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Multiple Point Dynamic Gas Density Measurements Using Molecular Rayleigh Scattering

A nonintrusive technique for measuring dynamic gas density properties is described. Molecular Rayleigh scattering is used to measure the time-history of gas density simultaneously at eight spatial locations at a 50 kHz sampling rate. The data are analyzed using the Welch method of modified periodograms to reduce measurement uncertainty. Cross-correlations, power spectral density functions, cross-spectral density functions, and coherence functions may be obtained from the data. The technique is demonstrated using low speed co-flowing jets with a heated inner jet.

Seasholtz, Richard↗

How Well Do Multisatellite Products Capture the Space–Time Dynamics of Precipitation? Part I: Five Products Assessed via a Wavenumber–Frequency Decomposition

As more global satellite-derived precipitation products become available, it is imperative to evaluate them more carefully for providing guidance as to how well precipitation space–time features are captured for use in hydrologic modeling, climate studies, and other applications. Here we propose a space–time Fourier spectral analysis and define a suite of metrics that evaluate the spatial organization of storm systems, the propagation speed and direction of precipitation features, and the space–time scales at which a satellite product reproduces the variability of a reference “ground-truth” product (“effective resolution”). We demonstrate how the methodology relates to our physical intuition using the case study of a storm system with rich space–time structure. We then evaluate five high-resolution multisatellite products (CMORPH, GSMaP, IMERG-Early, IMERG-Final, and PERSIANN-CCS) over a period of 2 years over the southeastern United States. All five satellite products show generally consistent space–time power spectral density when compared to a reference ground gauge–radar dataset (GV-MRMS), revealing agreement in terms of average morphology and dynamics of precipitation systems. However, a deficit of spectral power at wavelengths shorter than 200 km and periods shorter than 4 h reveals that all satellite products are excessively “smooth.” The products also show low levels of spectral coherence with the gauge–radar reference at these fine scales, revealing discrepancies in capturing the location and timing of precipitation features. From the space–time spectral coherence, the IMERG-Final product shows superior ability in resolving the space–time dynamics of precipitation down to 200-km and 4-h scales compared to the other products.

Clement Guilloteau↗

High reliability megawatt transformer/rectifier

The goal of the two phase program is to develop the technology and design and fabricate ultralightweight high reliability DC to DC converters for space power applications. The converters will operate from a 5000 V dc source and deliver 1 MW of power at 100 kV dc. The power weight density goal is 0.1 kg/kW. The cycle to cycle voltage stability goals was + or - 1 percent RMS. The converter is to operate at an ambient temperature of -40 C with 16 minute power pulses and one hour off time. The uniqueness of the design in Phase 1 resided in the dc switching array which operates the converter at 20 kHz using Hollotron plasma switches along with a specially designed low loss, low leakage inductance and a light weight high voltage transformer. This approach reduced considerably the number of components in the converter thereby increasing the system reliability. To achieve an optimum transformer for this application, the design uses four 25 kV secondary windings to produce the 100 kV dc output, thus reducing the transformer leakage inductance, and the ac voltage stresses. A specially designed insulation system improves the high voltage dielectric withstanding ability and reduces the insulation path thickness thereby reducing the component weight. Tradeoff studies and tests conducted on scaled-down model circuits and using representative coil insulation paths have verified the calculated transformer wave shape parameters and the insulation system safety. In Phase 1 of the program a converter design approach was developed and a preliminary transformer design was completed. A fault control circuit was designed and a thermal profile of the converter was also developed.

Zwass, Samuel↗

An extension of the Lighthill theory of jet noise to encompass refraction and shielding

A formalism for jet noise prediction is derived that includes the refractive 'cone of silence' and other effects; outside the cone it approximates the simple Lighthill format. A key step is deferral of the simplifying assumption of uniform density in the dominant 'source' term. The result is conversion to a convected wave equation retaining the basic Lighthill source term. The main effect is to amend the Lighthill solution to allow for refraction by mean flow gradients, achieved via a frequency-dependent directional factor. A general formula for power spectral density emitted from unit volume is developed as the Lighthill-based value multiplied by a squared 'normalized' Green's function (the directional factor), referred to a stationary point source. The convective motion of the sources, with its powerful amplifying effect, also directional, is already accounted for in the Lighthill format: wave convection and source convection are decoupled. The normalized Green's function appears to be near unity outside the refraction dominated 'cone of silence', this validates our long term practice of using Lighthill-based approaches outside the cone, with extension inside via the Green's function. The function is obtained either experimentally (injected 'point' source) or numerically (computational aeroacoustics). Approximation by unity seems adequate except near the cone and except when there are shrouding jets: in that case the difference from unity quantifies the shielding effect. Further extension yields dipole and monopole source terms (cf. Morfey, Mani, and others) when the mean flow possesses density gradients (e.g., hot jets).

