Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “corrected”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 595 records · Page 33

SU-G-JeP2-10: On the Need for a Dynamic Model for Patient-Specific Distortion Corrections for MR-Only Pelvis Treatment Planning

Purpose: Patient-specific distortions, particularly near tissue/air interfaces, require assessment and possible corrections for MRI-only radiation treatment planning (RTP). However, patients are dynamic due to changes in physiological status and motion during imaging sessions. This work investigated the need for dynamic patient-specific distortion corrections to support pelvis MR-only RTP. Methods: The pelvises of healthy volunteers were imaged at 1.0T, 1.5T, and 3.0T. Patient-specific distortion field maps were generated using a dual-echo gradient-recalled echo (GRE) sequence with B0 field maps obtained from the phase difference between the two echoes acquired at two timepoints: empty and full bladders. To quantify changes arising from respiratory state, end-inhalation and end-expiration data were acquired. Distortion map differences were computed between the empty/full bladder and inhalation/expiration to characterize local changes. The normalized frequency distortion distributions in T2-weighted TSE images were characterized, particularly for simulated prostate planning target volumes (PTVs). Results: Changes in rectal and bowel air location were observed, likely due to changes in bladder filling. Within the PTVs, displacement differences (mean ± stdev, range) were −0.02 ± 0.02 mm (−0.13 to 0.07 mm) for 1.0T, −0.1 ± 0.2 mm (−0.92 to 0.74 mm) for 1.5T, and −0.20 ± 0.03 mm (−0.61 to 0.38 mm) for 3.0T. Local changes of ∼1 mm at the prostate-rectal interface were observed for an extreme case at 1.5T. For end-inhale and end-exhale scans at 3.0T, 99% of the voxels had Δx differences within ±0.25mm, thus the displacement differences due to respiratory state appear negligible in the pelvis. Conclusion: Our work suggests that transient bowel/rectal gas due to bladder filling may yield non-negligible patient-specific distortion differences near the prostate/rectal interface, whereas respiration had minimal effect. A temporal patient model for patient-specific distortion corrections may be advantageous for MR-only RTP, although further investigations in larger cohorts are needed to fully characterize distortion magnitude. The submitting institution has research agreements with Philips Healthcare. Research sponsored by a Henry Ford Health System Internal Mentored Grant.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

WE-DE-201-05: Evaluation of a Windowless Extrapolation Chamber Design and Monte Carlo Based Corrections for the Calibration of Ophthalmic Applicators

Purpose: To test the validity of a windowless extrapolation chamber used to measure surface dose rate from planar ophthalmic applicators and to compare different Monte Carlo based codes for deriving correction factors. Methods: Dose rate measurements were performed using a windowless, planar extrapolation chamber with a {sup 90}Sr/{sup 90}Y Tracerlab RA-1 ophthalmic applicator previously calibrated at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Capacitance measurements were performed to estimate the initial air gap width between the source face and collecting electrode. Current was measured as a function of air gap, and Bragg-Gray cavity theory was used to calculate the absorbed dose rate to water. To determine correction factors for backscatter, divergence, and attenuation from the Mylar entrance window found in the NIST extrapolation chamber, both EGSnrc Monte Carlo user code and Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP) were utilized. Simulation results were compared with experimental current readings from the windowless extrapolation chamber as a function of air gap. Additionally, measured dose rate values were compared with the expected result from the NIST source calibration to test the validity of the windowless chamber design. Results: Better agreement was seen between EGSnrc simulated dose results and experimental current readings at very small air gaps (<100 µm) for the windowless extrapolation chamber, while MCNP results demonstrated divergence at these small gap widths. Three separate dose rate measurements were performed with the RA-1 applicator. The average observed difference from the expected result based on the NIST calibration was −1.88% with a statistical standard deviation of 0.39% (k=1). Conclusion: EGSnrc user code will be used during future work to derive correction factors for extrapolation chamber measurements. Additionally, experiment results suggest that an entrance window is not needed in order for an extrapolation chamber to provide accurate dose rate measurements for a planar ophthalmic applicator.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

