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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Qualification of A Transition Edge Sensor Based Anti-Coincidence Detector for A Probe Class Mission

The Line Emission Mapper (or LEM) is an X-ray probe class mission aimed to study the physics of galaxy formation, with a large field-of-view, high-resolution transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter. Because of the diffuse and faint nature of LEM’s targets, a high-fidelity anticoincidence detector (anti-co) is essential to reduce instrument background below the level of sky background. Lying directly behind the LEM sensor, the anti-co will detect ~3 counts per second per square centimeter from background galactic cosmic rays and the secondary particles they induce to detect and flag any events that could be confused with a science photon in the 0.3-2 keV signal band of LEM. Our design spans an active region 4-cm in diameter. It consists of 12 quasiparticle-trap-assisted electrothermal-feedback (QET) channels, each with 100 parallel TESes with common bias lines. The TES is a narrow strip of Mo/Au bilayer. We present fabrication processes that maintain the transition temperature (T c ) in Mo/Au bilayer structures across the active region. We further present a new design based on a a-Si/W TES layer that has previously achieved reasonable uniformity in lab testing.

x-ray↗
NASA NTRS2004

SIM spectral characteristics and accuracy analysis

The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) will perform global astrometry (full sky), local wide-angle (15 degree) and narrow-angle (1 degree) observations to search extra-solar planets, and can calibrate stellar and galactic evolution theories. The astrometric accuracy of the SIM mission depends on spectral characteristics of the optics, detectors and targets. This paper will discuss the photometric throughput of the SIM instrument, and analyze effects of wavefront errors, optical mismatches and control biases as a function of wavelength. The color dependence models of the instrument optics including mirrors, lenses, field-stop and beam-splitter are presented. The performances of different detectors with a variety of coatings are compared. A model of the SIM fringe spectrometer is created. For early and late types of stars, brightness dependency errors are analyzed for different combinations of optics and detectors. Visibility loss due to imperfect optics is investigated in detail. Based on the models of instrument and estimated visibilities, the astrometric accuracies for various kinds of stars are evaluated. It is important to emphasize that not only light sources, mirrors, lenses, field stop and detectors are all wavelength dependent, but also fringe visibility loss, wavefront error, optics control error, etc. are all a function of wavelengths. For the first time the estimate of SIM performance is based on spectral analysis of all factors above, rather than monochromatic approximations of detected fringes, or simply adopted constants. This paper summarizes the astrometric accuracies for a wide range of stars and various combinations of optical design and detector configurations. It has been verified that SIM has astrometric accuracy of about 4 μas for targets with different spectra.

Shao, Michael↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Firmware Architecture of the ARMADAS Bolting Robot

The Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS) project, under development at NASA Ames Research Center, has demonstrated on-ground autonomous robotic assembly of extensive digital structures, and it is now moving forward towards in-space demonstration. The ARMADAS system comprises of the operation software, the operation user interface (opsUI), and a swarm of robots. The robotic system consists of a multitude of collaborative agents specifically designed to transport, place and bolt the building blocks, called voxels (volumetric pixels). This paper focuses on the bolting robot, referred to as Mobile Metamaterial Internal Co-Integrator (MMIC-I). MMIC-I is a battery-powered crawling robot. It navigates the structure through extension, contraction and gripping. Two distinct controller boards operate the robot's two symmetric modules, referred to as module A and B. Board A is the master board: it coordinates motion planning and motion primitives execution, hosts the WiFi client, performs periodic self-assessment and system idle check and triggers faults if anomalies are detected. Board B periodically sends a heartbeat to board A, through a wired communication channel that uses the Serial protocol. Additionally, board A's WiFi client receives heartbeat packet requests or motion/bolting commands from a dedicated server board, and acknowledges reception sending back a response heartbeat packet containing information about the overall robot status, e. g. electrical current and voltage values, target and actual angles, operating mode, fault status. Whenever a motion command is sent, the motion planning section of the firmware determines the current robot configuration, using Inertial Measurement Unit readings and the motors Pulse Width Modulation values. Afterwards, it calculates the list of primitives needed to reach the target state, and controls their execution in the proper order. MMIC-I can receive and execute motion and bolting commands only when it is in operational mode. MMIC-I has three operating modes: standby, operational and safed. Standby mode is automatically entered upon startup. While in standby mode, all motors are powered off, and the only accepted commands are the ones relative to a change of mode and heartbeat packet request. Fault detection causes the robot to automatically enter safed or standby mode. Whenever the detected fault occurs within a motion and requires immediate intervention, e. g. an over-current situation, the robot enters safed mode. Safed mode powers off all motors except for the locomotion module, thus preventing the robot from collapsing. Conversely, when the detected fault doesn't require immediate intervention (low battery warning, for instance), the robot enters standby mode after completing the ongoing motion. This paper provides a detailed discussion of MMIC-I's firmware architecture. It accurately describes the implementation approach for each module: sensor data reading, motor control and actuation, WiFi server-client communication, intra-boards Serial communication, operating modes and autonomous fault detection, motion planning, coordination and execution, etc. Moreover, in support of the software description, this paper includes a thorough characterization of MMIC-I's hardware and avionics.

