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Performance of D-Parameters in Isolating Meteor Showers from the Sporadic Background

It is often necessary to draw a division between meteor showers and the sporadic meteor complex in order to study these components of the meteoroid environment. Meteor showers persist for less than a season and are composed of members with a greater-than-average degree of orbital similarity. The level of orbital similarity is often quantified using so-called D-parameters; a D-parameter cutoff may be employed to define or extract a shower. Depending on the study, this cutoff value may be chosen based on the size of the data-set, the percentage of sporadic meteors within the data-set, or the inclination of the shower in question. We argue that the cutoff value should also reject the strength of the shower compared to the local sporadic background. We therefore present a method for determining, on a per-shower basis, the D-parameter cutoff that limits the false-positive rate to an acceptable percentage. If the false-positive rate exceeds this percentage regardless of cutoff value, we deem the shower to be undetectable in our data. We apply this method to optical meteor observations from the NASA All-Sky and Southern Ontario Meteor Networks and present the detectable meteor showers and their characteristics.

Moorhead, Althea↗

Adopting an Objectives-Driven Assurance Case Approach for Achieving Space Flight Mission Planetary Protection Objectives

Traditionally, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has utilized prescriptive technical and process requirements to ensure safety and mission assurance performance objectives for planetary protection are achieved during space flight missions. While prescriptive requirements may be easier to communicate and manage throughout the systems engineering process, the highly constrained nature of prescriptive requirements can limit the ability to take advantage of cost-saving opportunities and offer limited ability to explore other options or alternative designs, processes, and methods. It can also be difficult to develop prescriptive requirements for objectives that are probabilistic in nature or that cannot be satisfied by direct verification. In contrast, the development of an assurance case allows for a compelling, comprehensible, and valid argument to be developed with supporting evidence that shows safety and mission assurance objectives have been satisfied. Analogous to how patent applications are constructed for inventions, an assurance case has a high-level claim of meeting a safety and mission assurance objective, followed by a more specific set of sub-claims and technical evidence which supports the claims. The objectives-driven assurance case approach allows for a better understanding and exploration of the trade space, more flexibility to balance trades, and the ability to realize and implement technical and process innovations for resource, time, and cost savings. The assurance case is a living case that evolves over the entire program life cycle. Recently, NASA’s Office of Planetary Protection (OPP) has adopted the assurance case approach as an acceptable methodology for demonstrating avoidance of contamination of target solar system bodies explored by NASA space flight missions. This methodology has been incorporated into NASA’s new technical standard for planetary protection and is currently being utilized by the Mars Sample Return campaign for safe sample containment during sample return.

