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At least 685 records · Page 38

Surface Temperatures on Titan; Changes During the Cassini Mission

Surface brightness temperatures on Titan measured by the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) aboard Cassini span the period from late northern winter to early spring. The CIRS observations cover all latitudes and can be used to study meridional changes with season. CIRS previously reported surface temperatures from 2004-2008 which were 93.7 K at the equator with decreases of 2 K toward the south pole and 3 K toward the north pole'. From a comparison of the equinox period with the earlier data, CIRS can now detect a seasonal shift in the latitudinal distribution of temperatures. Around the time of the equinox the meridional distribution was more symmetric about the equator than had been found earlier in the mission. The equatorial surface temperatures remained close to 94 K, but in the south the temperatures had decreased by about 0.5 K and in the north had increased by about 0.5 K. The CIRS equinox results are similar to what was seen near the previous vernal equinox by Voyager IRIS Z. The observed surface temperatures can help constrain the type of surface material by comparison with predictions from general circulation models. Of the three cases treated by Tokano t , our measurements most closely match a porous-ice regolith. As Cassini continues through Titan's northern spring CIRS will extend its temporal and spatial coverage and will continue to search for seasonal variations in surface temperature.

Jennings, Donald E.↗

Revealing the Predominant Surface Facets of Rough Cu Electrodes under Electrochemical Conditions

Metal electrodes with rough surfaces are frequently found to convert CO or CO 2 to hydrocarbons and oxygenates with high selectivity and at high reaction rates in comparison with their smooth counterparts. The atomic-level morphology of a rough electrode is likely one key factor responsible for its comparatively high catalytic selectivity and activity. However, few methods are capable of probing the atomic-level structure of rough metal electrodes under electrocatalytic conditions. As a result, the nuances in the atomic-level surface morphology that control the catalytic characteristics of these electrodes have remained largely unexplored. Because the C≡O stretching frequency of atop-bound CO (CO atop ) depends on the coordination of the underlying metal atom, the IR spectrum of this reaction intermediate on the copper electrode could, in principle, provide structural information about the catalytic surface during electrolysis. However, other effects, such as dynamic dipole coupling, easily obscure the dependence of the frequency on the surface morphology. Further, in the limit of low CO atop coverage, where coupling effects are small, the C≡O stretching frequencies of CO atop on Cu(111) and Cu(100) facets are virtually identical. Therefore, on the basis of the C≡O stretching frequency, it is not straightforward to distinguish between these two ubiquitous surface facets, which exhibit vastly different CO reduction activities. Herein, we show that key features of the atomic-level surface morphology of rough copper electrodes can be inferred from the potential dependence of the line shape of the C≡O stretching band of CO atop . Specifically, we compared two types of rough copper thin-film electrodes that are routinely employed in the context of surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS). We found that copper films that are electrochemically deposited on Si-supported Au films (CuAu–Si) are poor catalysts for the reduction of CO to ethylene in comparison to copper films (Cu–Si) that are electrolessly deposited onto Si crystals. As quantified by differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS), the onset potential for ethylene is ~200 ± 65 mV more cathodic for CuAu–Si than that for Cu–Si. To reveal the origin of the disparate catalytic properties of Cu–Si and CuAu–Si, we probed the surfaces of the electrodes with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and SEIRAS. The CV characterization suggests that the (111) surface facet predominates on CuAu–Si, whereas the (100) facet is more common on Cu–Si. SEIRAS reveals that the line shape of the C≡O stretching of CO atop is composed of two bands that are attributable to CO atop on terrace and defect sites. The different surface structures manifest themselves in the form of starkly different potential dependences of the line shape of the C≡O stretching mode of CO atop on the two types of electrodes. With a simple Boltzmann model that considers the different adsorption energies of CO atop on terrace and defect sites, and the resulting CO atop populations on terrace and defect sites, we deduced that the observed electrode-specific potential dependence of the line shape is consistent with the presence of different predominant terrace sites on the two types of films. This strategy for assessing the atomic-level morphology is not restricted to SEIRAS but could also be applied to the C≡O stretching bands recorded with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), which is suitable for probing a wide range of rough copper electrodes. Therefore, with this work, we establish the potential dependence of the C≡O stretching band of CO atop as a probe of the atomic-level surface structure of rough metal electrodes under electrochemical conditions. When it is coupled with complementary techniques, this methodology provides essential structural information for further improvement in the reaction selectivity of rough metal electrodes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Mars Exploration Rover Panoramic Camera Multidimensional Analyses and Surface Spectral Variability

