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At least 541 records · Page 30

Morphological Evolution of Directional Solidification Interfaces in Microgravity: An Analysis of Model Experiments Performed on the International Space Station

A series of experiments performed using the Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI) apparatus within the glovebox facility (GBX) on board the International Space Station (ISS) has provided video images of the morphological evolution of a three-dimensional interface in a diffusion controlled regime. The experimental samples were prepared on ground by filling glass tubes, 1 cm ID and approximately 30 cm in length, with "alloys" of succinonitrile (SCN) and water in an atmosphere of nitrogen at 450 millibar pressure. The compositions of the samples processed and analyzed are 0.25,0.5 and 1.0 wt% water. Experimental processing parameters of temperature gradient and translation speed, as well as camera settings, were remotely monitored and manipulated from the ground Telescience Center (TSC) at the Marshall !3pace Flight Center. During the experiments, the sample was first subjected to a unidirectional melt back, generally at 10 microns per second, with a constant temperature gradient ahead of the melting interface. Following the melt back, the interface was allowed to stabilize before translation is initiated. The temperatures in the sample were monitored by six in situ thermocouples and the position is monitored by an optical linear encoder. For the experiments performed and analyzed, the gradients ranged from 2.5 - 3.3 K/mm and the initial pulling velocities ranged from 0.7 micron per second to 1 micron per second with subsequent transition velocities of up to 100 microns per second. The data provided by the PFMI for analysis includes near-real-time (NRT) video captured on the ground during the experiment runs, ISS Video Tape Recorder (VTR) data dumped from the VTR at the end of the experiment run and recorded on the ground, telemetry data including temperature and position measurements, and limited flight HI-8 tapes in 2 camera views of experiment runs for which tapes have been returned to the investigators from ISS. Because of limited down mass from the ISS, the majority of the initial analysis has been performed using the NRT and VTR video data but will be supplemented with the HI-8 video as it becomes available. hardware and procedures required to prepare samples for correlation to flight samples is described. Using this ground-based system, a series of experiments have been performed for direct comparison with the flight data. The results of these comparisons as well as implications to future microgravity experiments are presented and discussed. A ground-based thin-sample directional solidification system as well as all associated

Strutzenberg, Louise L.↗

A NICER View of the Massive Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 Informed by Radio Timing and XMM-Newton Spectroscopy

We report on Bayesian estimation of the radius, mass, and hot surface regions of the massive millisecond pulsar PSR J0740+6620, conditional on pulse-profile modeling of Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer X-ray Timing Instrument event data. We condition on informative pulsar mass, distance, and orbital inclination priors derived from the joint North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves and Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment/Pulsar wideband radio timing measurements of Fonseca et al. We use XMM-Newton European Photon Imaging Camera spectroscopic event data to inform our X-ray likelihood function. The prior support of the pulsar radius is truncated at 16 km to ensure coverage of current dense matter models. We assume conservative priors on instrument calibration uncertainty. We constrain the equatorial radius and mass of PSR J0740+6620 to be-+12.390.981.30km and-+2.0720.0660.067Me respectively, each reported as the posterior credible interval bounded by the 16% and 84% quantiles, conditional on surface hot regions that are non-overlapping spherical caps of fully ionized hydrogen atmosphere with uniform effective temperature; a posteriori, the temperature is=-+TlogK5.99100.060.05([])for each hot region. All software for the X-ray modeling framework is open-source and all data, model, and sample information is publicly available, including analysis notebooks and model modules in the Python language. Our marginal likelihood function of mass and equatorial radius is proportional to the marginal joint posterior density of those parameters(within the prior support)and can thus be computed from the posterior samples.

