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At least 721 records · Page 40

Probing ExoMiner for Effectiveness against False Alarms in Kepler Data

We present a study on the effectiveness of ExoMiner against False Alarms in Kepler data. ExoMiner is a deep learning model that was used to validate around 370 Kepler Objects of Interest. We follow the analysis conducted in Coughlin et al (2017) “DR25 Robovetter Completeness and Effectiveness” for Robovetter, a rule-based model used to vet TCEs for this data release and automatically generate the Q1-Q17 DR 25 KOI Table. The ExoMiner model is trained on observed transit data from Kepler Q1-Q17 DR25 and evaluated on Kepler inverted and scrambled data. The results provide a more comprehensive insight into the capacities and limitations of ExoMiner, especially the vetting of not-transit-like signals and, more generally, the use of deep learning models to model transit photometry data for vetting and validation purposes.

exoplanet↗

Asymmetrical ClO3 - Its possible formation from ClO and O2 and its possible reactions

An analysis of recent accurate experimental studies of Cl2-photosensitized O3 decomposition, in which O3 disappearance and OClO formation were directly monitored, suggests the possibility that the suppression of the quantum yield in the presence of O2 may be due to the formation of asymmetrical chlorine trioxide (ClO.O2). Other intermediaries, such as Cl2O2, which may also form in the system are not thought to explain the observations. In addition to its capacity to oxidize, which it shares with other peroxo compounds, asymmetrical ClO3 appears to undergo an interesting class of reactions in which the loosely bound O2 adduct is relatively easily displaced by reactive atoms and radicals such as chlorine.

Prasad, S. S.↗

Three real-time architectures - A study using reward models

Numerous applications in the area of computer system analysis can be effectively studied with Markov reward models. These models describe the evolutionary behavior of the computer system by a continuous-time Markov chain, and a reward rate is associated with each state. In reliability/availability models, upstates have reward rate 1, and down states have reward rate zero associated with them. In a combined model of performance and reliability, the reward rate of a state may be the computational capacity, or a related performance measure. Steady-state expected reward rate and expected instantaneous reward rate are clearly useful measures which can be extracted from the Markov reward model. The diversity of areas where Markov reward models may be used is illustrated with a comparative study of three examples of interest to the fault tolerant computing community.

Sjogren, J. A.↗

ICI optical data storage tape: An archival mass storage media

At the 1991 Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies, ICI Imagedata presented a paper which introduced ICI Optical Data Storage Tape. This paper placed specific emphasis on the media characteristics and initial data was presented which illustrated the archival stability of the media. More exhaustive analysis that was carried out on the chemical stability of the media is covered. Equally important, it also addresses archive management issues associated with, for example, the benefits of reduced rewind requirements to accommodate tape relaxation effects that result from careful tribology control in ICI Optical Tape media. ICI Optical Tape media was designed to meet the most demanding requirements of archival mass storage. It is envisaged that the volumetric data capacity, long term stability and low maintenance characteristics demonstrated will have major benefits in increasing reliability and reducing the costs associated with archival storage of large data volumes.

Ruddick, Andrew J.↗

An Analysis of the Full-Floating Journal Bearing

An analysis of the operating characteristics of a full-floating bearing - a bearing in which a floating sleeve is located between the journal and bearing surfaces - is presented together with charts - from which the performance of such bearings may be predicted. Examples are presented to illustrate the use of these charts and a limited number of experiments conducted upon a glass full-floating bearing to verify some results of the analysis are reported. The floating sleeve can operate over a wide range of speeds for a given shaft speed, the exact value depending principally upon the ratio of clearances and upon the ratio of radii of the bearing. Lower operating temperatures at high rotative speeds are to be expected by using a full-floating bearing. This lower operating temperature would be obtained at the expense of the load-carrying capacity of the bearing if, for comparison, the clearances remain the same in both bearings. A full-floating bearing having the same load capacity as a conventional journal bearing may be designed if decreased clearances are allowable.

Shaw, M.C.↗

Molecular Dynamics of ULTEM 9085 for 3D Manufacturing: Spectra, Thermodynamic Properties, and Shear Viscosity.

