Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Phase detector”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 757 records · Page 42

Multi-slice electron ptychographic tomography for three-dimensional phase-contrast microscopy beyond the depth of focus limits

Electron ptychography is a powerful computational method for atomic-resolution imaging with high contrast for weakly and strongly scattering elements. Modern algorithms coupled with fast and efficient detectors allow imaging specimens with tens of nanometers thicknesses with sub-0.5 Ångstrom lateral resolution. However, the axial resolution in these approaches is currently limited to a few nanometers, limiting their ability to solve novel atomic structures ab initio. Here, we experimentally demonstrate multi-slice ptychographic electron tomography, which allows atomic resolution three-dimensional phase-contrast imaging in a volume surpassing the depth of field limits. We reconstruct tilt-series 4D-STEM measurements of a $\mathrm{Co_3O_4}$ nanocube, yielding 2 Å axial and 0.7 Å transverse resolution in a reconstructed volume of $\mathrm{(18.2\,nm)^3}$. Our results demonstrate a 13.5-fold improvement in axial resolution compared to multi-slice ptychography while retaining the atomic lateral resolution and the capability to image volumes beyond the depth of field limit. Multi-slice ptychographic electron tomography significantly expands the volume of materials accessible using high-resolution electron microscopy. We discuss further experimental and algorithmic improvements necessary to also resolve single weakly scattering atoms in 3D.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

MARE-l in Milan: Status and Perspectives

The international project MARE (Microcalorimeter Array for a Rhenium Experiment) aims at the direct and calorimetric measurement of the electron neutrino mass with sub-eV sensitivity. Although the baseline of the MARE project consists in a large array of rhenium based thermal detectors, a different option for the isotope is also being considered. The different option is Ho-163. The potential of using Re-187 for a calorimetric neutrino mass experiment has been already demonstrated. On the contrary, no calorimetric spectrum of Ho-163 has been so far measured with the precision required to set a useful limit on the neutrino mass. The first phase of the project (MARE-1) is a collection of activities with the aim of sorting out both the best isotope and the most suited detector technology to be used for the final experiment. One of the MARE-1 activities is carried out in Milan by the group of Milano-Bicocca in collaboration with NASA/GSFC and Wisconsin groups. The Milan MARE-l arrays are based on semiconductor thermistors, provided by the NASA/GSFC group, with dielectric silver perrhenate absorbers, AgReO4. The experiment, which is presently being assembled, is designed to host up to 8 arrays.

Ferri, E.↗

Timing performance of phased-locked loops in optical pulse position modulation communication systems

An optical digital communication system requires that an accurate clock signal be available at the receiver for proper synchronization with the transmitted signal. Phase synchronization is especially critical in M-ary pulse position modulation (PPM) systems where the optimum decision scheme is an energy detector which compares the energy in each of M time slots to decide which of M possible words was sent. Timing errors cause energy spillover into adjacent time slots (a form of intersymbol interference) so that only a portion of the signal energy may be attributed to the correct time slot. This effect decreases the effective signal, increases the effective noise, and increases the probability of error. A timing subsystem for a satellite-to-satellite optical PPM communication link is simulated. The receiver employs direct photodetection, preprocessing of the detected signal, and a phase-locked loop for timing synchronization. The variance of the relative phase error is examined under varying signal strength conditions as an indication of loop performance, and simulation results are compared to theoretical calculations.

Lafaw, D. A.↗

Measurements of beam backgrounds in SuperKEKB Phase 2

The high design luminosity of the SuperKEKB electron-positron collider will result in challenging levels of beam-induced backgrounds in the interaction region. Understanding and mitigating these backgrounds is critical to the success of the Belle II experiment. We report on the first background measurements performed after roll-in of the Belle II detector, utilizing both the BEAST II system of dedicated background sensors and the Belle II detector itself. Here we also report on first revisions to the background simulation made in response to our findings. Backgrounds measured include contributions from synchrotron radiation, beam-gas, Touschek, and injection backgrounds. At the end of Phase 2, single-beam backgrounds originating from the 4 GeV positron Low Energy Ring (LER) agree reasonably well with simulation, while backgrounds from the 7 GeV electron High Energy Ring (HER) are approximately one order of magnitude higher than simulation. We extrapolate these backgrounds forward and conclude it is safe to proceed to installation of the Belle II vertex detector.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Plasmonic photoconductive terahertz focal-plane array with pixel super-resolution

