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At least 631 records · Page 35

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NASA NTRS1986

Vector solution for the mean electromagnetic fields in a layer of random particles

The mean electromagnetic fields are found in a layer of randomly oriented particles lying over a half space. A matrix-dyadic formulation of Maxwell's equations is employed in conjunction with the Foldy-Lax approximation to obtain equations for the mean fields. A two variable perturbation procedure, valid in the limit of small fractional volume, is then used to derive uncoupled equations for the slowly varying amplitudes of the mean wave. These equations are solved to obtain explicit expressions for the mean electromagnetic fields in the slab region in the general case of arbitrarily oriented particles and arbitrary polarization of the incident radiation. Numerical examples are given for the application to remote sensing of vegetation.

Lang, R. H.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Dynamic response and input identification of MDOF structures subjected to coupled random vector inputs

A method of random dynamic analysis is presented which is based on the classical approach applied to a discretized structure. The method assumes that the system identification is available in the form of natural modes and frequencies. These modes and frequencies can be found from either available solutions or approximately from finite element programs. A computer program has been developed to perform the computations required in the analysis. All computations are performed with transformed modal variables, which results in significant economy since the number of modal degrees of freedom is almost always less than the number of physical degrees of freedom. The program computes the response to force and base inputs which are statistically coupled. A method is also presented for predicting one of the inputs if the second input and the acceleration response at a point on the structure are known. Finally, results are presented for the random response of a rectangular plate subjected to a random pressure and a random base input. The inputs are considered individually and with various degrees of statistical coupling.

Ocallahan, J. C.↗

NASA NTRS1973

A manual control theory analysis of vertical situation displays for STOL aircraft

Pilot-vehicle-display systems theory is applied to the analysis of proposed vertical situation displays for manual control in approach-to-landing of a STOL aircraft. The effects of display variables on pilot workload and on total closed-loop system performance was calculated using an optimal-control model for the human operator. The steep approach of an augmentor wing jet STOL aircraft was analyzed. Both random turbulence and mean-wind shears were considered. Linearized perturbation equations were used to describe longitudinal and lateral dynamics of the aircraft. The basic display configuration was one that abstracted the essential status information (including glide-slope and localizer errors) of an EADI display. Proposed flight director displays for both longitudinal and lateral control were also investigated.

Baron, S.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Application of coherence in fan noise studies

A study of fan noise was made by using the coherence function to obtain far field spectra that were coherent with the fan rotational rate. Choosing fan rotational rate as one of the two variables yielded new information about the far field noise generated during static fan testing. As a result of this coherent data processing, the inlet fan-tone noise present in static testing was determined to be mostly random when the rotor-alone and rotor-stator interaction tones were cut off. After the rotor-alone sound field was cut on, the sound pressure became coherent, and the angular extent of high coherence increased as fan speed was increased. In addition, the sound field was organized as a pattern of lobes whose amplitude varied slowly with time. Additional fan test results indicate that operating the fan with an inflow control device can partially reduce the fan-tone noise levels to those produced by coherent processing.

Balombin, J. R.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A Darwinian approach to control-structure design

Genetic algorithms (GA's), as introduced by Holland (1975), are one form of directed random search. The form of direction is based on Darwin's 'survival of the fittest' theories. GA's are radically different from the more traditional design optimization techniques. GA's work with a coding of the design variables, as opposed to working with the design variables directly. The search is conducted from a population of designs (i.e., from a large number of points in the design space), unlike the traditional algorithms which search from a single design point. The GA requires only objective function information, as opposed to gradient or other auxiliary information. Finally, the GA is based on probabilistic transition rules, as opposed to deterministic rules. These features allow the GA to attack problems with local-global minima, discontinuous design spaces and mixed variable problems, all in a single, consistent framework.

Zimmerman, David C.↗

NASA NTRS2017

The Relationships Between the Trends of Mean and Extreme Precipitation

This study provides a better understanding of the relationships between the trends of mean and extreme precipitation in two observed precipitation data sets: the Climate Prediction Center Unified daily precipitation data set and the Global Precipitation Climatology Program (GPCP) pentad data set. The study employs three kinds of definitions of extreme precipitation: (1) percentile, (2) standard deviation and (3) generalize extreme value (GEV) distribution analysis for extreme events based on local statistics. Relationship between trends in the mean and extreme precipitation is identified with a novel metric, i.e. area aggregated matching ratio (AAMR) computed on regional and global scales. Generally, more (less) extreme events are likely to occur in regions with a positive (negative) mean trend. The match between the mean and extreme trends deteriorates for increasingly heavy precipitation events. The AAMR is higher in regions with negative mean trends than in regions with positive mean trends, suggesting a higher likelihood of severe dry events, compared with heavy rain events in a warming climate. AAMR is found to be higher in tropics and oceans than in the extratropics and land regions, reflecting a higher degree of randomness and more important dynamical rather than thermodynamical contributions of extreme events in the latter regions.