In-space assembly↗
NASA NTRS2016

GN and C Subsystem Concept for Safe Precision Landing of the Proposed Lunar MARE Robotic Science Mission

The Lunar MARE (Moon Age and Regolith Explorer) Discovery Mission concept targets delivery of a science payload to the lunar surface for sample collection and dating. The mission science is within a 100-meter radius region of smooth lunar maria terrain near Aristarchus crater. The location has several small, sharp craters and rocks that present landing hazards to the spacecraft. For successful delivery of the science payload to the surface, the vehicle Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) subsystem requires safe and precise landing capability, so design infuses the NASA Autonomous precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) and a gimbaled, throttleable LOX/LCH4 main engine. The ALHAT system implemented for Lunar MARE is a specialization of prototype technologies in work within NASA for the past two decades, including a passive optical Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) sensor, a Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) velocity and range sensor, and a Lidar-based Hazard Detection (HD) sensor. The landing descent profile is from a retrograde orbit over lighted terrain with landing near lunar dawn. The GN&C subsystem with ALHAT capabilities will deliver the science payload to the lunar surface within a 20-meter landing ellipse of the target location and at a site having greater than 99% safety probability, which minimizes risk to safe landing and delivery of the MARE science payload to the intended terrain region.

MARE (Moon Age and Regolith Explorer)↗
NASA NTRS1980

Study of the atmospheric effects on the radiation detected by the sensor aboard orbiting platforms (ERTS/LANDSAT)

The author has identified the following significant results. Multispectral scanner data for Brasilia was corrected for atmospheric interference using the LOWTRAN-3 computer program and the analytical solution of the radiative transfer equation. This improved the contrast between two natural targets and the corrected images of two different dates were more similar than the original ones. Corrected images of MSS data for Ribeirao Preto gave a classification accuracy for sugar cane about 10% higher as compared to the original images.

Dejesusparada, N.↗
NASA NTRS1980

An airborne system for detection of volcanic surface deformations

A technique is proposed for measuring volcanic deformation on the order of centimeters per day to centimeters per year. An airborne multifrequency pulsed radar, tracking passive ground reflectors spaced at 1 kilometer intervals over a 50 square kilometer area is employed. Identification of targets is accomplished by Doppler and range resolution techniques, with final relative position measurements accomplished by phase comparison of multifrequency signals. Atmospheric path length errors are corrected by an airborne refractometer, meteorological instruments, or other refractive index measuring devices. Anticipated system accuracy is 1-2 cm, with measuring times on the order of minutes. Potential problems exist in the high intrinsic data assimilation rate required of the system to overcome ground backscatter noise.