We present results of a molecular dynamic analysis of welding at the polymer-polymer interface. The analysis is performed for polyetherimide/ polycarbonate polymer blends. The work is motivated by the applications to 3D manufacturing in space. In the first part of the report, we discuss bulk and spectral characteristics of the amorphous polymer blends. The vibrational and infra-red spectra obtained using auto-correlation functions calculations in molecular dynamics are compared with the experimental spectra. The mechanical and thermal properties of the samples including heat capacity, bulk modulus, and thermal expansion coefficients are estimated and compared with experimental values. In the second part of the report, we discuss the result of molecular dynamical modeling of shear viscosity in a fully atomistic model of amorphous polymer blends with flat interface. The key result of the research is the demonstration of shear thinning behavior of the shear viscosity as a function of shear rate which is in good agreement with experimental data.

Luchinsky, Dmitry G.↗

NASA's Professional DEVELOPment - Evaluating 10 Weeks of Capacity Building

Under NASA’s Applied Sciences, the NASA DEVELOP Program is centered on dual capacity building. Projects bring together partners and participants to learn how Earth observation data can enhance environmental decision-making practices and inform action. During their time with DEVELOP, participants build technical skills around remotely sensed data and professional skills through interactions with team members, science advisors, and partners. To further refine the participant experience, DEVELOP explores which technical and professional skills individuals report improving during the 10-week program. An analysis of self-reported assessments from 2018 to 2021 included projects that were conducted in-person and virtually. Participants consistently indicated a strong improvement in technical and professional skills yet there was clear variation between in-person and virtual opportunities. When comparing between 2019 and 2021, self-reporting showed a higher percentage of participants reporting an increase in networking in the virtual environment and an increase in building professional relationships with project partners virtually. This analysis suggests that professional opportunities available in the virtual environment may in fact bolster early career scientists’ networking abilities. This presentation will identify DEVELOP’s approach to monitoring and evaluation, highlight interesting trends introduced by the pandemic, and lessons learned.

Sarah Payne↗

Performance analysis of image processing algorithms for classification of natural vegetation in the mountains of southern California

The earth's forests fix carbon from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. Scientists are concerned that massive forest removals may promote an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, with possible global warming and related environmental effects. Space-based remote sensing may enable the production of accurate world forest maps needed to examine this concern objectively. To test the limits of remote sensing for large-area forest mapping, we use Landsat data acquired over a site in the forested mountains of southern California to examine the relative capacities of a variety of popular image processing algorithms to discriminate different forest types. Results indicate that certain algorithms are best suited to forest classification. Differences in performance between the algorithms tested appear related to variations in their sensitivities to spectral variations caused by background reflectance, differential illumination, and spatial pattern by species. Results emphasize the complexity between the land-cover regime, remotely sensed data and the algorithms used to process these data.

Yool, S. R.↗

Optimization of self-acting herringbone-grooved journal bearings for maximum stability

Groove parameters were determined to maximize the stability of herringbone-grooved journal bearings. Parameters optimized were groove depth, width, length, and angle. Optimization was performed by using a small-eccentricity, infinite-groove analysis in conjunction with a previously developed Newton-Raphson procedure for bearings with the smooth member rotating or with the grooved member rotating at low compressibility numbers, and a newly developed vector technique for bearings with the grooved member rotating at high compressibility numbers. The design curves in this report enable one to choose the optimum bearing for a wide range of operating conditions. Compared with bearings optimized to maximize load capacity, bearings optimized for stability allow a thousandfold increase in bearing-supported mass in some cases before onset of instability, and lose no more than 77 percent of their load capacity in any case studied. Stability is much greater when the grooved member rotates.

Fleming, D. P.↗

Global mapping strategies for a synthetic aperture radar system in orbit about Venus

An analysis of the global mapping of Venus using a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is presented. The geometry of the side-looking radar, the narrow swath width, and the slow rotation of Venus combine to constrain the methods required to produce such a map within the primary mapping mission of 121.5 days. Parametric studies indicate that multiple strategies can satisfy the requirements of the mission with reasonable assumptions for the total recording capacity, the downlink data rate, and the operating time of the SAR on each revolution.