Millisecond pulsars↗

Acid Sulfate Alteration in Gusev Crater, Mars

The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spirit landed on the Gusev Crater plains west of the Columbia Hills in January, 2004, during the Martian summer (sol 0; sol = 1 Martian day = 24 hr 40 min). Spirit explored the Columbia Hills of Gusev Crater in the vicinity of Home Plate at the onset on its second winter (sol approximately 900) until the onset of its fourth winter (sol approximately 2170). At that time, Spirit became mired in a deposit of fined-grained and sulfate-rich soil with dust-covered solar panels and unfavorable pointing of the solar arrays toward the sun. Spirit has not communicated with the Earth since sol 2210 (January, 2011). Like its twin rover Opportunity, which landed on the opposite side of Mars at Meridiani Planum, Spirit has an Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument for chemical analyses and a Moessbauer spectrometer (MB) for measurement of iron redox state, mineralogical speciation, and quantitative distribution among oxidation (Fe(3+)/sigma Fe) and coordination (octahedral versus tetrahedral) states and mineralogical speciation (e.g., olivine, pyroxene, ilmenite, carbonate, and sulfate). The concentration of SO3 in Gusev rocks and soils varies from approximately 1 to approximately 34 wt%. Because the APXS instrument does not detect low atomic number elements (e.g., H and C), major-element oxide concentrations are normalized to sum to 100 wt%, i.e., contributions of H2O, CO2, NO2, etc. to the bulk composition care not considered. The majority of Gusev samples have approximately 6 plus or minus 5 wt% SO3, but there is a group of samples with high SO3 concentrations (approximately 30 wt%) and high total iron concentrations (approximately 20 wt%). There is also a group with low total Fe and SO3 concentrations that is also characterized by high SiO2 concentrations (greater than 70 wt%). The trend labeled "Basaltic Soil" is interpreted as mixtures in variable proportions between unaltered igneous material and oxidized and SO3-rich basaltic dust. The Moessbauer parameters are not definitive for mineralogical speciation (other than octahedrally-coordinated Fe(3+) but are consistent with a schwertmannite-like phase (i.e., a nanophase ferric oxide). The high oxidation state and values of Moessbauer parameters (center shift and quadrupole splitting) for the high-SO3 samples imply ferric sulfate (i.e., oxidized sulfur), although the hydration state cannot be constrained. In no case is there an excess of SO3 over available cations (i.e., no evidence for elemental sulfur), and Fe sulfide (pyrite) has been detected in only one Gusev sample. The presence of both high-SiO2 (and low total iron and SO3) and high SO3 (and high total iron as ferric sulfate) can be accommodated by a two-step geochemical model developed with the Geochemist's Workbench. (1) Step 1 is anoxic acid sulfate leaching of Martian basalt at high water-to rock ratios (greater than 70). The result is a high-SiO2 residue0, and anoxic conditions are required to solubilize Fe as Fe(2+). (2) Step 2 is the oxic precipitation of sulfate salts from the leachate. Oxic conditions are required to produce the high concentrations of ferric sulfate with minor Mg-sulfates and no detectable Fe(2+)-sulfates.

Morris, R. V.↗

Quantifying Uncertainty in Particle Size Distribution Parameters Inferred from SAGE III/ISS Extinction Spectra

Stratospheric aerosols play key roles in the chemistry and radiation balance of the atmosphere and are a key input parameter for global chemistry and climate models. The degree to which aerosols impact chemistry and radiation balance depends primarily on their microphysical properties such as particle size distribution (PSD). The PSD is a mathematical description of the relative abundance of different sized particles within a sampling volume. If the PSD is accurately known then other key modeling parameters (e.g., surface area density) can be derived. Occultation observations from orbital instruments such as SAGE III/ISS have been used to infer these PSD parameters by inverting the extinction coefficient spectra. However, past efforts failed to address two key issues with this methodology: 1. The measurement uncertainty was not accounted for; 2. They assumed the PSDs to be single-mode only, while “real-world” PSDs are predominantly bi-modal. Accounting for both issues in the retrieval will yield an expanded solution space to the inferred PSD parameters; the question is “by how much?” To address this knowledge gap, we propose to carry out a series of simulations and, for every valid SAGE III/ISS data point, determine the range of PSD parameters that yield extinction spectra that are indistinguishable from the SAGE III/ISS data, within the limits of the reported uncertainty. Further, we will expand the solution space, for the first time, to include bimodal distributions. The results of this work will advance Earth system modeling/prediction capability through identifying the uncertainty of PSD parameter estimates using SAGE III/ISS data. The key benefits of this study over previous studies are twofold: 1. we will provide PSD estimates that include bimodal distributions in the solution space, 2. we will provide an uncertainty estimate for these parameters. The results of this study may be used directly in current and future climate and chemistry models.