Abstract Imaging systems operating in the terahertz part of the electromagnetic spectrum are attractive due to their ability to penetrate many opaque materials and provide unique spectral signatures of various chemicals. However, the use of terahertz imagers in real-world applications has been limited by the slow speed, large size, high cost and complexity of present systems, largely due to the lack of suitable terahertz focal-plane array detectors. Here we report a terahertz focal-plane array that can directly provide the spatial amplitude and phase distributions, along with the ultrafast temporal and spectral information of an imaged object. It consists of a two-dimensional array of ~0.3 million plasmonic photoconductive nanoantennas optimized to rapidly detect broadband terahertz radiation with a high signal-to-noise ratio. We utilized the multispectral nature of the amplitude and phase data captured by these plasmonic nanoantennas to image different objects, including super-resolved etched patterns in a silicon substrate and defects in battery electrodes. By eliminating the need for raster scanning and spatial terahertz modulation, our terahertz focal-plane array offers more than a 1,000-fold increase in the imaging speed compared with the state of the art and potentially suits a broad range of applications in industrial inspection, security screening and medical diagnosis, among others.

Optics↗

hpMCA: A Python-based Graphical Program for Energy Dispersive X-Ray Diffraction Data Collection and Analysis

Energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXD) at synchrotron beamlines is commonly used for the study of material properties under high pressure and/or high temperature. Experimenters typically rely on the availability of robust data collection and analysis at a beamline, but this has become increasingly difficult, especially with the introduction of multi-element detectors that generate complex, multi-dimensional data sets. These data sets have energy resolution, and they can also be resolved in relation to sample position, diffraction angle, or different external stimuli. We report a new Python-based graphical program, hpMCA, for EDXD data collection and analysis that streamlines the experimental process for the beamline users. The program features a user-friendly interface, capability for online viewing and analyzing data from multi-element energy-dispersive detectors, and includes features useful for working with samples under high pressure and/or high temperature, such as crystal phase identification, real-time unit cell lattice refinement, and pressure determination based on an equation of state.

data analysis software↗

Impact of xenon doping in the scintillation light in a large liquid-argon TPC

The use of xenon-doped liquid argon (Xe-doped LAr) is a promising alternative for large-scale liquid argon Time Projection Chambers (LAr-TPC), since it mitigates the light suppression due to impurities and it also improves the photon-detection efficiency and uniformity with the distance. This study analyses the impact of using Xe-doped LAr in ProtoDUNE Dual-Phase, a 750 ton Dual-Phase LAr-TPC placed at CERN. ProtoDUNE Dual-Phase completed a Xe-doping data-taking campaign in summer 2020 by re-filling the detector with 230 tons of Xe-doped LAr contaminated with nitrogen, and performing dedicated nitrogen injections. The effects of the presence of Xe at 5.8 ppm in the scintillation light production and propagation are analysed in this paper, showing an increase of the collected photons, but a suppression of the light signal amplitude. A 60% increase of the light attenuation length is measured. The impact on the scintillation time profile is also studied. A model to fit the time profile is proposed and the time constants of the physics processes are obtained.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Design and calibration of an optically segmented single volume scatter camera for neutron imaging

The Optically Segmented Single Volume Scatter Camera (OS-SVSC) aims to image neutron sources for non-proliferation applications using the kinematic reconstruction of elastic double-scatter events. Our prototype system consists of 64 EJ-204 organic plastic scintillator bars, each measuring 5mm × 5mm × 200mm and individually wrapped in Teflon tape. The scintillator array is optically coupled to two silicon photomultiplier ArrayJ-60035 64P-PCB arrays, each comprised of 64 individual 6x6mm J-Series sensors arranged in an 8 × 8 array. We report on the design details, including component selections, mechanical design and assembly, and the electronics system. The described design leveraged existing off-the-shelf solutions to support the rapid development of a phase 1 prototype. Several valuable lessons were learned from component and system testing, including those related to the detector's mechanical structure and electrical crosstalk that we conclude originates in the commercial photodetector arrays and the associated custom breakout cards. We detail our calibration efforts, beginning with calibrations for the electronics, based on the IRS3D application-specific integrated circuits, and their associated timing resolutions, ranging from 3090ps. With electronics calibrations applied, energy and position calibrations were performed for a set of edge bars using 22 Na and 90 Sr, respectively, reporting an average resolution of 12.07±0.03mm for energy depositions between 900keVee and 1000keVee. We further demonstrate a position calibration method for the internal bars of the matrix using cosmic-ray muons as an alternative to emission sources that cannot easily access these bars, with an average measured resolution of 14.86+-0.29mm for depositions between 900keVee and 1000keVee. The coincident time resolution reported between pairs of bars measured up to 400ps from muon acquisitions. Energy and position calibration values measured with muons are consistent with those obtained using particle emission sources.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Performance of the MICE diagnostic system

