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At least 73 records · Page 4

Current Status and Application of Hazard Definition Technology

A research is performed: to define wake non-encounter & hazard, to provide requirements for sensors, and to obtain input from the user community. This research includes: validating wake encounter simulation models, establishing a metric to quantify the upset potential of a wake encounter, applying hazard metric and simulation models to the commercial fleet for development of candidate acceptable encounter limits, and applying technology to near term problems to evaluate current status of technology. The following lessons are learned from this project: technology is not adequate to determine absolute spacing requirements; time, not distance, determines the duration of the wake hazard; Optimum standards depend on the traffic; Wing span is an important parameter for characterizing both generator and follower; and Short span "biz jets" are easily rolled.

Greene, George C.↗

Assessment of the current status of cross-section evaluations of plutonium minor isotopes

Much attention have been given to nuclear data and reaction evaluations relative to the major actinides, as they constitute the main component in many nuclear applications. For this reason, the currency of evaluated files for minor actinides has not been maintained with the same level of accuracy. Motivated by future applications that will be sensitive to minor isotopes of plutonium, this report aims to review and assess the current status of the reaction evaluations in the ENDF/B library for 238;240;241;242 Pu, as well as to compile available experimental data that have not yet been incorporated into evaluated files.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Current status of environmental barrier coatings for Si-Based ceramics

Silicon-based ceramics are the leading candidates for high temperature structural components in next generation gas turbine engines. One key drawback of silicon-based ceramics for such an application is volatilization of the protective silica scale in water vapor and the resulting rapid ceramic recession. Therefore, the realization of Si-based ceramics components in advanced gas turbine engines depends on the development of protection schemes from water vapor attack. Currently, plasma-sprayed external environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) arc the most promising approach. In the late 1980s and early 1990s a wide range of refractory oxide materials were tested as coatings on Si-based ceramics to provide protection from hot corrosion. After the discovery of silica volatilization in water vapor in the early 1990s, the focus of EBC development research has been shifted towards the protection from water vapor attack. Experience learned form the earlier coating developmental effort provided the foundation upon which more complex and advanced EBC coatings have been developed. This paper will discuss the brief history and the current status of EBC development for Si-based ceramics with the main focus on water vapor protection.

Lee, K. N.↗

An Overview of the Mid-Infrared Spectro-Interferometer MATISSE: Science, Concept, and Current Status

MATISSE is the second-generation mid-infrared spectrograph and imager for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) at Paranal. This new interferometric instrument will allow significant advances by opening new avenues in various fundamental research fields: studying the planet-forming region of disks around young stellar objects, understanding the surface structures and mass loss phenomena affecting evolved stars, and probing the environments of black holes in active galactic nuclei. As a first breakthrough, MATISSE will enlarge the spectral domain of current optical interferometers by offering the L and M bands in addition to the N band. This will open a wide wavelength domain, ranging from 2.8 to 13 microns, exploring angular scales as small as 3 mas (L band) 10 mas (N band). As a second breakthrough, MATISSE will allow mid-infrared imaging - closure-phase aperture-synthesis imaging - with up to four Unit Telescopes (UT) or Auxiliary Telescopes (AT) of the VLTI. Moreover, MATISSE will offer a spectral resolution range from R approx. 30 to R approx. 5000. Here, we present one of the main science objectives, the study of protoplanetary disks, that has driven the instrument design and motivated several VLTI upgrades (GRA4MAT and NAOMI). We introduce the physical concept of MATISSE including a description of the signal on the detectors and an evaluation of the expected performances. We also discuss the current status of the MATISSE instrument, which is entering its testing phase, and the foreseen schedule for the next two years that will lead to the first light at Paranal.

interferometric instrument↗

Current Status of Interventional Radiology in the Management of Gastro-Entero-Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours (GEP-NETs)

Within the group of Gastro-Entero-Pancreatic Neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs), several heterogeneous malignancies are included with a variety of clinical manifestations and imaging characteristics. Often these cases are inoperable and minimal invasive treatment offered by image-guided procedures appears to be the only option. Interventional radiology offers a valid solution in the management of primary and metastatic GEP-NETs. The purpose of this review article is to describe the current status of the role of Interventional Radiology in the management of GEP-NETs.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

