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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.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

The Prompt-afterglow Connection in Gamma-ray Bursts: a Comprehensive Statistical Analysis of Swift X-ray Light-curves

We present a comprehensive statistical analysis of Swift X-ray light-curves of Gamma- Ray Bursts (GRBs) collecting data from more than 650 GRBs discovered by Swift and other facilities. The unprecedented sample size allows us to constrain the rest-frame X-ray properties of GRBs from a statistical perspective, with particular reference to intrinsic time scales and the energetics of the different light-curve phases in a common rest-frame 0.3-30 keV energy band. Temporal variability episodes are also studied and their properties constrained. Two fundamental questions drive this effort: i) Does the X-ray emission retain any kind of "memory" of the prompt γ-ray phase? ii) Where is the dividing line between long and short GRB X-ray properties? We show that short GRBs decay faster, are less luminous and less energetic than long GRBs in the X-rays, but are interestingly characterized by similar intrinsic absorption. We furthermore reveal the existence of a number of statistically significant relations that link the X-ray to prompt γ-ray parameters in long GRBs; short GRBs are outliers of the majority of these 2-parameter relations. However and more importantly, we report on the existence of a universal 3-parameter scaling that links the X-ray and the γ-ray energy to the prompt spectral peak energy of both long and short GRBs: E(sub X,iso)∝ E(sup 1.00+/-0.06)(sub γ,iso) /E(sup 0.60+/-0.10)(sub pk).

Gamma-Ray Bursts↗
NASA NTRS2019

High-Order Finite-Difference Nonlinear Filter Methods for Subsonic Turbulence Simulation with Stochastic Forcing

Numerical stability of high-order filter schemes developed by Yee & Sjogreen is tested on three-dimensional turbulence simulations with stochastic forcing and their performance is compared with that of TVD and WENO schemes. The best­ performing filter method employs an eighth-order central base scheme with the Kennedy & Gruber skew-symmetric splitting of the inviscid flux derivative, a wavelet-based local flow sensor, a nonlinear filter utilizing the dissipative portion of seventh-order \VENO scheme, and an explicit third - or fourth-order Runge­-Kutta time integration. We show that the filter scheme is more computational]y efficient and provides a wider spectral bandwidth compared to the seventh-order WENO scheme. The method also demonstrates robust long-time integration for moderately compressible turbulence. In contrast, the fifth- and seventh­ order WENO schemes show non-trivial evolution of the velocity and density power spectra. over a. few dozen dynamical times, where both TVD and filter schemes recover a so lid statistically stationary turbulent state

Kritsuk, Alexei G.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Light-Curve Modelling Constraints on the Obliquities and Aspect Angles of the Young Fermi Pulsars

In more than four years of observation the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi satellite has identified pulsed gamma-ray emission from more than 80 young or middle-aged pulsars, in most cases providing light curves with high statistics. Fitting the observed profiles with geometrical models can provide estimates of the magnetic obliquity alpha and of the line of sight angle zeta, yielding estimates of the radiation beaming factor and radiated luminosity. Using different gamma-ray emission geometries (Polar Cap, Slot Gap, Outer Gap, One Pole Caustic) and core plus cone geometries for the radio emission, we fit gamma-ray light curves for 76 young or middle-aged pulsars and we jointly fit their gamma-ray plus radio light curves when possible. We find that a joint radio plus gamma-ray fit strategy is important to obtain (alpha, zeta) estimates that can explain simultaneously detectable radio and gamma-ray emission: when the radio emission is available, the inclusion of the radio light curve in the fit leads to important changes in the (alpha, gamma) solutions. The most pronounced changes are observed for Outer Gap and One Pole Caustic models for which the gamma-ray only fit leads to underestimated alpha or zeta when the solution is found to the left or to the right of the main alpha-zeta plane diagonal respectively. The intermediate-to-high altitude magnetosphere models, Slot Gap, Outer Gap, and One pole Caustic, are favored in explaining the observations. We find no apparent evolution of α on a time scale of 106 years. For all emission geometries our derived gamma-ray beaming factors are generally less than one and do not significantly evolve with the spin-down power. A more pronounced beaming factor vs. spin-down power correlation is observed for Slot Gap model and radio-quiet pulsars and for the Outer Gap model and radio-loud pulsars. The beaming factor distributions exhibit a large dispersion that is less pronounced for the Slot Gap case and that decreases from radio-quiet to radio-loud solutions. For all models, the correlation between gamma-ray luminosity and spin-down power is consistent with a square root dependence. The gamma-ray luminosities obtained by using the beaming factors estimated in the framework of each model do not exceed the spin-down power. This suggests that assuming a beaming factor of one for all objects, as done in other studies, likely overestimates the real values. The data show a relation between the pulsar spectral characteristics and the width of the accelerator gap. The relation obtained in the case of the Slot Gap model is consistent with the theoretical prediction.