Muon beams of low emittance provide the basis for the intense, well-characterised neutrino beams of a neutrino factory and for multi-TeV lepton-antilepton collisions at a muon collider. The international Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) has demonstrated the principle of ionization cooling, the technique by which it is proposed to reduce the phase-space volume occupied by the muon beam at such facilities. This paper documents the performance of the detectors used in MICE to measure the muon-beam parameters, and the physical properties of the liquid hydrogen energy absorber during running.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Measurement of the free neutron lifetime in a magneto-gravitational trap with in situ detection

Here, in this study, we publish three years of data from the UCNτ experiment performed at the Los Alamos Ultracold Neutron Facility at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. These data are in addition to our previously published data. Our goals in this paper are to better understand and quantify systematic uncertainties and to improve the lifetime statistical precision. We previously reported a value from our 2017–2018 data for the neutron lifetime of 877.75 ± 0.28 (statistical) +0.22–0.16 (systematic) s. We have collected an additional three years of data reported here for the first time. When all the data from UCNτ are averaged for 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022, we report an updated value for the lifetime of 877.83 ± 0.22 (statistical)+0.20–0.17 (systematic) s. We utilized improved monitor detectors, reduced our correction due to UCN upscattering on residual gas, and employed four different UCN detector geometries both to reduce the correction required for rate dependence and to explore potential contributions due to phase space evolution.

Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix↗

Performance of a Modular Ton-Scale Pixel-Readout Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber

The Module-0 Demonstrator is a single-phase 600 kg liquid argon time projection chamber operated as a prototype for the DUNE liquid argon near detector. Based on the ArgonCube design concept, Module-0 features a novel 80k-channel pixelated charge readout and advanced high-coverage photon detection system. In this paper, we present an analysis of an eight-day data set consisting of 25 million cosmic ray events collected in the spring of 2021. We use this sample to demonstrate the imaging performance of the charge and light readout systems as well as the signal correlations between the two. We also report argon purity and detector uniformity measurements and provide comparisons to detector simulations.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Gamma rays of 0.3-30 MeV from PSR0833 - 45

Pulsed gamma rays from the Vela pulsar PSR0833 - 45 are reported for the first time over the medium energy range 0.3-30 MeV. They were observed with a double scatter gamma-ray telescope flown on a balloon over Australia on Nov. 10, 1981, 31 days after a large glitch in the pulsar period. The first and second pulses were detected from single scatters in the top scintillators at energies over 0.3 MeV with statistical significances of 1.6 sigma each, and by double scatters from all detector cell pairs at energies of 1-30 MeV with significance of 4.8 sigma and 3.8 sigma. The phase separation of the two pulses is 0.43 + or - 0.02 at the same absolute phases previously found by SAS2 and COS B for energies over 35 MeV.

Tumer, O. T.↗

Monogroove cold plate

The coolant fluid evaporated in a compact heat absorbing panel utilizing monogroove heat pipes in a pumped two-phase system is replenished through a liquid inlet control valve under the control of an ultrasonic liquid presence detector which is connected to the panel. The detector maintains the desired liquid quantity in the panel's liquid coolant channels, thereby dynamically responding to varying heat loads.

Edelstein, Fred↗

SWIFT Observations of a Far UV Luminosity Component in SS433

SS433 is a binary system showing relativistic Doppler shifts in its two sets of emission lines. The origin of its UV continuum is not well established. We observed SS433 to determine the emission mechanism responsible for its far UV spectrum. The source was observed at several different phases of both its 13 d orbital period and 162.5 d precession period using the UVOT and XRT detector systems on Swift. The far UV spectrum down to 1880 Angstrom lies significantly above the spectral flux distribution predicted by extrapolating the reddened blackbody continuum that fits the spectrum above 3500 Angstroms. The intensity of the far UV flux varies over a period of days and the variability is correlated with the variability of the soft X-ray flux from the source. An emission mechanism in addition to those previously detected in the optical and X-ray regions must exist in the far UV spectrum of SS433.