Lunine, J.↗
NASA NTRS2013

NASA Tech Briefs, August 2013

Topics covered include: Radial Internal Material Handling System (RIMS) for Circular Habitat Volumes; Conical Seat Shut-Off Valve; Impact-Actuated Digging Tool for Lunar Excavation; Flexible Mechanical Conveyors for Regolith Extraction and Transport; Remote Memory Access Protocol Target Node Intellectual Property; Soft Decision Analyzer; Distributed Prognostics and Health Management with a Wireless Network Architecture; Minimal Power Latch for Single-Slope ADCs; Bismuth Passivation Technique for High-Resolution X-Ray Detectors; High-Strength, Super-elastic Compounds; Cu-Cr-Nb-Zr Alloy for Rocket Engines and Other High-Heat- Flux Applications; Microgravity Storage Vessels and Conveying-Line Feeders for Cohesive Regolith; CRUQS: A Miniature Fine Sun Sensor for Nanosatellites; On-Chip Microfluidic Components for In Situ Analysis, Separation, and Detection of Amino Acids; Spectroscopic Determination of Trace Contaminants in High-Purity Oxygen; Method of Separating Oxygen From Spacecraft Cabin Air to Enable Extravehicular Activities; Atomic Force Microscope Mediated Chromatography; Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument Simulator; Access Control of Web- and Java-Based Applications; Tool for Automated Retrieval of Generic Event Tracks (TARGET); Bilayer Protograph Codes for Half-Duplex Relay Channels; Influence of Computational Drop Representation in LES of a Droplet-Laden Mixing Layer.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2002

Transit Detection with a Distributed Network of Telescopes

The discovery since 1995 of more than 80 planets around nearby solar-like stars and the photometric detection of a transit of the planet orbiting HD 209458 (producing a more than 1% drop in brightness that lasts 3 hours) has heralded a new era in astronomy. It has now been demonstrated that small telescopes equipped with sensitive and stable electronic detectors can produce fundamental scientific discoveries regarding the frequency and nature of planets outside the solar system. The modest equipment requirements for the measurement of extrasolar planetary transits are achieved by commercial small aperture telescopes and CCD imagers common among amateur astronomers. With equipment already in hand and armed with target lists, observing techniques and software procedures developed b NASA's Ames Research Center and the University of California at Santa Cruz, non-professional astronomers can contribute significantly to the study of planets around others stars. Statistical analyses of the population of parent stars of the known extrasolar planets indicate that approximately one in ten metal-rich stars should harbor a short-period planet. Given the ten percent chance that a given short-period planet displays transits, we therefore expect that approximately 1% of the most metal rich stars will have a planetary companion detectable by this project. A catalog of 206 highly metal rich nearby F, G and K stars has been compiled, and this catalog will provide a rich source of targets. In addition, main sequence F, G, K and M stars identified to have "transit-like" features in the Hipparcos satellite photometry archive will also be monitored. A commercially available "amateur grade" telescope/CCD/software system acquired late during the 2001 "transit season" for HID 209458 has achieved 0.47% RMS precision for 13 minute time sampling from a suburban backyard under less than ideal observing conditions and a realistic range of airmass values.

