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At least 343 records · Page 19

Integrating amplifiers using cooled JFETs

It is shown how a simple integrating amplifier based on commercially available JFET and MOSFET switches can be used to measure photocurrents from detectors with noise levels as low as 1.6 x 10 to the -18th A/root Hz (10 electrons/sec). A figure shows the basic circuit, along with the waveform at the output. The readout is completely nondestructive; the reset noise does not contribute since sampling of the accumulated charge occurs between resets which are required only when the stored charge has reached a very high level. The storage capacity ranges from 10 to the 6th to 10 to the 9th electrons, depending on detector parameters and linearity requirements. Data taken with an Si:Sb detector operated at 24 microns are presented. The responsivity agrees well with the value obtained by Young et al. (1981) in the transimpedance amplifier circuit. The data are seen as indicating that extremely low values of NEP can be obtained for integration times of 1 sec and that longer integrations continue to improve the SNR at a rate faster than the square root of time when background noise is not present.

Low, F. J.↗

Doublet Pulse Coherent Laser Radar for Tracking of Resident Space Objects

In this paper, the development of a long range ladar system known as ExoSPEAR at NASA Langley Research Center for tracking rapidly moving resident space objects is discussed. Based on 100 W, nanosecond class, near-IR laser, this ladar system with coherent detection technique is currently being investigated for short dwell time measurements of resident space objects (RSOs) in LEO and beyond for space surveillance applications. This unique ladar architecture is configured using a continuously agile doublet-pulse waveform scheme coupled to a closed-loop tracking and control loop approach to simultaneously achieve mm class range precision and mm/s velocity precision and hence obtain unprecedented track accuracies. Salient features of the design architecture followed by performance modeling and engagement simulations illustrating the dependence of range and velocity precision in LEO orbits on ladar parameters are presented. Estimated limits on detectable optical cross sections of RSOs in LEO orbits are discussed.

Prasad, Narasimha S.↗

Seismic Analysis of Spatio-Temporal Fracture Generation During EGS Resource Development

This DOE GTO funded project was a collaborative effort between Array Information Technology and the University of California at Berkeley. The project goal is to improve technology to assess in-situ stress magnitude and orientation, kinematic fracture parameters, rupture size, rupture orientation as well as temporal changes and volumetric distribution of the injected fluid during Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) resource development. The project leveraged high-frequency seismic data recorded by the LBNL 34-station permanent geophone network and seismic broadband data recorded by a temporary 33-station seismometer network that operated in The Geysers during the injection phase of the DOE GTO funded EGS demonstration project at the well Prati-32. The operation of the broadband network with high station density and good azimuthal coverage to monitor the injection phase produced an unprecedented dataset that is typically unavailable for EGS operations. The two datasets offer the advantages of studying the parameters under investigation over a broader frequency band and the higher sensitivity of the broadband seismometers resulted in a richer dataset with a lower magnitude of completeness. Moment tensor (MT) inversion have been employed to develop a catalog of earthquake source solutions including moment tensor and finite source rupture area. This resulted in a 168-event waveform-based seismic moment tensor catalog for events 0.7≤Mw≤3.9 based on a semi-automated moment tensor analysis technique. The MT solutions were used for in-situ stress estimation during the EGS injection phases. We found an approximate 15-degree counterclockwise rotation of the least compressive stress sigma-3, and a rotation of the maximum compressive stress sigma-1 toward the vertical as the injected volume of water increased. We developed a rupture-area magnitude scaling relationship of The Geysers earthquakes obtained from finite-source inversion for fault slip that reveals a very high correlation to published results. Based on the rupture area-magnitude relationship we mapped Mw from the LBNL earthquake catalog to estimate the activated fracture area, its location and orientation within the injection volume of Prati-32. The double-difference Wadati (DDW) technique was applied to high-accuracy P- and S-wave differential travel times derived from waveform cross correlation to image fluid saturation in the subsurface based on Vp/Vs-ratio. The recently developed technique has been applied to estimate temporal changes of fluid distribution in fault zones and in volcanic regions but not yet in engineered geo-reservoirs. The improvement of the technology includes high-resolution waveform cross correlation applied to the high-quality datasets with lower magnitude of completeness resulting in a higher number of recorded events. The improvement allowed to estimate both, the spatial and temporal distribution of injected fluids and the state of the injected fluid during reservoir stimulation. Results of the DDW analysis revealed the development of an injection-derived steam plume during the early injection phase, particularly in the northern part of the Prati-32 study area.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Warping Functions Design for Long Warped ZT-DFT-s-OFDM