WE-DE-207B-12: Scatter Correction for Dedicated Cone Beam Breast CT Based On a Forward Projection Model

Purpose: The image quality of dedicated cone-beam breast CT (CBBCT) is fundamentally limited by substantial x-ray scatter contamination, resulting in cupping artifacts and contrast-loss in reconstructed images. Such effects obscure the visibility of soft-tissue lesions and calcifications, which hinders breast cancer detection and diagnosis. In this work, we propose to suppress x-ray scatter in CBBCT images using a deterministic forward projection model. Method: We first use the 1st-pass FDK-reconstructed CBBCT images to segment fibroglandular and adipose tissue. Attenuation coefficients are assigned to the two tissues based on the x-ray spectrum used for imaging acquisition, and is forward projected to simulate scatter-free primary projections. We estimate the scatter by subtracting the simulated primary projection from the measured projection, and then the resultant scatter map is further refined by a Fourier-domain fitting algorithm after discarding untrusted scatter information. The final scatter estimate is subtracted from the measured projection for effective scatter correction. In our implementation, the proposed scatter correction takes 0.5 seconds for each projection. The method was evaluated using the overall image spatial non-uniformity (SNU) metric and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) with 5 clinical datasets of BI-RADS 4/5 subjects. Results: For the 5 clinical datasets, our method reduced the SNU from 7.79% to 1.68% in coronal view and from 6.71% to 3.20% in sagittal view. The average CNR is improved by a factor of 1.38 in coronal view and 1.26 in sagittal view. Conclusion: The proposed scatter correction approach requires no additional scans or prior images and uses a deterministic model for efficient calculation. Evaluation with clinical datasets demonstrates the feasibility and stability of the method. These features are attractive for clinical CBBCT and make our method distinct from other approaches. Supported partly by NIH R21EB019597, R21CA134128 and R01CA195512.The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

WE-H-207A-02: Attenuation Correction in 4D-PET Using a Single-Phase Attenuation Map

Purpose: 4D-PET imaging has been proposed as a potential solution to the respiratory motion effect in thoracic region. CT-based attenuation correction (AC) is an essential step toward quantitative imaging for PET. However, due to the temporal difference of 4D-PET and a single breath-hold CT, motion artifacts are observed in the attenuation-corrected PET images that can lead to error in tumor shape and uptake. We introduce a practical method for aligning single-phase CT to all other 4D-PET phases using a penalized non-rigid demons registration. Methods: Individual 4D-PET frames were reconstructed without AC. Non-rigid Demons registration was used to derive deformation vector fields (DVFs) between the PET matched with CT phase and other 4D-PET images. While attenuated PET images provide enough useful data for organ borders such as lung and liver, tumors are not distinguishable from background due to loss of contrast. To preserve tumor shape in different phases, from CT image an ROI covering tumor was excluded from non-rigid transformation. Mean DVF of the central region of the tumor was assigned to all voxels in the ROI. This process mimics a rigid transformation of tumor along with a non-rigid transformation of other organs. 4D XCAT phantom with spherical tumors in lung with diameters ranging from 10 to 40 mm was used to evaluate the algorithm. Results: Motion related induced artifacts in attenuation-corrected 4D-PET images were significantly reduced. For tumors smaller than 20 mm, non-rigid transformation was capable to provide quantitative results. However, for larger tumors, where tumor self-attenuation is considerable, our combined method yields superior results. Conclusion: We introduced a practical method for deforming a single CT to match all 4D-PET images for accurate AC. Although 4D-PET data include insignificant anatomical information, we showed that they are still useful to estimate DVFs for aligning attenuation map and accurate AC.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

TH-AB-201-08: Ion Chamber Dose Measurements - Problems with the Temperature-Pressure Correction Factor