Assurance Case↗

Design of Hypervelocity Flow Generator (HFG) and Its Diagnostics

Ground facilities for hypersonic research are a key element for successful development of aerodynamically proven hypervelocity vehicles. Design concepts and diagnostics of a hypervelocity flow generator (HFG) were made as a test platform for hypersonic/hypervelocity spacecraft models at the NASA Langley Research Center. The HFG is a hypersonic flow field generator using optically heated gas which is blown into an 80 cu m vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber is kept at a stable vacuum pressure with a combination of three large vacuum pumps, while the HFG is in the test mode. The HFG provides a relatively small test section with approximately a 20 cm window. This facility was designed to generate 2.45 km/sec of flow speed, and potentially generate a continuous flow with the nozzle and vacuum system. The window in test section provides a direct view of the shock wave around a model in order to measure temperature, pressure, and density profile within the shock layer. One of the key test goals under this project is to understand why the emission spectra from the standing shockwave plasma predicted by Lora-Loran codes are significantly different from the measured emission spectra from the Flight Investigation Reentry Environment (FIRE II) Flight. The correct estimate of the thermal loading on the leading edge of hypersonic vehicles greatly affects the aerodynamic design, the material selection for the vehicle, and the cooling requirement and can be obtained by the precise modeling of emission spectra from shockwave plasma. However, the estimation of thermal loading is not an easy task due to complex non-equilibrium radiative process within high temperature shock layers that still falls into a category of cold plasma. Direct flight experiments are the most desirable, but not a cost-effective approach. Analysis by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) offers many test flexibilities. However, the CFD codes must be fully tested and validated with experimental data before the codes are effectively used for practical design. Large discrepancies between experiments and codes appear in hypersonic/hypervelocity flow regimes at high altitudes of 60 km ~ 90 km. This HFG facility offers some important parameters for CFD code validation, such as collision cross-sections, relaxation times, reaction rate coefficients and transportation coefficients. The HFG test facility is based on the ejection flow of high temperature gas heated over to 3500 K through a nozzle. The tungsten gas chamber of the HFG is heated up to a desired temperature by a 60 kW optical power beam source. This system consists of an optical power source, a thermal chamber, an expansion nozzle, a test section, and an 80 cu m vacuum tank. 60 kW optical input power is obtained from the 150 kW Vortek arc lamp system (by Vortek Industries, Vancouver, Canada). This optical beam is focused to heat the gas chamber within which a flow media is heated. The maximum achievable temperature of the flow medium reached approximately 3500 K or even higher but is limited by the melting point of the chamber material used. The exhaust velocity through the nozzle was determined by the stagnation temperature and the molecular weight of the working medium at the test section. To provide design parameters, a NASA Chemical Equilibrium with Application (CEA) computer program is used for the simulation of aerothermal data. This CEA program can calculate chemical equilibrium and properties of complex mixtures using shock tube parameters. For nitrogen gas at 2666 K stagnation temperature, the maximum achievable velocity at the test section is approximately 2.45 km/sec which is within the range of the thermal velocity of 8000 K shock layer. Based on the calculation through the CEA program, the design parameters of a HFG were determined and implemented for the test section that includes an expansion nozzle. The installed test section of the experimental facility can sustain a condition of a re-entry vehicle from the Space at an altitude of 60-90 km. After installation of the HFG, the system was fully tested and its operational parameters were measured. An 80 cu m vacuum chamber of HFG was set at 1 torr level to keep a stable downstream condition. The pumping time to reach the minimum vacuum pressure (~ 1 torr) at the test chamber from atmospheric pressure was approximately an hour using Kinney (MBV-14000/MB -1600/KT-300) and Stokes (Model 1772 and 412) pumps. Such a setup condition allowed a continued stable operation of the HFG experiment with flowrates through 1-, 3-, or 5-mm diameters of nozzle throat. The flow characteristics of the HFG for various operating conditions were performed using a focused Schlieren method. At 0.8 torr chamber pressure, a barrel shock was observed at the test section. With a sphere obstacle of 12 mm diameter in the flow, a bow shock (~ 2-mm thickness) was observed by a focused Schlieren visualization method.

Hypervelocity flow↗

Biological Research and Space Health Enabled by Machine Learning to Support Deep Space Missions

A key science goal of the NASA “Moon to Mars” campaign is to understand how biology responds to the Lunar, Martian, and deep space environments in order to advance fundamental knowledge, reduce risk, and support safe, productive human space missions. Through the powerful emerging approaches of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), a paradigm shift has begun in biomedical science and engineered astronaut health systems, to enable Earth independence and autonomy of mission operations. Here we present an overview of AI/ML architecture to support deep space mission goals, developed with leaders in the field. First, we focus on the fundamental biological research that supports our understanding of physiological responses to spaceflight, and we describe current efforts to support AI/ML research including data standardization and data engineering through maximally open and FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) databases and the generation of AI-ready datasets for reuse and analysis. We also discuss remote data management frameworks for research data as well as environmental and health data that are generated during deep space missions. We highlight several research projects that leverage data standardization and management for fundamental biological discovery to uncover the complex effects of space travel on living systems. Next, we provide an overview of cutting-edge AI/ML approaches that can be integrated to support remote monitoring and analysis during deep space missions, including generative models and large language models to learn the underlying biomedical patterns and predict outcomes or answer questions during off world medical scenarios. We also describe current AI/ML methods to support this research and monitoring through automated cloud-based labs which enable limited human intervention and closed-loop experimentation in remote settings. These labs could support mission autonomy by analyzing environmental data streams, and would be facilitated through in situ analytics capabilities to avoid sending large raw data files through low bandwidth communications. Finally, in the context of deep space missions with limited communications or access to medical advice from Earth, we describe a solution for integrated, real-time mission biomonitoring across hierarchical levels from continuous environmental monitoring, to wearables and point-of-care devices, to molecular and physiological monitoring. We introduce a precision space health system that will ensure that the future of space health is predictive, preventative, participatory and personalized.