Cannizzo, J. K.↗

Marshall Space Flight Center Faculty Fellowship Program

The 2017 Marshall Faculty Fellowship Program involved 21 faculty in the laboratories and departments at Marshall Space Flight Center. These faculty engineers and scientists worked with NASA collaborators on NASA projects, bringing new perspectives and solutions to bear. This Technical Memorandum is a compilation of the research reports of the 2017 Marshall Faculty Fellowship program, along with the Program Announcement (Appendix A) and the Program Description (Appendix B). The research affected the following six areas: (1) Materials (2) Propulsion (3) Instrumentation (4) Spacecraft systems (5) Vehicle systems (6) Space science The materials investigations included composite structures, printing electronic circuits, degradation of materials by energetic particles, friction stir welding, Martian and Lunar regolith for in-situ construction, and polymers for additive manufacturing. Propulsion studies were completed on electric sails and low-power arcjets for use with green propellants. Instrumentation research involved heat pipes, neutrino detectors, and remote sensing. Spacecraft systems research was conducted on wireless technologies, layered pressure vessels, and two-phase flow. Vehicle systems studies were performed on life support-biofilm buildup and landing systems. In the space science area, the excitation of electromagnetic ion-cyclotron waves observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission provided insight regarding the propagation of these waves. Our goal is to continue the Marshall Faculty Fellowship Program funded by Center internal project offices. Faculty Fellows in this 2017 program represented the following minority-serving institutions: Alabama A&M University and Oglala Lakota College.

Six, N. F.↗

Measurement of neutrino oscillations using neutrino and antineutrino beams in the NOvA experiment

NOvA is a long-baseline accelerator neutrino oscillation experiment using the NuMIneutrino beam from Fermilab. Its main physics goals are to probe the 3-flavour oscillationparameters: neutrino mass hierarchy, CP-violating phase dcp and octant of .23 mixingangle by observing electron neutrino appearance and muon neutrino disappearance. Twofunctionally identical detectors are placed off-axis from the centre of the NuMI beam.The near detector at Fermilab is 100 m underground, and the far detector is locatedon the surface at Ash River, 810 km away from the beam source. The initial neutrinobeam spectra are measured using the near detector data and the oscillation parametersare extracted by fitting the observed data to the predicted neutrino spectrum in the fardetector.This thesis is centered around how to improve the sensitivity of |.m232| and .23 measurementsin the muon neutrino disappearance analysis. NOvA will take data for about12 years. The operation of the NOvA experiment for each year costs tens of millions ofdollars, thus it is valuable to maximise the sensitivity of the analysis. Three samples ofmuon neutrino events are studied in this thesis to improve the analysis sensitivities. First,higher energy muon neutrinos are investigated by extending the energy range in NOvA’scurrent standard analysis. Second, for the sample of events used in NOvA’s existing analysis,a new energy estimator which has been developed to improve the neutrino energy resolution is considered. Furthermore, in addition to binning the events as function ofenergy and hadronic energy fraction, three particle identifiers are introduced to separateneutrino events by signal purity to reduce the effects from backgrounds. Third, an additionallower purity sample of muon neutrino charged current (CC) events that look similarto neutral current events and have not been included in NOvA’s existing analyses havebeen studied.This thesis reanalyses NOvA’s data used in the 2020 analysis, corresponding to anexposure of 13.60×1020 protons on target (POT) in the neutrino beam mode recordedfrom February 6, 2014 to March 20, 2020, and 12.50×1020 protons on target in theantineutrino beam mode recorded between June 29, 2016 to February 26, 2019. Thisthesis has implemented a fit to Asimov fake data, generated where sin2 .23 = 0.59 and.m232 = 2.5 × 10-3 eV2. These sensitivity studies show that the uncertainty range of|.m232| at 1 s in the new analysis is reduced by 5.5% and the significance of maximaldisappearance rejection improves by 7.7%, compared to the standard analysis. This isequivalent to adding 11-16% more data. The best fit values of the oscillation parametersfrom fitting to the far detector (FD) data with the new analysis are found to besin2 .23 = 0.568+0.025-0.043 (sin2 .23 = 0.454+0.046-0.026) and .m232 = 2.399+0.055-0.070 × 10-3 eV2 (.m232= -2.427+0.055-0.067 × 10-3 eV2) for the normal (inverted) hierarchy. The difference in thebest fit for sin2 .23 (.m232) between the new analysis and NOvA’s 2020 analysis is around2% (1.4%). The uncertainty range at 1 s for .m232 decrease by 8% (4%) for the normalhierarchy (inverted hierarchy) compared to the standard analysis. The uncertainty rangefor sin2 .23 is close to the standard analysis. This thesis also implements the fit from combiningelectron neutrino appearance and muon neutrino disappearance. The combinedanalysis shows that the best fit values are very close to the standard analysis. However,the uncertainty range of .m232 at 1 s is reduced by 3.7% using the new analysis. The maximaldisappearance significance is not improved in the new analysis, but the new analysisslightly improves the rejection of the disfavoured octant.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for Isoscalar Resonances in yp ¿ wnp AT GLUEX