Kerridge, S. J.↗

Capacity for patterns and sequences in Kanerva's SDM as compared to other associative memory models

The information capacity of Kanerva's Sparse Distributed Memory (SDM) and Hopfield-type neural networks is investigated. Under the approximations used, it is shown that the total information stored in these systems is proportional to the number connections in the network. The proportionality constant is the same for the SDM and Hopfield-type models independent of the particular model, or the order of the model. The approximations are checked numerically. This same analysis can be used to show that the SDM can store sequences of spatiotemporal patterns, and the addition of time-delayed connections allows the retrieval of context dependent temporal patterns. A minor modification of the SDM can be used to store correlated patterns.

Keeler, James D.↗

Ultrahigh resolution photographic films for X-ray/EUV/FUV astronomy

The quest for ultrahigh resolution full-disk images of the sun at soft X-ray/EUV/FUV wavelengths has increased the demand for photographic films with broad spectral sensitivity, high spatial resolution, and wide dynamic range. These requirements were made more stringent by the recent development of multilayer telescopes and coronagraphs capable of operating at normal incidence at soft X-ray/EUV wavelengths. Photographic films are the only detectors now available with the information storage capacity and dynamic range such as is required for recording images of the solar disk and corona simultaneously with sub arc second spatial resolution. During the Stanford/MSFC/LLNL Rocket X-Ray Spectroheliograph and Multi-Spectral Solar Telescope Array (MSSTA) programs, we utilized photographic films to obtain high resolution full-disk images of the sun at selected soft X-ray/EUV/FUV wavelengths. In order to calibrate our instrumentation for quantitative analysis of our solar data and to select the best emulsions and processing conditions for the MSSTA reflight, we recently tested several photographic films. These studies were carried out at the NIST SURF II synchrotron and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory. In this paper, we provide the results of those investigations.

Hoover, Richard B.↗

Design and Operational Evaluation of the Traffic Management Advisor at the Ft. Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center

NASA and the FAA have designed and developed and an automation tool known as the Traffic Management Advisor (TMA). The system was operationally evaluated at the Ft. Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). The TMA is a time-based strategic planning tool that provides Traffic Management Coordinators and En Route Air Traffic Controllers the ability to efficiently optimize the capacity of a demand impacted airport. The TMA consists of trajectory prediction, constraint-based runway scheduling, traffic flow visualization and controllers advisories. The TMA was used and operationally evaluated for forty-one rush traffic periods during a one month period in the Summer of 1996. The evaluations included all shifts of air traffic operations as well as periods of inclement weather. Performance data was collected for engineering and human factor analysis and compared with similar operations without the TMA. The engineering data indicates that the operations with the TMA show a one to two minute per aircraft delay reduction during rush periods. The human factor data indicate a perceived reduction in en route controller workload as well as an increase in job satisfaction. Upon completion of the evaluation, the TMA has become part of the normal operations at the Ft. Worth ARTCC.

Swenson, Harry N.↗

20 K Helium Refrigeration System for NASA-JSC Chamber-A

A new 20 K helium refrigerator installed at NASA Johnson Space Center's Space Environment Simulation Laboratory (SESL) was successfully commissioned and tested in 2012. The refrigerator is used to create a deep space environment within SESL s Chamber A to perform ground testing of the James Webb Space Telescope. The chamber previously and currently still has helium cryopumping panels (CPP) and LN2 shrouds used to create Low Earth Orbit environments. Now with the new refrigerator and new helium shrouds (45 x 65 ) the chamber can create a deep space environment. The process design, system analysis, specification development, and commissioning oversight were performed by the cryogenics department at Jefferson Labs, while the contracts and system installation was performed by the ESC group at JSC. Commissioning data indicate a inverse coefficient of performance better than 70 W/W for a 18 KW load at 20 K (accounting for liquid nitrogen precooling power) that remains essentially constant down to 1/3 of this load. Even at 10 percent of the maximum capacity, the performance is better than 140 W/W at 20K. The refrigerator exceeded all design goals and demonstrated the ability to support a wide load range from 10kW at 15 K to 100 kW at 100K. The refrigerator is capable of operating at any load temperature from 15K to ambient with tight temperature stability. The new shroud (36 tons of aluminum) can be cooled from room temperature to 20 K in 24 hours. This paper will outline the process design and commissioning results.