Purpose: To investigate the behavior of ionization chambers over a wide pressure range. Methods: Three cylindrical and two parallel-plate designs of ion chamber were investigated. The ion chambers were placed in vessel where the pressure was varied from atmospheric (101 kPa) down to 5 kPa. Measurements were made using 60Co and high-energy electron beams. The pressure was measured to better than 0.1% and multiple data sets were obtained for each chamber at both polarities to investigate pressure cycling and dependency on the sign of the charge collected. Results: For all types of chamber, the ionization current, corrected using the standard PTP, showed a similar behaviour. Deviations from the standard theory were generally small for Co-60 but very significant for electron beams, up to 20 % below P = 10 kPa. The effect was found to be always larger when collecting negative charge, suggesting a dependence on free-electron collection. The most likely source of such electrons is low-energy electrons emitted from the electrodes. This signal would be independent of air pressure within the chamber cavity. The data was analyzed to extract this signal and it was found to be a non-negligible component of the ionization current at atmospheric pressure. In the case of the parallel plate chambers, the effect was approximately 0.25 %. For the cylindrical chambers the effect was larger - up to 1.2 % - and dependent on the chamber type, which would be consistent with electron emission from different wall materials. For the electron beams, the correction factor was dependent on the electron energy and approximately double that observed in 60Co. Conclusion: Measurements have indicated significant deviations of the standard pressure correction that are consistent with electron emission from chamber electrodes. This has implications for both primary standard and reference ion chamber-based dosimetry.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

TH-CD-BRA-03: Direct Measurement of Magnetic Field Correction Factors, KQB, for Application in Future Codes of Practice for Reference Dosimetry

Purpose: With an MR-linac, radiation is delivered in the presence of a magnetic field. Modifications in the codes of practice (CoPs) for reference dosimetry are required to incorporate the effect of the magnetic field. Methods: In most CoPs the absorbed dose is determined using the well-known kQ formalism as the product of the calibration coefficient, the corrected electrometer reading and kQ, to account for the difference in beam quality. To keep a similar formalism a single correction factor is introduced which replaces kQ, and which corrects for beam quality and B-field, kQ,B. In this study we propose a method to determine kQ,B under reference conditions in the MRLinac without using a primary standard, as the product of:- the ratio between detector readings without and with B-field (kB),- the ratio between doses in the point of measurement with and without B-field (rho),- kQ in the absence of the B-field in the MRLinac beam (kQmrl0,Q0),The ratio of the readings, which covers the change in detector reading due to the different electron trajectories in the detector, was measured with a waterproof ionization chamber (IBA-FC65g) in a water phantom in the MRLinac without and with B-field. The change in dose-to-water in the point of measurement due to the B-field was determined with a Monte Carlo based TPS. Results: For the presented approach, the measured ratio of readings is 0.956, the calculated ratio of doses in the point of measurement is 0.995. Based on TPR20,10 measurements kQ was calculated as 0.989 using NCS-18. This yields a value of 0.9408 for kQ,B. Conclusion: The presented approach to determine kQ,B agrees with a method based on primary standards within 0.4% with an uncertainty of 1% (1 std.uncert). It differs from a similar approach using a PMMA-phantom and an NE2571 chamber with 1.3%.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Noise suppressed partial volume correction for cardiac SPECT/CT

Purpose: Partial volume correction (PVC) methods typically improve quantification at the expense of increased image noise and reduced reproducibility. In this study, the authors developed a novel voxel-based PVC method that incorporates anatomical knowledge to improve quantification while suppressing noise for cardiac SPECT/CT imaging. Methods: In the proposed method, the SPECT images were first reconstructed using anatomical-based maximum a posteriori (AMAP) with Bowsher’s prior to penalize noise while preserving boundaries. A sequential voxel-by-voxel PVC approach (Yang’s method) was then applied on the AMAP reconstruction using a template response. This template response was obtained by forward projecting a template derived from a contrast-enhanced CT image, and then reconstructed using AMAP to model the partial volume effects (PVEs) introduced by both the system resolution and the smoothing applied during reconstruction. To evaluate the proposed noise suppressed PVC (NS-PVC), the authors first simulated two types of cardiac SPECT studies: a {sup 99m}Tc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion scan and a {sup 99m}Tc-labeled red blood cell (RBC) scan on a dedicated cardiac multiple pinhole SPECT/CT at both high and low count levels. The authors then applied the proposed method on a canine equilibrium blood pool study following injection with {sup 99m}Tc-RBCs at different count levels by rebinning the list-mode data into shorter acquisitions. The proposed method was compared to MLEM reconstruction without PVC, two conventional PVC methods, including Yang’s method and multitarget correction (MTC) applied on the MLEM reconstruction, and AMAP reconstruction without PVC. Results: The results showed that the Yang’s method improved quantification, however, yielded increased noise and reduced reproducibility in the regions with higher activity. MTC corrected for PVE on high count data with amplified noise, although yielded the worst performance among all the methods tested on low-count data. AMAP effectively suppressed noise and reduced the spill-in effect in the low activity regions. However it was unable to reduce the spill-out effect in high activity regions. NS-PVC yielded superior performance in terms of both quantitative assessment and visual image quality while improving reproducibility. Conclusions: The results suggest that NS-PVC may be a promising PVC algorithm for application in low-dose protocols, and in gated and dynamic cardiac studies with low counts.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Poster - 17: Characterization and correction of radiation induced background in scanning water tanks