Castellano, T.↗
NASA NTRS2013

NASA Tech Briefs, April 2013

Topics covered include: Fully Integrated, Miniature, High-Frequency Flow Probe Utilizing MEMS Leadless SOI Technology; Nanoscale Surface Plasmonics Sensor With Nanofluidic Control; Advanced Dispersed Fringe Sensing Algorithm for Coarse Phasing Segmented Mirror Telescopes; Neural Network Back-Propagation Algorithm for Sensing Hypergols; Bulk Moisture and Salinity Sensor; Change-Based Satellite Monitoring Using Broad Coverage and Targetable Sensing; Circularly Polarized Microwave Antenna Element with Very Low Off-Axis Cross-Polarization; Ultra-Low Heat-Leak, High-Temperature Superconducting Current Leads for Space Applications; Flash Cracking Reactor for Waste Plastic Processing; An Automated Safe-to-Mate (ASTM) Tester; Wireless Chalcogenide Nanoionic-Based Radio-Frequency Switch; Compute Element and Interface Box for the Hazard Detection System; DOT Transmit Module; Composite Aerogel Multifoil Protective Shielding; Li-Ion Electrolytes with Improved Safety and Tolerance to High-Voltage Systems; Polymer-Reinforced, Non-Brittle, Lightweight Cryogenic Insulation; Controlled, Site-Specific Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes with Diazonium Salts; Regenerable Sorbent for CO2 Removal; Sprayable Aerogel Bead Compositions With High Shear Flow Resistance and High Thermal Insulation Value; Lexan Linear Shaped Charge Holder with Magnets and Backing Plate; Robotic Ankle for Omnidirectional Rock Anchors; Wind, Wave, and Tidal Energy Without Power Conditioning; An Active Heater Control Concept to Meet IXO Type Mirror Module Thermal-Structural Distortion Requirement; Waterless Clothes-Cleaning Machine; Integrated Electrical Wire Insulation Repair System; LVGEMS Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry on Satellites; Surface Inspection Tool for Optical Detection of Surface Defects; Per-Pixel, Dual-Counter Scheme for Optical Communications; Certification-Based Process Analysis; Surface Navigation Using Optimized Waypoints and Particle Swarm Optimization; Smart-Divert Powered Descent Guidance to Avoid the Backshell Landing Dispersion Ellipse; Estimating Foreign-Object-Debris Density from Photogrammetry Data; Adaptive Sampling of Spatiotemporal Phenomena with Optimization Criteria; Building a 2.5D Digital Elevation Model From 2D Imagery; Eyes on the Earth 3D; Target Trailing With Safe Navigation for Maritime Autonomous Surface Vehicles; Adams-Based Rover Terramechanics and Mobility Simulator - ARTEMIS; ISTP CDF Skeleton Editor; Uplink Summary Generator (ULSGEN) Version 1.0; Robotics On-Board Trainer (ROBoT); Software Engineering Tools for Scientific Models; Automatic Data Filter Customization Using a Genetic Algorithm; Tracker Toolkit; Towards Efficient Scientific Data Management Using Cloud Storage; On a Formal Tool for Reasoning About Flight Software Cost Analysis; A Nanostructured Composites Thermal Switch Controls Internal and External Short Circuit in Lithium Ion Batteries; Spacecraft Crew Cabin Condensation Control; and Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Signals Measure Neuronal Activity in the Cortex.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1974

Aluminum oxide in stellar spectra - An infrared electronic transition

Review of recent research on the possibility of detecting the infrared electronic transition of aluminum oxide in the spectra of cool stars. It is shown that this transition may be of considerable significance for the study of Mira-type variables. Specific targets of further laboratory investigation of the transition are pointed out.

Luck, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Energetic particles in solar flares

The various manifestations of energetic particles in solar flares are examined, and possible mechanisms for the acceleration of these particles are considered. Hard X-ray observations and possible mechanisms for the production of the dominant form of solar energetic particles, electrons with energies between 10 and 100 keV, are discussed, with consideration of thin-target models, thick-target models and thick-target models with reverse currents, and first-phase acceleration mechanisms for energetic electrons emitting impulsive microwave and fast-drift Type III radio bursts as well as impulsive hard X rays, which are detected themselves 20 min after the flare at 1 AU are considered. Radio evidence on the number, energy and pitch-angle distributions of energetic particles produced during solar flares is summarized, and observations at 1 AU of proton and electron energy spectra, the proton/electron ratio and energetic particle events rich in He-3 from solar flares are discussed. Finally, consideration is given to gamma-ray evidence of nuclear reactions in flares and white-light flares

Ramaty, R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Luminescent barometry in wind tunnels

