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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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At least 991 records · Page 55

Evaluation program for secondary spacecraft cells

A life cycle test of secondary electric batteries for spacecraft applications was conducted. A sample number of nickel cadmium batteries were subjected to general performance tests to determine the limit of their actual capabilities. Weaknesses discovered in cell design are reported and aid in research and development efforts toward improving the reliability of spacecraft batteries. A statistical analysis of the life cycle prediction and cause of failure versus test conditions is provided.

Christy, D. E.↗

Mathematical techniques: A compilation

Articles on theoretical and applied mathematics are introduced. The articles cover information that might be of interest to workers in statistics and information theory, computational aids that could be used by scientists and engineers, and mathematical techniques for design and control.

Source record↗

Mapping forest vegetation with ERTS-1 MSS data and automatic data processing techniques

This study was undertaken with the intent of elucidating the forest mapping capabilities of ERTS-1 MSS data when analyzed with the aid of LARS' automatic data processing techniques. The site for this investigation was the Great Dismal Swamp, a 210,000 acre wilderness area located on the Middle Atlantic coastal plain. Due to inadequate ground truth information on the distribution of vegetation within the swamp, an unsupervised classification scheme was utilized. Initially pictureprints, resembling low resolution photographs, were generated in each of the four ERTS-1 channels. Data found within rectangular training fields was then clustered into 13 spectral groups and defined statistically. Using a maximum likelihood classification scheme, the unknown data points were subsequently classified into one of the designated training classes. Training field data was classified with a high degree of accuracy (greater than 95 percent), and progress is being made towards identifying the mapped spectral classes.

Messmore, J.↗

Mapping forest vegetation with ERTS-1 MSS data and automatic data processing techniques

This study was undertaken with the intent of elucidating the forest mapping capabilities of ERTS-1 MSS data when analyzed with the aid of LARS' automatic data processing techniques. The site for this investigation was the Great Dismal Swamp, a 210,000 acre wilderness area located on the Middle Atlantic coastal plain. Due to inadequate ground truth information on the distribution of vegetation within the swamp, an unsupervised classification scheme was utilized. Initially pictureprints, resembling low resolution photographs, were generated in each of the four ERTS-1 channels. Data found within rectangular training fields was then clustered into 13 spectral groups and defined statistically. Using a maximum likelihood classification scheme, the unknown data points were subsequently classified into one of the designated training classes. Training field data was classified with a high degree of accuracy (greater than 95%), and progress is being made towards identifying the mapped spectral classes.

Messmore, J.↗

F-8C adaptive flight control extensions

An adaptive concept which combines gain-scheduled control laws with explicit maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) identification to provide the scheduling values is described. The MLE algorithm was improved by incorporating attitude data, estimating gust statistics for setting filter gains, and improving parameter tracking during changing flight conditions. A lateral MLE algorithm was designed to improve true air speed and angle of attack estimates during lateral maneuvers. Relationships between the pitch axis sensors inherent in the MLE design were examined and used for sensor failure detection. Design details and simulation performance are presented for each of the three areas investigated.

Stein, G.↗

Digital preprocessing of SEASAT imagery

A model for radar image data is derived for use in developing enhancement techniques. This model describes the image data as the result of a multiplicative-convolved noise process. This information is then used to design a minimum mean square error (MMSE) filter. The resulting filter is implemented adaptively to change with local statistics. A radar image processing technique which provides the MMSE estimate inside homogeneous areas and tends to preserve edge structure is thus developed. This technique has been implemented and tested using digitally correlated SEASAT-A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery.

Frost, V. S.↗

Materials property definition and generation for carbon-carbon and carbon phenolic materials

A data base program to generate statistically significant material-property data for carbon-carbon and carbon phenolic materials to be used in designs of Space Shuttle is described. The program, which will provide data necessary for thermal and stress modeling of Shuttle nozzle and exit cone structures, includes evaluation of tension, compression, shear strength, shear modulus, thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, permeability, and emittance for both materials; the testing of carbon phenolic materials also includes CTE, off-gassing, pyrolysis, and RTG. Materials to be tested will be excised from Space Shuttle inlet, throat, and exit cone billets and modified involute carbon-carbon exit cones; coprocessed blocks, panels, and cylinders will also be tested.