global warming↗

NASA NTRS1977

An ILLIAC program for the numerical simulation of homogeneous incompressible turbulence

An algorithm and ILLIAC computer program, developed for the simulation of homogeneous incompressible turbulence in the presence of an applied mean strain, are described. The turbulence field is represented spatially by a truncated triple Fourier series (spectral method) and followed in time using a fourth-order Runge-Kutta algorithm. These include: (1) transformation of variables suggested by Taylor's sudden-distortion theory; (2) implicit viscous diffusion by use of an integrating factor; (3) implicit pressure calculation suggested by Taylor's sudden-distortion theory, and (4) inexpensive control of aliasing by random and phased coordinate shifts.

Rogallo, R. S.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Driver steering dynamics measured in car simulator under a range of visibility and roadmaking conditions

A simulation experiment was conducted to determine the effect of reduced visibility on driver lateral (steering) control. The simulator included a real car cab and a single lane road image projected on a screen six feet in front of the driver. Simulated equations of motion controlled apparent car lane position in response to driver steering actions, wind gusts, and road curvature. Six drivers experienced a range of visibility conditions at various speeds with assorted roadmaking configurations (mark and gap lengths). Driver describing functions were measured and detailed parametric model fits were determined. A pursuit model employing a road curvature feedforward was very effective in explaining driver behavior in following randomly curving roads. Sampled-data concepts were also effective in explaining the combined effects of reduced visibility and intermittent road markings on the driver's dynamic time delay. The results indicate the relative importance of various perceptual variables as the visual input to the driver's steering control process is changed.

Allen, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Nonlinear system controller design based on domain of attaction: An application to CELSS analysis and control

Nonlinear system controller design based on the domain of attraction is presented. This is particularly suited to investigating Closed Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) models. In particular, the dynamic consequences of changes in the waste storage capacity and system mass, and how information is used for control in CELSS models are examined. The models' high dimensionality and nonlinear state equations make them difficult to analyze by any other technique. The domain of attraction is the region in initial conditions that tend toward an attractor and it is delineated by randomly selecting initial conditions from the region of state space being investigated. Error analysis is done by repeating the domain simulations with independent samples. A refinement of this region is the domain of performance which is the region of initial conditions meeting a performance criteria. In nonlinear systems, local stability does not insure stability over a larger region. The domain of attraction marks out this stability region; hence, it can be considered a measure of a nonlinear system's ability to recovery from state perturbations. Considering random perturbations, the minimum radius of the domain is a measure of the magnitude of perturbations for which recovery is guaranteed. Design of both linear and nonlinear controllers are shown. Three CELSS models, with 9 to 30 state variable, are presented. Measures of the domain of attraction are used to show the global behavior of these models under a variety of design and controller scenarios.

Babcock, P. S., IV↗

NASA NTRS1987

The correspondence of surface climate parameters with satellite and terrain data

One of the goals of the research was to develop a ground sampling stragegy for calibrating remotely sensed measurements of surface climate parameters. The initial sampling strategy involved the stratification of the terrain based on important ancillary surface variables such as slope, exposure, insolation, geology, drainage, fire history, etc. For a spatially heterogeneous population, sampling error is reduced and efficiency increased by stratification of the landscape into more homogeneous sub-areas and by employing periodic random spacing of samples. These concepts were applied in the initial stratification of the study site for the purpose of locating and allocating instrumentation.

Dozier, Jeff↗

NASA NTRS1989

Comment on 'Distribution of whistler mode bursts at Venus' by F.L. Scarf, K.F. Jordan, and C.T. Russell

Consideration is given to the study of the 100-Hz electric field noise observed from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) by Scarf et al. (1987). It is suggested that the study incorrectly interprets the results as evidence for lightning and volcanism at Venus. Statistical evidence is presented, suggesting that the distribution of the noise is essentially random, within the zone of occurrence of ion troughs, and decreases at the lowest PVO altitudes, closest to the neutral atmosphere. It is found that the topographic clustering reported by Scarf et al. is an artifact of the variable spatial distribution of troughs and associated noise.