Ribner, Herbert S.↗

The frequency content of the control input and airplane response obtained during service operations of fighter airplanes

The frequency content of the control input and resulting airplane motions is presented as power spectral densities for one operational flight of the fighter airplane (Republic F-84G). The frequency content, which is described by the shape of the spectrum, may be useful in providing inputs for the design of power control systems. For normal load factors, the results presented for the operational flight considered are in general agreement with the results of more complete data on three fighter airplanes (Republic F-84G, Republic F-84F, and North American F-86A) . The frequency content for the three control positions was similar and the frequency content for the three angular velocities was also similar when normalized by dividing the mean-square value.

Mayer, John P↗

A guidance law for the aeroassisted plane change maneuver in the presence of atmospheric uncertainties

A stochastic feedback control law for a space vehicle performing an aeroassisted plane-change maneuver is developed. The stochastic control law is designed to minimize the energy loss while taking into consideration the uncertainty in the atmospheric density. The solution is based on expansion of the stochastic Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation (or dynamic programming) about a zeroth-order known integrable solution. The resulting guidance law is expressed as a series expansion in the noise power spectral densities. A numerical example indicates the potential improvement of this method.

Mishne, D.↗

Coupled Receiver/Decoders for Low-Rate Turbo Codes

been proposed for receiving weak single- channel phase-modulated radio signals bearing low-rate-turbo-coded binary data. Originally intended for use in receiving telemetry signals from distant spacecraft, the proposed receiver/ decoders may also provide enhanced reception in mobile radiotelephone systems. A radio signal of the type to which the proposal applies comprises a residual carrier signal and a phase-modulated data signal. The residual carrier signal is needed as a phase reference for demodulation as a prerequisite to decoding. Low-rate turbo codes afford high coding gains and thereby enable the extraction of data from arriving radio signals that might otherwise be too weak. In the case of a conventional receiver, if the signal-to-noise ratio (specifically, the symbol energy to one-sided noise power spectral density) of the arriving signal is below approximately 0 dB, then there may not be enough energy per symbol to enable the receiver to recover properly the carrier phase. One could solve the problem at the transmitter by diverting some power from the data signal to the residual carrier. A better solution . a coupled receiver/decoder according to the proposal . could reduce the needed amount of residual carrier power. In all that follows, it is to be understood that all processing would be digital and the incoming signals to be processed would be, more precisely, outputs of analog-to-digital converters that preprocess the residual carrier and data signals at a rate of multiple samples per symbol. The upper part of the figure depicts a conventional receiving system, in which the receiver and decoder are uncoupled, and which is also called a non-data-aided system because output data from the decoder are not used in the receiver to aid in recovering the carrier phase. The receiver tracks the carrier phase from the residual carrier signal and uses the carrier phase to wipe phase noise off the data signal. The receiver typically includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) or Costas loop that requires no delay or perhaps a single sample delay. The lower part of the figure depicts a basic coupled receiver/decoder . a data-aided system that would implement an iterative receiving/decoding process. The receiver would include a PLL or a Wiener filter that, to the extent possible, would track the residual carrier signal, wipe phase noise off the data signal, then send the result to the turbo decoder. Recovery of timing could be effected by, for example, a digital transition tracking loop (DTTL) or other, similar loop. The first iteration of turbo decoding would yield soft data symbols, which would be sent back to the receiver for use in softly wiping off the data signal in an effort to recover the residual carrier signal. The wiped signal would contain a relatively large carrier-phase component that could be tracked by use of a second Wiener filter.

Hamkins, Jon↗

Design of Propellers for Motorsoarers

A method was developed for the design of propellers of minimum induced loss matched to an arbitrary operating point characterized by disc loading (thrust or power), air density, shaft speed, flight speed, and number of blades. A consistent procedure is outlined to predict the performance of these propellers under off design conditions, or to predict the performance of propellers of general geometry. The examples discussed include a man powered airplane, a hang glider with a 7.5 kW (10 hp) 8,000 rpm engine, and an airplane-like motorsoarer.

