauges. The obtained PMM based Ze-R relations are found to be curved lines in log-log space rather than any straight line power law. While the PMM based Ze-R curves were always distinctly different between the convective and stratiform rain, the power law based Z-R, in few cases, was found to be the same for both types. In general, a given reflectivity was matched to a much lower rain intensity in the convective rainfall as compared to that in stratiform rainfall. These findings are inherently contradictory to previous findings based on disdrometer data and suggest some precaution for using the latter Z-R relations on radar data when the partition of stratiform and convective rainfall amount is in concern. The inverse trends in the relations might be caused by effects such as partial beam fillings, the use of different classification schemes, as well as having a distinct difference in the Z-R relations between the initial convective and the trailing transition regions as suggested by recent findings.

Amitai, Eyal↗

High efficiency radioisotope thermophotovoltaic prototype generator

A radioisotope thermophotovoltaic generator space power system (RTPV) is lightweight, low-cost alternative to the present radioisotope thermoelectric generator system (RTG). The fabrication of such an RTPV generator has recently become feasible as the result of the invention of the GaSb infrared sensitive photovoltaic cell. Herein, we present the results of a parametric study of emitters and optical filters in conjuction with existing data on gallium antimonide cells. We compare a polished tungsten emitter with an Erbia selective emitter for use in combination with a simple dielectric filter and a gallium antimonide cell array. We find that the polished tungsten emitter is by itself a very selective emitter with low emissivity beyond 4 microns. Given a gallium antimonide cell and a tungsten emitter, a simple dielectric filter can be designed to transmit radiant energy below 1.7 microns and to reflect radiant energy between 1.7 and 4 microns back to the emitter. Because of the low long wavelength emissivity associated with the polished tungsten emitter, this simple dielectric filter then yields very respectable system performance. Also as a result of the longer wavelength fall-off in the tungsten emissivity curve, the radiation energy peak for a polished tungsten emitter operating at 1300 K shifts to shorter wavelengths relative to the blackbody spectrum so that the radiated energy peak falls right at the gallium antimonide cell bandedge. The result is that the response of the gallium antimonide cell is well matched to a polished tungsten emitter. We propose, therefore, to fabricate an operating prototype of a near term radioisotope thermophotovoltaic generator design consisting of a polished tungsten emitter, standard gallium antimonide cells, and a near-term dielectric filter. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory will design and build the thermal cavity, and JX Crystals will fabricate the gallium antimonide cells, dielectric filters, and resultant receiver panels. With 250 Watts of heat input, we expect this prototype to produce over 300 Watts of electrical energy output for a system energy conversion efficiency of over 12%. This low risk, near term design provides advances relative to present radioisotope thermophotovoltaic generators and has the additional advantage of allowing component and system development and testing to begin immediately. Improved cells and filters can easily be incorporated in this baseline system if they should become available in the future.

Avery, James E.↗

Stereo imaging based particle velocimeter

Three dimensional coordinates of an object are determined from it's two dimensional images for a class of points on the object. Two dimensional images are first filtered by a Laplacian of Gaussian (LOG) filter in order to detect a set of feature points on the object. The feature points on the left and the right images are then matched using a Hopfield type optimization network. The performance index of the Hopfield network contains both local and global properties of the images. Parallel computing in stereo matching can be achieved by the proposed methodology.

Batur, Celal↗

Modeling a Full Coronal Loop Observed with Hinode EIS and SDO AIA

Physical parameters measured from an observation of a coronal loop from Gupta et al. (2015) using Hinode/EIS and SDO/AIA were used as input for the hydrodynamic, impulsively heating NRLSOFM 1-­d loop model. The model was run at eight different energy inputs and used the measured quantities of temperature (0.73 MK), density (10(sup 8.5)cm(sup -3) and minimum loop lifetime to evaluate the success of the model at recreating the observations. The loop was measured by us to have an unprojected length of 236 Mm and was assumed to be almost perpendicular to the solar surface (tilt of 3.5 degrees) and have a dipolar geometry. Our results show that two of our simulation runs (with input energies of 0.01 and 0.02 ergs cm(sup -3)S(sup -1) closely match the temperature/density combination exhibited by the loop observation. However, our simulated loops only remain in the temperature sensitive region of the Mg 278.4 Angstrom filter for 500 and 800 seconds respectively which is less than the 1200 seconds that the loop is observed for with EIS in order to make the temperature/density measurements over the loop's entire length. This leads us to conclude that impulsive heating of a single loop is not complex enough to explain this observation. Additional steady heating or a collection of additional strands along the line-­of-­sight would help to align the simulation with the observation.