The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) panoramic camera system (Pancam) has provided surface-based multispectral image data with unprecedented spatial and radiometric fidelity. The spectral coverage of the camera system allows for the discrimination of important Fe2+ and Fe3+ bearing minerals expected to occur on the Martian surface . This paper explores the spatially coherent and structurally consistent spectral variability present at both the Spirit and Opportunity landing sites using multidimensional analysis of representative Pancam multispectral scenes.

Seelos, F. P., IV↗

Uniform Dust Deposition System for Dust Tolerance Studies

Future missions to the Moon will require mechanisms and materials to effectively and reliably operate in the presences of lunar regolith. One of the challenges of developing such technologies is terrestrial testing with lunar dust simulants. Dust has a stochastic nature of depositing and it can be difficult to accurately apply it to surfaces of interest. Deposition density, particles size distribution, and percent coverage are all factors that affect the quality of dust mitigation testing. Therefore, to enable such testing the dust mitigation and seals teams at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) have developed a system that can uniformly and repeatably deposit lunar simulants on a range of surfaces. Testing of the Dust Deposition System (DDS) and an associatedsimulant preparation methodology have quantified the levels of uniformity and precision for this system. Furthermore, the deposition system has been paired with automated micrograph capturing and machine learning image analysis to correlate the images of dust on a surface to deposition density (in g/cm2). This correlation alleviates the need for tested samples to be accurately weighed with milligram precision and may be a useful tool for in-situ contamination evaluation on the Moon. This paper covers the design and validation testing for the DDS.

Stephen Gerdts↗

Uniform Dust Deposition System for Dust Tolerance Studies

Future missions to the Moon will require mechanisms and materials to effectively and reliably operate in the presences of lunar regolith. One of the challenges of developing such technologies is terrestrial testing with lunar dust simulants. Dust has a stochastic nature of depositing and it can be difficult to accurately apply it to surfaces of interest. Deposition density, particles size distribution, and percent coverage are all factors that affect the quality of dust mitigation testing. Therefore, to enable such testing the dust mitigation and seals teams at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) have developed a system that can uniformly and repeatably deposit lunar simulants on a range of surfaces. Testing of the Dust Deposition System (DDS) and an associated simulant preparation methodology have quantified the levels of uniformity and precision for this system. Furthermore, the deposition system has been paired with automated micrograph capturing and machine learning image analysis to correlate the images of dust on a surface to deposition density (in g/cm2). This correlation alleviates the need for tested samples to be accurately weighed with milligram precision and may be a useful tool for in-situ contamination evaluation on the Moon. This paper covers the design and validation testing for the DDS.

Dust↗

X-ray evidence for particulate contamination on the AXAF VETA-1 mirrors

X-ray testing of the AXAF outer mirror pairs, in the VETA-1 configuration, reveals a point spread function (PSF) with unexpectedly large wings at low energies. Although the angular dependence in the wings of the PSF is close to that expected for diffractive scattering from surface roughness, the energy dependence differs substantially. Analyses of the observed X-ray PSF, images near ring focus, and single-quadrant images at conjugate focus suggest that the excess scattering observed at low X-ray energies results from diffractive scattering by relatively small grains (as small as a few tenths micrometer in radius). We develop a simple model for the contribution of scattering by particulates to the PSF. Merging this model with that for scattering by surface roughness, we fit the combined model to the observed energy-dependent PSF, in order to estimate parameters and associated uncertainties characterizing the grain-size distribution and the surface-roughness power spectral density. In particular, we find that the fractional coverage of the mirrors by particulates is approximately 1 x 10 exp -4 (for grain radii between 0.1 and 10 microns), and that the rms surface-roughness is approximately 0.7 nm (for spatial frequencies between 1/mm and 1000/mm).

