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We have described a challenging neural-network hardware implementation that would mate a 64x64-pixel infrared sensor directly on to a 3-dimensionally packaged set of neural processing chips with parallel input for high speed image processing. Non linearity effects and range compression are also discussed.
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The ionic liquids (ILs) 1-butyl-3-methylimidizolium chloride (C4mim-C1), 1-butyl-3- methylimidizolium diethyleneglycol monomethylethersulfate ([C4mim]DEMGS), and 1-butyl-1 -methylpyrollidinium dihydrogenphosphate ([p1,4]dhp) were tested for their effects on the crystallization of the proteins canavalin, beta-lactoglobulin B, xylanase, and glucose isomerase, using a standard high throughput screen. The crystallization experiments were set up with the ILs added to the protein solutions at 0.2 and 0.4 M final concentrations. Crystallization droplets were set up at three proteixprecipitant ratios (1:1, 2:1, and 4:l), which served to progressively dilute the effects of the screen components while increasing the equilibrium protein and IL concentrations. Crystals were obtained for all four proteins at a number of conditions where they were not obtained from the IL-free control experiment. Over half of the protein-IL combinations tested had more successful outcomes than negative, where the IL-free crystallization was better than the corresponding IL-containing outcome, relative to the control. One of the most common causes of a negative outcome was solubilization of the protein by the IL, resulting in a clear drop. In one instance, we were able to use the IL-induced solubilizing to obtain beta-lactoglobulin B crystals from conditions that gave precipitated protein in the absence of IL. The results suggest that it may be feasible to develop ILs specifically for the task of macromolecule crystallization.
Three shapes of tensile specimens were tested--curved with a very low stress concentration factor and straight with either a circular hole or an elliptical hole. The nominal thickness was 125 micron with a net section 100 micron wide; the overall length of these microspecimens was 3.1 mm. They were fabricated by an improved version of deep reactive ion etching, which produced specimens with smooth sidewalls and cross-sections having a slightly trapezoidal shape that was exaggerated inside the holes. The novel test setup used a vertical load train extending into a resistance furnace. The specimens had wedge-shaped ends which fit into ceramic grips. The fixed grip was mounted on a ceramic post, and the movable grip was connected to a load cell and actuator outside the furnace with a ceramic-encased nichrome wire. The same arrangement was used for tests at 24 and at 1000 C. The strengths of the curved specimens for two batches of material (made with slightly different processes) were 0.66+/-0.12 GPa and 0.45+/-0.20 GPa respectively at 24 C with identical values at 1000 C. The fracture strengths of the circular-hole and elliptical-hole specimens (computed from the stress concentration factors and measured loads at failure) were approximately 1.2 GPa with slight decreases at the higher temperature. Fractographic examinations showed failures initiating on the surface--primarily at corners. Weibull predictions of fracture strengths for the hole specimens based on the properties of the curved specimens were reasonably effective for the circular holes, but not for the elliptical holes.
We report measured Lorentz O2-broadening and O2-induced pressure-shift coefficients of CH3D in the nu(exp 2) fundamental band. Using a multispectrum fitting technique we have analyzed 11 laboratory absorption spectra recorded at 0.011 cm(exp 1) resolution using the McMath-Pierce Fourier transform spectrometer, Kitt Peak, Arizona. Two absorption cells with path lengths of 10.2 and 25 cm were used to record the spectra. The total sample pressures ranged from 0.98 to 339.85 Torr with CH3D volume mixing ratios of 0.012 in oxygen. We report measurements for O2 pressure-broadening coefficients of 320 nu(exp 2) transitions with quantum numbers as high as J0(sup w) = 17 and K = 14, where K(sup w) = K' is equivalent to K (for a parallel band). The measured O2-broadening coefficients range from 0.0153 to 0.0645 cm(exp -1) atm(exp -1) at 296 K. All the measured pressure-shifts are negative. The reported O2-induced pressure-shift coefficients vary from about -0.0017 to -0.0068 cm(exp -1) atm(exp -1). We have examined the dependence of the measured broadening and shift parameters on the J(sup W), and K quantum numbers and also developed empirical expressions to describe the broadening coefficients in terms of m (m = -J(sup W), J(sup W), and J(sup w) + 1 in the QP-, QQ-, and QR-branch, respectively) and K. On average, the empirical expressions reproduce the measured broadening coefficients to within 4.4%. The O2-broadening and pressure shift coefficients were calculated on the basis of a semiclassical model of interacting linear molecules performed by considering in addition to the electrostatic contributions the atom-atom Lennard-Jones potential. The theoretical results of the broadening coefficients are generally larger than the experimental data. Using for the trajectory model an isotropic Lennard-Jones potential derived from molecular parameters instead of the spherical average of the atom-atom model, a better agreement is obtained with these data, especially for |m| <= 12 values (11.3% for the first calculation and 8.1% for the second calculation). The O2-pressure shifts whose vibrational contribution are either derived from parameters fitted in the QQ-branch of selfinduced shifts of CH3D or those obtained from pressure shifts induced by Xe in the nu(sup 3) band of CH3D are in reasonable agreement with the scattered experimental data (17.0% for the first calculation and 18.7% for the second calculation).