SAGE III/ISS↗

Bioavailability of Promethazine during Spaceflight

Promethazine (PMZ) is the choice anti-motion sickness medication for treating space motion sickness (SMS) during flight. The side effects associated with PMZ include dizziness, drowsiness, sedation, and impaired psychomotor performance which could impact crew performance and mission operations. Early anecdotal reports from crewmembers indicate that these central nervous system side effects of PMZ are absent or greatly attenuated in microgravity, potentially due to changes in pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics in microgravity. These changes could also affect the therapeutic effectiveness of drugs in general and PMZ, in particular. In this investigation, we examined bioavailability and associated pharmacokinetics of PMZ in astronauts during and after space flight. Methods. Nine astronauts received, per their preference, PMZ (25 or 50 mg as intramuscular injection, oral tablet, or rectal suppository) on flight day one for the treatment of SMS and subsequently collected saliva samples and completed sleepiness scores for 72 h post dose. Thirty days after the astronauts returned to Earth, they repeated the protocol. Bioavailability and PK parameters were calculated and compared between flight and ground. Results. Maximum concentration (Cmax) was lower and time to reach Cmax (tmax) was longer in flight than on the ground. Area under the curve (AUC), a measure of bioavailability, was lower and biological half-life (t1/2) was longer in flight than on the ground. Conclusion. Results indicate that bioavailability of PMZ is reduced during spaceflight. Number of samples, sampling method, and sampling schedule significantly affected PK parameter estimates.

Boyd, Jason L.↗

The effect of temperature cycling typical of low earth orbit satellites on thin films of YBa2Cu3O(7-x)

The refrigeration of superconductors in space poses a challenging problem. The problem could be less severe if superconducting materials would not have to be cooled when not in use. Thin films of the YBa2Cu3O(7-x) (YBCO) superconductor were subjected to thermal cycling, which was carried out to simulate a large number of eclipses of a low earth orbit satellite. Electrical measurements were performed to find the effect of the temperature cycling. Thin films of YBCO were formed by coevaporation of Y, BaF2, and Cu and postannealing in wet oxygen at 850 C for 3.5 h. The substrates used were (100) SrTiO3, polycrystalline alumina, and oxidized silicon; the last two have an evaporated zirconia layer. Processing and microstructure studies of these types of films have been published. THe zero resistance transition temperatures of the samples used in this study were 91, 82, and 86 K, respectively. The samples were characterized by four point probe electrical measurements as a function of temperature. The parameters measured were: the zero resistance transition temperature, the 10 to 90 percent transition width, and the room temperature resistance, normalized to that measured before temperature cycling. The results for two samples are presented. Each sample had a cumulative exposure. Cycling in atmospheric pressure nitrogen was performed at a rate of about 60 cycles per day, whereas in vacuum the rate was only about 10 cycles per day. The results indicate only little or no changes in the parameters measured. Degradation of superconducting thin films of YBCO has been reported due to storage in nitrogen. It is believed that the relatively good performance of films after temperature cycling is related to the fact that BaF2 was used as an evaporation source. The latest result on extended temperature cycling indicates significant degradation. Further tests of extended cycling will be carried out to provide additional data and to clarify this preliminary finding.

Mogro-Campero, A.↗

Experimental Study into the Partitioning Behavior of Fluorine, Chlorine, Hydroxyl, and Sulfur (S2-) Between Apatite and a Synthetic Kreep Basalt Melt

The mineral apatite (Ca5 (PO4)3(F, Cl, OH)) is known for its ability to constrain the petrogenesis of the rock in which it is hosted and for its ubiquity throughout the Solar System, as it is found in lunar, martian, and terrestrial rocks alike (McCubbin et. al, 2015). The abundance of volatile elements, and for this particular study, the elevated abundance of sulfur (S2-) in high-Al basalt samples bearing apatite, could provide more insight for inquiries posed about the behavior of volatiles in lunar and martian magmatic systems (Boyce et. al, 2010). Oxygen fugacity will be an important parameter for these experiments, as the Moon, Mars, and Earth have different redox states (Herd, 2008). The objective of this experimental endeavor is to determine apatite-melt partition coefficients for the volatile elements (F-, Cl-, OH-, S2-) that make up the X-site (i.e., the typically monovalent anion site) in the mineral apatite in a lunar melt composition under lunar oxygen fugacity conditions approx.1-2 log units below the iron-wüstite buffer). All experiments will be conducted at NASA, Johnson Space Center in the High Pressure Experimental Petrology Laboratory. In order to conduct apatite-melt partition experiments with oxygen fugacity as an additional parameter, we will create a synthetic mix of the lunar KREEP basalt 15386, a sample retrieved during Apollo 15 that is believed to represent an indigenous volcanic melt derived from the lunar interior (Rhodes, J.M et. al, 2006). Other geochemically significant elements including C, Co, Ni, Mo, and rare earth elements will be included in the mix at trace abundances in order to assess their partitioning behavior without effecting the overall behavior of the system. The synthetic mix will then be loaded into a piston cylinder, an apparatus used to simulate high-pressure/high-temperature conditions of planetary interiors, and exposed to 0.5 GPa of pressure, the pressure observed in the upper mantle of the Moon, and heated to the melting temperature of the materials. To make sure crystals grow large enough for the necessary analyses, the sample will be kept at the crystallization temperature for 8 hours. This extended run time should also allow the sample to achieve a steady state which is necessary to accurately assess the partitioning of these elements between apatite and melt. The results from this experimental study will allow us to determine the fate of F-, Cl-, OH-, and S2- during the magmatic evolution of the Moon.