Time-frequency warped waveform is a novel type of well-contained waveform composed of raised cosine (RC) pulses with roll-off factors profile customized for spectrally efficient signal containment. The waveform is suited for massive machine-type communication (mMTC), and Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. The paper is a follow-up to the original work of time-frequency warped waveforms; here, we are proposing a warping function suited for length-independent symbols, which is missing from the previous work. The paper proposes the design steps starting from a piecewise warping function with parts of straight segments and other curved parts. A maximum Out-of-band leakage is used as a criterion to determine the warping function parameters. The roll-off factors profile determined in the previous study is used as a minimum bound for the leakage limits. Gains are presented over Windowed Zero-tail Discrete Fourier Transform-spread-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (ZT-DFT-s-OFDM) in the simulations section.

Ibrahim, Mostafa↗

Correlation between some current parameters and optical radiation generated by 280 mm long laboratory sparks

Discussed here is the optical radiation generated by 280 mm long laboratory discharges and its relationship to the current flowing in the discharge channel. In an experiment, the optical radiation generated by the discharges was measured at wavelengths 777nm (bandwidth 10 nm) due to O I(1), and 500 nm (bandwidth 5 nm) due to N II(19), and the broadband optical radiation between the wavelengths 400 to 1100 nm. The shape of the current waveform, which had a rise time of 0.1 microsecond and a decay time of 5 microsecond, remained the same with increasing peak value. The experiment was conducted with peak current amplitudes in the range of 1-4 kA. In order to test the effect of current rise time on the optical radiation, researchers also conducted studies with a current waveform having a 5 microsecond rise time. It was observed that the peak amplitude of the optical radiation pulse at the wavelengths mentioned above is proportional to the peak amplitude of the current flowing through the discharge channel. The rise time of the optical radiation pulse at a given wavelength does not depend significantly on the peak amplitude of the current waveform. The rise time of the optical radiation pulse decreases with decreasing wavelength. A slight increase in the decay time of the optical pulse, at a given wavelength, is observed with increasing peak amplitude of the current waveform.The results show that the rise time of the optical radiation pulse increases with the increasing rise time of the current waveform. The relationship between peak current, peak optical power, and peak electrical power is studied. Also, the relationship between peak current, optical energy (400-1100 and 777 nm), and electrical energy is discussed.

Windmar, Dan↗

Modeling of single event transients with dual double-exponential current sources: Implications for logic cell characterization

Single event effects (SEE) are a reliability concern for modern microelectronics. Bit corruptions can be caused by single event upsets (SEUs) in the storage cells or by sampling single event transients (SETs) from a logic path. Likewise, an accurate prediction of soft error susceptibility from SETs requires good models to convert collected charge into compact descriptions of the current injection process. This paper describes a simple, yet effective, method to model the current waveform resulting from a charge collection event for SET circuit simulations. The model uses two double-exponential current sources in parallel, and the results illustrate why a conventional model based on one double-exponential source can be incomplete. Furthermore, a small set of logic cells with varying input conditions, drive strength, and output loading are simulated to extract the parameters for the dual double-exponential current sources. As a result, the parameters are based upon both the node capacitance and the restoring current (i.e., drive strength) of the logic cell.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Local Infrasound Variability Related to In Situ Atmospheric Observation

Abstract Local infrasound is widely used to constrain source parameters of near‐surface events (e.g., chemical explosions and volcanic eruptions). While atmospheric conditions are critical to infrasound propagation and source parameter inversion, local atmospheric variability is often ignored by assuming homogeneous atmospheres, and their impact on the source inversion uncertainty has never been accounted for due to the lack of quantitative understanding of infrasound variability. We investigate atmospheric impacts on local infrasound propagation by repeated explosion experiments with a dense acoustic network and in situ atmospheric measurement. We perform full 3‐D waveform simulations with local atmospheric data and numerical weather forecast model to quantify atmosphere‐dependent infrasound variability and address the advantage and restriction of local weather data/numerical weather model for sound propagation simulation. Numerical simulations with stochastic atmosphere models also showed nonnegligible influence of atmospheric heterogeneity on infrasound amplitude, suggesting an important role of local turbulence.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Detecting eccentric supermassive black hole binaries with pulsar timing arrays: Resolvable source strategies