Purpose: To characterize and correct for radiation-induced background (RIB) observed in the signals from a class of scanning water tanks. Methods: A method was developed to isolate the RIB through detector measurements in the background-free linac console area. Variation of the RIB against a large number of parameters was characterized, and its impact on basic clinical data for photon and electron beams was quantified. Different methods to minimize and/or correct for the RIB were proposed and evaluated. Results: The RIB is due to the presence of the electrometer and connection box in a low background radiation field (by design). The absolute RIB current with a biased detector is up to 2 pA, independent of the detector size, which is 0.6% and 1.5% of the central axis reference signal for a standard and a mini scanning chamber, respectively. The RIB monotonically increases with field size, is three times smaller for detectors that do not require a bias (e.g., diodes), is up to 80% larger for positive (versus negative) polarity, decreases with increasing photon energy, exhibits a single curve versus dose rate at the electrometer location, and is negligible for electron beams. Data after the proposed field-size correction method agree with point measurements from an independent system to within a few tenth of a percent for output factor, head scatter, depth dose at depth, and out-of-field profile dose. Manufacturer recommendations for electrometer placement are insufficient and sometimes incorrect. Conclusions: RIB in scanning water tanks can have a non-negligible effect on dosimetric data.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Sci-Sat AM: Radiation Dosimetry and Practical Therapy Solutions - 12: Suitability of plan class specific reference fields for estimating dosimeter correction factors for small clinical CyberKnife fields

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to investigate the utility of plan class specific reference (PCSR) fields for predicting dosimeter response within isocentric and non-isocentric composite clinical fields using the smallest fields employed by the CyberKnife radiosurgery system. Methods: Monte Carlo dosimeter response correction factors (CFs) were calculated for a plastic scintillator and microchamber dosimeter in 21 clinical fields and 9 candidate plan-class PCSR fields which employ the 5, 7.5 and 10 mm diameter collimators. Measurements were performed in 5 PCSR fields to confirm the predicted relative response of detectors in the same field. Results: Ratios of corrected measured dose in the PCSR fields agree to within 1% of unity. Calculated CFs for isocentric fields agree within 1.5% of those for PCSR fields. Large and variable microchamber CFs are required for non-isocentric fields, with differences as high as 5% between different clinical fields in the same plan class and 4% within the same field depending on the point of measurement. Non-isocentric PCSR fields constructed to have relatively homogenous dose over a region larger than the detector have very different ion chamber CFs from clinical fields. The plastic scintillator detector has much more consistent response within each plan class but still require 3–4% corrections in some fields. Conclusions: While the PCSR field concept is useful for small isocentric fields, this approach may not be appropriate for non-isocentric clinical fields which exhibit large and variable ion chamber CFs which differ significantly from CFs for homogenous field PCSRs.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

Photorefractive Correction of the Coupling Ratio of an Integrated Optical Directional X-Coupler on a Lithium Niobate Substrate

