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At least 433 records · Page 24

Brightness, density, and color profiles of three globular clusters - NGC 6440, 6541, and 7099

Using short-exposure SEC television camera observations, the radial distribution profiles of surface brightness, B-V colors and star densities are determined in three globular clusters, NGC 6440, 6541 and 7099, from about 2-200 arc sec from the cluster centers. Good agreement is found between the surface-brightness profiles and the star-density distributions; both can be fitted well with a King-type curve, and no significant evidence for a presence of cusp at r greater then 3 arc sec is observed. Also determined for the three clusters were central surface brightnesses, core radii, central mass densities, total cluster masses, relaxation times and central escape velocities. In addition, an upper limit of 5000 solar masses is placed on the mass of a possible central black hole in these clusters.

Williams, T. B.↗

Earth observations during Space Shuttle flight STS-29 - Discovery's voyage to the earth

The environmental, geologic, meteorologic, and oceanographic phenomena documented by earth photography during the Space Shuttle STS-29 mission are reviewed. A map of the nadir point positions of earth-viewing photographs from the mission is given and color photographs of various regions are presented. The mission photographs include atmospheric dust and smoke over parts of Africa and Asia, Sahelian water sites, center pivot irrigation fields in the Middle East, urban smog over Mexico City, isolated burning in the Bolivian Amazon, and various ocean features and cloud formations.

Lulla, Kamlesh↗

Very low mass stars and white dwarfs in NGC 6397

Deep Wide Field/Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) images in wide bands centered at 606 and 802 nm were taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) 4.6 min from the center of the galactic globular cluster NGC 6397. The images were used to accurately position approximately 2120 stars detected in the field on a color magnitude diagram down to a limiting magnitude m(sub 814) approximately = m(sub I) approximately = 26 determined reliably and solely by counting statistics. A white dwarf sequence and a rich, narrow cluster main sequence are detected for the first time, the latter stretching from m(sub 814) = 18.5 to m(sub 814) = 24.0 where it becomes indistinguishable from the field population. Two changes of slope of the main sequence at m(sub 814) approximately = 20 and m(sub 814) approximately = 22.5 are evident. The corresponding luminosity function increases slowly from M(sub 814) approximately = 6.5 to 8.5 are expected from ground-based observations but then drops sharply from there dwon to the measurement limit. The corresponding mass function obtained bu using the only presently available mass-luminosity function for the cluster's metallicity rises to a plateau between approximately 0.25 and approximately 0.15 solar mass, but drops toward the expected mass limit of the normal hydrogen burning main sequence at approximately 0.1 solar mass. This result is in clear contrast to that obtained from the ground and implies either a substantial modification of the cluster's initial mass function due to dynamical evolution in its lifetime, or that very low mass stars are not produced in any dynamically significant amount by clusters of this type. The white dwarf sequence is in reasonable agreement with a cooling sequence of models of mass 0.5 solar mass at the canonical distance of NGC 6397 with a scatter that is most likely due to photometric errors, but may also reflect real differences in mass or chemical composition. Contamination from unresolved galaxies, which cannot be reliably identified with our filters, makes it difficult to meaningfully compare the observed white dwarf luminosity function with its theoretical counterpart.

Paresce, Francesco↗

Correlation of lycopene measured by HPLC with the L, a, b color readings of a hydroponic tomato and the relationship of maturity with color and lycopene content

Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Laura) were separated, according to the ripening stage, by a sensory panel into seven groups, and color was measured on the tomato surface with a Minolta Chroma meter. The L, a, b, hue, chroma, and lycopene content were plotted against the maturity stages of the tomatoes, and several good correlations were found. The a/b ratio and the lycopene content were the parameters that allowed six of seven maturity groups in the tomato to be statistically distinguished. The lycopene content, measured by HPLC, was also correlated with the color measurements, and the a, a/b, and (a/b)(2) color factors produced the best regressions. An estimation of the lycopene content in tomatoes can be achieved by using a portable chroma meter, with a possible field usage application. Equations to calculate the lycopene content of tomatoes based on the color readings are reported.