O'Dell, S. L.↗

Microwave antenna temperature of the earth from geostationary orbit

The microwave antenna temperature of the earth has been computed for the case of a communication satellite antenna viewing the earth from geostationary orbit. An earth-coverage beam is assumed and detailed computations are performed to account for varying land-ocean fractions within the field of view. Emission characteristics of the earth's atmosphere and surface are used with an accurate radiative transfer program to compute observed brightness temperatures. Values of 250 to 290 K commonly used for antenna temperature in satellite communication noise calculations are found to be over-conservative estimates, with more realistic values lying in the 60-240 K range depending on frequency and subsatellite longitude. These values also depend on assumptions concerning antenna beam coverage. Variations in atmospheric and surface conditions, and variations in antenna beam shape (as distinct from coverage), affect the computed results by less than about 10 K.

Njoku, E. G.↗

Global Magellan-image map of Venus at full resolution

During its first 243-day mapping cycle, the Magellan spacecraft succeeded in imaging 84 percent of the surface of Venus at resolutions on the order of 100 meters; subsequent cycles have increased the total coverage to over 97 percent and provided redundant coverage of much of the planet with differing viewing geometries. Unfortunately, this full-resolution global dataset is in the form of thousands of individual orbit tracks (F-BIDR's) whose length-to-width ratio of nearly 1000:1 makes them minimally useful unless mosaicked. The Magellan project produced full-resolution mosaics (F-MIDR's) only for selected regions on the planet, whereas a global set of mosaics was made only at threefold degraded resolution (C1-MIDR's). Furthermore, although the F-MIDR's, which are approximately equidimensional, are much better suited for scientific interpretation than the F-BIDR's, they are still an unwieldy dataset: over 1500 quadrangles, each showing a region only about 600 km on a side, would be required to cover the entire planet. The USGS has therefore undertaken to produce and distribute a global, full resolution set of mosaics of the Magellan image data in a format that will be efficient for both hardcopy and digital use. The initial motivation was that it would provide an efficient means of verifying the integrity of the F-BIDR's to be archived on computer-compatible tape at the USGS Flagstaff facility. However, the resulting product, known as the FMAP, should also serve as an important resource for future scientific interpretation. It will offer several advantages beyond global coverage at full resolution. The first, alluded to above, is its division of the planet's surface to minimize the number of quadrangles and maximize their area, subject to the limits on the number of pixels imposed by state-of-the-art digital recording media and hardcopy output devices. The second, the use of improved 'cosmetic' processing techniques, will greatly reduce tonal discontinuities between component F-BIDR's in the FMAP compared to the standard Magellan mosaic products. Finally, wherever possible, the FMAP will incorporate data that were unavailable (e.g., because of processing delays) when the standard MIDR products were created, as well as data that were reprocessed to improve their radiometric or geometric quality.

Kirk, R. L.↗

Repetitive ERTS-1 observations of surface water variability along rivers and low-lying areas

The Earth Resources Technology Satellite, ERTS-1, provides an 18 day repetitive coverage capability and observations in the 0.8-1.1 micron spectral region where the contrast between water and adjacent surfaces is relatively large. Using these capabilities, observations in Virginia, Iowa, Missouri, and California have been acquired showing distinct patterns of flooding. Repetitive views of these areas before and after flooding have been examined, and flood mapping was performed. Sloughs in California can be seen to expand in terms of the area covered by standing water as time extends from summer to autumn. The results indicate that ERTS-1 imagery can be a valuable adjunct to conventional and aircraft survey methods for ascertaining the amount of area covered by water or affected by flooding.