COHERENT Experiment: current status

The COHERENT Collaboration is realizing a long term neutrino physics research program. The main goals of the program are to detect and study elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEνNS). This process is predicted by Standard Model but it has never been observed experimentally because of the very low energy of the recoil nucleus. COHERENT is using different detector technologies: CsI[Na] and NaI scintillator crystals, a single-phase liquid Ar and a Ge detectors. The placement of all the detector setups is in the basement of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The current status of the COHERENT experimental program is presented.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Satellite Ocean Colour: Current Status and Future Perspective

Spectrally resolved water-leaving radiances (ocean colour) and inferred chlorophyll concentration are key to studying phytoplankton dynamics at seasonal and inter-annual scales, for a better understanding of the role of phytoplankton in marine biogeochemistry; the global carbon cycle; and the response of marine ecosystems to climate variability, change and feedback processes. Ocean colour data also have a critical role in operational observation systems monitoring coastal eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and sediment plumes. The contiguous ocean-colour record reached 21 years in 2018; however, it is comprised of a number of one-off missions such that creating a consistent time-series of ocean-colour data requires merging of the individual sensors (including MERIS, Aqua-MODIS, SeaWiFS, VIIRS, and OLCI) with differing sensor characteristics, without introducing artefacts. By contrast, the next decade will see consistent observations from operational ocean colour series with sensors of similar design and with a replacement strategy. Also, by 2029 the record will start to be of sufficient duration to discriminate climate change impacts from natural variability, at least in some regions. This paper describes the current status and future prospects in the field of ocean colour focusing on large to medium resolution observations of oceans and coastal seas. It reviews the user requirements in terms of products and uncertainty characteristics and then describes features of current and future satellite ocean-colour sensors, both operational and innovative. The key role of in situ validation and calibration is highlighted as are ground segments that process the data received from the ocean-colour sensors and deliver analysis-ready products to end-users. Example applications of the ocean-colour data are presented, focusing on the climate data record and operational applications including water quality and assimilation into numerical models. Current capacity building and training activities pertinent to ocean colour are described and finally a summary of future perspectives is provided.

ocean colour↗

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells: Current status and remaining challenges

The anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) is an attractive alternative to acidic proton exchange membrane fuel cells, which to date have required platinum-based catalysts, as well as acid-tolerant stack hardware. The AEMFC could use non-platinum-group metal catalysts and less expensive metal hardware thanks to the high pH of the electrolyte. Over the last decade, substantial progress has been made in improving the performance and durability of the AEMFC through the development of new materials and the optimization of system design and operation conditions. Here in this perspective article, we describe the current status of AEMFCs as having reached beginning of life performance very close to that of PEMFCs when using ultra-low loadings of Pt, while advancing towards operation on non-platinum-group metal catalysts alone. In the latter sections, we identify the remaining technical challenges, which require further research and development, focusing on the materials and operational factors that critically impact AEMFC performance and/or durability. Finally, these perspectives may provide useful insights for the development of next-generation of AEMFCs.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Current status and grand challenges for small wind turbine technology

While modern wind turbines have become by far the largest rotating machines on Earth with further upscaling planned for the future, a renewed interest in small wind turbines (SWTs) is fostering energy transition and smart grid development. Small machines have traditionally not received the same level of aerodynamic refinement as their larger counterparts, resulting in lower efficiency, lower capacity factors, and therefore a higher cost of energy. In an effort to reduce this gap, research programs are developing worldwide. With this background, the scope of the present study is 2-fold. In the first part of this paper, an overview of the current status of the technology is presented in terms of technical maturity, diffusion, and cost. The second part of the study proposes five grand challenges that are thought to be key to fostering the development of small wind turbine technology in the near future, i.e. (1) improving energy conversion of modern SWTs through better design and control, especially in the case of turbulent wind; (2) better predicting long-term turbine performance with limited resource measurements and proving reliability; (3) improving the economic viability of small wind energy; (4) facilitating the contribution of SWTs to the energy demand and electrical system integration; (5) fostering engagement, social acceptance, and deployment for global distributed wind markets. To tackle these challenges, a series of unknowns and gaps are first identified and discussed. Based on them, improvement areas are suggested, for which 10 key enabling actions are finally proposed.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Spaceborne GPS: Current Status and Future Visions