artificial intelligence↗

Cleanroom Microbes Survive Drying, Vacuum, and Proton Irradiation

Introduction : The goal of planetary protection at NASA is to mitigate the risk of contaminating sensitive target bodies with biological life. While many cleaning procedures have been put in place to reduce bioburden on spacecraft, microbes are experts at evolving to survive harsh conditions. Specifically, the dry, low-nutrient environment of a cleanroom (commonly used for assembly of spacecraft) can represent an environment where extremophiles can survive. Methods : Scientists at NASA MSFC wished to gather a snapshot of the microbial population within a variety of cleanrooms on site. A study was undertaken to collect air, surface, and floor samples from clean-rooms and isolate unique morphologies. From this study, 95 isolates were collected and saved in a microbial library. About 86% of these were identified at least to a genus level. Following identification, 24 microbes were selected, based on a literature review, as potential extremophiles. These were grown in liquid cultures, diluted to a set optical density, washed with water, and then applied to a sterilized Kapton coupon. Droplets were allowed to dry overnight in a biosafety cabinet. Coupons were then installed in a pelletron and pumped down to high vacuum (~1E-6 Torr). Samples were then subjected 100 keV protons at a fluence of 2x10 15 p+/cm 2 up to 4x10 15 p+/cm 2 . Following exposure, samples were returned to the microbiology lab where they were pro-cessed by submerging in water, vortexing, and then plating either droplets or spread plates. Recovery data collected was qualitative with a ranking or +, minor, or – for growth. Some selected radiotolerant strains were sequenced using the Illumina sequencing platform. The resulting genomes were annotated with the Rapid Annotations using Subsystems Technology (RAST) server and analyzed for conserved and unique stress response relevant genomic signatures to identify clues related to specific tolerances. Results and Discussion : After five rounds of proton radiation, we narrowed our isolates to five, non-spore forming bacteria that demonstrated survival: Arthrobacter koreensis, Paenarthrobacter nitroguajacolicus, Mycetocola manganoxydans , and an Erwinia sp. Furthermore, we exposed these four microbes to 254 nm wavelength light at an intensity of 80 W/m 2 at a distance of ~18 cm for 10 minutes. Only A. koreensis demonstrated survival following UV exposure. Finally, we performed whole genome sequencing on the four strains to look for genetic markers of stress resistance. When we compared the genomes of the four strains, we found that genes coding for GGDEF and EAL domains with PAS/PAC sensors were only found in A. koreensis . These domains, modulated by PAS/PAC sensors, are hypothesized to facilitate survival under drying, desiccation, and proton irradiation. Drying and Desiccation : PAS domains sense hydration changes and modulate GGDEF and EAL domain activity to adjust c-di-GMP levels, enhancing resistance to desiccation. For instance, in Pseudomonas aeruginosa , the PAS domain of RbdA modulates activity under varying hydration conditions, affecting stress responses [1]. Proton Irradiation : Proton irradiation causes oxidative stress, leading to ROS generation. PAS domains detect this stress and modulate GGDEF and EAL domains to manage oxidative stress responses. In Shewanella , EAL domain proteins modulated by PAS sensors help bacteria adapt to extreme conditions [2]. These genes upregulate other stress response genes, protecting membrane function, protein stability, DNA repair, and antioxidant defenses. The modulation of c-di-GMP by PAS domains is crucial for bacterial adaptation to stress conditions, enabling dynamic physio-logical adjustments [3]. Understanding these mechanisms provides insights into bacterial stress responses and strategies for controlling bacterial growth [4]. Conclusions : These findings indicate that clean-rooms harbor extremophile microbes that may be able to survive conditions in deep space. Furthermore, while we identified certain stress-response genes that may be at least partly responsible for the phenotypes observed in this study, there are likely unidentified genes or characteristics about A. koreensis , and other bacteria, that may allow them to survive in harsh environments. Future studies will focus on identifying these unknown genes and characteristics, further elucidating the mechanisms of extremophile survival and potentially informing the development of new biotechnologies for space exploration and other extreme environments.

Chelsi Cassilly↗

Building-Level Comparison of Microsoft and Google Open Building Footprints Datasets

Large-scale datasets of building footprints are a crucial source of information for a variety of efforts. In 2023, the general public benefits from open access to multiple sources of building footprints at the country scale or larger, such as those produced by Microsoft and Google. However, none of the available datasets have attained complete global coverage, and researchers and analysts may need to combine multiple sources to assemble a complete set of building footprints for their area of interest or choose between overlapping sources, requiring an understanding of the differences between different building sources. This paper presents a method to closely examine the quality of different building footprint sources by matching corresponding buildings across datasets, using building footprints in Ethiopia published by Microsoft and Google as an example set.