Rango, A.↗

Surface-Wind Anomalies in North-Atlantic and North Pacific from SSM/I Observations: Influence on Temperature of Adjoining Land Regions

Surface winds over the oceans are derived from Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) measurements, assigning direction by Variational Analysis Method (VAM). Validations by comparison with other measurements indicate highly-satisfactory data quality. Providing global coverage from 1988, the dataset is a convenient source for surface-wind climatology. In this study, the interannual variability of zonal winds is analyzed concentrating on the westerlies in North Atlantic and North Pacific, above 30 N. Interannual differences in the westerlies exceeding 10 m sec (exp -1) are observed over large regions, often accompanied by changes of the same magnitude in the easterlies below 30 N. We concentrate on February/March, since elevated temperatures, by advancing snow-melt, can produce early spring. The extremely strong westerlies in 1997 observed in these months over North Atlantic (and also North Pacific) apparently contributed to large surface-temperature anomalies in western Europe, on the order of +3 C above the climatic monthly average for England and France. At these latitudes strong positive anomalies extended in a ring around the globe. We formulated an Index of South westerlies for the North Atlantic, which can serve as an indicator for day-by-day advection effects into Europe. In comparing 1997 and 1998 with the previous years, we establish significant correlations with the temperature anomalies (one to five days later, depending on the region, and on the season). This variability of the ocean-surface winds and of the temperature anomalies on land may be related to the El Nino/La Nina oscillations. Such large temperature fluctuations over large areas, whatever the cause, can be regarded as noise in attempts to assess long-term trends in global temperature.

Otterman, Joseph↗

Modeling the impact of structure and coverage on the reactivity of realistic heterogeneous catalysts

Adsorbates often cover the surfaces of catalysts densely as they carry out reactions, dynamically altering their structure and reactivity. Understanding adsorbate-induced phenomena and harnessing them in our broader quest for improved catalysts is a substantial challenge that is only beginning to be addressed. Here, in this work, we chart a path toward a deeper understanding of such phenomena by focusing on emerging in silico modeling methodologies, which will increasingly incorporate machine learning techniques. We first examine how adsorption on catalyst surfaces can lead to local and even global structural changes spanning entire nanoparticles, and how this affects their reactivity. We then evaluate current efforts and the remaining challenges in developing robust and predictive simulations for modeling such behavior. Last, we provide our perspectives in four critical areas—integration of artificial intelligence, building robust catalysis informatics infrastructure, synergism with experimental characterization, and adaptive modeling frameworks—that we believe can help surmount the remaining challenges in rationally designing catalysts in light of these complex phenomena.

catalytic mechanisms↗

Tilted CO on metal surfaces; CO/Pt(110), CO/Ni(110) and CO/Cu(100)

Tilting of CO at coverages greater than half a monolayer is considered as a mechanism for reducing the CO-CO repulsion. Qualitative agreement with the experiment for CO/Pt(110) is found, and a slightly smaller tilt for CO/Ni(110) is predicted. For CO/Cu(100), it is found that a bend of about 10 deg greatly reduces the repulsion.

Bauschlicher, C. W., Jr.↗

Preliminary results from the Viking orbiter imaging experiment

During its first 30 orbits around Mars, the Viking orbiter took approximately 1000 photographic frames of the surface of Mars with resolutions that ranged from 100 meters to a little more than 1 kilometer. Most were of potential landing sites in Chryse Planitia and Cydonia and near Capri Chasma. Contiguous high-resolution coverage in these areas has led to an increased understanding of surface processes, particularly cratering, fluvial, and mass-wasting phenomena. Most of the surfaces examined appear relatively old, channel features abound, and a variety of features suggestive of permafrost have been identified. The ejecta patterns around large craters imply that fluid flow of ejecta occurred after ballistic deposition. Variable features in the photographed area appear to have changed little since observed 5 years ago from Mariner 9. A variety of atmospheric phenomena were observed, including diffuse morning hazes, both stationary and moving discrete white clouds, and wave clouds covering extensive areas.

