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At least 667 records · Page 37

Analog optical signal transmission for HEP experiments

A critical element in all high-energy physics experiments is the signal transmission from the active elements to the data acquisition system. It is especially challenging in large volume detectors based on noble liquids that are extensively being used for dark matter and neutrino detection.The topic of this contribution is the optical signal transmission of the signals acquired with silicon photomultipliers, which is able to satisfy many stringent experimental requirements. It is RF-noise immune and operates in cryogenic liquids and in high-electric fields.This transmission system is based on commercially available electronics components and customized Fabry-Perot laser diodes.I will talk about encountered challenges, breakthrough, and advances from the original concept of this system up to final validation tests, demonstrating progressive developments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Evolution of X-ray astronomy

The development of X-ray astronomy, stopping short of recent observations by grazing incidence telescope, is surveyed. The discovery in 1962 of an extrasolar X-ray source, Sco X-1, with orders of magnitude stronger than astronomers believed might exist is recounted. It turned out to belong to a class of previously unknown galactic objects, the X-ray stars. The identification of a strong X-ray source with the Crab Nebula and the identification of Sco X-1 with a faint, peculiar optical object soon followed. The demonstration that X-ray stars are binary systems, each consisting of a collapsed object (a neutron star, occasionally a black hole) accreting matter from an ordinary star, and the discovery of X-ray bursts are further milestones. The discovery of exceedingly strong X-ray emission from active galaxies, quasars and clusters of galaxies and the demonstration that in these the principal X-ray source is a hot gas filling the space between galaxies sum up results.

Rossi, B.↗

Far Infrared Emission from Galaxies

The relationship between far infrared sources and star formation is discussed. It is argued that the relationship of star formation to compact nuclear sources and the relative importance of these fundamentally different types of activity in the most luminous galaxies is still unclear. Although there is evidence for a general correlation between far infrared emission and the amount of interstellar matter present, there are also indications of significant deviations from a simple stochastic model.

Harper, D. A.↗

Radiative transfer in shrub savanna sites in Niger: Preliminary results from HAPEX-Sahel. Part 1: Modelling surface reflectance using a geometric-optical approach

To use optical remote sensing to monitor land surface-climate interactions over large areas, algorithms must be developed to relate multispectral measurements to key variables controlling the exchange of matter (water, carbon dioxide) and energy between the land surface and the atmosphere. The proportion of the ground covered by vegetation and the interception of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) by vegetation are examples of two variables related to evapotranspiration and primary production, respectively. An areal-proportion model of the multispectral reflectance of shrub savanna, composed of scattered shrubs with a grass, forb or soil understory, predicted the reflectance of two 0.5 km(exp 2) sites as the area-weighted average of the shrub and understory or 'background' reflectances. Although the shaded crown and shaded background have darker reflectances, ignoring them in the area-weighted model is not serious when shrub cover is low and solar zenith angle is small. A submodel predicted the reflectance of the shrub crown as a function of the foliage reflectance and amount of plant material within the crown, and the background reflectance scattered or transmitted through canopy gaps (referred to as a soil-plant 'spectral interaction' term). One may be able to combine these two models to estimate both the fraction of vegetation cover and interception of PAR by green vegetation in a shrub savanna.

Franklin, Janet↗

Sulfur during the Transition from Anoxic to Oxic Atmospheres

The invention of oxygenic photosynthesis was likely accompanied by the introduction of large amounts of O2 and complementary reduced gases (chiefly CH4) into the atmosphere. To first approximation the venting of O2 and CH4 are stochiometrically linked. We therefore present a suite of numerical photochemical models that address the anoxic-oxic transition in an atmosphere driven by large linked inputs of biogenic 02 and CH4. We find in general that, in steady state, there are two solutions, one oxic and the other anoxic. The anoxic solution appears to be linearly stable. If volcanic SO2 fluxes are large, S disproportionates into oxidized (H2S04) and reduced (S8) exit channels. As elemental sulfur is insoluble it provides a means of preserving photochemical mass-independent fractionation (MIF). On the other hand, if the source of volcanic SO2 is smaller than today, all S can leave the atmosphere as S8. Under these conditions there would be no MIF signal. The oxic solution appears to be linearly unstable. In the oxic solutions S is invariably oxidized to sulfate, and the MIF signal would be absent. The transitional atmosphere is relatively unstable and is also the most photochemically active. Consequently it is the transitional atmosphere, not the oxic or anoxic atmospheres, that has the lowest CH4 levels and weakest greenhouse warming. As a practical matter we expect the transitional atmospheres to vary strongly in response to diurnal and seasonal biological forcing.

Zahnle, Kevin↗

A New View of the High Energy Gamma-Ray Sky with the Ferrni Gamma-Ray Space Telescope

Following its launch in June 2008, high energy gamma-ray observations by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have opened a new and important window on a wide variety of phenomena, including pulsars, black holes and active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts, supernova remnants and the origin of cosmic rays, and searches for hypothetical new phenomena such as super symmetric dark matter annihilations. In this talk I will describe the current status of the Fermi observatory and review the science highlights from the first year of observations.