Gonzales, Jack↗

A Regularized Variance-Reduced Modified Extragradient Method for Stochastic Hierarchical Games

We consider an N -player hierarchical game in which the i th player’s objective comprises of an expectation-valued term, parametrized by rival decisions, and a hierarchical term. Such a framework allows for capturing a broad range of stochastic hierarchical optimization problems, Stackelberg equilibrium problems, and leader-follower games. We develop an iteratively regularized and smoothed variance-reduced modified extragradient framework for iteratively approaching hierarchical equilibria in a stochastic setting. We equip our analysis with rate statements, complexity guarantees, and almost-sure convergence results. We then extend these statements to settings where the lower-level problem is solved inexactly and provide the corresponding rate and complexity statements. Our model framework encompasses many game theoretic equilibrium problems studied in the context of power markets. We present a realistic application to the study of virtual power plants, emphasizing the role of hierarchical decision making and regularization. Preliminary numerics suggest that empirical behavior compares well with theoretical guarantees.

Tikhonov regularization↗

INITIAL STUDIES OF CAVITY FAULT PREDICTION AT JEFFERSON LABORATORY

The Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Laboratory is a CW recirculating linac that utilizes over 400 superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities to accelerate electrons up to 12 GeV through 5-passes. Recent work has shown that, given RF signals from a cavity during a fault as input, machine learning approaches can accurately classify the fault type. In this paper we report on initial results of predicting a fault onset using only data prior to the failure event. A data set was constructed using time-series data immediately before a fault (’unstable’) and 1.5 seconds prior to a fault (’stable’) gathered from over 5,000 saved fault events. The data was used to train a binary classifier. The results gave key insights into the behavior of several fault types and provided motivation to investigate whether data prior to a failure event could also predict the type of fault. We discuss our method using a sliding window approach and report on initial results. Recent modifications to the low-level RF control system will provide access to streaming signals and we outline a path forward for leveraging deep learning on streaming data

Vidyaratne, Lasitha↗

Radar Derived Rainfall and Rain Gauge Measurements at SRS

Over the years rainfall data for the Savannah River Site has been obtained from ground level measurements made by rain gauges. These instruments have inherent errors or biases that can impact the measured rainfall totals but are assumed as ground truth for most climatological and weather applications. With the development of weather radar technologies, various methods to derive rainfall totals from radar reflectivity values have been developed and have continued to improve. The Z-R relationship, which uses an exponential relationship to estimate rainfall rate based on radar reflectivity values, provides estimates of rainfall amounts (Z-R Level III) for locations within the radar’s detection range. The recently developed Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) dataset combines reflectivity-based estimates using the Z-R relationship with a network of gauges and other rainfall estimates to produce a refined set of precipitation estimates for each grid point within its domain. Comparisons were done between gauge observations and radar estimates for various SRS locations to assess whether radar derived estimates are representative of rainfall measurements at the site. Results obtained show good agreement between radar derived amounts and ground measurements, with MRMS showing stronger correlations and lower spread than Z-R Level III estimates. Outliers and errors observed appear to be related to hydrometeor classification schemes. In general, MRMS proved to provide sufficiently representative estimates of daily rainfall amounts to replace existing SRS rain gauge measurements.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

INITIAL STUDIES OF CAVITY FAULT PREDICTION AT JEFFERSON LABORATORY

The Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Laboratory is a CW recirculating linac that utilizes over 400 superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities to accelerate electrons up to 12 GeV through 5-passes. Recent work has shown that, given RF signals from a cavity during a fault as input, machine learning approaches can accurately classify the fault type. In this paper we report on initial results of predicting a fault onset using only data prior to the failure event. A data set was constructed using time-series data immediately before a fault (’unstable’) and 1.5 seconds prior to a fault (’stable’) gathered from over 5,000 saved fault events. The data was used to train a binary classifier. The results gave key insights into the behavior of several fault types and provided motivation to investigate whether data prior to a failure event could also predict the type of fault. We discuss our method using a sliding window approach and report on initial results. Recent modifications to the low-level RF control system will provide access to streaming signals and we outline a path forward for leveraging deep learning on streaming data

Vidyaratne, Lasitha↗

Optimum element density studies for finite-element thermal analysis of hypersonic aircraft structures