A flexible and relatively inexpensive method and apparatus are described for continuous pressure mapping of aerodynamic surfaces using photoluminescence and imaging techniques. Platinum octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP) has a phosphorescence known to be quenched by oxygen. When dissolved in a silicone matrix, PtOEP may be distributed over a surface as a thin, uniform film. When the film is irradiated with ultraviolet light, the luminescence intensity provides a readily detectable, qualitative surface flow visualization. Moreover, since the luminescence intensity is found to be inversely proportional to the partial pressure of oxygen, a quantitative measure of pressure change may be obtained using a silicon target vidicon or a charge-coupled device video sensor to measure intensity. Luminescent images are captured by a commercial frame buffer board. Images taken in wind tunnels during airflow are ratioed to images taken under ambient 'wind-off' conditions. The resulting intensity ratio information is converted to pressure using calibration curves of I0/I vs p/p0, where I0 is the intensity at ambient pressure p0 and I is the intensity at any other pressure p.

Kavandi, Janet↗
NASA NTRS1998

How Hot and Variable are the Coronae of Hertzsprung Gap Giants?

The objective of this final report is to obtain deep PCA measurement of the bright stellar X-ray source Capella to test whether RXTE has sufficient sensitivity to detect changes in temperature and flux of an active late-type "corona." Our conclusion is that--with the present understanding of the background model--relatively soft sources like Capella unfortunately are not productive targets for RXTE. Harder-spectrum stellar sources, like the flaring RS CVns, would be much more suitable.

Ayres, Thomas R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Ultrasensitive Label-free Electronic Chip for DNA Analysis Using Carbon Nanotube Nanoelectrode Arrays

There is a strong need for faster, cheaper, and simpler methods for nucleic acid analysis in today s clinical tests. Nanotechnologies can potentially provide solutions to these requirements by integrating nanomaterials with biofunctionalities. Dramatic improvement in the sensitivity and multiplexing can be achieved through the high-degree miniaturization. Here, we present our study in the development of an ultrasensitive label-free electronic chip for DNA/RNA analysis based on carbon nanotube nanoelectrode arrays. A reliable nanoelectrode array based on vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) embedded in a SiO2 matrix is fabricated using a bottom-up approach. Characteristic nanoelectrode behavior is observed with a low-density MWNT nanoelectrode array in measuring both the bulk and surface immobilized redox species. The open-end of MWNTs are found to present similar properties as graphite edge-plane electrodes, with a wide potential window, flexible chemical functionalities, and good biocompatibility. A BRCA1 related oligonucleotide probe with 18 bases is covalently functionalized at the open ends of the MWNTs and specifically hybridized with an oligonucleotide target as well as a PCR amplicon. The guanine bases in the target molecules are employed as the signal moieties for the electrochemical measurements. Ru(bpy)3(2+) mediator is used to further amplify the guanine oxidation signal. This technique has been employed for direct electrochemical detection of label-free PCR amplicon through specific hybridization with the BRCAl probe. The detection limit is estimated to be less than approximately 1000 DNA molecules, approaching the limit of the sensitivity by laser-based fluorescence techniques in DNA microarray. This system provides a general electronic platform for rapid molecular diagnostics in applications requiring ultrahigh sensitivity, high-degree of miniaturization, simple sample preparation, and low- cost operation.

Li, Jun↗
NASA NTRS2011

The Catalog of Positions of Optically Bright Extragalactic Radio Sources OBRS-1

It is expected that the European Space Agency mission Gaia will make it possible to determine coordinates in the optical domain of more than 500,000 quasars. In 2006, a radio astrometry project was launched with the overall goal of making comparisons between coordinate systems derived from future space-born astrometry instruments and the coordinate system constructed from analysis of global very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) more robust. Investigation of the rotation, zonal errors, and non-alignment of the radio and optical positions caused by both radio and optical structures is needed to validate both techniques. In order to support these studies, the densification of the list of compact extragalactic objects that are bright in both radio and optical ranges is desirable. A set of 105 objects from the list of 398 compact extragalactic radio sources with decl. > -10deg was observed with the Very Long Baseline Array and European VLBI Network (EVN) with the primary goal of producing images with milliarcsecond resolution. These sources are brighter than 18 mag in the V band, and they were previously detected by the EVN. In this paper, coordinates of observed sources have been derived with milliarcsecond accuracies from analysis of these VLBI observations using an absolute astrometry method. The catalog of positions for 105 target sources is presented. The accuracies of source coordinates are in the range of 0.3.7 mas, with a median of 1.1 mas.