neutron aEuro" pulsars:↗
DOE OSTI2023

BEYONDPLANCK XIV. Polarized foreground emission between 30 and 70 GHz

We constrain polarized foreground emission between 30 and 70 GHz with the Planck Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) and WMAP data within the global Bayesian BeyondPlanck framework. We combine for the first time full-resolution Planck LFI time-ordered data with low-resolution WMAP sky maps at 33, 40 and 61 GHz. Spectral parameters are fit with a likelihood defined at the native resolution of each frequency channel. This analysis represents the first implementation of true multi-resolution component separation applied to CMB observations for both amplitude and spectral energy distribution (SED) parameters. For synchrotron emission, we approximate the SED as a power-law in frequency and find that the low signal-to-noise ratio of the current data strongly limits the number of free parameters that may be robustly constrained. We partition the sky into four large disjoint regions (High Latitude; Galactic Spur; Galactic Plane; and Galactic Center), each associated with its own power-law index. We find that the High Latitude region is prior-dominated, while the Galactic Center region is contaminated by residual instrumental systematics. The two remaining regions appear to be signal-dominated, and for these we derive spectral indices of $β$ S Spur = -3.17 ± 0.06 and $β$ S Plane = -3.03 ± 0.07, in good agreement with previous results. For thermal dust emission we assume a modified blackbody model and we fit a single power-law index across the full sky. We find $β$ d = 1.64 ± 0.03, which is slightly steeper than reported from Planck HFI data, but still statistically consistent at the 2σ confidence level.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Probing the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae using circumstellar material interaction signatures

This work aims to study different probes of Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) progenitors that have been suggested to be linked to the presence of circumstellar material (CSM). In particular, we have investigated, for the first time, the link between narrow blueshifted Nai D absorption profiles and the presence and strength of the broad high-velocity Caii near-infrared triplet absorption features seen in SNe Ia around maximum light. With the probes exploring different distances from the SN; Nai D > 10 17 cm, high-velocity Caii features < 10 15 cm. For this, we have used a new intermediate-resolution X-shooter spectral sample of 15 SNe Ia. We do not identify a link between these two probes, implying either that, one (or both) is not physically related to the presence of CSM or that the occurrence of CSM at the distance explored by one probe is not linked to its presence at the distance probed by the other. However, the previously identified statistical excess in the presence of blueshifted (over redshifted) Nai D absorption is confirmed in this sample at high significance and is found to be stronger in SNe Ia hosted by late-type galaxies. This excess is difficult to explain as being from an interstellar-medium origin as has been suggested by some recent modelling, as such an origin is not expected to show a bias for blueshifted absorption. However, a circumstellar origin for these features also appears unsatisfactory based on our new results, given the lack of link between the two probes of CSM investigated.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1991

On the adequacy of modeling turbulence and related effects on helicopter response

The present closed-form solution of a frequency-time spectrum for the dominant vertical turbulence velocity at an arbitrary blade station accounts for the instantaneous turbulence-energy transfer due to rotational velocity from the low-frequency to the high-frequency region, with the occurrence of several spectral peaks and split peaks. Comparisons of blade-flapping response to blade- and body-fixed turbulence is also presented, over a range of turbulence-scale length and advance ratios. Attention is given to the use of cyclostationary turbulence and blade-response frequency-time spectra to simultaneously predict temporal and frequency characteristics. Rotational velocity substantially affects response statistics in low-altitude, low advance-ratio flight.