Turner, Amber↗

Comprehensive Analysis Aeroelastic Stability Predictions for the Mars Sample Recovery Helicopters and Ingenuity

A rotorcraft comprehensive analysis was used to generate aeroelastic stability predictions for both Ingenuity and the Mars Sample Recovery Helicopters. The analysis was performed multiple times for each rotor system with sequential increases to the level of modeling complexity. Initial cases used an independent blade analysis, trim inflow distribution, no airframe degrees of freedom, and a hover condition (a time-invariant problem). The final model used all blades, dynamic inflow, airframe degrees of freedom, and a Floquet theory approach to the flutter analysis. The approach of sequentially increasing modeling complexity was employed to ensure the causes of any observed instabilities could be identified. For each case, stability results were determined across a range of air densities, tip Mach numbers, and rotor collective pitch settings. For the Sample Recovery Helicopter, a forward flight condition analysis with the highest level of modeling complexity was also performed. The aeroelastic stability predictions showed both the Ingenuity and Sample Recovery Helicopter rotor systems to be stable for all analyzed conditions. Parameter excursions of structural properties were performed to explore conditions resulting in aeroelastic instabilities.

Aeroelastic↗

An Initial Assessment of the Impact of System Spectral Response Parameters on Driving Ocean Color Applications for the GeoXO Ocean Color Instrument (OCX)

NOAA’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) program is planning to include a hyperspectral ocean color instrument (OCX) in geostationary orbit slated for operations by the early 2030s. Shared international focus has led to a diverse legacy of space-based remote sensing ocean color missions that have and will continue to provide ocean color products into the future at a variety of spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions. This work reports on an investigation of the impacts of system spectral response parameters on spectral shape and algal bloom detection for the planned OCX instrument. A dataset of high resolution (1 nm spectral sampling) in-situ spectra of red tide collected with an above water spectrometer, and associated K. brevis cell concentrations, were used to simulate OCX observations of varying system spectral response parameters. The OCX Performance Operational Requirements Document (PORD) level spectral resolution and sampling are varied concurrently and the location of band centers is varied independently. The impacts to the spectral shape using hyperspectral signature analysis, as well as the impacts to two heritage multispectral algal bloom detection algorithms – red band difference (RBD) and Karenia brevis bloom index (KBBI) – are assessed considering both changes in resolution/sampling and band center location. This work provides a quantitative assessment of the impacts of system spectral response requirements on both the spectral shape of observations as well as the algal bloom detection to provide insight on how various instrument performance parameters influence science and operational utility of OCX. Future work will seek to expand this analysis to include a larger dataset that considers additional water cases.

Monica Cook↗

An Initial Assessment of the Impact of System Spectral Response Parameters on Driving Ocean Color Applications for the GeoXO Ocean Color Instrument (OCX)

NOAA’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) program is planning to include a hyperspectral ocean color instrument (OCX) in geostationary orbit slated for operations by the early 2030s. Shared international focus has led to a diverse legacy of space-based remote sensing ocean color missions that have and will continue to provide ocean color products into the future at a variety of spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions. This work reports on an investigation of the impacts of system spectral response parameters on spectral shape and algal bloom detection for the planned OCX instrument. A dataset of high resolution (1 nm spectral sampling) in-situ spectra of red tide collected with an above water spectrometer, and associated K. brevis cell concentrations, were used to simulate OCX observations of varying system spectral response parameters. The OCX Performance Operational Requirements Document (PORD) level spectral resolution and sampling are varied concurrently and the location of band centers is varied independently. The impacts to the spectral shape using hyperspectral signature analysis, as well as the impacts to two heritage multispectral algal bloom detection algorithms – red band difference (RBD) and Karenia brevis bloom index (KBBI) – are assessed considering both changes in resolution/sampling and band center location. This work provides a quantitative assessment of the impacts of system spectral response requirements on both the spectral shape of observations as well as the algal bloom detection to provide insight on how various instrument performance parameters influence science and operational utility of OCX. Future work will seek to expand this analysis to include a larger dataset that considers additional water cases.