Petrov, L.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Apparatus and Method to Enable Precision and Fast Laser Frequency Tuning

An apparatus and method is provided to enable precision and fast laser frequency tuning. For instance, a fast tunable slave laser may be dynamically offset-locked to a reference laser line using an optical phase-locked loop. The slave laser is heterodyned against a reference laser line to generate a beatnote that is subsequently frequency divided. The phase difference between the divided beatnote and a reference signal may be detected to generate an error signal proportional to the phase difference. The error signal is converted into appropriate feedback signals to phase lock the divided beatnote to the reference signal. The slave laser frequency target may be rapidly changed based on a combination of a dynamically changing frequency of the reference signal, the frequency dividing factor, and an effective polarity of the error signal. Feed-forward signals may be generated to accelerate the slave laser frequency switching through laser tuning ports.

Chen, Jeffrey R.↗
NASA NTRS1999

TAOS: Taiwan-American Occultation Survey of Comet-Sized Objects in the Kuiper Belt

Several dozen minor planets with radii greater than 100 km have been detected beyond Neptune using large telescopes. The TAOS project is to measure directly the number of these KBOs (Kuiper Belt Objects) down to the typical size of cometary nuclei (a few km) and out as far as approximately 100 AU from the Sun. Because of their large distance, small sizes and presumed low albedos, these target objects are extremely faint. Three 50 cm wide field robotic telescopes with 2048 x 2048 CCD cameras will be deployed along a 7 km east-west baseline in or near Jade Mountain National Park in Taiwan. They will monitor approximately 3000 stars for occultations by KBOs in a coincidence mode, so that the sequence and timing of the three separate blinkings can be used to distinguish real events from false alarms. Follow-up imaging observations using large telescopes will yield albedos and orbits for some of the larger objects detected by TAOS. A fourth telescope on a north-south spur to refine the size information on occulting GABON is also being contemplated.

Lissauer, Jack↗
NASA NTRS1994

Advanced technologies in the ASI MLRO towards a new generation laser ranging system

Matera Laser Ranging Observatory (MLRO) is a high performance, highly automated optical and astronomical observatory currently under design and development by AlliedSignal for the Italian Space Agency (ASI). It is projected to become operational at the Centro Geodesia Spaziale in Matera, Italy, in 1997. MLRO, based on a 1.5-meter astronomical quality telescope, will perform ranging to spacecraft in earthbound orbits, lunar reflectors, and specially equipped deep space missions. The primary emphasis during design is to incorporate state-of-the-art technologies to produce an intelligent, automated, high accuracy ranging system that will mimic the characteristic features of a fifth generation laser ranging system. The telescope has multiple ports and foci to support future experiments in the areas of laser communications, lidar, astrometry, etc. The key features providing state-of-the-art ranging performance include: a diode-pumped picosecond (50 ps) laser, high speed (3-5 GHz) optoelectronic detection and signal processing, and a high accuracy (6 ps) high resolution (less than 2 ps) time measurement capability. The above combination of technologies is expected to yield millimeter laser ranging precision and accuracy on targets up to 300,000 km, surpassing the best operational instrument performance to date by a factor of five or more. Distributed processing and control using a state-of-the-art computing environment provides the framework for efficient operation, system optimization, and diagnostics. A computationally intelligent environment permits optimal planning, scheduling, tracking, and data processing. It also supports remote access, monitor, and control for joint experiments with other observatories.

Varghese, Thomas↗