George, V. V.↗
NASA NTRS1992

GRO/EGRET data analysis software: An integrated system of custom and commercial software using standard interfaces

The Energetic Gamma Ray Telescope Experiment (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory has been in orbit for more than a year and is being used to map the full sky for gamma rays in a wide energy range from 30 to 20,000 MeV. Already these measurements have resulted in a wide range of exciting new information on quasars, pulsars, galactic sources, and diffuse gamma ray emission. The central part of the analysis is done with sky maps that typically cover an 80 x 80 degree section of the sky for an exposure time of several days. Specific software developed for this program generates the counts, exposure, and intensity maps. The analysis is done on a network of UNIX based workstations and takes full advantage of a custom-built user interface called X-dialog. The maps that are generated are stored in the FITS format for a collection of energies. These, along with similar diffuse emission background maps generated from a model calculation, serve as input to a maximum likelihood program that produces maps of likelihood with optional contours that are used to evaluate regions for sources. Likelihood also evaluates the background corrected intensity at each location for each energy interval from which spectra can be generated. Being in a standard FITS format permits all of the maps to be easily accessed by the full complement of tools available in several commercial astronomical analysis systems. In the EGRET case, IDL is used to produce graphics plots in two and three dimensions and to quickly implement any special evaluation that might be desired. Other custom-built software, such as the spectral and pulsar analyses, take advantage of the XView toolkit for display and Postscript output for the color hard copy. This poster paper outlines the data flow and provides examples of the user interfaces and output products. It stresses the advantages that are derived from the integration of the specific instrument-unique software and powerful commercial tools for graphics and statistical evaluation. This approach has several proven advantages including flexibility, a minimum of development effort, ease of use, and portability.

Laubenthal, N. A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The complex X-ray spectra of two high redshift quasars observed with ASCA

We report preliminary results of Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA) observations of two high-redshift quasars (zeta approximately 3) PKS 0438-436 and PKS 2126-158. We find spectral flattening towards low energies in both sources, first found with Roentgen Satellite (ROSAT) and interpreted as being due to excess X-ray absorption. However, the ROSAT data lacked the bandpass and sensitivity to unambiguously support this interpretation. We find that for PKS 2126-158, absorption in intervening low-redshift material along the line-of-sight provides a statistically better description of the data than absorption in material intrinsic to the quasar. The redshift of the putative absorber is required to be less than a few tenths. Given the redshift constraints and the fact that absorption is not common in lower redshift quasars, this result is not easily explained by a simple model. Either the absorber may be complex or else the intrinsic X-ray spectrum may be complex, or both. Compton-reflection dominated models are ruled out but a broken power-law model provides good fits to the data without requiring excess absorption. The break energy is at approximately 6-8 keV in the quasar frame and the energy index of the soft component is required to be extremely flat. This may mean that the X-ray emission in these objects is dominated by synchrotron losses as in BL Lac objects.

Serlemitsos, Peter↗
NASA NTRS2014

Erasing the Variable: Empirical Foreground Discovery for Global 21 cm Spectrum Experiments

Spectral measurements of the 21 cm monopole background have the promise of revealing the bulk energetic properties and ionization state of our universe from z approx. 6 − 30. Synchrotron foregrounds are orders of magnitude larger than the cosmological signal, and are the principal challenge faced by these experiments. While synchrotron radiation is thought to be spectrally smooth and described by relatively few degrees of freedom, the instrumental response to bright foregrounds may be much more complex. To deal with such complexities, we develop an approach that discovers contaminated spectral modes using spatial fluctuations of the measured data. This approach exploits the fact that foregrounds vary across the sky while the signal does not. The discovered modes are projected out of each line-of-sight of a data cube. An angular weighting then optimizes the cosmological signal amplitude estimate by giving preference to lower-noise regions. Using this method, we show that it is essential for the passband to be stable to at least approx. 10(exp −4). In contrast, the constraints on the spectral smoothness of the absolute calibration are mainly aesthetic if one is able to take advantage of spatial information. To the extent it is understood, controlling polarization to intensity leakage at the approx. 10(exp −2) level will also be essential to rejecting Faraday rotation of the polarized synchrotron emission. Subject headings: dark ages, reionization, first stars - methods: data analysis - methods: statistical

Variable↗
NASA NTRS2020

Flare Statistics for Young Stars from a Convolutional Neural Network Analysis of TESS Data

All-sky photometric time-series missions have allowed for the monitoring of thousands of young (t(age) < 800 Myr) stars in order to understand the evolution of stellar activity. Here, we developed a convolutional neural network (CNN), stella, specifically trained to find flares in Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) short-cadence data. We applied the network to 3200 young stars in order to evaluate flare rates as a function of age and spectral type. The CNN takes a few seconds to identify flares on a single light curve. We also measured rotation periods for 1500 of our targets and find that flares of all amplitudes are present across all spot phases, suggesting high spot coverage across the entire surface. Additionally, flare rates and amplitudes decrease for stars t(age) > 50 Myr across all temperatures T(eff) ≥ 4000 K, while stars from 2300 ≤ T(eff) < 4000 K show no evolution across 800 Myr. Stars of T(eff) ≤ 4000 K also show higher flare rates and amplitudes across all ages. We investigate the effects of high flare rates on photoevaporative atmospheric mass loss for young planets. In the presence of flares, planets lose 4%–7% more atmosphere over the first 1 Gyr. stella is an open-source Python toolkit hosted on GitHub and PyPI.