Different finite element models previously set up for thermal analysis of the space shuttle orbiter structure are discussed and their shortcomings identified. Element density criteria are established for the finite element thermal modelings of space shuttle orbiter-type large, hypersonic aircraft structures. These criteria are based on rigorous studies on solution accuracies using different finite element models having different element densities set up for one cell of the orbiter wing. Also, a method for optimization of the transient thermal analysis computer central processing unit (CPU) time is discussed. Based on the newly established element density criteria, the orbiter wing midspan segment was modeled for the examination of thermal analysis solution accuracies and the extent of computation CPU time requirements. The results showed that the distributions of the structural temperatures and the thermal stresses obtained from this wing segment model were satisfactory and the computation CPU time was at the acceptable level. The studies offered the hope that modeling the large, hypersonic aircraft structures using high-density elements for transient thermal analysis is possible if a CPU optimization technique was used.

Ko, William L.↗

Multiple steady states in atmospheric chemistry

The equations describing the distributions and concentrations of trace species are nonlinear and may thus possess more than one solution. This paper develops methods for searching for multiple physical solutions to chemical continuity equations and applies these to subsets of equations describing tropospheric chemistry. The calculations are carried out with a box model and use two basic strategies. The first strategy is a 'search' method. This involves fixing model parameters at specified values, choosing a wide range of initial guesses at a solution, and using a Newton-Raphson technique to determine if different initial points converge to different solutions. The second strategy involves a set of techniques known as homotopy methods. These do not require an initial guess, are globally convergent, and are guaranteed, in principle, to find all solutions of the continuity equations. The first method is efficient but essentially 'hit or miss' in the sense that it cannot guarantee that all solutions which may exist will be found. The second method is computationally burdensome but can, in principle, determine all the solutions of a photochemical system. Multiple solutions have been found for models that contain a basic complement of photochemical reactions involving O(x), HO(x), NO(x), and CH4. In the present calculations, transitions occur between stable branches of a multiple solution set as a control parameter is varied. These transitions are manifestations of hysteresis phenomena in the photochemical system and may be triggered by increasing the NO flux or decreasing the CH4 flux from current mean tropospheric levels.

Stewart, Richard W.↗

VEG-01: Veggie Hardware Verification Testing

The Veggie plant/vegetable production system is scheduled to fly on ISS at the end of2013. Since much of the technology associated with Veggie has not been previously tested in microgravity, a hardware validation flight was initiated. This test will allow data to be collected about Veggie hardware functionality on ISS, allow crew interactions to be vetted for future improvements, validate the ability of the hardware to grow and sustain plants, and collect data that will be helpful to future Veggie investigators as they develop their payloads. Additionally, food safety data on the lettuce plants grown will be collected to help support the development of a pathway for the crew to safely consume produce grown on orbit. Significant background research has been performed on the Veggie plant growth system, with early tests focusing on the development of the rooting pillow concept, and the selection of fertilizer, rooting medium and plant species. More recent testing has been conducted to integrate the pillow concept into the Veggie hardware and to ensure that adequate water is provided throughout the growth cycle. Seed sanitation protocols have been established for flight, and hardware sanitation between experiments has been studied. Methods for shipping and storage of rooting pillows and the development of crew procedures and crew training videos for plant activities on-orbit have been established. Science verification testing was conducted and lettuce plants were successfully grown in prototype Veggie hardware, microbial samples were taken, plant were harvested, frozen, stored and later analyzed for microbial growth, nutrients, and A TP levels. An additional verification test, prior to the final payload verification testing, is desired to demonstrate similar growth in the flight hardware and also to test a second set of pillows containing zinnia seeds. Issues with root mat water supply are being resolved, with final testing and flight scheduled for later in 2013.

Massa, Gioia↗

Data compression system using base values and methods thereof

In some embodiments, a memory controller in a processor includes a base value cache, a compressor, and a metadata cache. The compressor is coupled to the base value cache and the metadata cache. The compressor compresses a data block using at least a base value and delta values. The compressor determines whether the size of the data block exceeds a data block threshold value. Based on the determination of whether the size of the compressed data block generated by the compressor exceeds the data block threshold value, the memory controller transfers only a set of the compressed delta values to memory for storage. A decompressor located in the lower level cache of the processor decompresses the compressed data block using the base value stored in the base value cache, metadata stored in the metadata cache and the delta values stored in memory.