M. Cook↗

Kalman Filtering and RTS Smoothing for Arc-Jet Sample Edge Tracking

Accurate and temporally consistent measurements of test-article recession are required to characterize material response during arc-jet ablation experiments. However, image-based boundary measurements are often affected by segmentation noise, brightness variations, and frame-to-frame variability. This work extends arcjetCV [1] with filtering methods for tracking the evolving boundaries of hemispherical and ISO-Q test articles. Two boundary-tracking approaches based on Kalman filtering [2] were implemented. The first applies a point-wise Kalman filter followed by a Rauch–Tung–Striebel smoother [3] to individual boundary-point locations. The second applies the same filtering and smoothing framework to a reduced set of geometry-dependent shape parameters. The point-wise method reduces local frame-to-frame fluctuations while preserving spatial details along the detected boundary. The shape-parameter method provides a compact and geometrically constrained estimate of the sample contour. Figure 1 illustrates the two approaches for a hemispherical test article. Both methods improve temporal consistency and support more robust estimation of surface recession from arc-jet imagery. The two filtering approaches provide complementary representations of boundary evolution and improve the reliability of image-based recession measurements during arc-jet experiments.

recession measurement↗

Accretion-disk modeling of the UV spectrum of quasars

The thin accretion disk spectrum, including the effect of electron scattering, is calculated for a grid of the accretion parameters. It is shown that the luminosity and spectral slope in the UV and optical bands are uniquely determined by these parameters and depend only weakly on the viscosity parameter. When the model calculations are compared with observations of a sample of QSOs and Seyfert 1 nuclei, the black hole mass is in the range 10 to the 8th to 10 to the 9.5 solar for the QSOs and 10 to the 7.5 to 10 to the 8.5 solar for the Seyferts and for low-luminosity objects. The correlation between the spectral slope and luminosity of QSOs in the UV can be explained by evolution along curves of constant black hole mass and decreasing accretion rate. The relation between the spectrum and the accretion parameters can be used to constrain the cosmological evolution of the objects and imposes severe constraints on the pure luminosity evolution interpretation function for QSOs and Seyferts.

Wandel, Amri↗

Effects of thermal annealing on the deep-level defects and I-V characteristics of 200 keV proton irradiated AlGaAs-GaAs solar cells

Detailed characterization of deep-level defects and analysis of dark I-V data in 200 keV proton irradiated AlGaAs-GaAs solar cells have been carried out for several proton fluences (5 x 10 to the 11th, 10 to the 12th, and 10 to the 13th P/sq cm), using DLTS, C-V, and I-V measurement techniques. To study the effect of low temperature thermal annealing on the deep-level defect properties, these irradiated samples were annealed in vacuum at 300 C for one hour. Comparison was then made on the measured defect parameters (i.e., defect energy levels and densities) and the dark I-V characteristics for both the annealed and unannealed samples.

Li, S. S.↗

Greedy Sampling and Incremental Surrogate Model-Based Tailoring of Aeroservoelastic Model Database for Flexible Aircraft

This paper presents a data analysis and modeling framework to tailor and develop linear parameter-varying (LPV) aeroservoelastic (ASE) model database for flexible aircrafts in broad 2D flight parameter space. The Kriging surrogate model is constructed using ASE models at a fraction of grid points within the original model database, and then the ASE model at any flight condition can be obtained simply through surrogate model interpolation. The greedy sampling algorithm is developed to select the next sample point that carries the worst relative error between the surrogate model prediction and the benchmark model in the frequency domain among all input-output channels. The process is iterated to incrementally improve surrogate model accuracy till a pre-determined tolerance or iteration budget is met. The methodology is applied to the ASE model database of a flexible aircraft currently being tested at NASA/AFRC for flutter suppression and gust load alleviation. Our studies indicate that the proposed method can reduce the number of models in the original database by 67%. Even so the ASE models obtained through Kriging interpolation match the model in the original database constructed directly from the physics-based tool with the worst relative error far below 1%. The interpolated ASE model exhibits continuously-varying gains along a set of prescribed flight conditions. More importantly, the selected grid points are distributed non-uniformly in the parameter space, a) capturing the distinctly different dynamic behavior and its dependence on flight parameters, and b) reiterating the need and utility for adaptive space sampling techniques for ASE model database compaction. The present framework is directly extendible to high-dimensional flight parameter space, and can be used to guide the ASE model development, model order reduction, robust control synthesis and novel vehicle design of flexible aircraft.