Larrabee, E. E.↗

Physics of Galaxy Clusters and How it Affects Cosmological Tests

The main activities in 2004 were focused on completion of the new 400 square degrees ROSAT PSPC survey for distant galaxy clusters. We observed and reduced optical spectra for all X-ray candidates and now we have complete identification for a statistically complete sample of distant 283 clusters. The papers describing the cluster catalog and first science results are in preparation and will be submitted in early 2005. We also completed a project to measure temperature and density profiles at large radii using Chandra observations of a 11 well exposed low-redshift clusters. We were able to demonstrate that the density, temperature, and total mass profiles are self-similar at large radii. This analysis has led to significant improvements in determination of the cluster baryon fraction as well as cosmologically important scaling relations, such as Mtot-T. The paper describing these results is submitted to ApJ in November, 2004. We continued to study evolution of the cluster scaling relations at high redshifts using Chandra and XMM data. We developed code for image and spectral deconvolution of the XMM observations. This code was used to reconstruct the distribution of baryons and total mass from observations of distant clusters which suffer from the finite size of the XMM PSF. This study allowed us to derive a high-redshift relation between cluster temperature and mass and compare it with the local relation obtained. The paper describing the first results is submitted to the ApJ. However, the project is still on-going as more distant cluster observations enter XMh4 and Chandra public data archives. We continued our work on improving techniques for accurate measurements of the cluster mass function and obtaining cosmological constraints from such observations. We published (ApJ, 601, 610) a study in which we derived the baryon mass function for a complete sample of low-redshift clusters. These papers argued that it was an excellent proxy for the total mass function. The baryon mass function can be used to constrain the amplitude and slope of the density fluctuation power spectrum on cluster scales. This method does not use observational determinations of the total mass and thus bypasses major uncertainties in the traditional analyses based on the X-ray temperature function. We derived the measurements for the amplitude of density perturbations, sigma8 = 0.72 +/- 0.04 and the shape parameter Omega*h = 0.l3 +/- 0.07, in good agreement with a number of independent methods.

Oliversen, Ronald J.↗

The Spectral-Timing Analysis of Cygnus X-1 With Insight-HXMT

Cygnus X-1, as the first discovered black hole binary, is a key source for understanding the mechanisms of state transitions, and the scenarios of accretion in extreme gravity fields. We present a spectral-timing analysis of observations taken with the Insight-HXMT mission, focusing on the spectral-state dependent timing properties in the broad energy range of 1–150 keV, thus extending previous RXTE-based studies to both lower and higher energies. Our main results are the following: a) We successfully use a simple empirical model to fit all spectra, confirming that the reflection component is stronger in the soft state than in the hard state; b) The evolution of the total fractional root mean square (rms) depends on the selected energy band and the spectral shape, which is a direct result of the evolution of the power spectral densities (PSDs); c) In the hard/intermediate state, we see clear short-term variability features and a positive correlation between central frequencies of the variability components and the soft photon index Γ(sub 1), also at energies above 15 keV. The power spectrum is dominated by red noise in the soft state instead. These behaviors can be traced to at least 90 keV; d) The coherence and the phase-lag spectra show different behaviors dependent on different spectral shapes.

Binary X-rays↗

Interference effects on Space Station Freedom and space shuttle orbiter Ku-band downlinks

The space shuttle orbiter (SSO) and Ku-band single access return (KSAR) link and the Space Station Freedom (SSF) KSAR link via the tracking and data relay satellite system (TDRSS) use the same carrier frequency. The interference between spacecraft is minimized by opposite antenna polarizations and by TDRSS antenna beam pointing, but if the SSF and SSO are in close proximity, it is expected that mutual interference will be significant. Recently, Tsang and Su (1988, 1989) simulated the mutual interference effects, using a practical nonlinear bandlimited channel. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that a simplified (i.e., linear band-limited channel) analytical approach will yield adequate accuracy for the expected range of operating conditions. Relative degradation in bit energy-to-thermal noise power spectral density ratio to achieve a 10 exp -5 coded bit-error-probability is determined to be 4 dB for the Ku-band SSO-to-TDRS I-channel return link with a 4.5 dB effective signal-to-interference total power ratio (S/I) when the Ku-band SSF-to-TDRS return link interferes, whereas Su's simulation yields approximately 5 dB degradation. For the Ku-band SSF-to-TDRS return link, both analysis and simulation results yield a relative signal degradation of 0.4 dB at the effective S/I = 21.6 dB. In conclusion, interference on the Ku-band SSO-to-TDRS I-channel return link is significant, but on the Ku-band SSF-to-TDRS return link it is negligible.

Kwon, Hyuck M.↗

Nonlinear saturation spectra of electric fields and density fluctuations in drift wave turbulence

The detection of drift waves in the nonlinear evolution of a space plasma process driven at long wavelengths is considered, adducing measurements of the electric field and density fluctuation power spectra as evidence. Since the driving mechanism is clearly at long wavelengths, the detection of drift waves suggests that they may play an important role in the transfer of wave energy from long to short wavelengths in a low beta plasma. The saturated spectral density is compared with theoretical results in order to estimate the anomalous diffusion rate. The observed spectral form and amplitude is in excellent agreement with drift wave predictions.