The couplings between supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) and their environments within galactic nuclei have been well studied as part of the search for solutions to the final parsec problem. The scattering of stars by the binary or the interaction with a circumbinary disk may efficiently drive the system to sub-parsec separations, allowing the binary to enter a regime where the emission of gravitational waves can drive it to merger within a Hubble time. However, these interactions can also affect the orbital parameters of the binary. In particular, they may drive an increase in binary eccentricity which survives until the system’s gravitational-wave (GW) signal enters the pulsar-timing array (PTA) band. Therefore, if we can measure the eccentricity from observed signals, we can potentially deduce some of the properties of the binary environment. To this end, we build on previous techniques to present a general Bayesian pipeline with which we can detect and estimate the parameters of an eccentric SMBHB system with PTAs. Additionally, we generalize the PTA F{sub e}-statistic to eccentric systems, and show that both this statistic and the Bayesian pipeline are robust when studying circular or arbitrarily eccentric systems. We explore how eccentricity influences the detection prospects of single GW sources, as well as the detection penalty incurred by employing a circular waveform template to search for eccentric signals, and conclude by identifying important avenues for future study.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Mission Status, On-Orbit Performance, and Lessons Learned of the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Lidar Laser Transmitters

The Global Ecosystems Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Lidar, is a global 3-dimensional biomass lidar instrument aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). Its core mission is to measure the global carbon balance of Earth’s forests with 3 laser transmitters using multi-beam waveform-capture methods. GEDI’s laser transmitter concept was originally funded by NASA Goddard’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) for future Earth Altimetry and Lidar missions ~ 20 years ago, and after a long road of development, the first flight-ready unit was a 10 mJ-class system for GEDI’s ISS-based specifications. Furthermore, no adjustment in drive parameters has been required nor significant decay detected after 4 years of near continuous operation of 3 on-board lasers, which were designed for a 2-year mission. We report on the GEDI laser design process, their on-orbit performance, the major lessons learned, and some critical insight into our in-house flight quality development process that enabled their delivery within budget, schedule, and low risk extended mission life capability.

D. Barry Coyle↗

Seismoacoustic Analysis of Chemical Explosions at the Nevada National Security Site

In recent years, two sets of chemical explosions have been conducted at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS): 6 explosions from Phase I of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE) and 4 explosions from the Forensics Surface Events (FSE). We have estimated the explosive yield and depth-of-burial/height-of-burst of both from the synthesis of seismic and low-frequency acoustic data. Analysis of the seismic signal is performed using a waveform envelope technique. Using seismic data only, however, there is a tradeoff between the yield and depth or height of the explosion, which becomes especially acute for near-surface events. This tradeoff between yield and depth/height can be broken by including complementary analysis of the acoustic signal using the acoustic waveform inversion method. The acoustic signal also has a strong tradeoff between a yield and depth/height, but the slope is opposite that of the seismic for near-surface events. We use a likelihood function to combine the seismic and acoustic analysis and improve our estimates of yield and depth/height for these sets of explosions. The results are generally consistent with the known parameters, but can be improved upon by higher-frequency seismic analysis and improved acoustic impulse scaling for large scaled depths-of-burial. These events serve as prime examples of data fusion from multiple data streams. The challenge will be to apply the method to events at longer regional distances where the seismic signals will include phases traveling in the upper mantle, and the acoustic signals will be recorded as infrasound signals, which are subject to atmospheric variability.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Discrete solitons and vortices in anisotropic hexagonal and honeycomb lattices

We consider the self-focusing discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation on hexagonal and honeycomb lattice geometries. Our emphasis is on the study of the effects of anisotropy, motivated by the tunability afforded in recent optical and atomic physics experiments. We find that multi-soliton and discrete vortex states undergo destabilizing bifurcations as the relevant anisotropy control parameter is varied. Furthermore, we quantify these bifurcations by means of explicit analytical calculations of the solutions, as well as of their spectral linearization eigenvalues. Finally, we corroborate the relevant stability picture through direct numerical computations. In the latter, we observe the prototypical manifestation of these instabilities to be the spontaneous rearrangement of the solution, for larger values of the coupling, into localized waveforms typically centered over fewer sites than the original unstable structure. In weak coupling, the instability appears to result in a robust breathing of the relevant waveforms.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

TH-C-18A-11: Investigating the Minimum Scan Parameters Required to Generate Free-Breathing Fast-Helical CT Scans Without Motion-Artifacts