Adina D. Feinstein↗
NASA NTRS2017

Benchmark Shock Tube Experiments for Radiative Heating Relevant to Earth Re-Entry

Detailed spectrally and spatially resolved radiance has been measured in the Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) facility for conditions relevant to high speed entry into a variety of atmospheres, including Earth, Venus, Titan, Mars and the Outer Planets. The tests that measured radiation relevant for Earth re-entry are the focus of this work and are taken from campaigns 47, 50, 52 and 57. These tests covered conditions from 8 km/s to 15.5 km/s at initial pressures ranging from 0.05 Torr to 1 Torr, of which shots at 0.1 and 0.2 Torr are analyzed in this paper. These conditions cover a range of points of interest for potential fight missions, including return from Low Earth Orbit, the Moon and Mars. The large volume of testing available from EAST is useful for statistical analysis of radiation data, but is problematic for identifying representative experiments for performing detailed analysis. Therefore, the intent of this paper is to select a subset of benchmark test data that can be considered for further detailed study. These benchmark shots are intended to provide more accessible data sets for future code validation studies and facility-to-facility comparisons. The shots that have been selected as benchmark data are the ones in closest agreement to a line of best fit through all of the EAST results, whilst also showing the best experimental characteristics, such as test time and convergence to equilibrium. The EAST data are presented in different formats for analysis. These data include the spectral radiance at equilibrium, the spatial dependence of radiance over defined wavelength ranges and the mean non-equilibrium spectral radiance (so-called 'spectral non-equilibrium metric'). All the information needed to simulate each experimental trace, including free-stream conditions, shock time of arrival (i.e. x-t) relation, and the spectral and spatial resolution functions, are provided.

Shock Tube↗
DOE OSTI2023

Modified Fermi’s golden rule rate expressions

Fermi’s golden rule (FGR) serves as the basis for many expressions of spectroscopic observables and quantum transition rates. The utility of FGR has been demonstrated through decades of experimental confirmation. However, there still remain important cases where the evaluation of a FGR rate is ambiguous or ill-defined. Examples are cases where the rate has divergent terms due to the sparsity in the density of final states or time dependent fluctuations of system Hamiltonians. Strictly speaking, assumptions of FGR are no longer valid for such cases. However, it is still possible to define modified FGR rate expressions that are useful as effective rates. The resulting modified FGR rate expressions resolve a long standing ambiguity often encountered in using FGR and offer more reliable ways to model general rate processes. Finally, simple model calculations illustrate the utility and implications of new rate expressions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1989

Land-surface temperature measurement from space - Physical principles and inverse modeling

To apply the multiple-wavelength (split-window) method used for satellite measurement of sea-surface temperature from thermal-infrared data to land-surface temperatures, the authors statistically analyze simulations using an atmospheric radiative transfer model. The range of atmospheric conditions and surface temperatures simulated is wide enough to cover variations in clear atmospheric properties and surface temperatures, both of which are larger over land than over sea. Surface elevation is also included in the simulation as the most important topographic effect. Land covers characterized by measured or modeled spectral emissivities include snow, clay, sands, and tree leaf samples. The empirical inverse model can estimate the surface temperature with a standard deviation less than 0.3 K and a maximum error less than 1 K, for viewing angles up to 40 degrees from nadir under cloud-free conditions, given satellite measurements in three infrared channels. A band in the region from 10.2 to 11.0 microns will usually give the most reliable single-band estimate of surface temperature. In addition, a band in either the 3.5-4.0-micron region or in the 11.5-12.6-micron region must be included for accurate atmospheric correction, and a band below the ozone absorption feature at 9.6 microns (e.g., 8.2-8.8 microns) will increase the accuracy of the estimate of surface temperature.