This slide presentation reviews 4 biomedical challenges that are involved in long duration lunar habitation: dust, radiation, hypogravity and synergistic effects. The first two of these challenges are reviewed with more in-depth information. The dangers of dust relate to the particle deposition in the lungs. The dangers of radiation are related to the permissible exposure limit (PEL) and the Risk of Exposure Induced Death (REID), a statistical approach pegged to a single radiation effect: Death from cancer directly attributable to the exposure. There has been a realization that radiation is more harmful than predicted. This is demonstrated by showing the change in the recommended career dose limits, have changed between 1989 and 2000.
NASA s Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) field test is a demonstration that combines operations development, technology advances and science in analog planetary surface conditions. The focus is testing preliminary operational concepts for extravehicular activity (EVA) systems by providing hands-on experience with simulated surface operations and EVA hardware and procedures. The DRATS activities also develop technical skills and experience for the engineers, scientists, technicians, and astronauts responsible for realizing the goals of the Lunar Surface Systems Program. The 2009 test is the twelfth for the D-RATS team.
An apparatus allows the measurement of the thermal conductance across a thin sample clamped between metal plates, including thermal boundary resistances. It allows in-situ variation of the clamping force from zero to 30 lb (133.4 N), and variation of the sample temperature between 40 and 300 K. It has a special design feature that minimizes the effect of thermal radiation on this measurement. The apparatus includes a heater plate sandwiched between two identical thin samples. On the side of each sample opposite the heater plate is a cold plate. In order to take data, the heater plate is controlled at a slightly higher temperature than the two cold plates, which are controlled at a single lower temperature. The steady-state controlling power supplied to the hot plate, the area and thickness of samples, and the temperature drop across the samples are then used in a simple calculation of the thermal conductance. The conductance measurements can be taken at arbitrary temperatures down to about 40 K, as the entire setup is cooled by a mechanical cryocooler. The specific geometry combined with the pneumatic clamping force control system and the steady-state temperature control approach make this a unique apparatus.
NASA's Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) field test is a demonstration that combines operations development, technology advances and science in analog planetary surface conditions. The focus is testing preliminary operational concepts for extravehicular activity (EVA) systems by providing hands-on experience with simulated surface operations and EVA hardware and procedures. The DRATS activities also develop technical skills and experience for the engineers, scientists, technicians, and astronauts responsible for realizing the goals of the Lunar Surface Systems Program. The 2009 test is the twelfth for the D-RATS team.
Compact, highly efficient, 3.0 to 3.4 m light emitters are in demand for spectroscopic analysis and identification of chemical substances (including methane and formaldehyde), infrared countermeasures technologies, and development of advanced infrared scene projectors. The need for these light emitters can be currently addressed either by bulky solid-state light emitters with limited power conversion efficiency, or cooled Interband Cascade (IC) semiconductor lasers. Researchers here have developed a breakthrough approach to fabrication of diode mid-IR lasers that have several advantages over IC lasers used for the Mars 2009 mission. This breakthrough is due to a novel design utilizing the strain-engineered quantum-well (QW) active region and quinternary barriers, and due to optimization of device material composition and growth conditions (growth temperatures and rates). However, in their present form, these GaSb-based laser diodes cannot be directly used as a part of sensor systems. The device spectrum is too broad to perform spectroscopic analysis of gas species, and operating currents and voltages are too high. In the current work, the emitters were fabricated as narrow-ridge waveguide index-guided lasers rather than broad stripe-gain guided multimode Fabry-Perot (FP) lasers as was done previously. These narrow-ridge waveguide mid-IR lasers exhibit much lower power consumptions, and can operate in a single spatial mode that is necessary for demonstration of single-mode distributed feedback (DBF) devices for spectroscopic applications. These lasers will enable a new generation of compact, tunable diode laser spectrometers with lower power consumption, reduced complexity, and significantly reduced development costs. These lasers can be used for the detection of HCN, C2H2, methane, and ethane.