The GlueX experiment has produced the world?s largest statistics for peripheral photoproduction of mesons with a goal to search for exotic mesons. This document presents results on the search for possible intermediate resonances which decay to ??. Little is known for the states seen in this decay channel such as the ?(1420) and ?(1650). This channel also allows to search for the never seen exotics JPC = 0??, 2+?, and the elusive 2??. The ?, in this reaction, is identified via the ?+???0 decay mode and the ? and ?0 are identified via the decay to 2?. Data from the GlueX Phase I was analyzed. This data was obtained at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility utilizing the GlueX detector and a tagged linearly polarized photon beam incident on a liquid hydrogen target. A model using the expected major wave contributors, 1+? and 1??, shows two structure in the region where the ?(1420) and ?(1650) are expected. A third structure is seen at threshold with the quantum numbers of an h1 resonance, however, more studies are needed to assert the nature of this structure. Instabilities on the m = ±1 were shown to come from mathematical ambiguities. This only occurs between the m = 1 and m = ?1 projections when both reflectivities are present in close amount. Expanding the intensity equation for a single wave allows to extract coefficients that can help describe the data. A tangent study is also presented in this document which consists on a direct fit to the lineshape of an isolated N(1535). This baryonic resonance is well established, but its Breit-Wigner parameters have only been obtained from partial wave analysis. In contrast, this study obtained the Breit-Wigner parameters using a direct fit and finds the value of the width to be 70.5± 9.2 MeV; this is half of the accepted value.

Barriga, Edmundo↗

XIPE the X-Ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer

X-ray polarimetry, sometimes alone, and sometimes coupled to spectral and temporal variability measurements and to imaging, allows a wealth of physical phenomena in astrophysics to be studied. X-ray polarimetry investigates the acceleration process, for example, including those typical of magnetic reconnection in solar flares, but also emission in the strong magnetic fields of neutron stars and white dwarfs. It detects scattering in asymmetric structures such as accretion disks and columns, and in the so-called molecular torus and ionization cones. In addition, it allows fundamental physics in regimes of gravity and of magnetic field intensity not accessible to experiments on the Earth to be probed. Finally, models that describe fundamental interactions (e.g. quantum gravity and the extension of the Standard Model) can be tested. We describe in this paper the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer (XIPE), proposed in June 2012 to the first ESA call for a small mission with a launch in 2017. The proposal was, unfortunately, not selected. To be compliant with this schedule, we designed the payload mostly with existing items. The XIPE proposal takes advantage of the completed phase A of POLARIX for an ASI small mission program that was cancelled, but is different in many aspects: the detectors, the presence of a solar flare polarimeter and photometer and the use of a light platform derived by a mass production for a cluster of satellites. XIPE is composed of two out of the three existing JET-X telescopes with two Gas Pixel Detectors (GPD) filled with a He-DME mixture at their focus. Two additional GPDs filled with a 3-bar Ar-DME mixture always face the Sun to detect polarization from solar flares. The Minimum Detectable Polarization of a 1 mCrab source reaches 14 in the 210 keV band in 105 s for pointed observations, and 0.6 for an X10 class solar flare in the 1535 keV energy band. The imaging capability is 24 arcsec Half Energy Width (HEW) in a Field of View of 14.7 arcmin 14.7 arcmin. The spectral resolution is 20 at 6 keV and the time resolution is 8 s. The imaging capabilities of the JET-X optics and of the GPD have been demonstrated by a recent calibration campaign at PANTER X-ray test facility of the Max-Planck-Institut fr extraterrestrische Physik (MPE, Germany). XIPE takes advantage of a low-earth equatorial orbit with Malindi as down-link station and of a Mission Operation Center (MOC) at INPE (Brazil). The data policy is organized with a Core Program that comprises three months of Science Verification Phase and 25 of net observing time in the following 2 years. A competitive Guest Observer program covers the remaining 75 of the net observing time.

Astronomy X-ray Polarimetry↗