Non-NASA Center↗

Exploiting the Capabilities of NASA's Giovanni System for Oceanographic Education

The NASA Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) Giovanni system [GES DISC Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure] has significant capabilities for oceanographic education and independent research utilizing ocean color radiometry data products. Giovanni allows Web-based data discovery and basic analyses, and can be used both for guided illustration of a variety of marine processes and phenomena, and for independent research investigations. Giovanni's capabilities are particularly suited for advanced secondary school science and undergraduate (college) education. This presentation will describe a variety of ways that Giovanni can be used for oceanographic education. Auxiliary information resources that can be utilized will also be described. Several testimonies of Giovanni usage for instruction will be provided, and a recent case history of Giovanni utilization for instruction and research at the undergraduate level is highlighted.

Acker, James G.↗

Quantitative Measurements of CH* Concentration in Normal Gravity and Microgravity Coflow Laminar Diffusion Flames

With the conclusion of the SLICE campaign aboard the ISS in 2012, a large amount of data was made available for the analysis of the effect of microgravity on laminar coflow diffusion flames. Previous work focused on the study of sooty flames in microgravity as well as the ability of numerical models to predict its formation in a simplified buoyancy-free environment. The current work shifts the investigation to soot-free flames, putting an emphasis on the chemiluminescence emission from electronically excited CH (CH*). This radical species is of significant interest in combustion studies: it has been shown that the CH* spatial distribution is indicative of the flame front position and, given the relatively simple diagnostic involved with its measurement, several works have been done trying to understand the ability of CH* chemiluminescence to predict the total and local flame heat release rate. In this work, a subset of the SLICE nitrogen-diluted methane flames has been considered, and the effect of fuel and coflow velocity on CH* concentration is discussed and compared with both normal gravity results and numerical simulations. Experimentally, the spectral characterization of the DSLR color camera used to acquire the flame images allowed the signal collected by the blue channel to be considered representative of the CH* emission centered around 431 nm. Due to the axisymmetric flame structure, an Abel deconvolution of the line-of-sight chemiluminescence was used to obtain the radial intensity profile and, thanks to an absolute light intensity calibration, a quantification of the CH* concentration was possible. Results show that, in microgravity, the maximum flame CH* concentration increases with the coflow velocity, but it is weakly dependent on the fuel velocity; normal gravity flames, if not lifted, tend to follow the same trend, albeit with different peak concentrations. Comparisons with numerical simulations display reasonably good agreement between measured and computed flame lengths and radii, and it is shown that the integrated CH* emission scales proportionally to the computed total heat release rate; the two-dimensional CH* spatial distribution, however, does not appear to be a good marker for the local heat release rate.

microgravity↗

Uncertainties in Coastal Ocean Color Products: Impacts of Spatial Sampling

With increasing demands for ocean color (OC) products with improved accuracy and well characterized, per-retrieval uncertainty budgets, it is vital to decompose overall estimated errors into their primary components. Amongst various contributing elements (e.g., instrument calibration, atmospheric correction, inversion algorithms) in the uncertainty of an OC observation, less attention has been paid to uncertainties associated with spatial sampling. In this paper, we simulate MODIS (aboard both Aqua and Terra) and VIIRS OC products using 30 m resolution OC products derived from the Operational Land Imager (OLI) aboard Landsat-8, to examine impacts of spatial sampling on both cross-sensor product intercomparisons and in-situ validations of R(sub rs) products in coastal waters. Various OLI OC products representing different productivity levels and in-water spatial features were scanned for one full orbital-repeat cycle of each ocean color satellite. While some view-angle dependent differences in simulated Aqua-MODIS and VIIRS were observed, the average uncertainties (absolute) in product intercomparisons (due to differences in spatial sampling) at regional scales are found to be 1.8%, 1.9%, 2.4%, 4.3%, 2.7%, 1.8%, and 4% for the R(sub rs)(443), R(sub rs)(482), R(sub rs)(561), R(sub rs)(655), Chla, K(sub d)(482), and b(sub bp)(655) products, respectively. It is also found that, depending on in-water spatial variability and the sensor's footprint size, the errors for an in-situ validation station in coastal areas can reach as high as +/- 18%. We conclude that a) expected biases induced by the spatial sampling in product intercomparisons are mitigated when products are averaged over at least 7 km × 7 km areas, b) VIIRS observations, with improved consistency in cross-track spatial sampling, yield more precise calibration/validation statistics than that of MODIS, and c) use of a single pixel centered on in-situ coastal stations provides an optimal sampling size for validation efforts. These findings will have implications for enhancing our understanding of uncertainties in ocean color retrievals and for planning of future ocean color missions and the associated calibration/validation exercises.