McEnery, Julie↗

A New View of the GeV Gamma-Ray Sky with Fermi-LAT

Following its launch in June 2008, GeV observations by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have opened a new and important window on a wide variety of phenomena, including pulsars, black holes and active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts, supernova remnants and the origin of cosmic rays, and searches for hypothetical new phenomena such as super symmetric dark matter annihilations. In this talk I will describe the current status of the Fermi observatory and review the science highlights during the first year of observations.

McEnery, Julie↗

Recent Results from Fermi

Following its launch in June 2008, GeV observations by the Fermi Gammaray Space Telescope have opened a new and important window on a wide variety of phenomena, including pulsars, black holes and active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts, supernova remnants and the origin of cosmic rays, and searches for hypothetical new phenomena such as super symmetric dark matter annihilations. In this talk I will describe the current status of the Fermi observatory and review the science highlights during the first year of observations.

McEnery, Julie↗

Connecting Crop Productivity, Residue Fires, and Air Quality over Northern India

Northwestern India is known as the “breadbasket” of the country producing two-thirds of food grains, with wheat and rice as the principal crops grown under the crop rotation system. Agricultural data from India indicates a 25% increase in the post-monsoon rice crop production in Punjab during 2002–2016. NASA’s A-train satellite sensors detect a consistent increase in the vegetation index (net 21%) and post-harvest agricultural fire activity (net ~60%) leading to nearly 43% increase in aerosol loading over the populous Indo-Gangetic Plain in northern India. The ground-level particulate matter (PM2.5) downwind over New Delhi shows a concurrent uptrend of net 60%. The effectiveness of a robust satellite-based relationship between vegetation index—a proxy for crop amounts, and post-harvest fires—a precursor of extreme air pollution events, has been further demonstrated in predicting the seasonal agricultural burning. An efficient crop residue management system is critically needed towards eliminating open field burning to mitigate episodic hazardous air quality over northern India.

Hiren Jethva↗

Neutrino Trapping and Out-of-Equilibrium Effects in Binary Neutron-Star Merger Remnants

We study out-of-thermodynamic-equilibrium effects in neutron-star mergers with 3D general-relativistic neutrino-radiation large-eddy simulations. During mergers, the cores of the neutron stars remain cold (T ~ a few MeV) and out of thermodynamic equilibrium with trapped neutrinos originating from the hot collisional interface between the stars. However, within ~2 to 3 ms matter and neutrinos reach equilibrium everywhere in the remnant massive neutron star. Furthermore, our results show that dissipative effects, such as bulk viscosity, if present, are only active for a short window of time after the merger.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA Tech Briefs Index, 1976

Abstracts of new technology derived from the research and development activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are presented. Emphasis is placed on information considered likely to be transferrable across industrial, regional, or disciplinary lines. Subject matter covered includes: electronic components and circuits; electronic systems; physical sciences; materials; life sciences; mechanics; machinery; fabrication technology; and mathematics and information sciences.

Source record↗

NASA Tech Briefs Index, 1978

Approximately 601 announcements of new technology derived from the research and development activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are presented. Emphasis is placed on information considered likely to be transferrable across industrial, regional, or disciplinary lines. Subject matter covered includes: electronic components and circuits; electron systems; physical sciences; materials; life sciences; mechanics; machinery; fabrication technology; and mathematics and information sciences.

Source record↗

The Era of International Space Station Utilization Begins: Research Strategy, International Collaboration, and Realized Potential

With the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) nearing completion and the support of a full-time crew of six, a new era of utilization for research is beginning. For more than 15 years, the ISS international partnership has weathered financial, technical and political challenges proving that nations can work together to complete assembly of the largest space vehicle in history. And while the ISS partners can be proud of having completed one of the most ambitious engineering projects ever conceived, the challenge of successfully using the platform remains. During the ISS assembly phase, the potential benefits of space-based research and development were demonstrated; including the advancement of scientific knowledge based on experiments conducted in space, development and testing of new technologies, and derivation of Earth applications from new understanding. The configurability and human-tended capabilities of the ISS provide a unique platform. The international utilization strategy is based on research ranging from physical sciences, biology, medicine, psychology, to Earth observation, human exploration preparation and technology demonstration. The ability to complete follow-on investigations in a period of months allows researchers to make rapid advances based on new knowledge gained from ISS activities. During the utilization phase, the ISS partners are working together to track the objectives, accomplishments, and the applications of the new knowledge gained. This presentation will summarize the consolidated international results of these tracking activities and approaches. Areas of current research on ISS with strong international cooperation will be highlighted including cardiovascular studies, cell and plant biology studies, radiation, physics of matter, and advanced alloys. Scientific knowledge and new technologies derived from research on the ISS will be realized through improving quality of life on Earth and future spaceflight endeavours. Extension of the ISS through 2020 and beyond will insure that the benefits of research will be achievable for the International Partnership.