Homan, J.↗

An Initial Concept for a JUMP Mating Mechanism

Lunar landers currently under development for crew and cargo missions to the Moon are limited by the available boosters to launch them from Earth. Most landers are being developed for commercial launch vehicles (CLVs) in the Falcon Heavy / Vulcan / New Glenn / Atlas V class, limiting their performance with many lunar surface studies consequently restricted to 5-10 metric ton payloads. The JUMP Lander (Joinable Undercarriage to Maximize Payload) attempts to overcome this limitation by performing an in-space mating, linking multiple landers together. This research provides an initial proof of concept demonstration that two or more CLV-launched lunar landers can be mated in-space to produce a larger lander with greater payload capacity. Multiple rockets have been connected hundreds if not thousands of times in spaceflight history. An example is the space shuttle. The External Tank-Orbiter interface is an example where the 100-ton Orbiter is bolted to the side of the External Tank. This example serves as a concept metaphor for JUMP where a system of bolts is used as the mating system. This paper performs a high-level sizing analysis of the bolt, including the structural connection to each lander and the physical dimensions of the bolt, given the projected lander and payload masses. It sizes the necessary motors to perform the in-space mating and describes the motor to bolt integration. It describes the mounting and translation for the bolt-motor assembly, including structural supports, physical stops, and range of travel. It discusses active-active and active-passive implementations for the mating system and post-mating options to jettison no-longer-needed components of the assembly, including a discussion of benefits of jettisoning or not jettisoning. Finally, forward work for the mating mechanism and overall JUMP Lander concept is described.

Lunar Lander↗

An analysis of bipropellant neutralization for spacecraft refueling operations

Refueling of satellites on orbit with storable propellants will involve venting part or all of the pressurant gas from the propellant tanks. This gas will be saturated with propellant vapor, and it may also have significant amounts of entrained fine droplets of propellant. The two most commonly used bipropellants, monomethyl hydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4), are highly reactive and toxic. Various possible ways of neutralizing the vented propellants are examined. The amount of propellant vented in a typical refueling operation is shown to be in the range of 0.2 to 5% of the tank capacity. Four potential neutralization schemes are examined: chemical decomposition, chemical reaction, condensation and adsorption. Chemical decomposition to essentially inert materials is thermodynamically feasible for both MMH and N2O4. It would be the simplest and easiest neutralization method to implement. Chemical decomposition would require more complex control. Condensation would require a refrigeration system and a very efficent phase separator. Adsorption is likely to be much heavier. A preliminary assessment of the four neutralization shemes is presented, along with suggested research and development plans.

Kauffman, David↗

Analysis of Performance Degradation of Silica Gels After Extended Use Onboard the ISS

The teardown of two flight desiccant beds from the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) revealed significant discoloration of the silica gel near the bed inlet as well as a coincidental performance loss. This material was analyzed for the presence of chemical contaminants, physical porosity changes, and adsorption performance. The material characteristics are compared against the location in the bed from which they were sampled in order to develop profiles through the bed. Additional testing of the beds prior to teardown provided more data points. Possible mechanisms for the loss of capacity are provided though no root cause has been found. Extrapolation of the performance loss is used to estimate the required oversizing of the silica gel layer for long-term operation.

Cmarik, Gregory E.↗

Analysis of Performance Degradation of Silica Gels After Extended Use Onboard the ISS

The disassembly of two flight desiccant beds from the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) revealed significant discoloration of the silica gel near the bed inlet as well as a coincidental performance loss. This material was analyzed for the presence of chemical contaminants, physical porosity changes, and adsorption performance. The material characteristics are compared against the location in the bed from which they were sampled in order to develop profiles through the bed. Additional testing of the beds prior to disassembly provided more data points. Possible mechanisms for the loss of capacity are provided though no root cause has been confirmed. Extrapolation of the performance loss is used to estimate the required oversizing of the silica gel layer for long-term operation.

Cmarik, Gregory E.↗