Seyedzadehdelcheh, SeyedMohammad↗

Data compression system using base values and methods thereof

In some embodiments, a memory controller in a processor includes a base value cache, a compressor, and a metadata cache. The compressor is coupled to the base value cache and the metadata cache. The compressor compresses a data block using at least a base value and delta values. The compressor determines whether the size of the data block exceeds a data block threshold value. Based on the determination of whether the size of the compressed data block generated by the compressor exceeds the data block threshold value, the memory controller transfers only a set of the compressed delta values to memory for storage. A decompressor located in the lower level cache of the processor decompresses the compressed data block using the base value stored in the base value cache, metadata stored in the metadata cache and the delta values stored in memory.

Seyedzadehdelcheh, Seyed Mohammad↗

New method for determining relative oscillator strengths of atoms through combined absorption and emission measurements - Application to titanium /Ti I/

The paper introduces a procedure that combines measurements of absorption and emission by atoms to obtain relative oscillator strengths that are independent of temperature determination in the sources and of assumptions regarding local thermodynamic equilibrium. The experimental observations are formed into sets of transitions and required to satisfy defined ratios. The procedure is illustrated with the published data of Whaling et al. and Smith and Kuehne for 16 transitions in Ti I. It is shown that the relative oscillator strengths resulting from this procedure have calculated uncertainties between 5 and 17% (about 95% confidence level). Evidence is presented to suggest that these uncertainties have been overestimated.

Cardon, B. L.↗

Comparison of four stable numerical methods for Abel's integral equation

The 3-D image reconstruction from cone-beam projections in computerized tomography leads naturally, in the case of radial symmetry, to the study of Abel-type integral equations. If the experimental information is obtained from measured data, on a discrete set of points, special methods are needed in order to restore continuity with respect to the data. A new combined Regularized-Adjoint-Conjugate Gradient algorithm, together with two different implementations of the Mollification Method (one based on a data filtering technique and the other on the mollification of the kernal function) and a regularization by truncation method (initially proposed for 2-D ray sample schemes and more recently extended to 3-D cone-beam image reconstruction) are extensively tested and compared for accuracy and numerical stability as functions of the level of noise in the data.

Murio, Diego A.↗

Relationships between pigment composition variation and reflectance for plant species from a coastal savannah in California

Advances in imaging spectroscopy have indicated that remotely sensed reflectance measurements of the plant canopy may be used to identify and qualify some classes of canopy biochemicals; however, the manner in which differences in biochemical compositions translate into differences is not well understood. Most frequently, multiple linear regression routines have been used to correlate narrow band reflectance values with measured biochemical concentrations. Although some success has been achieved with such methods for given data sets, the bands selected by multiple regression are not consistent between data sets, nor is it always clear what physical or biological basis underlies the correlation. To examine the relationship between biochemical concentration and leaf reflectance signal we chose to focus on the visible spectrum where the primary biochemical absorbances are due to photosynthetic pigments. Pigments provide a range of absorbance features, occur over a range of concentrations in natural samples, and are ecophysiologically important. Concentrations of chlorophyll, for example, have been strongly correlated to foliar nitrogen levels within a species and to photosynthetic capacity across many species. In addition pigments effectively absorb most of the photosynthetically active radiation between 400-700 nm, a spectral region for which silicon detectors have good signal/noise characteristics. Our strategy has been to sample a variety of naturally occurring species to measure leaf reflectance and pigment compositions. We hope to extend our understanding of pigment reflectance effects to interpret small overlapping absorbances of other biochemicals in the infrared region. For this reason, selected samples were also tested to determine total nitrogen, crude protein, cellulose, and lignin levels. Leaf reflectance spectra measured with AVIRIS bandwidths and wavelengths were compared between species and within species and for differences between seasons, for changes in the the shape of the spectra. We attempt to statistically correlate these shape changes with differences in pigment compositions. In parallel with our comparisons of pigment composition and leaf reflectance, we have modified the PROSPECT leaf reflectance model to test the contributions of pigments or pigment group concentrations. PROSPECT considers a leaf as a multi-layer dielectric plane with an uneven surface. Jacquemoud adapted the basic analysis of Allen for surface effects, a leaf thickness factor, and the absorption of water and chlorophyll (actually all pigments) and the plant matrix. Our modifications to PROSPECT in the forward direction include breaking out the pigment concentration parameter into separate components for chlorophyll a and b and a number of xanthophylls and carotenes, and introducing a shift and convolution function to model the spread and shift from their in vitro measurements to their in vivo state. Further, we have considered how the matrix elements (i.e., all biochemicals and structural effects not modeled explicity) vary with species.

Ustin, Susan L.↗