numerical analysi↗

X-ray observations of spiral galaxies. II - Images and spectral parameters of 13 galaxies

The results of a spatial and spectral analysis of a sample of spiral galaxies observed in X-rays with the Einstein satellite indicate that the X-ray emission is generally extended and complex. In some cases, discrete, very bright X-ray sources are detected, some of these coincident with the nuclear regions. The spectral fit of the IPC data to a thermal bremsstrahlung spectrum with a low-energy absorption cutoff shows that the average spectrum could be rather hard with kT greater than 2 keV, and with low-energy cutoff consistent with line-of-sight absorption. Results on NGC 4631, NGC 6946, and the nuclei of IC 342 and NGC 1313 are discussed and compared with previous observations in different energy ranges.

Fabbiano, G.↗

Probabilistic Calibration of Expensive Models using Efficiently Trained Surrogates

Calibration of computational models in the presence of uncertainty is often cast as a Bayesian inference problem and solved via sampling methods, e.g., Markov chain Monte Carlo. When the computational model is expensive, this task becomes intractable due to the large number of samples required to accurately estimate the posterior distribution of the calibration parameters. A popular solution to this problem is to use machine learning to develop a faster-to-evaluate, lower-fidelity substitute for the original model to serve as a surrogate while solving the inference problem. Although considered an offline cost, generating training data to construct this surrogate model can still be an expensive task in practice. An active learning algorithm is presented that focuses training on improving surrogate accuracy specifically in and around the bulk of the posterior distribution, as this is where the model is exercised during calibration. Candidate samples are drawn from families of distributions related to an approximation of the posterior. The sample maximizing predictive variance is then selected for evaluation by the original computational model, yielding a label for the training point. Iterating this approach increases efficiency relative to space filling designs (e.g., Latin hypercube sampling) by avoiding low probability points. Practical considerations are discussed, including the benefits of using a sequential Monte Carlo sampling approach, convergence heuristics, and the importance of both exploration and exploitation given that the true posterior is unknown a priori.

uncertainty quantification↗

Hybrid state-space self-tuning control of uncertain linear systems

The paper presents a hybrid state-space self-tuner using a new dual-rate sampling scheme for digital adaptive control of continuous-time uncertain linear systems. A state-space-based recursive least-squares algorithm, together with a variable forgetting factor, is used for direct estimations of both the equivalent discrete-time uncertain linear system parameters and the associated discrete-time state of a continuous-time uncertain linear system from the sampled input and output data. An analogue optimal regional pole-placement design method is used for designing an optimal observer-based analogue controller. A suboptimal observer-based digital controller is then designed from the designed analogue controller using digital redesign technique. To enhance the robustness of parameter identification and state estimation algorithms, a dynamic bound for a class of uncertain bilinear parameters and a fast-rate digital controller are developed at each fast-sampling period. Also, to accommodate computation loads and computation delay for developing the advanced hybrid self-tuner, the designed analogue controller and observer gains are both updated at each slow-sampling period. This control technique has been successfully applied to benchmark control problems.

Shieh, L. S.↗

Lithium in Open Cluster Red Giants Hosting Substellar Companions

We have measured stellar parameters, [Fe/H], lithium abundances, rotation, and (12)C/13C in a small sample of red giants (RGs) in three open clusters that are each home to a RG star that hosts a substellar companion (SSC) (NGC 2423 3, NGC 4349 127, and BD+12 1917 in M67). Our goal is to explore whether the presence of SSCs influences the Li content. Both (12)C/13C and stellar rotation are measured as additional tracers of stellar mixing. One of the companion hosts, NGC 24233, is found to be Li-rich with A(Li)(sub NLTE) = 1.56 dex, and this abundance is significantly higher than the A(Li) of the two comparison stars in NGC 2423. All three SSC hosts have the highest A(Li) and (12)C/13C when compared to the control RGs in their respective clusters; however, except for NGC 24233, at least one control star has similarly high abundances within the uncertainties. Higher A(Li) could suggest that the formation or presence of planets plays a role in the degree of internal mixing on or before the RG branch. However, a multitude of factors affect A(Li) during the RG phase, and when the abundances of our sample are compared with the abundances of RGs in other open clusters available in the literature, we find that they all fall well within a much larger distribution of A(Li) and (12)C/13C. Thus, even the high Li in NGC 2423 3 cannot be concretely tied to the presence of the SSC.

stellar parameters↗