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At least 379 records · Page 21

Determining the Relationship between the Total and Window Channel Nighttime Radiances for the CERES Instrument

Observing Earth s radiant energy budget from space is critical to improving our understanding of Earth s climate system. The Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) was the first initiative to provide simultaneous observations of Earth s radiant energy with identical instruments flying aboard separate satellites. The design of the ERBE instrument was based upon three complementary broadband radiometers which measured the shortwave (< 5 mm), longwave (> 5 mm), and total regions of the spectrum. Since any two of the ERBE radiometers could be used to simulate the third, a three channel intercomparison, based on redundancy, was available to uncover any changes in the relative sensitivities of the individual radiometers. Such a three channel intercomparison thus provided confidence in the application of the ERBE measurements over the lifetime of the instrument while mitigating the concern over instrument degradation.

Kratz, David P.↗

Innovative Imagery System for Enhanced Habitability Onboard ISS: Desired Features and Possible Hardware Applications

With the advent of the ISS and the experience of Russian, European, and US crewmembers on Mir, the importance of the psychological element in long duration missions is increasingly recognized. An integrated imagery system or Magic Window System could enhance the habitability, performance, and productivity for long term stays in space. Because this is type of system is a new concept for space, functional and technical requirements need to be determined. As part of a three-year project, the functional and technical requirements for an Imagery System onboard the International Space Station (ISS) have been explored. Valuable information was gathered from a survey completed by participants that had been in analog environments (remote/isolated) such as Antarctica, Aquarius, ISS crewmember debriefs, and crew support meetings to identify key functions desired for an integrated Magic Window System. Exercise and medical care activities were identified as areas that could benefit from such a system. It was determined that for exercise, it was worth exploring the concept of displaying a dynamic screen that changes as the crewmember's speed changes while showing physiological measures in a combined display. In terms of enhancing the interfaces for medical care activities, the Magic Window System could show video clips along side procedures for just-in-time training scenarios through a heads-up display. In addition, the portability, usability, and reliability were stressed as important considerations for an integrated system of technologies or Magic Window System. In addition, a review of state-of-the-art screens and other existing technologies such as tablet PCs and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) was conducted and contributed to defining technical requirements and feasibility of systems. Some heuristic evaluations of large displays and PDAs were conducted. Finally, feasibility for implementation onboard ISS has been considered. Currently, specific headset units are undergoing usability testing. The outcome of these activities will be valuable to determine the best candidates for an integrated system that could accommodate different needs depending on task.

Whitmore, Mihriban↗

An Agile Design-to-Simulation Workflow Using a New Conforming Moving Least Squares Method

This report summarizes the accomplishments and challenges of a two year LDRD effort focused on improving design-to-simulation agility. The central bottleneck in most solid mechanics simulations is the process of taking CAD geometry and creating a discretization of suitable quality, i.e., the "meshing" effort. This report revisits meshfree methods and documents some key advancements that allow their use on problems with complex geometries, low quality meshes, nearly incompressible materials or that involve fracture. The resulting capability was demonstrated to be an effective part of an agile simulation process by enabling rapid discretization techniques without increasing the time to obtain a solution of a given accuracy. The first enhancement addressed boundary-related challenges associated with meshfree methods. When using point clouds and Euclidean metrics to construct approximation spaces, the boundary information is lost, which results in low accuracy solutions for non-convex geometries and mate rial interfaces. This also complicates the application of essential boundary conditions. The solution involved the development of conforming window functions which use graph and boundary information to directly incorporate boundaries into the approximation space.

42 ENGINEERING↗

THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE UV LEGACY SURVEY OF GALACTIC GLOBULAR CLUSTERS. VII. IMPLICATIONS FROM THE NEARLY UNIVERSAL NATURE OF HORIZONTAL BRANCH DISCONTINUITIES

The UV-initiative Hubble Space Telescope Treasury survey of Galactic globular clusters provides a new window into the phenomena that shape the morphological features of the horizontal branch (HB). Using this large and homogeneous catalog of UV and blue photometry, we demonstrate that the HB exhibits discontinuities that are remarkably consistent in color (effective temperature). This consistency is apparent even among some of the most massive clusters hosting multiple distinct sub-populations (such as NGC 2808, ω Cen, and NGC 6715), demonstrating that these phenomena are primarily driven by atmospheric physics that is independent of the underlying population properties. However, inconsistencies arise in the metal-rich clusters NGC 6388 and NGC 6441, where the discontinuity within the blue HB (BHB) distribution shifts ∼1000–2000 K hotter. We demonstrate that this shift is likely due to a large helium enhancement in the BHB stars of these clusters, which in turn affects the surface convection and evolution of such stars. Our survey also increases the number of Galactic globular clusters known to host blue-hook stars (also known as late hot flashers) from 6 to 23 clusters. These clusters are biased toward the bright end of the globular cluster luminosity function, confirming that blue-hook stars tend to form in the most massive clusters with significant self-enrichment.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Indium Phosphide Window Layers for Indium Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells

Window layers help in reducing the surface recombination at the emitter surface of the solar cells resulting in significant improvement in energy conversion efficiency. Indium gallium arsenide (In(x)Ga(1-x)As) and related materials based solar cells are quite promising for photovoltaic and thermophotovoltaic applications. The flexibility of the change in the bandgap energy and the growth of InGaAs on different substrates make this material very attractive for multi-bandgap energy, multi-junction solar cell approaches. The high efficiency and better radiation performance of the solar cell structures based on InGaAs make them suitable for space power applications. This work investigates the suitability of indium phosphide (InP) window layers for lattice-matched In(0.53)Ga(0.47)As (bandgap energy 0.74 eV) solar cells. We present the first data on the effects of the p-type InP window layer on p-on-n lattice-matched InGaAs solar cells. The modeled quantum efficiency results show a significant improvement in the blue region with the InP window. The bare InGaAs solar cell performance suffers due to high surface recombination velocity (10(exp 7) cm/s). The large band discontinuity at the InP/InGaAs heterojunction offers a great potential barrier to minority carriers. The calculated results demonstrate that the InP window layer effectively passivates the solar cell front surface, hence resulting in reduced surface recombination and therefore, significantly improving the performance of the InGaAs solar cell.

Jain, Raj K.↗

Technology Applications that Support Space Exploration

Several enabling technologies have been identified that would provide significant benefits for future space exploration. In-Space demonstrations should be chosen so that these technologies will have a timely opportunity to improve efficiencies and reduce risks for future spaceflight. An early window exists to conduct ground and flight demonstrations that make use of existing assets that were developed for the Space Shuttle and the Constellation programs. The work could be mostly performed using residual program civil servants, existing facilities and current commercial launch capabilities. Partnering these abilities with the emerging commercial sector, along with other government agencies, academia and with international partners would provide an affordable and timely approach to get the launch costs down for these payloads, while increasing the derived benefits to a larger community. There is a wide scope of varied technologies that are being considered to help future space exploration. However, the cost and schedule would be prohibitive to demonstrate all these in the near term. Determining which technologies would yield the best return in meeting our future space needs is critical to building an achievable Space Architecture that allows exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit. The best mix of technologies is clearly to be based on our future needs, but also must take into account the availability of existing assets and supporting partners. Selecting those technologies that have complimentary applications will provide the most knowledge, with reasonable cost, for future use The plan is to develop those applications that not only mature the technology but actually perform a useful task or mission. These might include such functions as satellite servicing, a propulsion stage, processing lunar regolith, generating and transmitting solar power, cryogenic fluid transfer and storage and artificial gravity. Applications have been selected for assessment for future consideration and are addressed in this paper. These applications have been made available to the various NASA study groups that are determining the next steps the Agency must take to secure a sound foundation for future space exploration The paper also addresses how follow-on demonstrations, as launch performance grows, can build on the earlier applications to provide increased benefits for both the commercial and scientific communities. The architecture of incrementally building upon previous successes and insights dramatically lowers the overall associated risk for developing and maturing the key enabling technologies. The goal is to establish a potential business case that encourages commercial activity, thereby reducing the cost for the demonstration while using the technology maturation in developing readiness for future space exploration with overall less risk.

Henderson, Edward M.↗

Projected performance of III-V epitaxial multijunction solar cells in space

The monolithic epitaxial multijunction stack, to be fabricated from III-V quaternary alloys, has been analyzed for use in space with a detailed computer model. AlGaInAs and AlGaAsSb three-junction cells, each having an AlAsSb window, were modeled as functions of temperature, concentration, minority carrier diffusion length, etc., as were AlGaAs/GaAs and AlGaAsSb/InP two-junction cells. Cell efficiencies for one expected operating point in space (50 suns, 125 C) were around 20% for the two-junction cells and around 23-24% for the three-junction cells, using projected minority carrier diffusion lengths of 1.5 microns. Longer diffusion lengths in the III-V alloys (approaching those of GaAs) would allow the three-junction cells to reach 30% efficiency, if such conditions as 100 suns, 50 C can be achieved. The major technological challenges facing the high-efficiency multijunction cell are summarized and discussed in light of the modeling results.