The Global Positioning System (GPS), developed by the Department of Defense is quickly revolutionizing the architecture of future spacecraft and spacecraft systems. Significant savings in spacecraft life cycle cost, in power, and in mass can be realized by exploiting GPS technology in spaceborne vehicles. These savings are realized because GPS is a systems sensor--it combines the ability to sense space vehicle trajectory, attitude, time, and relative ranging between vehicles into one package. As a result, a reduced spacecraft sensor complement can be employed and significant reductions in space vehicle operations cost can be realized through enhanced on-board autonomy. This paper provides an overview of the current status of spaceborne GPS, a description of spaceborne GPS receivers available now and in the near future, a description of the 1997-2000 GPS flight experiments, and the spaceborne GPS team's vision for the future.

Bauer, Frank H.↗

Spaceborne GPS Current Status and Future Visions

The Global Positioning System (GPS), developed by the Department of Defense, is quickly revolutionizing the architecture of future spacecraft and spacecraft systems. Significant savings in spacecraft life cycle cost, in power, and in mass can be realized by exploiting Global Positioning System (GPS) technology in spaceborne vehicles. These savings are realized because GPS is a systems sensor-it combines the ability to sense space vehicle trajectory, attitude, time, and relative ranging between vehicles into one package. As a result, a reduced spacecraft sensor complement can be employed on spacecraft and significant reductions in space vehicle operations cost can be realized through enhanced on- board autonomy. This paper provides an overview of the current status of spaceborne GPS, a description of spaceborne GPS receivers available now and in the near future, a description of the 1997-1999 GPS flight experiments and the spaceborne GPS team's vision for the future.

Bauer, Frank H.↗

International Commission on Radiological Protection Committee 1: Current Status and Future Directions

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), Committee 1 (C1) considers the risk of induction of cancer and heritable disease (stochastic effects) together with the underlying mechanisms of radiation action. C1 also considers the risks, severity, and mechanisms of induction of tissue/organ damage and developmental defects (deterministic effects). The committee was significantly revamped in 2013 and last met in Abu Dhabi in October of 2013. C1 evaluated progress on two ongoing Task Groups (TG’s); TG 64 “Cancer Risk from Alpha Emitters” and TG 75 “Stem Cell Radiobiology”. Following approval from the Main Commission (MC), C1 established two new TG’s; TG 91 “Radiation Risk Inference at Low Dose and Low Dose Rate Exposure for Radiological Protection Purposes”, and TG 92 “Terminology and Definitions”. Here I will present a synopsis of the current status of C1 and outline the tasks C1 may undertake in the future.

Morgan, William F.↗

Beagle 2: Mission to Mars - Current Status

Beagle 2 is a 72 kg probe (with a 32 kg lander) developed in the United Kingdom for inclusion on the European Space Agency's 2003 Mars Express. Beagle 2 was launched on June 2, 2003 with Mars Express on a Soyuz-Fregat rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Beagle 2 landed on Mars on December 25th, 2003 in Isidis Planitia (approx. 10.7 N and 268.6 W), a large sedimentary basin that overlies the boundary between ancient highlands and northern plains. Isidis Planitia, the third largest impact basin on Mars, which is possibly filled with sediment deposited at the bottom of long-standing lakes or seas, offers an ideal environment for preserving traces of life. The team is awaiting signals from the Beagle 2 lander at the time when this abstract was written. Current status of the mission will be reported. Beagle 2 was developed to search for organic material and other volatiles on and below the surface of Mars in addition to the study of the inorganic chemistry and mineralogy. Several fundamental properties can be used to determine the existence of an active or past biology on any planet, Earth or Mars. Beagle 2's targets for investigation included: (a) The presence of water, or the existence of minerals deposited from water to show that water was present, even if only transiently; (b) The detection of carbonaceous debris, the remains of organisms that might have lived in water or were washed to a final resting place by the action of water; (c) The structure of organic matter, to demonstrate that it might have been synthesized for a biological purpose; (d) The recognition of isotopic fractionation between carbonaceous phases (organic vs inorganic carbon phases), a condition which on Earth suggests that life emerged nearly 4 billion years ago.