Oscillators that operate at 720 and 940 MHz and characterized over a temperature range of 25 C to 200 C and 250 C, respectively, are presented. The oscillators are designed on alumina substrates with typical integrated circuit fabrication techniques. Cree SiC MESFETs, thin film metal-insulator-metal capacitors and spiral inductors, and Johanson miniature chip antennas make-up the circuits. The output power and phase noise are presented as a function of temperature and frequency. Index Terms MESFETS, chip antennas, oscillators SiC alumina.
In this paper we discuss results from a recent high fidelity simulation of air traffic control operations with automated separation assurance in the presence of weather and time-constraints. We report findings from a human-in-the-loop study conducted in the Airspace Operations Laboratory (AOL) at the NASA Ames Research Center. During four afternoons in early 2010, fifteen active and recently retired air traffic controllers and supervisors controlled high levels of traffic in a highly automated environment during three-hour long scenarios, For each scenario, twelve air traffic controllers operated eight sector positions in two air traffic control areas and were supervised by three front line managers, Controllers worked one-hour shifts, were relieved by other controllers, took a 3D-minute break, and worked another one-hour shift. On average, twice today's traffic density was simulated with more than 2200 aircraft per traffic scenario. The scenarios were designed to create peaks and valleys in traffic density, growing and decaying convective weather areas, and expose controllers to heavy and light metering conditions. This design enabled an initial look at a broad spectrum of workload, challenge, boredom, and fatigue in an otherwise uncharted territory of future operations. In this paper we report human/system integration aspects, safety and efficiency results as well as airspace throughput, workload, and operational acceptability. We conclude that, with further refinements. air traffic control operations with ground-based automated separation assurance can be an effective and acceptable means to routinely provide very high traffic throughput in the en route airspace.
Papers published via IEEE and AIAA conferences have presented an overview of how social media could benefit NASA working environments in general and proposed three specific social applications to benefit space flight control operations. One of them, Communications Dashboard, would help a real time flight controller keep up with both the "big picture" and significant details of operations via a cohesive interface similar to those of social networking services (SNS). Instead of recreational social features, "CommDash" would support functions like console logging, categorized and threaded text chat streams with enhanced accountability and graphics display features, high-level status displays driven by telemetry or other events, and an on-screen hailing function for requesting voice or text stream conversation. Moving certain voice conversations to text streams would reduce confusion and stress in two ways. Within text conversations, there would be far less repetition of content since text conversations have visual persistence and are reviewable instantly, e.g., there s no need to brief new participants to a discussion -- they just read what s already there. Remaining voice traffic would stand out more clearly, and quieter voice loops means fewer "say again" calls and less distraction from visual and mental tasks, thus less stress. (Most flight controllers monitor 4 or 5 voice loops at once.) Links could be created from console log entries to chat selections so that underlying details are readily available yet unobtrusive. This would reduce the confusion that rises from having multiple and sometimes divergent copies of the same information due to cut/copy and paste operations, attachments, and asynchronous editing. This concept could apply to a plethora of real time control environments and to other settings with lots of information juggling. This paper explores the dashboard concept in further detail and chronicles the first phase of a NASA IT Labs (Information Technology) project that could lead to a working system
No abstract available
The Launch Control System (LCS) developed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) will be used to launch future spacecraft. Two of the many components of this system are the Application Control Language (ACL) and remote displays. ACL is a high level domain specific language that is used to write remote control applications for LCS. Remote displays are graphical user interfaces (GUIs) developed to display vehicle and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) data, they also provide the ability to send commands to control GSE and the vehicle. The remote displays and the control applications have many facets and this internship experience dealt with several of them.
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) was spin-stabilized during its cruise to Mars. We discuss the effects of spin on the radiometric data and how the orbit determination team dealt with them. Additionally, we will discuss the unplanned benefits of detailed spin modeling including attitude estimation and spacecraft clock correlation.
Ethnographers are urged to "be there", in the field, in order to gain insight about a particular culture. When the field is unreachable, or does not yet exist, the applied anthropologist must adapt their methods accordingly while maintaining the integrity of their research. The space industry presents a unique case study for such a dilemma. Drawing on Bourdieu's 1977 reflection on the structural constraints and the forming of unconscious schemes of thought imposed by the material world on the body, this paper considers the effect of the presence and absence of place in applied, collaborative anthropological work.