coronal loop↗

Characterization of Orbital Debris Photometric Properties Derived from Laboratory-Based Measurements

To better characterize and model optical data acquired from ground-based telescopes, the Optical Measurements Center (OMC) at NASA/JSC attempts to emulate illumination conditions seen in space using equipment and techniques that parallel telescopic observations and source-target-sensor orientations. The OMC uses a 75 Watt Xenon arc lamp as a solar simulator, an SBIG CCD camera with standard Johnson/Bessel filters, and a robotic arm to simulate an object's position and rotation. The laboratory uses known shapes, materials suspected to be consistent with the orbital debris population, and three phase angles to best match the lighting conditions of the telescope based data. The fourteen objects studied in the laboratory are fragments or materials acquired through ground-tests of scaled-model satellites/rocket bodies as well as material samples in more/less "flight-ready" condition. All fragments were measured at 10 increments in a full 360 rotation at 6 , 36 , and 60 phase angles. This paper will investigate published color photometric data for a series of orbital debris targets and compare it to the empirical photometric measurements generated in the OMC. Using the data acquired over specific rotational angles through different filters (B, V, R, I), a color index is acquired (B-R, R-I). Using these values and their associated lightcurves, this laboratory data is compared to observational data obtained on the 1 m telescope of the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AUIB), the 0.9 m operated by the Small- and Medium-Aperture Research Telescope System (SMARTS) Consortium and the Curtis-Schmidt 0.6 m Michigan Orbital Debris Space Debris Telescope both located at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). An empirical based optical characterization model will be presented to provide preliminary correlations between laboratory based and telescope-based data in the context of classification of GEO debris objects.

Cowardin, H.↗

Architectures and algorithms for digital image processing; Proceedings of the Meeting, Cannes, France, December 5, 6, 1985

The conference presents papers on the architectures, algorithms, and applications of image processing. Particular attention is given to a very large scale integration system for image reconstruction from projections, a prebuffer algorithm for instant display of volume data, and an adaptive image sequence filtering scheme based on motion detection. Papers are also presented on a simple, direct practical method of sensing local motion and analyzing local optical flow, image matching techniques, and an automated biological dosimetry system.

Duff, Michael J. B.↗

Spatial region filtering in IRAF/PROS

In order to analyze x ray data, it is nearly always necessary to extract source and background events from a data set. Typically, this is done by defining geometric spatial regions of the data set to describe the source and background. For example, one might wish to extract source events from a circular or elliptical region centered at a particular pixel, and background events from a circular or elliptical annulus whose inner radius matches the source region. At the same time, it might be necessary to exclude one or more nearby sources from the source or background region in question. Thus, it might be necessary to define a pie-shaped region or even an entirely irregularly-shaped region to exclude. A spatial filtering scheme called REGIONS was implemented in IRAF/PROS to support these and other types of spatial region extraction. It allows users to create a spatial mask by specifying one or more ASCII geometric shape descriptors (box, circle, ellipse, pie, point, annulus, and polygon) as regions to be included or excluded in the mask. In addition, two or more shapes can be combined using Boolean algebra to create an infinite variety of sophisticated regions. Each geometric shape has a specific set of parameters that describe that shape. For example, a circle is described by a center and a radius, while a box is described by a center, length, width, and rotation angle. These quantities can be specified in units of pixels or, in cases where the target image contains world coordinate system information, they can be described in units such as RA and Dec. Users can create region mask files by feeding an ASCII region descriptor to the IRAF/PROS plcreate task. Temporary masks can also be created from ASCII region descriptors by individual applications that call the routines in the region creation library. This library implements a yacc-based region parser that compiles the ASCII descriptors into 'software CPU' instructions which are then executed to create the mask. The mask created from these region descriptors is a standard IRAF PLIO mask. It can be combined with other PLIO masks (e.g., exposure masks) to provide complete spatial filtering capabilities. The capabilities of the region filtering scheme are described. It also discusses the design philosophy guiding our work, as well as our plans for the future.