Coastal ocean color↗

Flame Structure Comparison using Jet-A and an isoparaffinic fuel in a lean direct injection flame tube combustor

This paper offers a first look at some recently acquired optical data. The effect of reference velocity on flame thickness, fuel atomization, and relative speciation of OH, CH, C2, and soot for two National Jet Fuel Combustion Program (NJFCP) fuels are explored in this paper. The NJFCP fuels are an average Jet-A, designated A-2 with a derived cetane number (DCN) of 49, and an isoparaffinic kerosene, C-4. C-4 fuel is made up primarily of C9 - C13, and C16 isoparaffins and is a combination of 60% Sasol IPK and 40% GEVO alcohol-to-jet (ATJ). C-4 has a DCN of 28. Both fuels begin distillation at about the same temperature, but C-4 completes about 30 degrees Celsius lower than A-2. Chemiluminescence images were acquired in a 5-atm gas turbine flame tube combustor using the NASA 7-point lean direct injector (LDI). The flame characteristics were determined through imaging with three scientific cameras. OH*, CH*, and C2* chemiluminescence were collected through narrow bandpass filters centered at 313nm, 430nm and 515nm onto an intensified high-speed camera framed at 8-kHz. A second high-speed camera collected color flame images at rates between 40 and 50 kHz. An ICCD camera framed at 20 Hz was used to record planar laser scatter from liquid fuel. Differences in speciation for the chemiluminescent species was observed between the two fuels. Some reasons for the differences are explored in this paper.

gas turbine combustion↗

The Future of Astronaut Nutrition: Daily Production of Kefir Nutrient Packs in a Lunar Analog Mission

Astronaut nutrition will need to be supplemented with fresh nutrients and probiotics for long duration space travel. Kefir is a fermented milk beverage that provides probiotic bacteria, protein, calcium, and vitamin K. It has been historically cultured for thousands of years and is a modern-day health food. During the BioNutrients-2 experiment, one generation of kefir was cultured by astronauts on the ISS in fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) bags. This follow-on experiment aimed to test the hypothesis that kefir can be produced at ambient temperatures and safely passaged to make a series of nutrient packs in an analog environment. The Hawaiian Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) is a semi-controlled habitat located on the Mauna Loa volcano on the island of Hawaii at 2,500 m elevation. The recent EMMIHS (EuroMoonMars, International MoonBase Alliance, HI-SEAS) missions comprised of interdisciplinary, international crews for mock lunar missions. During a six-day mission in March 2024, crew members tested continuous passaging of kefir cultures (C-FIR commercial strain). After approximately 24 hours of growth, a portion of culture was used to seed the next generation of culture bags for four passages. A color board and pH indicator allowed the crew to easily determine when the culture had reached optimal pH. Laboratory analysis at NASA Ames Research Center showed that the pH met Kefir standards (<5). The yeast and lactic acid bacteria were in normal range and no contamination was detected in the final passage. By successfully accomplishing this experiment the team has demonstrated the ability to safely produce daily cultures of kefir in a microgravity applicable growth system.