Wan, Zhengming↗
NASA NTRS1992

Episodes of terrestrial geologic activity during the past 260 million years - A quantitative approach

Records of major geologic events of the past about 260 Myr including: biologic extinction events, ocean-anoxic and black-shale events, major changes in sea level, major evaporite (salt) deposits, continental flood-basalt eruptions, first-order discontinuities in sea-floor spreading, and major mountain building events, have been aggregated and analyzed with moving-window and spectral techniques that facilitate recognition of clustering and possible cyclicity. Significant clustering of events suggests a model in which changes in rates and directions of sea-floor spreading ('ridge jumps') are associated with episodic rifting, volcanism, mountain building, global sea level and changes in the composition of the earth's atmosphere via the carbon cycle. The geologic data formally show a statistically significant underlying periodicity of 26.6 Myr for the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Phase information suggests that the most recent maximum of the cycle occurred with the last 9 Myr, and may be close to the present time.

Rampino, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The EPIC-MOS Particle-Induced Background Spectrum

We have developed a method for constructing a spectrum of the particle-induced instrumental background of the XMM-Newton EPIC MOS detectors that can be used for observations of the diffuse background and extended sources that fill a significant fraction of the instrument field of view. The strength and spectrum of the particle-induced background, that is, the background due to the interaction of particles with the detector and the detector surroundings, is temporally variable as well as spatially variable over individual chips. Our method uses a combination of the filter-wheel-closed data and a database of unexposed-region data to construct a spectrum of the "quiescent" background. We show that, using this method of background subtraction, the differences between independent observations of the same region of "blank sky" are consistent with the statistical uncertainties except when there is clear evidence of solar wind charge exchange emission. We use the blank sky observations to show that contamination by SWCX emission is a strong function of the solar wind proton flux, and that observations through the flanks of the magnetosheath appear to be contaminated only at much higher solar wind fluxes. We have also developed a spectral model of the residual soft proton flares, which allows their effects to be removed to a substantial degree during spectral fitting.

Kuntz, K. D.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Time and space variability of spectral estimates of atmospheric pressure

The temporal and spatial behaviors of atmospheric pressure spectra over the northern Italy and the Alpine massif were analyzed using data on surface pressure measurements carried out at two microbarograph stations in the Po Valley, one 50 km south of the Alps, the other in the foothills of the Dolomites. The first 15 days of the study overlapped with the Alpex Intensive Observation Period. The pressure records were found to be intrinsically nonstationary and were found to display substantial time variability, implying that the statistical moments depend on time. The shape and the energy content of spectra depended on different time segments. In addition, important differences existed between spectra obtained at the two stations, indicating a substantial effect of topography, particularly for periods less than 40 min.

Canavero, Flavio G.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Flare Statistics for Young Stars from a Convolutional Neural Network Analysis of TESS Data

All-sky photometric time-series missions have allowed for the monitoring of thousands of young (t age < 800 Myr) stars in order to understand the evolution of stellar activity. In this work, we developed a convolutional neural network (CNN), stella, specifically trained to find flares in Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) short-cadence data. We applied the network to 3200 young stars in order to evaluate flare rates as a function of age and spectral type. The CNN takes a few seconds to identify flares on a single light curve. We also measured rotation periods for 1500 of our targets and find that flares of all amplitudes are present across all spot phases, suggesting high spot coverage across the entire surface. Additionally, flare rates and amplitudes decrease for stars t age > 50 Myr across all temperatures T eff ≥ 4000 K, while stars from 2300 ≤ T eff < 4000 K show no evolution across 800 Myr. Stars of T eff ≤ 4000 K also show higher flare rates and amplitudes across all ages. We investigate the effects of high flare rates on photoevaporative atmospheric mass loss for young planets. In the presence of flares, planets lose 4%–7% more atmosphere over the first 1 Gyr. stella is an open-source Python toolkit hosted on GitHub and PyPI.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1975

Adaptive statistical pattern classifiers for remotely sensed data

A technique for the adaptive estimation of nonstationary statistics necessary for Bayesian classification is developed. The basic approach to the adaptive estimation procedure consists of two steps: (1) an optimal stochastic approximation of the parameters of interest and (2) a projection of the parameters in time or position. A divergence criterion is developed to monitor algorithm performance. Comparative results of adaptive and nonadaptive classifier tests are presented for simulated four dimensional spectral scan data.

Gonzalez, R. C.↗