Canfield, A. R.↗

Modeling and simulation of mobile satellite propagation

Mobile satellite systems are subject to severe fading due to blockage of the line-of-sight (LOS) path by roadside vegetation. A thorough understanding of the fading effects is necessary for the design of a reliable land mobile satellite system (LMSS). Analytical and empirical models are presented for predicting fade statistics for vegetative shadowing of mobile satellite terminals. A software simulator for generating simulated fade data is also presented. A physical model relating physical path parameters to propagation model parameters is presented, and results using the model are shown.

Barts, R. M.↗

Space biology initiative program definition review. Trade study 3: Hardware miniaturization versus cost

The optimum hardware miniaturization level with the lowest cost impact for space biology hardware was determined. Space biology hardware and/or components/subassemblies/assemblies which are the most likely candidates for application of miniaturization are to be defined and relative cost impacts of such miniaturization are to be analyzed. A mathematical or statistical analysis method with the capability to support development of parametric cost analysis impacts for levels of production design miniaturization are provided.

Jackson, L. Neal↗

User's Guide for Monthly Vector Wind Profile Model

The background, theoretical concepts, and methodology for construction of vector wind profiles based on a statistical model are presented. The derived monthly vector wind profiles are to be applied by the launch vehicle design community for establishing realistic estimates of critical vehicle design parameter dispersions related to wind profile dispersions. During initial studies a number of months are used to establish the model profiles that produce the largest monthly dispersions of ascent vehicle aerodynamic load indicators. The largest monthly dispersions for wind, which occur during the winter high-wind months, are used for establishing the design reference dispersions for the aerodynamic load indicators. This document includes a description of the computational process for the vector wind model including specification of input data, parameter settings, and output data formats. Sample output data listings are provided to aid the user in the verification of test output.

Adelfang, S. I.↗

The RHESSI Microflare Height Distribution

We present the first in-depth statistical survey of flare source heights observed by RHESSI. Flares were found using a flare-finding algorithm designed to search the 6-10 keV count-rate when RHESSI's full sensitivity was available in order to find the smallest events (Christe et al., 2008). Between March 2002 and March 2007, a total of 25,006 events were found. Source locations were determined in the 4-10 keV, 10-15 keV, and 15-30 keV energy ranges for each event. In order to extract the height distribution from the observed projected source positions, a forward-fit model was developed with an assumed source height distribution where height is measured from the photosphere. We find that the best flare height distribution is given by g (h) oc exp(-h/lambda) where lambda = 6.1 plus or minus 0.3 Mm is the scale height. A power law height distribution with a negative power law index, gamma = 3.1 plus or minus 0.3 is also consistent with the data. Interpreted as thermal loop top sources, these heights are compared to loops generated by a potential field model (PFSS). The measured flare heights distribution are found to be much steeper than the potential field loop height distribution which may be a signature of the flare energization process.