Astronaut nutrition↗

The Center Master Plan For NASA Glenn Research Center

The Center Master Plan for NASA Glenn Research Center is a comprehensive survey of NASA Glenn's current facility assets and a vision of how we see the facilities will change over the next 20 years in order to support the changing NASA Mission. This Center Master Plan is a vital management tool used by all organizations for making near term decisions and in future planning. During the summer of 2004, I worked with Joseph Morris, the Chief Architect in the Facilities Division, on beginning this Center Master Planning Process. The previous Master Plan was completed by the Center in 1985 and contained general information on the background of the facility as well as maps detailing environmental and historic records, land use, utilities, etc. The new Master Plan is required for the Center by NASA headquarters and will include similar types of information as used in the past. The new study will provide additional features including showing how individual buildings are linked to the programs and missions that they serve. The Master Plan will show practical future options for the facility s assets with a twenty year look ahead. The Plan will be electronically retrievable so that it becomes a communications tool for Center personnel. A Center Master Plan, although required, is very beneficial to NASA Glenn Research Center in aiding management with the future direction of the campus. Keeping up-to-date information and future plans readily available to all of NASA Glenn will insure that future real property development efficiently and effectively supports the missions camed out and supported by the Center. A Center Master Plan will also facilitate coordination with Center supported programs, stakeholders, and customers. In addition, it will provide a basis for cooperative planning with local and other governmental organizations and ultimately ensure that future budgets include the Center program needs described in the plan. This will ensure that development plans are safe, practical, and cost effective. To properly formulate any future plans, background information and research are required. Before bringing in a consultant to tackle the three year process anticipated to prepare a Center Master Plan, my job was to gather information on different organizations contributions to the NASA mission, their facility needs, consistent trends they observe, etc. I conducted numerous interviews with personnel such as Directorate Representatives, Division Chiefs, Branch Chiefs, System Managers and Building Managers. I documented the information I received from them for future use. I used the information to create various color-coded maps layering the different data. This was done with the ending objective being to collect the information and place it in a database that will be linked with Aperture (a computer program that generates color-coded map layers from database information) and made electronically retrievable to the Planning Consultant, NASA personnel, program stakeholders, and other governmental agencies. My goal this summer was to gather information and ideas appropriate for use in NASA Glenn Research Center s Master Plan and organize them for future application by the Planning Consultant. By the end of the summer, after completion of my goal, I will utilize my knowledge and create an array of preliminary future plans for the facility that can be passed along as a guidance tool.

Bigach, Kristin M.↗

Application of remote sensor data to geologic analysis of the Bonanza test site, Colorado

The author has identified the following significant results. The Hayden Pass (Orient mine area) includes 60 sq miles of the northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains and San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado. Based on interpretation of the remote sensor data, a geologic map was prepared and compared with a second geologic map, prepared from interpretation of both remote sensor data and field data. Comparison of the two maps gives an indication of the usefulness and reliability of the remote sensor data. The relative utility of color and color infrared photography was tested. The photography was used successfully to locate 75% of all faults in a portion of the geologically complex Bonanza volcanic center and to map and correctly identify 93% of all quaternary deposits and 62% of all areas of tertiary volcanic outcrop. Using a filter wheel photometer, more than 8,600 measurements of band reflectance of several sedimentary rocks were performed. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) the typical spectral reflectance curve shows a gradual increase with increasing wavelength; (2) the average band reflectance is about 0.20; and (3) within a formation, the minimum natural variation is about 0.04, or about 20% of the mean band reflectance.

Lee, K.↗

High-resolution CCD imaging and derived gravitational lens models of 2237+0305

Images of the gravitational lens 2237+0305 acquired in good seeing have resolved the system into at least five components within the central few arsec of the object: the galaxy nucleus and four point sources in a ringlike formation approximately centered on the galaxy. It is found that the four point sources are distinctly bluer than the galaxy, but that they do not have identical colors. The observed configuration is well reproduced by a simple model that assumes that the four objects are images of the quasar and that the lens is a constant mass-to-light ratio, elliptical, de Vaucouleurs bulge.