Purpose: A recently proposed 4D-CT protocol uses deformable registration of free-breathing fast-helical CT scans to generate a breathing motion model. In order to allow accurate registration, free-breathing images are required to be free of doubling-artifacts, which arise when tissue motion is greater than scan speed. This work identifies the minimum scanner parameters required to successfully generate free-breathing fast-helical scans without doubling-artifacts. Methods: 10 patients were imaged under free breathing conditions 25 times in alternating directions with a 64-slice CT scanner using a low dose fast helical protocol. A high temporal resolution (0.1s) 4D-CT was generated using a patient specific motion model and patient breathing waveforms, and used as the input for a scanner simulation. Forward projections were calculated using helical cone-beam geometry (800 projections per rotation) and a GPU accelerated reconstruction algorithm was implemented. Various CT scanner detector widths and rotation times were simulated, and verified using a motion phantom. Doubling-artifacts were quantified in patient images using structural similarity maps to determine the similarity between axial slices. Results: Increasing amounts of doubling-artifacts were observed with increasing rotation times > 0.2s for 16×1mm slice scan geometry. No significant increase in doubling artifacts was observed for 64×1mm slice scan geometry up to 1.0s rotation time although blurring artifacts were observed >0.6s. Using a 16×1mm slice scan geometry, a rotation time of less than 0.3s (53mm/s scan speed) would be required to produce images of similar quality to a 64×1mm slice scan geometry. Conclusion: The current generation of 16 slice CT scanners, which are present in most Radiation Oncology departments, are not capable of generating free-breathing sorting-artifact-free images in the majority of patients. The next generation of CT scanners should be capable of at least 53mm/s scan speed in order to use a fast-helical 4D-CT protocol to generate a motion-artifact free 4D-CT. NIH R01CA096679.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

The Influence of Carbon Fiber Composite Specimen Design Parameters on Artificial Lightning Strike Current Dissipation and Material Thermal Damage

Previous artificial lightning strike direct effect research has examined a broad range of specimen design parameters. No works have studied how such specimen design parameters and electrical boundary conditions impact the dissipation of electric current flow through individual plies. This article assesses the influence of carbon fiber composite specimen design parameters (design parameters = specimen size, shape, and stacking sequence) and electrical boundary conditions on the dissipation of current and the spread of damage resulting from Joule heating. Thermal-electric finite element (FE) modelling is used and laboratory scale (<1 m long) and aircraft scale (>1 m long) models are generated in which laminated ply current dissipation is predicted, considering a fixed artificial lightning current waveform. The simulation results establish a positive correlation between the current exiting the specimen from a given ply and the amount of thermal damage in that ply. The results also establish that the distance to ground, from the strike location to the zero potential boundary conditions (ground), is the controlling factor which dictates the electric current dissipation in each ply. Significantly, this distance to ground is dependent on each of the specimen shape, dimensions, stacking sequence, and location of ground boundary conditions. Therefore, it is not possible to decouple current dissipation and damage from specimen design and boundary condition setup. However, it is possible to define a specimen size for a given specimen shape, stacking sequence, and waveform which limit the influence of specimen dimensions on the resulting current distribution and damage. For a rectangular specimen design which appears in literature multiple times, as 100 × 150 mm and with a stacking sequence of [45/0/-45/90] 4s , a specimen design of greater than 300 × 200 mm is required to limit the influence of specimen dimensions on current distribution and damage.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Arc Parameter Modeling (Arc Breakdown Experiments and Modeling: Confined Geometries and Alternate Gap Materials)

Sandia Nationa.l Laboratories (SNL) and The Boeing Company (Boeing) collaborated on this PTS to develop the capability to predict thermal and electrical characteristics of short arcs that may appear in equipment subjected to transient currents of hundreds or thousands of amperes. The final tasks of this CRADA included experiments and computer simulations used to investigate the effect of an arc breakdown between two planar electrodes and confined by various potting materials. The arc is generated by a current waveform with a rise of 8 μs and a 20 μs fall time. Voltage, current and light emissions are recorded. The developing shock wave is observed with an optical fiber embedded in the potting material and recorded using a photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV) diagnostic system. The experiments were modeled using the ALEGRA-MHD simulation code and comparisons are made between the experiments and simulations. This product contains Protected CRADA Information which was produced December 2015 under CRADA No. 1651. l 5 and is not to be further disclosed for a period of 5 years from the date it was produced except as expressly provided for in the CRADA. Further dissemination only as authorized by the originating partners: the Boeing Company and Sandia National Laboratories Radiation Sciences Center, or higher U.S. Department of Energy programmatic authority. Please note that the project leads from both SNL and Boeing have all retired or left for other reasons at the time of the creation of this document. The final project manager collected information for this document from the final proposal and the final report.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Design and optimization of Artificial Neural Networks for the modelling of superconducting magnets operation in tokamak fusion reactors