Kelley, M. C.↗

Atmospheric turbulence power spectral measurements to long wavelengths for several meteorological conditions

Use of power spectral design techniques for supersonic transports requires accurate definition of atmospheric turbulence in the long wavelength region below the knee of the power spectral density function curve. Examples are given of data obtained from a current turbulence flight sampling program. These samples are categorized as (1) convective, (2) wind shear, (3) rotor, and (4) mountain-wave turbulence. Time histories, altitudes, root-mean-square values, statistical degrees of freedom, power spectra, and integral scale values are shown and discussed.

Rhyne, R. H.↗

Experimental Investigation of Unsteady Shock Wave Turbulent Boundary Layer Interactions About a Blunt Fin

A series of experiments were performed to investigate the effects of Mach number variation on the characteristics of the unsteady shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction generated by a blunt fin. A single blunt fin hemicylindrical leading edge diameter size was used in all of the experiments which covered the Mach number range from 2.0 to 5.0. The measurements in this investigation included surface flow visualization, static and dynamic pressure measurements, both on centerline and off-centerline of the blunt fin axis. Surface flow visualization and static pressure measurements showed that the spatial extent of the shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction increased with increasing Mach number. The maximum static pressure, normalized by the incoming static pressure, measured at the peak location in the separated flow region ahead of the blunt fin was found to increase with increasing Mach number. The mean and standard deviations of the fluctuating pressure signals from the dynamic pressure transducers were found to collapse to self-similar distributions as a function of the distance perpendicular to the separation line. The standard deviation of the pressure signals showed initial peaked distribution, with the maximum standard deviation point corresponding to the location of the separation line at Mach number 3.0 to 5.0. At Mach 2.0 the maximum standard deviation point was found to occur significantly upstream of the separation line. The intermittency distributions of the separation shock wave motion were found to be self-similar profiles for all Mach numbers. The intermittent region length was found to increase with Mach number and decrease with interaction sweepback angle. For Mach numbers 3.0 to 5.0 the separation line was found to correspond to high intermittencies or equivalently to the downstream locus of the separation shock wave motion. The Mach 2.0 tests, however, showed that the intermittent region occurs significantly upstream of the separation line. Power spectral densities measured in the intermittent regions were found to have self-similar frequency distributions when compared as functions of a Strouhal number for all Mach numbers and interaction sweepback angles. The maximum zero-crossing frequencies were found to correspond with the peak frequencies in the power spectra measured in the intermittent region.

Barnhart, Paul J.↗

Kids Making Noise: Presenting Noise Spectra of Aluminum MKIDS for Astronomy

Since the field has identified microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) as a competitive candidate for future applications in infrared and sub-millimeter wave detection, it is increasingly important to establish the materials and techniques that produce highly sensitive, well-understood, and consistent detectors. We present new noise power spectral density (PSD) measurements for several thin film (25nm) aluminum coplanar waveguide (CPW) microwave resonators. We include noise PSD measurements for several bath temperatures and photon occupation numbers. We examine the trends exhibited by the fractional frequency noise spectra of our detectors at 1 kHz as a function of bath temperature and power. For our lowest temperature data (58mK) and a readout power of -84 dBm we observe fractional frequency noise in the range Sбf / f r 2 = a few x10 -17 . We observe a roughly Sбf / f r 2 (1 kHz) ∝ Pint -0.5 relationship between internal power and fractional frequency noise at 1 kHz. We attempted more complex fits to the PSDs, but concluded that more measurements are needed to converge on meaningful fits to the data.

MKIDs↗

Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence and Reconnection in the Magnetotail

We have used a global MHD simulation with high spatial resolution to investigate the origin and properties of turbulence in the plasma sheet. In this simulation we imposed a steady southward IMF with a magnitude of 5 nT at the upstream simulation boundary for more than three hours followed by ninety minutes of northward IMF of the same magnitude. The solar wind number density was 20 cm-3, the thermal pressure was 20 pPa, and the velocity was 500 km/s in the x direction. The moderately high dynamic pressure confined the magnetotail to the high-grid resolution region. Even for these nominal solar wind parameters and steady driving the plasma sheet became turbulent. The power spectral densities and probability distribution functions computed from the simulations were comparable to those obtained from spacecraft observations. The largest scale vortices were associated with reconnection outflows and, in the southward IMF case, with the diversion of high speed flows in the near-Earth region. Both time and space domain analyses revealed that there were three scales present, the large scale of the driving processes, the intermediate inertial scale and the dissipative scale.

El-Alaoui, Mostafa↗