Taylor, Harry A., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Oscillating flow loss test results in Stirling engine heat exchangers

The results are presented for a test program designed to generate a database of oscillating flow loss information that is applicable to Stirling engine heat exchangers. The tests were performed on heater/cooler tubes of various lengths and entrance/exit configurations, on stacked and sintered screen regenerators of various wire diameters and on Brunswick and Metex random fiber regenerators. The test results were performed over a range of oscillating flow parameters consistent with Stirling engine heat exchanger experience. The tests were performed on the Sunpower oscillating flow loss rig which is based on a variable stroke and variable frequency linear drive motor. In general, the results are presented by comparing the measured oscillating flow losses to the calculated flow losses. The calculated losses are based on the cycle integration of steady flow friction factors and entrance/exit loss coefficients.

Koester, G.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Multiversion software reliability through fault-avoidance and fault-tolerance

In this project we have proposed to investigate a number of experimental and theoretical issues associated with the practical use of multi-version software in providing dependable software through fault-avoidance and fault-elimination, as well as run-time tolerance of software faults. In the period reported here we have working on the following: We have continued collection of data on the relationships between software faults and reliability, and the coverage provided by the testing process as measured by different metrics (including data flow metrics). We continued work on software reliability estimation methods based on non-random sampling, and the relationship between software reliability and code coverage provided through testing. We have continued studying back-to-back testing as an efficient mechanism for removal of uncorrelated faults, and common-cause faults of variable span. We have also been studying back-to-back testing as a tool for improvement of the software change process, including regression testing. We continued investigating existing, and worked on formulation of new fault-tolerance models. In particular, we have partly finished evaluation of Consensus Voting in the presence of correlated failures, and are in the process of finishing evaluation of Consensus Recovery Block (CRB) under failure correlation. We find both approaches far superior to commonly employed fixed agreement number voting (usually majority voting). We have also finished a cost analysis of the CRB approach.

Vouk, Mladen A.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Cloud Scaling Properties and Cloud Parameterization

Cloud liquid and cloud traction variability is studied as a function of horizontal scale in the ECMWF forecast model during several 10-day runs at the highest available model resolution, recently refined from approximately 60 km (T213) down to approximately 20 km (T639). At higher resolutions, model plane-parallel albedo biases are reduced, so that models may be tuned to have larger, more realistic, cloud liquid water amounts, However, the distribution of cloud liquid assumed -within- each gridbox, for radiative and thermodynamic computations, depends on ad hoc assumptions that are not necessarily consistent with observed scaling properties, or with scaling properties produced by the model at larger scales. To study the larger-scale cloud properties, ten locations on the Earth are chosen to coincide with locations having considerable surface data available for validation, and representing a variety of climatic regimes, scaling exponents are determined from a range or scales down to model resolution, and are re-computed every three hours, separately for low, medium and high clouds, as well as column-integrated cloudiness. Cloud variability fluctuates in time, due to diurnal, synoptic and other' processes, but scaling exponents are found to be relatively stable. various approaches are considered for applying computed cloud scaling to subgrid cloud distributions used for radiation, beyond simple random or maximal overlap now in common use. Considerably more work is needed to compare model cloud scaling with observations. This will be aided by increased availability of high-resolution surface, aircraft and satellite data, and by the increasing resolution of global models,

Cahalan, R. F.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Constraints on PSC Particle Microphysics Derived From Lidar Observations

Based on extensive T-matrix computations of light scattering by polydispersions of randomly oriented, rotationally symmetric nonspherical particles, we analyze existing lidar observations of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) and derive several constraints on PSC particle microphysical properties. We show that sharp-edged nonspherical particles (finite circular cylinders) exhibit less variability of lidar backscattering characteristics with particle size and aspect ratio than particles with smooth surfaces (spheroids). For PSC particles significantly smaller than the wavelength, the backscatter color index Alpha and the depolarization color index Beta are essentially shape-independent. Observations for type Ia PSCs can be reproduced by spheroids with aspect ratios larger than 1.2, oblate cylinders with diameter-to-length ratios greater than 1.6, and prolate cylinders with length-to-diameter ratios greater than 1.4. The effective equal-volume-sphere radius for type la PSCs is about 0.8 microns or larger. Type Ib PSCs are likely to be composed of spheres or nearly spherical particles with effective radii smaller than 0.8 microns. Observations for type II PSCs are consistent with large ice crystals (effective radius greater than 1 micron modeled as cylinders or prolate spheroids.