Christe, P.↗

Reliability and Probabilistic Risk Assessment - How They Play Together

PRA methodology is one of the probabilistic analysis methods that NASA brought from the nuclear industry to assess the risk of LOM, LOV and LOC for launch vehicles. PRA is a system scenario based risk assessment that uses a combination of fault trees, event trees, event sequence diagrams, and probability and statistical data to analyze the risk of a system, a process, or an activity. It is a process designed to answer three basic questions: What can go wrong? How likely is it? What is the severity of the degradation? Since 1986, NASA, along with industry partners, has conducted a number of PRA studies to predict the overall launch vehicles risks. Planning Research Corporation conducted the first of these studies in 1988. In 1995, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) conducted a comprehensive PRA study. In July 1996, NASA conducted a two-year study (October 1996 - September 1998) to develop a model that provided the overall Space Shuttle risk and estimates of risk changes due to proposed Space Shuttle upgrades. After the Columbia accident, NASA conducted a PRA on the Shuttle External Tank (ET) foam. This study was the most focused and extensive risk assessment that NASA has conducted in recent years. It used a dynamic, physics-based, integrated system analysis approach to understand the integrated system risk due to ET foam loss in flight. Most recently, a PRA for Ares I launch vehicle has been performed in support of the Constellation program. Reliability, on the other hand, addresses the loss of functions. In a broader sense, reliability engineering is a discipline that involves the application of engineering principles to the design and processing of products, both hardware and software, for meeting product reliability requirements or goals. It is a very broad design-support discipline. It has important interfaces with many other engineering disciplines. Reliability as a figure of merit (i.e. the metric) is the probability that an item will perform its intended function(s) for a specified mission profile. In general, the reliability metric can be calculated through the analyses using reliability demonstration and reliability prediction methodologies. Reliability analysis is very critical for understanding component failure mechanisms and in identifying reliability critical design and process drivers. The following sections discuss the PRA process and reliability engineering in detail and provide an application where reliability analysis and PRA were jointly used in a complementary manner to support a Space Shuttle flight risk assessment.

Safie, Fayssal M.↗

In-Space Manufacturing Baseline Property Development

The In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) project at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center currently operates a 3D FDM (fused deposition modeling) printer onboard the International Space Station. In order to enable utilization of this capability by designer, the project needs to establish characteristic material properties for materials produced using the process. This is difficult for additive manufacturing since standards and specifications do not yet exist for these technologies. Due to availability of crew time, there are limitations to the sample size which in turn limits the application of the traditional design allowables approaches to develop a materials property database for designers. In this study, various approaches to development of material databases were evaluated for use by designers of space systems who wish to leverage in-space manufacturing capabilities. This study focuses on alternative statistical techniques for baseline property development to support in-space manufacturing.

Stockman, Tom↗

DESI-DR1 $3 \times 2$-pt analysis: consistent cosmology across weak lensing surveys

We present a joint cosmological analysis of projected galaxy clustering observations from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Data Release 1 (DESI-DR1), and overlapping weak gravitational lensing observations from three datasets: the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS-1000), the Dark Energy Survey (DES-Y3), and the Hyper-Suprime-Cam Survey (HSC-Y3). This combination of large-scale structure probes allows us to measure a set of $3 \times 2$-pt correlation functions, breaking the degeneracies between parameters in cosmological fits to individual observables. We obtain mutually-consistent constraints on the parameter $S_8 = σ_8 \sqrt{Ω_{\rm m}/0.3} = 0.786^{+0.022}_{-0.019}$ from the combination of DESI-DR1 and DES-Y3, $S_8 = 0.760^{+0.020}_{-0.018}$ from KiDS-1000, and $S_8 = 0.771^{+0.026}_{-0.027}$ from HSC-Y3. These parameter determinations are consistent with fits to the Planck Cosmic Microwave Background dataset, albeit with $1.5-2σ$ lower values in the $S_8-Ω_{\rm m}$ plane. We perform our analysis with a unified pipeline tailored to the requirements of each cosmic shear survey, which self-consistently determines cosmological and astrophysical parameters. We generate an analytical covariance matrix for the correlation data including all cross-covariances between probes, and we design a new blinding procedure to safeguard our analysis against confirmation bias, whilst leaving goodness-of-fit statistics unchanged. Our study is part of a suite of papers that present joint cosmological analyses of DESI-DR1 and weak gravitational lensing datasets.