Schneider, D. P.↗

Large screen display for the Mission Control Center

The Mission Control Center (MCC), located at the Johnson Space Center near Houston, Texas, is the primary point of control and monitoring for National Space Transportation System (NSTS) flight activities. NSTS flight managers monitor and command spacecraft from one of two Flight Control Rooms (FCR). Each FCR is equipped with five large screen displays for group dissemination of spacecraft system status and vehicle position relative to Earth geography. The primary or center screen display is ten feet in height and twenty feet in width. The secondary or side screens are seven and one-hald feet high and ten feet wide. The center screen projection system is exhibiting high maintenance costs and is considered to be in wear-out phase. The replacement of the large center screen displays at the MCC is complicated by the unique requirements of the Flight Controller user. These requirements demand a very high performance, multiple color projection system capable of the display of high resolution text, graphics and images produced in near real time. The current system to be replaced, the replacement system requirements, the efforts necessary to procure the major element of this system (the projector) for the government, and how the new capabilities are to be integrated into the existing MCC operational configuration are discussed.

Skudlarek, Martin J.↗

SeaWiFS technical report series. Volume 16: The second SeaWiFS Intercalibration Round-Robin Experiment, SIRREX-2, June 1993

The results of the second Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Intercalibration Round-Robin Experiment (SIRREX-2), which was held at the Center for Hydro-Optics and Remote Sensing (CHORS) at San Diego State University on 14-25 Jun. 1993 are presented. SeaWiFS is an ocean color radiometer that is scheduled for launch in 1994. The SIRREXs are part of the SeaWiFS Calibration and Validation Program that includes the GSFC, CHORS, NIST, and several other laboratories. GSFC maintains the radiometric scales (spectral radiance and irradiance) for the SeaWiFS program using spectral irradiance standards lamps, which are calibrated by NIST. The purpose of each SIRREX is to assure that the radiometric scales which are realized by the laboratories who participate in the SeaWiFS Calibration and Validation Program are correct; that is, the uncertainties of the radiometric scales are such that measurements of normalized water-leaving radiance using oceanographic radiometers have uncertainties of 5%. SIRREX-1 demonstrated, from the internal consistency of the results, that the program goals would not be met without improvements to the instrumentation. The results of SIRREX-2 demonstrate that spectral irradiance scales realized using the GSFC standard irradiance lamp (F269) are consistent with the program goals, as the uncertainty of these measurements is assessed to be about 1%. However, this is not true for the spectral radiance scales, where again the internal consistency of the results is used to assess the uncertainty. This is attributed to inadequate performance and characterization of the instrumentation. For example, spatial nonuniformities, spectral features, and sensitivity to illumination configuration were observed in some of the integrating sphere sources. The results of SIRREX-2 clearly indicate the direction for future work, with the main emphasis on instrument characterization and the assessment of the measurement uncertainties so that the results may be stated in a more definitive manner.

Hooker, Stanford B.↗

Evaluation of bio-optical algorithms to remotely sense marine primary production from space

In situ bio-optical measurements from several oceanographic campaigns were analyzed to derive a direct relationship between water column primary production P (sub t) ocean color as expressed by the ratio of reflectances R (sub 1) at 440 nm and R (sub 3) at 550 nm and photosynthetically available radiation (PAR). The study is restricted to the Morel case I waters for which the following algorithm is proposed: log (P(sub f)) = -4.286 - 1.390 log (R(sub 1)/R(sub3)) + 0.621 log (PAR), with P(sub t) in g C m(exp -2)/d and PAR in J m(exp -2)/d. Using this algorithm the rms accuracy of primary production estimate is 0.17 on a logarithmic scale, i.e., a factor of 1.5. Using spectral reflectance measurements in the entire visible spectral range, the central wavelength, spectral bandwidth, and radiometric noise level requirements are investigated for the channels to be used by an ocean color space mission dedicated to estimating global marine primary production and the associated carbon fluxes. Nearly all the useful information is provided by two channels centered at 440 nm and 550 nm, but the accuracy of primary production estimate appears weakly sensitive to spectral bandwidth, which, consequently, may be enlarged by several tens of nanometers. The sensitivity to radiometric noise, on the contrary, is strong, and a noise equivalent reflectance of 0.005 degraded the accuracy on the primary production estimate by a factor 2 (0.14-0.25 on a logarithmic scale). The results should be applicable to evaluating the primary production of oligotrophic and mesotrophic waters, which constitute most of the open ocean.