Liu, Li↗

NASA NTRS2014

Global-Scale Comparison of Passive (SMOS) and Active (ASCAT) Satellite Based Microwave Soil Moisture Retrievals with Soil Moisture Simulations (MERRA-Land)

Global surface soil moisture (SSM) datasets are being produced based on active and passive microwave satellite observations and simulations from land surface models (LSM). This study investigates the consistency of two global satellite-based SSM datasets based on microwave remote sensing observations from the passive Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS;SMOSL3 version 2.5) and the active Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT; version TUWien- WARP 5.5) with respect to LSM SSM from the MERRA-Land data product. The relationship between the global-scale SSM products was studied during the 2010-2012 period using (1) a time series statistics (considering both original SSM data and anomalies), (2) a space-time analysis using Hovmoller diagrams, and (3) a triple collocation error model. The SMOSL3 and ASCAT retrievals are consistent with the temporal dynamics of modeled SSM (correlation R (is) greater than 0.70 for original SSM) in the transition zones between wet and dry climates, including the Sahel, the Indian subcontinent, the Great Plains of North America, eastern Australia, and southeastern Brazil. Over relatively dense vegetation covers, a better consistency with MERRA-Land was obtained with ASCAT than with SMOSL3. However, it was found that ASCAT retrievals exhibit negative correlation versus MERRA-Land in some arid regions (e.g., the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula). In terms of anomalies, SMOSL3 better captures the short term SSM variability of the reference dataset (MERRA-Land) than ASCAT over regions with limited radio frequency interference (RFI) effects (e.g., North America, South America, and Australia). The seasonal and latitudinal variations of SSM are relatively similar for the three products, although the MERRALand SSM values are generally higher and their seasonal amplitude is much lower than for SMOSL3 and ASCAT. Both SMOSL3 and ASCAT have relatively comparable triple collocation errors with similar spatial error patterns: (i) lowest errors in arid regions (e.g., Sahara and Arabian Peninsula), due to the very low natural variability of soil moisture in these areas, and Central America, and (ii) highest errors over most of the vegetated regions (e.g., northern Australia, India, central Asia, and South America). However, the ASCAT SSM product is prone to larger random errors in some regions (e.g., north-western Africa, Iran, and southern South Africa). Vegetation density was found to be a key factor to interpret the consistency with MERRA-Land between the two remotely sensed products (SMOSL3 and ASCAT) which provides complementary information on SSM. This study shows that both SMOS and ASCAT have thus a potential for data fusion into long-term data records.

ASCAT↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Planning Bias: Planning as a Source of Sampling Bias

Many data-driven planning methods are trained on data generated by planners. It is well known that many statistical learning methods are sensitive to sampling bias, and yet there has been little or no attention to planning as a sampling method and its role in introducing sampling bias into planner-generated training data. Recently, it has been demonstrated that A**,* in the presence of problems with variable heuristic error, prefers some solutions over other equally cost-optimal solutions. But, as we discuss in this paper, mitigation may not be as simple as resolving arbitrary tie-breaking by sampling from ties uniformly at random. In this paper, we formalize an intuition of planning bias. We focus on problems which output a single solution. Diverse planning only complicates the problem by generalizing it to bias in the set of sets; we show how it is subject to bias in the single solution. We make some useful observations about deterministic algorithms in contrast to non-deterministic algorithms. We explain how information entropy may be a good way to measure planning bias, and discuss some issues in evaluating practical approaches to measurement. We address the intuition that uniform random tiebreaking should mitigate bias; and sketch a novel approach to constructing an appropriate random distribution for duplicate detection during forward search for unbiased A*. Finally, we suggest directions for future work.

Planning Scheduling Algorithms↗

NASA NTRS1988

Cometary water on Venus - Implications of stochastic impacts

Attention is given to a Venus water abundance model, incorporating a stochastic cometary source and nonthermal hydrogen escape, that reproduces both the near-steady-state balance between escape loss and infall replenishment implied by Venus' short water lifetime, and the consistency of the observed deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio with a steady state. It is shown that the stochastic variability of each of these quantities is large. Water's quasi-steady state on Venus is judged to be mediated by comet impacts, leading to an obscuration of the early water history of Venus by the history of random impacts.

Grinspoon, David H.↗