Gibson, E. K., Jr.↗

Current Status and Plans for Test and Deployment of the First NASA SLR System

Over the last decade the Space Geodesy Project has been progressing toward the development and deployment of NASA’s next generation network of geodetic stations ( https://space-geodesy.nasa.gov ). The Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) part of this effort is called Space Geodesy Satellite Laser Ranging (SGSLR). Significant progress has been made in the development of SGSLR’s nine subsystems, and many of these subsystems are completed or are nearing completion. The next major step will be the Integration and Testing (I&T) of all subsystems into the first SGSLR system which will start before the end of 2022. Verification testing (collocation) with NASA’s legacy operational SLR system, MOBLAS-7, is planned for early 2024. The first SGSLR system is being developed for Kartverket, also known as the Norwegian Mapping Authority (NMA). The system will be installed at Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard, Norway. The planned start of operations is early 2025. This presentation will give the current status of development, the testing and deployment plans, and the future of NASA’s SGSLR global network.

Satellite Laser Ranging↗

Current status of Joint FAA/NASA Runway Friction Program

Tests with specially instrumented NASA B-737 and FAA B-727 aircraft together with several different ground friction measuring devices have been conducted for a variety of runway surface types and wetness conditions. This effort is part of the Joint FAA/NASA Aircraft Ground Vehicle Runway Friction Program aimed at obaining a better understanding of aircraft ground handling performance under adverse weather conditions and defining relationships between aircraft and ground vehicle tire friction measurements. Aircraft braking performance on dry, wet, snow-, and ice-covered runway conditions is discussed together with ground vehicle friction data obtained under similar runway conditions. For the wet, compacted snow- and ice-covered runway conditions, the relationship between ground vehicles and aircraft friction data is identified. The influence of major test parameters on friction measurements such as speed, test tire characteristics, and surface contaminant type are discussed. The test results indicate that use of properly maintained and calibrated ground vehicles for monitoring runway friction conditions should be encouraged particularly under adverse weather conditions. The current status of the runway friction program is summarized and future test plans are identified.

Yager, Thomas J.↗

Current Status of the High Field Cable Test Facility at Fermilab

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) are collaborating to construct a new High Field Vertical Magnet Test Facility (HFVMTF) designed for testing superconducting cables in high magnetic fields. This state-of-the-art facility will be situated at Fermilab and will provide capabilities comparable to EDIPO at PSI and FRESCA2 at CERN. The HFVMTF’s background magnetic field, reaching 15 T, will be generated by a magnet supplied by LBNL. The HFVMTF is a collaborative effort supported by the US DOE Offices of Science, High Energy Physics, and Fusion Energy Sciences. It will serve as a vital testbed for superconducting HTS cables, subjecting them to high magnetic fields and a wide range of temperatures, benefiting both scientific communities. Additionally, this facility will play a key role in testing high-field superconducting magnet models and demonstrators, including hybrid magnets, developed by the US Magnet Development Pro gram (MDP). These hybrid magnets, utilizing both LTS and HTS superconductors, are significant advancements toward achieving 18+ T dipoles for future hadron-hadron colliders. The presentation outlines the current status of the facility, covering aspects such as construction progress, cryostat designs, top and lambda plates, and systems for powering, quench protection, and monitoring.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Reflectance spectra measurement plan of captured samples from Ryugu: current status