Maloney, T. J.↗

Optical Evaluation of DMDs with UV-Grade FS, Sapphire, MgF2 Windows and Reflectance of Bare Devices

Digital Micro-mirror Devices (DMDs) have been identified as an alternative to microshutter arrays for space-based multi-object spectrometers (MOS). Specifically, the MOS at the heart of a proposed Galactic Evolution Spectroscopic Explorer (GESE) that uses the DMD as a reprogrammable slit mask. Unfortunately, the protective borosilicate windows limit the use of DMDs in the UV and IR regimes, where the glass has insufficient throughput. In this work, we present our efforts to replace standard DMD windows with custom windows made from UV-grade fused silica, Low Absorption Optical Sapphire (LAOS) and magnesium fluoride. We present reflectance measurements of the antireflection coated windows and a reflectance study of the DMDs active area (window removed). Furthermore, we investigated the long-term stability of the DMD reflectance and recoating device with fresh Al coatings.

Quijada, Manuel A.↗

Ensemble Data Assimilation Without Ensembles: Methodology and Application to Ocean Data Assimilation

Two methods to estimate background error covariances for data assimilation are introduced. While both share properties with the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF), they differ from it in that they do not require the integration of multiple model trajectories. Instead, all the necessary covariance information is obtained from a single model integration. The first method is referred-to as SAFE (Space Adaptive Forecast error Estimation) because it estimates error covariances from the spatial distribution of model variables within a single state vector. It can thus be thought of as sampling an ensemble in space. The second method, named FAST (Flow Adaptive error Statistics from a Time series), constructs an ensemble sampled from a moving window along a model trajectory. The underlying assumption in these methods is that forecast errors in data assimilation are primarily phase errors in space and/or time.

Data Assimilation↗

Cognitive Assessment in Long-Duration Space Flight

This slide presentation reviews the development and use of a tool for assessing spaceflight cognitive ability in astronauts. This tool. the Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) has been used to provide ISS flight surgeons with an objective clinical tool to monitor the astronauts cognitive status during long-duration space flight and allow immediate feedback to the astronaut. Its use is medically required for all long-duration missions and it contains a battery of five cognitive assessment subtests that are scheduled monthly and compared against the individual preflight baseline.

Kane, Robert↗

State-Space Model to Estimate Salmon Escapement Using Multiple Data Sources

Abstract Accurate estimates of salmonids passing Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, by species and origin, are a critical input to assessing the status and trends of various populations as well as successful management of fisheries in the Snake River basin. Here, we describe a state-space model that estimates such escapement past a dam by using window counts, PIT tag observations, and data from an adult fish trap, accounting for issues such as nighttime passage, fallback and reascension, potential observation error at the window, and uncertainty in the adult trap rate. We tested the approach using a simulation framework that mimicked several levels of observation error, differences between nighttime passage and reascension rates, and the possibility of the adult trap being closed for some period of time. Our results demonstrate that the model produced unbiased estimates across all tested scenarios. We also applied this model to empirical data from Lower Granite Dam to produce estimates of wild, clipped hatchery, and unclipped hatchery spring/summer-run Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and steelhead O. mykiss from spawn years 2010–2019.

See, Kevin E. (ORCID:0000000297626442)↗

Perturbativity constraints on U(1) B-L and left-right models and implications for heavy gauge boson searches

We derive perturbativity constraints on beyond standard model scenarios with extra gauge groups, such as SU(2) or U(1), whose generators contribute to the electric charge, and show that there are both upper and lower limits on the additional gauge couplings, from the requirement that the couplings remain perturbative up to the grand unification theory (GUT) scale. This leads to stringent constraints on the masses of the corresponding gauge bosons and their collider phenomenology. We specifically focus on the models based on SU(2) L × U(1) I 3R × U(1) B-L and the left-right symmetric models based on SU(2) L × SU(2) R × U(1) B-L , and discuss the implications of the perturbativity constraints for new gauge boson searches at current and future colliders. In particular, we find that the stringent flavor constraints in the scalar sector of left-right model set a lower bound on the right-handed scale v R ≳ 10 TeV, if all the gauge and quartic couplings are to remain perturbative up to the GUT scale. This precludes the prospects of finding the Z R boson in the left-right model at the LHC, even in the high-luminosity phase, and leaves only a narrow window for the W R boson. A much broader allowed parameter space, with the right-handed scale v R up to ≃ 87 TeV, could be probed at the future 100 TeV collider.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Time dependent supervisory control update with FARM using rolling window