Thumm, Tracy↗

The Gamma-ray Sky with Fermi

Gamma rays reveal extreme, nonthermal conditions in the Universe. The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has been exploring the gamma-ray sky for more than four years, enabling a search for powerful transients like gamma-ray bursts, novae, solar flares, and flaring active galactic nuclei, as well as long-term studies including pulsars, binary systems, supernova remnants, and searches for predicted sources of gamma rays such as dark matter annihilation. Some results include a stringent limit on Lorentz invariance derived from a gamma-ray burst, unexpected gamma-ray variability from the Crab Nebula, a huge gamma-ray structure associated with the center of our galaxy, surprising behavior from some gamma-ray binary systems, and a possible constraint on some WIMP models for dark matter.

Thompson, David↗

The Gamma-ray Universe through Fermi

Gamma rays, the most powerful form of light, reveal extreme conditions in the Universe. The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and its smaller cousin AGILE have been exploring the gamma-ray sky for several years, enabling a search for powerful transients like gamma-ray bursts, novae, solar flares, and flaring active galactic nuclei, as well as long-term studies including pulsars, binary systems, supernova remnants, and searches for predicted sources of gamma rays such as dark matter annihilation. Some results include a stringent limit on Lorentz invariance derived from a gamma-ray burst, unexpected gamma-ray variability from the Crab Nebula, a huge ga.nuna-ray structure associated with the center of our galaxy, surprising behavior from some gamma-ray binary systems, and a possible constraint on some WIMP models for dark matter.

Thompson, David J.↗

Modeling Increased Complexity and the Reliance on Automation: FLightdeck Automation Problems (FLAP) Model

This paper highlights the development of a model that is focused on the safety issue of increasing complexity and reliance on automation systems in transport category aircraft. Recent statistics show an increase in mishaps related to manual handling and automation errors due to pilot complacency and over-reliance on automation, loss of situational awareness, automation system failures and/or pilot deficiencies. Consequently, the aircraft can enter a state outside the flight envelope and/or air traffic safety margins which potentially can lead to loss-of-control (LOC), controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT), or runway excursion/confusion accidents, etc. The goal of this modeling effort is to provide NASA's Aviation Safety Program (AvSP) with a platform capable of assessing the impacts of AvSP technologies and products towards reducing the relative risk of automation related accidents and incidents. In order to do so, a generic framework, capable of mapping both latent and active causal factors leading to automation errors, is developed. Next, the framework is converted into a Bayesian Belief Network model and populated with data gathered from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). With the insertion of technologies and products, the model provides individual and collective risk reduction acquired by technologies and methodologies developed within AvSP.

Ancel, Ersin↗

Impact of Wildfires on Solar Resource Availability in California in a Changing Climate

Wildfires can emit large amounts of atmospheric particulate matters and influence not only air quality but also availability of photovoltaic (PV) generation due to scattering and absorption of solar radiation. Under anthropogenic changing climate, wildfire activity is projected to increase over western North America due to drier and warmer climate, implying increasing impact on solar resource and larger uncertainty in solar generation especially in regions with faster PV penetration. This study focuses on quantifying the impact of wildfires on aerosol optical depth (AOD) and thus solar resource over California using National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB), developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This assessment includes historical analysis and estimation of solar resource under wildfire scenarios (2020 wildfire and an enhanced wildfire scenario based on 2020 wildfires). Historical analysis for the period of July-October 2019/2020 (low/high fire activity period) shows that the averaged global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and direct normal irradiance (DNI) are reduced by about 30 and 90 W m-2 (5.6 and 15.3%), respectively, during high fire activity period. To create AOD dataset for enhanced fire scenario, 165% increase in burn area (in around 2050) is selected based on comprehensive literature review, which is further applied to the Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN) fire emission. WRF-Chem model with the enhanced FINN emissions is used to simulate and represent a preserving spatial distribution of burned areas and wildfire-emitted aerosols. Our initial analysis suggests that the"enhanced 2020 wildfire" AOD can increase by a factor of 1.3 - 2, which can significantly reduce solar irradiance and increase uncertainty in generation and reliability of power system in extreme wildfire events under a high solar penetration scenario. Overall, this study provides an estimate of the impacts of wildfires on solar resource to make informed decisions on reserve planning, generation scheduling, and reliability investments.

aerosol optical depth↗

Counting Calories: Light Yield Studies with ADRIANO2 Calorimeter Prototype

Precision in measuring particle energies is crucial to understand the intricacies of high-energy physics beyond the standard model. For the REDTOP experiment to detect η/η´ mesons potentially decaying into dark-matter particles not yetdiscovered, it is essential to have accurate measurements through sophisticated and innovative detector technology built with special properties. The ADRIANO2 (A Dual Readout Integrally Active Non-segmented Option) Calorimeter Prototype plays a pivotal role in advancing detection capabilities, offering the potential to enhance the particle identification procedure. This study delves into the characterization of the ADRIANO2 prototype’s light yield with the ultimate goal of contributing to broader high-energy physics objectives. To estimate the light yield for the ADRIANO2 prototype, we must calibrate the light sensors as well as collect data from beams of known properties. Several prototypes of the ADRIANO2 detector have been tested at the Mtest Facility at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the last few years. This paper attempts to summarize the calibration of one such ADRIANO2 prototype to estimate its experimental performance.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