Berthelot, Beatrice↗

Lake Champlain Water Resources: Using Earth Observations to Identify Spatial and Seasonal Trends of Harmful Algal Events in Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain provides clean drinking water for 35% of the surrounding watershed and offers recreational opportunities to millions of tourists. However, current levels of cyanobacteria and phosphorus created breeding grounds for harmful algal blooms (HABs). The excess of phosphorus runoff into Lake Champlain over the past decade encouraged toxic cyanobacterial formations, thereby increasing the severity of HABs towards local economy and ecology. In partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Northeast Region, this project utilized Earth observations to identify risk factors associated with toxic algal blooms. The team detected historic algal bloom trends with Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument (MSI), Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Color Instrument (OLCI), Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Landsat 9 OLI-2. The team also used Sentinel-3 OLCI and the German Aerospace Center’s Earth Sensing Imagery Spectrometer (DESIS) to visualize algal bloom patterns and Landsat 8 OLI, Landsat 9 OLI-2, and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) to identify phosphorus sources within the watershed. The team’s analyses indicated an increase in cyanobacteria blooms during summer months from 2016-2022, with Missisquoi and St. Albans Bay exhibiting the greatest concentrations of toxic events. Furthermore, 16% of the watershed was identified as posing an immediate threat to the lake’s hydrology. The area of greatest concern was the Missisquoi Bay sub-watershed, with 229,044 acres of land prone to excessive phosphorus runoff. Providing this information to the NRCS Northeast Region enabled the organization to quantify risk factors associated with algal blooms and modify mitigation efforts to better target future bloom events.

Brianne Kendall↗

Thermal Protection Facility: Taking the Heat

Video highlighting the products and manufacturing capabilities of the Thermal Protection Facility at Kennedy Space Center which is part of the JSC EA/ES division. This record includes an mp4 video with a run time of 9 min. 13 sec.; in color; with sound.

TPSF↗

Noninvasive estimation of transmitral pressure drop across the normal mitral valve in humans: importance of convective and inertial forces during left ventricular filling

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that color M-mode (CMM) images could be used to solve the Euler equation, yielding regional pressure gradients along the scanline, which could then be integrated to yield the unsteady Bernoulli equation and estimate noninvasively both the convective and inertial components of the transmitral pressure difference. BACKGROUND: Pulsed and continuous wave Doppler velocity measurements are routinely used clinically to assess severity of stenotic and regurgitant valves. However, only the convective component of the pressure gradient is measured, thereby neglecting the contribution of inertial forces, which may be significant, particularly for nonstenotic valves. Color M-mode provides a spatiotemporal representation of flow across the mitral valve. METHODS: In eight patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, high-fidelity left atrial and ventricular pressure measurements were obtained synchronously with transmitral CMM digital recordings. The instantaneous diastolic transmitral pressure difference was computed from the M-mode spatiotemporal velocity distribution using the unsteady flow form of the Bernoulli equation and was compared to the catheter measurements. RESULTS: From 56 beats in 16 hemodynamic stages, inclusion of the inertial term ([deltapI]max = 1.78+/-1.30 mm Hg) in the noninvasive pressure difference calculation significantly increased the temporal correlation with catheter-based measurement (r = 0.35+/-0.24 vs. 0.81+/-0.15, p< 0.0001). It also allowed an accurate approximation of the peak pressure difference ([deltapc+I]max = 0.95 [delta(p)cathh]max + 0.24, r = 0.96, p<0.001, error = 0.08+/-0.54 mm Hg). CONCLUSIONS: Inertial forces are significant components of the maximal pressure drop across the normal mitral valve. These can be accurately estimated noninvasively using CMM recordings of transmitral flow, which should improve the understanding of diastolic filling and function of the heart.

Non-NASA Center↗