Carr, M. H.↗

Planetary astronomy of Mars. Mars data reduction

Grant #NAGW-1408 was specifically awarded to obtain telescopic visible and near-IR spectral imaging of Mars during the 1988 apparition (9/28/88). The observing program was highly successful producing approximately 2 Gbytes of data, but was only funded for one year and virtually all of the funds were spent in data acquisition. The follow-up grant was funded the following year for reduction of these data into a scientifically productive form, which because of the size and nature of our observations, was a non-trivial task. A more detailed scientific analysis of these data (fully reduced) is in progress now and will take a number of years. Extended geologic analyses of the astronomical data are being funded by the NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics program. The objective was to produce detailed reflectance spectra for contiguous, spatially resolved surface elements covering most of the planet (about +50 degrees to -90 degrees latitude, all longitudes). A total of 6 observing runs, of 3-4 days duration each, were conducted on the University of Arizona's 1.5m telescope on Mt. Bigelow. We present a sketch map showing the approximate total extent of our spectral image coverage. Nearly all of Mars south of 40 degrees N was observed at least once. About half of the area shown was observed multiple times. South of 65 degrees S, including the south polar cap, our coverage is heavily redundant. The first run was conducted June 29 - July 1, 1988 (all dates are UT) to serve as a baseline prior to possible dust storm activity on Mars. The other observing runs were closer to opposition: Sept. 3-6, 13-15, 24-26, and Oct. 5-7 and 16-18. The September and October observations were scheduled to provide maximum longitudinal coverage. This was also intended to provide a balance between surface observations and observations of predicted dust storm activity. No global dust storm developed in 1988, so we have a large volume of data for the surface of Mars.

Singer, Robert B.↗

Derivation of Improved Surface and TOA Broadband Fluxes Using CERES-derived Narrowband-to-Broadband Coefficients

Satellites can provide global coverage of a number of climatically important radiative parameters, including broadband (BB) shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) fluxes at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and surface. These parameters can be estimated from narrowband (NB) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) data, but their accuracy is highly dependent on the validity of the narrowband-to-broadband (NB-BB) conversion formulas that are used to convert the NB fluxes to broadband values. The formula coefficients have historically been derived by regressing matched polarorbiting satellite BB fluxes or radiances with their NB counterparts from GOES (e.g., Minnis et al., 1984). More recently, the coefficients have been based on matched Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) and GOES-6 data (Minnis and Smith, 1998). The Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy Budget (CERES see Wielicki et al. 1998)) project has recently developed much improved Angular Distribution Models (ADM; Loeb et al., 2003) and has higher resolution data compared to ERBE. A limited set of coefficients was also derived from matched GOES-8 and CERES data taken on Topical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite (Chakrapani et al., 2003; Doelling et al., 2003). The NB-BB coefficients derived from CERES and the GOES suite should yield more accurate BB fluxes than from ERBE, but are limited spatially and seasonally. With CERES data taken from Terra and Aqua, it is now possible to derive more reliable NB-BB coefficients for any given area. Better TOA fluxes should translate to improved surface radiation fluxes derived using various algorithms. As part of an ongoing effort to provide accurate BB flux estimates for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program, this paper documents the derivation of new NB-BB coefficients for the ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) domain and for the Darwin region of the Tropical Western Pacific (DTWP) domain.