The possibility of correcting the power coupling ratio of an integrated optical directional X-coupler upon excitation of a local photorefractive response in the substrate material (LiNbO{sub 3}) has been analyzed. The X-coupler operation has been numerically simulated, and the regions of its maximum sensitivity to photorefraction have been determined. The correspondence between the calculated and experimental data has been obtained. The maximum correction value of the coupling ratio is 1–2%. The photorefractive correction of the coupling ratio has been used to increase the extinction ratio of a Mach–Zehnder modulator to 47 dB.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Lowest-order QED radiative corrections in unpolarized elastic electron–deuteron scattering beyond the ultra-relativistic limit for the proposed deuteron charge radius measurement at Jefferson laboratory

Analogous to the well-known proton charge radius puzzle, a similar puzzle exists for the deuteron charge radius, r d . There are discrepancies observed in the results of r d , measured from electron-deuteron (e - d) scattering experiments, as well as from atomic spectroscopy. In order to help resolve the charge radius puzzle of the deuteron, the PRad collaboration at Jefferson Lab has proposed an experiment for measuring r d , named DRad. This experiment is designed to measure the unpolarized elastic e - d scattering cross section in a low-Q 2 region. To extract the cross section with a high precision, having reliable knowledge of QED radiative corrections is important. Here, in this paper, we present complete numerical calculations of the lowest-order radiative corrections in e - d scattering for the DRad kinematics. The calculations have been performed within a covariant formalism and beyond the ultra-relativistic approximation ($m^2_e$ $\ll$ Q 2 ). Besides, we present a systematic uncertainty on r d arising from higher-order radiative corrections, estimated based on our cross-section results.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Automatic software correction of residual aberrations in reconstructed HRTEM exit waves of crystalline samples

Abstract We develop an automatic and objective method to measure and correct residual aberrations in atomic-resolution HRTEM complex exit waves for crystalline samples aligned along a low-index zone axis. Our method uses the approximate rotational point symmetry of a column of atoms or single atom to iteratively calculate a best-fit numerical phase plate for this symmetry condition, and does not require information about the sample thickness or precise structure. We apply our method to two experimental focal series reconstructions, imaging a β-Si 3 N 4 wedge with O and N doping, and a single-layer graphene grain boundary. We use peak and lattice fitting to evaluate the precision of the corrected exit waves. We also apply our method to the exit wave of a Si wedge retrieved by off-axis electron holography. In all cases, the software correction of the residual aberration function improves the accuracy of the measured exit waves.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Inferring small-sample-reactivity worth from oscillation experiment with auto-corrected local flux

To estimate reactivity changes as a function of time from the signal of detectors count rates, one usually uses point kinetic equations. However, when detectors are located inside the core, it is often necessary to compute a correction factor to account for the flux-shape deformation (i.e. the change of detector efficiency that may have been induced by neutron absorbers movements). Various simulation methods have been developed depending on transients observed. They range from the resolution of static equations up to full-time-dependent neutron transport in 3D. However, those methods require high computational-cost calculations of local reaction rates that rely on nuclear data evaluations. Therefore, a 'measured' reactivity is never determined through pure measurements. Taking advantage of the known oscillation movement of a small sample at the center of the MINERVE reactor, the innovative algorithm presented in this paper derives the correction factor needed to get no time drift on reactivity steps. Derived correction factors are in good agreement with those obtained independently with TRIPOLI-4 through sensitivity analysis. Low sensitivity to the sample composition and moderate sensitivity to the detectors position reinforce the reliability of those results. This application paves the way to almost pure nuclear data reactivity measurements. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 366: Area 11 Plutonium Valley Dispersion Sites, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada with ROTC 1

This Closure Report presents information supporting closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 366, Area 11 Plutonium Valley Dispersion Sites, and provides documentation supporting the completed corrective actions and confirmation that closure objectives for CAU 366 were met. CAU 366 consists of the following six Corrective Action Sites (CASs), located in Area 11 of the Nevada National Security Site: • CAS 11-08-01, Contaminated Waste Dump #1 • CAS 11-08-02, Contaminated Waste Dump #2 • CAS 11-23-01, Radioactively Contaminated Area A • CAS 11-23-02, Radioactively Contaminated Area B • CAS 11-23-03, Radioactively Contaminated Area C • CAS 11-23-04, Radioactively Contaminated Area D