In superconducting tokamaks, the cryoplant provides the helium needed to cool different clients, among which by far the most important one is the superconducting magnet system. The evaluation of the transient heat load from the magnets to the cryoplant is fundamental for the design of the latter and the assessment of suitable strategies to smooth the heat load pulses, induced by the intrinsically pulsed plasma scenarios characteristic of today's tokamaks, is crucial for both suitable sizing and stable operation of the cryoplant. For that evaluation, accurate but expensive system-level models, as implemented in e.g. the validated state-of-the-art 4C code, were developed in the past, including both the magnets and the respective external cryogenic cooling circuits. Here we show how these models can be successfully substituted with cheaper ones, where the magnets are described by suitably trained Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) for the evaluation of the heat load to the cryoplant. First, two simplified thermal-hydraulic models for an ITER Toroidal Field (TF) magnet and for the ITER Central Solenoid (CS) are developed, based on ANNs, and a detailed analysis of the chosen networks' topology and parameters is presented and discussed. The ANNs are then inserted into the 4C model of the ITER TF and CS cooling circuits, which also includes active controls to achieve a smoothing of the variation of the heat load to the cryoplant. The training of the ANNs is achieved using the results of full 4C simulations (including detailed models of the magnets) for conventional sigmoid-like waveforms of the drivers and the predictive capabilities of the ANN-based models in the case of actual ITER operating scenarios are demonstrated by comparison with the results of full 4C runs, both with and without active smoothing, in terms of both accuracy and computational time. Exploiting the low computational effort requested by the ANN-based models, a demonstrative optimization study has been finally carried out, with the aim of choosing among different smoothing strategies for the standard ITER plasma operation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Helicopter model rotor-blade vortex interaction impulsive noise: Scalability and parametric variations

Acoustic data taken in the anechoic Deutsch-Niederlaendischer Windkanal (DNW) have documented the blade vortex interaction (BVI) impulsive noise radiated from a 1/7-scale model main rotor of the AH-1 series helicopter. Averaged model scale data were compared with averaged full scale, inflight acoustic data under similar nondimensional test conditions. At low advance ratios (mu = 0.164 to 0.194), the data scale remarkable well in level and waveform shape, and also duplicate the directivity pattern of BVI impulsive noise. At moderate advance ratios (mu = 0.224 to 0.270), the scaling deteriorates, suggesting that the model scale rotor is not adequately simulating the full scale BVI noise; presently, no proved explanation of this discrepancy exists. Carefully performed parametric variations over a complete matrix of testing conditions have shown that all of the four governing nondimensional parameters - tip Mach number at hover, advance ratio, local inflow ratio, and thrust coefficient - are highly sensitive to BVI noise radiation.

Splettstoesser, W. R.↗

Helicopter model rotor-blade vortex interaction impulsive noise - Scalability and parametric variations

Acoustic data taken in the anechoic Deutsch-Niederlaendischer Windkanal (DNW) have documented the blade vortex interaction (BVI) impulsive noise radiated from a 1/7-scale model main rotor of the AH-1 series helicopter. Averaged model scale data were compared with averaged full scale, inflight acoustic data under similar nondimensional test conditions. At low advance ratios (mu = 0.164 to 0.194), the data scale remarkable well in level and waveform shape, and also duplicate the directivity pattern of BVI impulsive noise. At moderate advance ratios (mu = 0.224 to 0.270), the scalig deteriorates, suggesting that the model scale rotor is not adequately simulating the full scale BVI noise; presently, no proved explanation of this discrepancy exists. Carefully performed parametric variations over a complete matrix of testing conditions have shown that all of the four governing nondimensional parameters - tip Mach number at hover, advance ratio, local inflow ratio, and thrust coefficient - are highly sensitive to BVI noise radiation.

Boxwell, D. A.↗

Downlink Receiver Algorithms for Deep Space Optical Communications

The goal of the Deep Space Optical Communications project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is to demonstrate laser communication links at ranges out to approximately 3 AU. In this paper, we discuss a downlink receiver concept capable of demodulating optical pulse-position modulated (PPM) waveforms with data rates varying from approximately 50 kbps up to 265 Mbps, using a range of PPM orders, slot widths, and code rates. The receiver operates on recorded timestamps corresponding to the times-of-arrival of photons detected by a photon-counting detector array followed by a commercial time-tagger. Algorithms are presented for slot, symbol, and frame synchronization as well as parameter estimation. Estimates of link performance are evaluated through Monte- Carlo simulation for an optical channel that includes optical losses, detector blocking, signal clock dynamics, and pointing-induced downlink fades. Based upon these simulation results, it is expected that link closure may be achieved with at least 3 dB of margin under a variety of relevant conditions.

Tkacenko, Andre↗