This report describes improvements to the Feasible Actuator Range Modifier (FARM) component of the RAVEN-based HYBRID framework for analysis of Integrated Energy Systems (IES). FARM supports the HERON plug-in that solves the power dispatch problem. The solution to the dispatch problem involves economically optimal dispatches that satisfy limits on production variables and their rates of variation (explicit constraints) as well as process variables tied to the service life of equipment (implicit constraints). FARM serves to validate or confirm that a HERON solution for explicit constraints also satisfies the implicit constraints. FARM-alpha was released by Argonne National Laboratory in January 2021 followed by FARM-Beta in January 2022 with the latter providing increased flexibility for the user. In this report, FARM-Gamma, the latest version of the code, is described. The major improvement is the implementation of a system identification algorithm based on the Dynamic Mode Decomposition with Control (DMDc) coupled with a “Rolling Window” scheme that allows obtaining linear time-varying state-space models. This feature equips FARM with the most accurate approximation of system dynamics, and it relieves the user from the burden of performing an exhaustive off-line characterization of the dynamics. FARM-Gamma capabilities are assessed by solving the power dispatch problem for a representative IES unit. The simulation times corresponding to the different releases are estimated and compared. These values capture the increasing computational burden of the successively higher fidelity state-space models adopted by FARM-Alpha, FARM-Beta and FARM-Gamma. The code implementation provides significant flexibility, i.e., the user can always select the most suitable version of FARM according to the problem to be solved and the available computational resources. It is anticipated that FARM will play a role in addressing several future IES applications. We outline how it can support the coordinated management and safe operation of a nuclear plant coupled to industrial processes to produce hydrogen and synfuels.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Development and evaluation of television tubes for space astronomy

An improved vidicon image sensor for space astronomy applications is developed that features reliably sealed ultraviolet transmitting windows and achieves acceptable photocathode quantum efficiency on these MgF2 windows. New preamplifier designs improve the dynamic range by reduction of the readout noise.

Spitzer, L.↗

Transportation Systems Analyses (TSA): Highly Reusable Space Transportation (HRST). A preliminary programmatic assessment

This report overviews the strategic implications of the Highly Reusable Space Transportation (HRST) program. The analysis postulates the anticipated HRST market (window is 2006-30, with a 2015 focus). Next the analysis speculates on market 'price of entry' for several potential markets. HRST is envisioned as a NASA overlay to either the STS modernization or the on-going RLV initiative. Three NASA options are reviewed. An example HRST program (MagLifter + RBCC RLV) is assessed in terms of financial/political issues. The merits of HRST-vs-RLV are briefly examined. Finally, a Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) HRST application is reviewed.

Duffey, Jack↗

Space Discovery: Teaching with Space. Evaluation: Summer, Fall 1998 Programs

This is the final report of the 1998 NASA-sponsored evaluation of the effectiveness of the United States Space Foundation's five-day Space Discovery Standard Graduate Course (Living and Working in Space), the five-day Space Discovery Advanced Graduate Course (Advanced Technology and Biomedical Research), the five-day introductory course Aviation and Space Basics all conducted during the summer of 1998, and the Teaching with Space two-day Inservice program. The purpose of the program is to motivate and equip K- 12 teachers to use proven student-attracting space and technology concepts to support standard curriculum. These programs support the America 2000 National Educational Goals, encouraging more students to stay in school, increase in competence, and have a better opportunity to be attracted to math and science. The 1998 research program continues the comprehensive evaluation begun in 1992, this year studying five summer five-day sessions and five Inservice programs offered during the Fall of 1998 in California, Colorado, New York, and Virginia. A comprehensive research design by Dr. Robert Ewell of Creative Solutions and Dr. Darwyn Linder of Arizona State University evaluated the effectiveness of various areas of the program and its applicability on diverse groups. Preliminary research methodology was a set of survey instruments administered after the courses, and another to be sent in April-4-5 months following the last inservice involved in this study. This year, we have departed from this evaluation design in two ways. First, the five-day programs used NASA's new EDCATS on-line system and associated survey rather than the Linder/Ewell instruments. The Inservice programs were evaluated using the previously developed survey adapted for Inservice programs. Second, we did not do a follow-on survey of the teachers after they had been in the field as we have done in the past. Therefore, this evaluation captures only the reactions of the teachers to the programs immediately after the instruction. Although EDCATS is designed for teachers to enter their data logged onto the appropriate internet web site, most surveys were completed on a printed copy and entered into the EDCATS system by USSF personnel. The Aviation and Space Basics class were taken to a computer lab where they responded to the survey on-line. Data from the Inservice surveys were manually entered into a computer spreadsheet program by US Space Foundation personnel and processed using the statistical program SPSS for Windows. The raw data and copy of the EDCATS survey for the five-day programs are in Appendix 1. The raw data and copy of the Inservice survey are in Appendix 2. Comments from both programs are in Appendices 3 and 4, respectively.

Ewell, Bob↗

An experiment using life-size HDTV

We report on an exploratory study using life-size HDTV to create a window across meeting rooms to connect project teams designing the same space mission.

collaboration HDTV↗