Khaiyer, Mandana M.↗

Cybersecurity for Distance Relay Protection

This project is a DOE follow-up effort on the CREDC workshop held on September 13, 2018 in Cambridge, MA to discuss cybersecurity of distance relays, which considered the benefits, vulnerabilities and risk mitigations for the use of communication systems in power system protection. The objectives of this project are to define the taxonomy of relay protection and associated communications; define use cases describing approaches to reduce the cyber-attack surface on those protective relays; and evaluate the loss of operational functional capability from changes to communication coverage. Mitigating controls will also be evaluated to understand if there are other approaches to reduce attack surfaces while maintaining communications or partial communications. Distance relays are used to protect transmission lines of approximately 10 to 300 miles in length, by detecting short circuits (i.e., faults) on the lines and then tripping circuit breakers in the substation. Such protection systems are a subset of the power system and they incorporate sensing, logic and communication functions. Protection system exposure to cyberattack could be drastically limited by disconnecting relays from all vulnerable communication systems, but this may adversely impact overall power system performance in the absence of cyberattack. This project began with a use case analysis of protection systems with communications, as summarized in this report. It continued with modeling, testing and evaluation in a miniature power system (MPS), located in the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) Electric Power Training Center (EPTC). The project also incorporated feedback from two industry meetings held in February and September 2019. The suggested next steps account for and complement the work already underway with DOE/CESER funding: 1. Study the performance of LCD and PC vs. PUTT, which is less reliant on communication system performance and GPS timing references. The PUTT scheme could prove to be more resilient to cyberattack or communications-related disruption. It could also be more tolerant of message re-routing with SDN/SDR communication systems. On the other hand, it will be more vulnerable to false tripping during dynamic events or to loss of the voltage signal. The optimum choice of scheme may depend on the specific power system and risk assessment. This study could provide a new template for evaluation based on business functions. 2. Research and develop new methods to detect and monitor distributed physical attacks, possibly using drones, video sensors, thermal sensors, machine learning and other advanced techniques. This will help mitigate the impact of cyberattack on the protection system, and will also help mitigate the impact of wild fires. 3. Implement a scalable PKI for use in electric utility protection systems. This will encourage widespread adoption of secure authentication methods that are already available, but not widely used at present. This will help secure engineering access to the relays. 4. Investigate the use of SDN in combination with SDR to achieve better cybersecurity and electromagnetic security of the network, incorporating path variability. This would help secure both engineering access and peer-to-peer GOOSE messaging. 5. Perform additional testing, with operator evaluation of “red button” scenarios, PUTT vs. LCD, relay mis-operations, and other cyberattacks in the EPTC. This is an important advantage of testing in the EPTC rather than by computer simulation or even hardware-in-the-loop simulation; the EPTC is already dedicated to managing the situational awareness, operator response times and other human impacts. One of the project objectives was to settle on a common nomenclature for this problem space. We have concluded that the OSI layer model, supplemented by ANSI device numbers and other IEEE standards, is already well-accepted by the industry. The IEEE PSRC knowledge base provides a great deal of public information

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Antenna Technologies for Future NASA Exploration Missions

NASA s plans for the manned exploration of the moon and Mars will rely heavily on the development of a reliable communications infrastructure on the surface and back to Earth. Future missions will thus focus not only on gathering scientific data, but also on the formation of the communications network. In either case, unique requirements become imposed on the antenna technologies necessary to accomplish these tasks. For example, surface activity applications such as robotic rovers, human extravehicular activities (EVA), and probes will require small size, lightweight, low power, multi-functionality, and robustness for the antenna elements being considered. Trunk-line communications to a centralized habitat on the surface and back to Earth (e.g., surface relays, satellites, landers) will necessitate wide-area coverage, high gain, low mass, deployable antennas. Likewise, the plethora of low to high data rate services desired to guarantee the safety and quality of mission data for robotic and human exploration will place additional demands on the technology. Over the past year, NASA Glenn Research Center has been heavily involved in the development of candidate antenna technologies with the potential for meeting these strict requirements. This technology ranges from electrically small antennas to phased array and large inflatable structures. A summary of this overall effort is provided, with particular attention being paid to small antenna designs and applications. A discussion of the Agency-wide activities of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) in forthcoming NASA missions, as they pertain to the communications architecture for the lunar and Martian networks is performed, with an emphasis on the desirable qualities of potential antenna element designs for envisioned communications assets. Identified frequency allocations for the lunar and Martian surfaces, as well as asset-specific data services will be described to develop a foundation for viable antenna technologies which might address these requirements and help guide future technology development decisions.

Miranda, Felix A.↗

Space-based Swath Imaging Laser Altimeter for Cryospheric Topographic and Surface Property Mapping

Uncertainties in the response of the Greenland and Antarctic polar ice sheets to global climatic change inspired the development of ICESat/GLAS as part of NASA's Earth Observing System. ICESat's primary purpose is the measurement of ice sheet surface elevation profiles with sufficient accuracy, spatial density, and temporal coverage so that elevation changes can be derived with an accuracy of <1.5 cm/year for averages of measurements over the ice sheets with areas of 100 x 100 km. The primary means to achieve this elevation change detection is spatial averaging of elevation differences at cross-overs between ascending and descending profiles in areas of low ice surface slope. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Abshire, James↗