Hayabusa2 spacecraft is equipped with Optical Navigation Camera (ONC) andNear-infrared Spectrometer (NIRS3), and has obtained reflectance spectra of the C-type near-Earth asteroid Ryugu over a wavelength range of 0.40–0.95 μm and 1.8–3.2 μm, respectively. It was revealed that Ryugu exhibits globally very low albedo (less than 0.02 at 0.55 and 2.0 μm), a slightly positive spectral slope, and an ubiquitous weak but sharp OH absorption band centered at 2.72 μm,showing a little regional heterogeneities. Thus, the surface material of Ryugu can be estimated as relatively similar to moderately heated carbonaceous chondrites, e.g., moderately dehydrated CI and CM, and enriched in carbon (Kitazato et al., 2019; Sugita et al., 2019; Tatsumi et al., 2020).Hayabusa2 successfully has performed twice touch down operations, and the captured sample will be brought back to the Earth in late 2020 (Morota et al., 2020; Tachibana et al., in preparation). To clarify Ryugu’s mineralogical and physicochemical properties and their varieties, effective for spectral characteristics obtained by ONC and NIRS3, several grains are planned to be distributed to several primary analysis groups. In this study, we report the current status of our spectral analysis plan in Hayabusa2 MINeralogy and PETrology of coarse grains (MIN-PET CG) team led by T. Nakamura, and the latest rehearsal analysis result using carbonaceous chondrite samples. MIN-PET CG rehearsal measurements have been performed to obtain detailed spectral properties of Ryugu grains with diverse spatial resolutions ranging from μm to mm scale or larger; using a few mm size polished CM sample with several microscopic imaging spectrometers covering various spatial range; with 200 μmor finer spatial resolution at Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, ~50 and 150 μm spatial resolution invisible and IR ranges at Brown University, and with 40 μm or larger spatial resolution at Tohoku University, and using mm-size CM and CI grains with a diffuse reflectance spectrometer with a few mm resolution at Tohoku University. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurements undergo to use several mm-size CM or CI chondrite grains with Bruker VERTEX 70v, which covers ~0.38–15 μm in wavelength. To keep returned samples out of atmosphere avoiding any terrestrial contamination, wehave prepared an air shutoff cell to put samples and standard materials together kept in a N2 purged condition (Amano et al., 2020). Samples are Murchison CM chondrite showing typically ~5%reflectance with a strong OH absorption band at ~2.8 μm, and laboratory heated CI chondrite showing~3% reflectance, and a weak OH absorption band at ~2.7 μm. We will perform (1) fixed angle condition as laboratory standard setting at incident, emission, and phase angles of 30°, 0°, 30°, or 0°,30°, 30°, and (2) various angle conditions for photometric corrections. Future lab analyses of samples returned from Ryugu will provide direct and detailed information on the mineralogical and physicochemical properties of Ryugu, and relationship of spectral characteristics obtained by remote sensing and laboratory instruments.

M. Matsuoka↗

Development Unit Configuration and Current Status of the MIP/MTERC Experiment

The Mars In-Situ Propellant Production (ISPP) Precursor (MIP) experiment package is planned for inclusion on the Mars 2001 Lander. This experiment package consists of five experiments whose purpose is to demonstrate the performance of various ISPP processes in-situ on Mars. The demonstrated ability to produce propellant for Mars Return Vehicles (MRV) is considered to be a necessary precursor to any future manned mission to Mars. The Mars Thermal Environment/Radiator Characterization (MTERC) experiment is part of the MIP package and is intended to determine the Mars night sky temperature as well as to characterize the performance degradation of radiators caused by environmental exposure on Mars over time. Radiators are needed as part of the ISPP process to remove heat from the Mars Atmosphere Acquisition and Compression (MAAC) CO2 sorption compressor. MTERC will provide the data needed to optimize the design of radiators for ISPP and other processes. A MTERC Development Unit (DU) has been fabricated and tested at JPL. The MTERC DU consists of 1) a radiator subassembly, 2) a motor/cover subassembly, 3) a differential temperature control circuit and motor control electronics circuit board, and 4) a command and data handling electronics circuit board. This paper will describe the operational theory and the configuration of the MTERC DU and will discuss the current status of the MTERC experiment development including some selected results of performance testing that has been completed prior to the ISRU III meeting.

Juanero, K. J.↗