Mandel, Eric↗

Single Lens Dual-Aperture 3D Imaging System: Color Modeling

In an effort to miniaturize a 3D imaging system, we created two viewpoints in a single objective lens camera. This was accomplished by placing a pair of Complementary Multi-band Bandpass Filters (CMBFs) in the aperture area. Two key characteristics about the CMBFs are that the passbands are staggered so only one viewpoint is opened at a time when a light band matched to that passband is illuminated, and the passbands are positioned throughout the visible spectrum, so each viewpoint can render color by taking RGB spectral images. Each viewpoint takes a different spectral image from the other viewpoint hence yielding a different color image relative to the other. This color mismatch in the two viewpoints could lead to color rivalry, where the human vision system fails to resolve two different colors. The difference will be closer if the number of passbands in a CMBF increases. (However, the number of passbands is constrained by cost and fabrication technique.) In this paper, simulation predicting the color mismatch is reported.

bipartite filter↗

Hardware Implementation of a Bilateral Subtraction Filter

A bilateral subtraction filter has been implemented as a hardware module in the form of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). In general, a bilateral subtraction filter is a key subsystem of a high-quality stereoscopic machine vision system that utilizes images that are large and/or dense. Bilateral subtraction filters have been implemented in software on general-purpose computers, but the processing speeds attainable in this way even on computers containing the fastest processors are insufficient for real-time applications. The present FPGA bilateral subtraction filter is intended to accelerate processing to real-time speed and to be a prototype of a link in a stereoscopic-machine- vision processing chain, now under development, that would process large and/or dense images in real time and would be implemented in an FPGA. In terms that are necessarily oversimplified for the sake of brevity, a bilateral subtraction filter is a smoothing, edge-preserving filter for suppressing low-frequency noise. The filter operation amounts to replacing the value for each pixel with a weighted average of the values of that pixel and the neighboring pixels in a predefined neighborhood or window (e.g., a 9 9 window). The filter weights depend partly on pixel values and partly on the window size. The present FPGA implementation of a bilateral subtraction filter utilizes a 9 9 window. This implementation was designed to take advantage of the ability to do many of the component computations in parallel pipelines to enable processing of image data at the rate at which they are generated. The filter can be considered to be divided into the following parts (see figure): a) An image pixel pipeline with a 9 9- pixel window generator, b) An array of processing elements; c) An adder tree; d) A smoothing-and-delaying unit; and e) A subtraction unit. After each 9 9 window is created, the affected pixel data are fed to the processing elements. Each processing element is fed the pixel value for its position in the window as well as the pixel value for the central pixel of the window. The absolute difference between these two pixel values is calculated and used as an address in a lookup table. Each processing element has a lookup table, unique for its position in the window, containing the weight coefficients for the Gaussian function for that position. The pixel value is multiplied by the weight, and the outputs of the processing element are the weight and pixel-value weight product. The products and weights are fed to the adder tree. The sum of the products and the sum of the weights are fed to the divider, which computes the sum of products the sum of weights. The output of the divider is denoted the bilateral smoothed image. The smoothing function is a simple weighted average computed over a 3 3 subwindow centered in the 9 9 window. After smoothing, the image is delayed by an additional amount of time needed to match the processing time for computing the bilateral smoothed image. The bilateral smoothed image is then subtracted from the 3 3 smoothed image to produce the final output. The prototype filter as implemented in a commercially available FPGA processes one pixel per clock cycle. Operation at a clock speed of 66 MHz has been demonstrated, and results of a static timing analysis have been interpreted as suggesting that the clock speed could be increased to as much as 100 MHz.

Huertas, Andres↗