Porredon, A. [Madrid, CIEMAT; Edinburgh U., Inst. ↗

The Construction of the sPHENIX Detector and Status of Its Commissioning

sPHENIX is the first new major detector at RHIC in over twenty years. It is designed for pioneering studies of the Quark Gluon Plasma and Cold QCD phenomena using high-pT jet and heavy flavor probes with a broad kinematic reach and a capability to take large statistics sets of A+A, p+p and p+A data. sPHENIX construction was completed in April 2023. It was commissioned and took first Au+Au data in the RHIC 2023 Run. This paper describes the details of the detector design, challenges of sPHENIX construction, progress on the commissioning and first data from the RHIC 2023 run.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Smart quantum statistical imaging beyond the Abbe-Rayleigh criterion

The wave nature of light imposes limits on the resolution of optical imaging systems. For over a century, the Abbe-Rayleigh criterion has been utilized to assess the spatial resolution limits of imaging instruments. Recently, there has been interest in using spatial projective measurements to enhance the resolution of imaging systems. Unfortunately, these schemes require a priori information regarding the coherence properties of “unknown” light beams and impose stringent alignment conditions. Here, we introduce a smart quantum camera for superresolving imaging that exploits the self-learning features of artificial intelligence to identify the statistical fluctuations of unknown mixtures of light sources at each pixel. This is achieved through a universal quantum model that enables the design of artificial neural networks for the identification of photon fluctuations. Our protocol overcomes limitations of existing superresolution schemes based on spatial mode projections, and consequently provides alternative methods for microscopy, remote sensing, and astronomy.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Charge-coupled device (CCD) television camera for NASA's Galileo mission to Jupiter

The CCD detector under construction for use in the slow-scan television camera for the NASA Galileo Jupiter orbiter to be launched in 1985 is presented. The science objectives and the design constraints imposed by the earth telemetry link, platform residual motion, and the Jovian radiation environment are discussed. Camera optics are inherited from Voyager; filter wavelengths are chosen to enable discrimination of Galilean-satellite surface chemical composition. The CCO design, an 800 by 800-element 'virtual-phase' solid-state silicon image-sensor array with supporting electronics, is described with detailed discussion of the thermally generated dark current, quantum efficiency, signal-to-noise ratio, and resolution. Tests of the effect of ionizing radiation were performed and are analyzed statistically. An imaging mode using a 2-1/3-sec frame time and on-chip summation of the signal in 2 x 2 blocks of adjacent pixels is designed to limit the effects of the most extreme Jovian radiation. Smearing due to spacecraft/target relative velocity and platform instability will be corrected for via an algorithm maximizing spacial resolution at a given signal-to-noise level. The camera is expected to produce 40,000 images of Jupiter and its satellites during the 20-month mission.

Klaasen, K. P.↗

HYSPLIT/MACCS Atmospheric Dispersion Model Technical Documentation and Benchmark Analysis

The nuclear accident consequence analysis code MACCS has traditionally modeled dispersion during downwind transport using a Gaussian plume segment model. MACCS is designed to estimate consequence measures such as air concentrations and ground depositions, radiological doses, and health and economic impacts on a statistical basis over the course of a year to produce annualaveraged output measures. The objective of this work is to supplement the Gaussian atmospheric transport and diffusion (ATD) model currently in MACCS with a new option using the HYSPLIT model. HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling has been implemented, with HYSPLIT as an alternative ATD option. The subsequent calculations in MACCS use the HYSPLIT-generated air concentration, and ground deposition values to calculate the same range of output quantities (dose, health effects, risks, etc.) that can be generated when using the MACCS Gaussian ATD model. Based on the results from the verification test cases, the implementation of the HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling is confirmed. This report contains technical details of the HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling and presents a benchmark analysis using the HYSPLIT/MACCS coupling system. The benchmark analysis, which involves running specific scenarios and sensitivity studies designed to examine how the results generated by the traditional MACCS Gaussian plume segment model compare to the new, higher fidelity HYSPLIT/MACCS modeling option, demonstrates the modeling results that can be obtained by using this new option. The comparisons provided herein can also help decision-makers evaluate the potential benefit of using results based on higher fidelity modeling with the additional computational burden needed to perform the calculations. Three sensitivity studies to investigate the potential impact of alternative modeling options, regarding 1) input meteorological data set, 2) method to estimate stability class, and 3) plume dispersion model for larger distances, on consequence results were also performed. The results of these analyses are provided and discussed in this report.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