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 116: Area 25 Test Cell C Facility, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada with ROTC-1

CR loaded to this OSTI record. Just adding new file which includes CR plus new ROTC 1 and update the metadata to the following: This Closure Report (CR) presents information supporting closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 116, Area 25 Test Cell C Facility. This CR complies with the requirements of the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) that was agreed to by the State of Nevada; the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Management; the U.S. Department of Defense; and DOE, Legacy Management (FFACO, 1996 [as amended March 2010]). CAU 116 consists of the following two Corrective Action Sites (CASs), located in Area 25 of the Nevada National Security Site: (1) CAS 25-23-20, Nuclear Furnace Piping and (2) CAS 25-41-05, Test Cell C Facility. CAS 25-41-05 consisted of Building 3210 and the attached concrete shield wall. CAS 25-23-20 consisted of the nuclear furnace piping and tanks. Closure activities began in January 2007 and were completed in August 2011. Activities were conducted according to Revision 1 of the Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration Plan for CAU 116 (U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office [NNSA/NSO], 2008). This CR provides documentation supporting the completed corrective actions and provides data confirming that closure objectives for CAU 116 were met. Site characterization data and process knowledge indicated that surface areas were radiologically contaminated above release limits and that regulated and/or hazardous wastes were present in the facility. The Record of Technical Change 1 updated the use restriction information.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 572: Test Cell C Ancillary Building and Structures, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

The purpose of this CR is to provide documentation supporting the completed corrective actions and data confirming that the closure objectives for CAU 572 were met. To achieve this, the following actions were performed: • Corrective action investigation (CAI) activities were performed from August 2020 through May 2023, as set forth in the SAFER Plan for CAU 572; and in accordance with the Soils Activity Quality Assurance Plan, which establishes requirements, technical planning, and general quality practices. • Corrective actions were completed during decontamination and demolition (D&D) and disposal activities, and were performed from August 2022 through September 2025.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

An 8.8 ps RMS Resolution Time-To-Digital Converter Implemented in a 60 nm FPGA with Real-Time Temperature Correction

This paper presented a non-uniform multiphase (NUMP) time-to-digital converter (TDC) implemented in a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) with real-time automatic temperature compensation. NUMP-TDC is a novel, low-cost, high-performance TDC that has achieved an excellent performance in Altera Cyclone V FPGA. The root mean square (RMS) for the intrinsic timing resolution was 2.3 ps. However, the propagation delays in the delay chain of some FPGAs (for example, the Altera Cyclone 10 LP) vary significantly as the temperature changes. Thus, the timing performances of NUMP-TDCs implemented in those FPGAs are significantly impacted by temperature fluctuations. In this study, a simple method was developed to monitor variations in propagation delays using two registers deployed at both ends of the delay chain and compensate for changes in propagation delay using a look-up table (LUT). When the variations exceeded a certain threshold, the LUT for the delay correction was updated, and a bin-by-bin correction was launched. Using this correction approach, a resolution of 8.8 ps RMS over a wide temperature range (5 °C to 80 °C) had been achieved in a NUMP-TDC implemented in a Cyclone 10 LP FPGA.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

A Correction for IUE UV Flux Distributions from Comparisons with CALSPEC

A collection of spectral energy distributions (SEDs) is available in the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) CALSPEC database that is based on calculated model atmospheres for pure hydrogen white dwarfs (WDs). A much larger set (∼100,000) of UV SEDs covering the range (1150–3350 Å) with somewhat lower quality are available in the IUE database. IUE low-dispersion flux distributions are compared with CALSPEC to provide a correction that places IUE fluxes on the CALSPEC scale. While IUE observations are repeatable to only 4%–10% in regions of good sensitivity, the average flux corrections have a precision of 2%–3%. Our re-calibration places the IUE flux scale on the current UV reference standard and is relevant for any project based on IUE archival data, including our planned comparison of GALEX to the corrected IUE fluxes. IUE SEDs may be used to plan observations and cross-calibrate data from future missions, so the IUE flux calibration must be consistent with HST instrumental calibrations to the best possible precision.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