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At least 1,189 records · Page 66

A CCD spectrum and production rates for Comet P/Temple 2

Now that comet P/Tempel 2 has been resurrected as the primary target for the CRAF mission, an analysis is presented of a 20 minute exposure taken Oct. 9, 1988. The comet displays a typical spectrum with no unusual omissions or additions. The comet therefore appears to be quite suitable for detailed spacecraft study as a representative object. Strong emissions by C2, NH2, CN, and OI sup 1 D are exhibited. Compared to the emissions, the continuum is moderately strong but appears somewhat weaker than for P/Halley. Production rates for H2O (from OI sup 1 D) and the parent of C2, NH2, and CN is presented and compared to P/Halley.

Fink, Uwe↗

A Critical Examination of Wind-Wave Spectral Functional Form

Traditionally, data from random ocean waves are presented in spectral functions. The spectra are the result of Fourier analysis. Fourier spectral analysis has dominated data analysis for, at least, the last hundred years. It has been the standard method for is examining the global amplitude-frequency distributions. Although Fourier transform valid under extremely general conditions, there are some crucial restrictions for the Fourier spectral analysis. The system must be linear, and the data must be stationary- otherwise, the resulting spectrum will make little physical sense. The stationarity requirement is also a common required criterion for most of other available data analysis methods. Nevertheless, few, if any, natural phenomena are linear and stationary. To compound these complications is the imperfection of our probes or numerical schemes the interactions of the imperfect probes even with a perfect linear system can make the final data nonlinear. Furthermore, all the available data are usually of finite duration. Under these conditions, Fourier analysis is of limited use, For lack of alternatives, however, Fourier analysis is still used to process such data. The loose application of Fourier analysis and the insouciant adoption of the stationary and linear assumptions may lead to misleading conclusions. Ocean waves are know to be nonlinear, and the wind system generating the wave field are seldom stationary- As a result, the traditional examination of the spectral form hardly made physical sense. A new method for analyzing nonlinear and nonstationary data has been developed. The key part is the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) method with which any complicated data set can be decomposed into a finite and often small number of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMF) that serve as the basis of the representation of the data, This decomposition method is adaptive, and, therefore, highly efficient. The IMFs admit well-behaved Hilbert transforms, and yield instantaneous energy and frequency as functions of time that give sharp identifications of imbedded structures. The final presentation of the results is an energy-frequency-time distribution, designated as the Hilbert Spectrum. Among the main conceptual innovations is the introduction of the instantaneous frequencies for complicated data sets, which eliminate the need of spurious harmonics to represent nonlinear and nonstationary signals. The spectral forms of the ocean waves are very different. This new method offers the first physical meaningful view of the wave spectrum. Data from laboratory and field will be presented to illustrate the differences.

Huang, Norden E.↗

The Far-Infrared Polarization Spectrum of Ρ Ophiuchi A from HAWC+/SOFIA Observations

We report on polarimetric maps made with HAWC+/SOFIA toward ρ Oph A, the densest portion of the ρ Ophiuchi molecular complex. We employed HAWC+ bands C (89 μm) and D (154 μm). The slope of the polarization spectrum was investigated by defining the quantity R(sub DC) = p(sub D)/p(sub C), where p(sub C) and p(sub D) represent polarization degrees in bands C and D, respectively. We find a clear correlation between R(sub DC) and the molecular hydrogen column density across the cloud. A positive slope (R(sub DC) > 1) dominates the lower-density and well- illuminated portions of the cloud, which are heated by the high-mass star Oph S1, whereas a transition to a negative slope (R(sub DC) < 1) is observed toward the denser and less evenly illuminated cloud core. We interpret the trends as due to a combination of (1) warm grains at the cloud outskirts, which are efficiently aligned by the abundant exposure to radiation from Oph S1, as proposed in the radiative torques theory; and (2) cold grains deep in the cloud core, which are poorly aligned owing to shielding from external radiation. To assess this interpretation, we developed a very simple toy model using a spherically symmetric cloud core based on Herschel data and verified that the predicted variation of R(sub DC) is consistent with the observations. This result introduces a new method that can be used to probe the grain alignment efficiency in molecular clouds, based on the analysis of trends in the far-infrared polarization spectrum.

Santos, Fabio P.↗

Towards the spatial resolution of metalloprotein charge states by detailed modeling of XFEL crystallographic diffraction

Oxidation states of individual metal atoms within a metalloprotein can be assigned by examining X-ray absorption edges, which shift to higher energy for progressively more positive valence numbers. Indeed, X-ray crystallography is well suited for such a measurement, owing to its ability to spatially resolve the scattering contributions of individual metal atoms that have distinct electronic environments contributing to protein function. However, as the magnitude of the shift is quite small, about +2 eV per valence state for iron, it has only been possible to measure the effect when performed with monochromated X-ray sources at synchrotron facilities with energy resolutions in the range 2–3 × 10 −4 (Δ E / E ). This paper tests whether X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) pulses, which have a broader bandpass (Δ E / E = 3 × 10 −3 ) when used without a monochromator, might also be useful for such studies. The program nanoBragg is used to simulate serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) diffraction images with sufficient granularity to model the XFEL spectrum, the crystal mosaicity and the wavelength-dependent anomalous scattering factors contributed by two differently charged iron centers in the 110-amino-acid protein, ferredoxin. Bayesian methods are then used to deduce, from the simulated data, the most likely X-ray absorption curves for each metal atom in the protein, which agree well with the curves chosen for the simulation. The data analysis relies critically on the ability to measure the incident spectrum for each pulse, and also on the nanoBragg simulator to predict the size, shape and intensity profile of Bragg spots based on an underlying physical model that includes the absorption curves, which are then modified to produce the best agreement with the simulated data. This inference methodology potentially enables the use of SFX diffraction for the study of metalloenzyme mechanisms and, in general, offers a more detailed approach to Bragg spot data reduction.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

The Tropical Convective Spectrum: Archetypal Vertical Structures - Part 1

A taxonomy of tropical convective and stratiform vertical structures is constructed through cluster analysis of 3 yr of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) "warm-season" (surface temperature greater than 10 C) precipitation radar (PR) vertical profiles, their surface rainfall, and associated radar-based classifiers (convective/ stratiform and brightband existence). Twenty-five archetypal profile types are identified, including nine convective types, eight stratiform types, two mixed types, and six anvil/fragment types (nonprecipitating anvils and sheared deep convective profiles). These profile types are then hierarchically clustered into 10 similar families, which can be further combined, providing an objective and physical reduction of the highly multivariate PR data space that retains vertical structure information. The taxonomy allows for description of any storm or local convective spectrum by the profile types or families. The analysis provides a quasi-independent corroboration of the TRMM 2A23 convective/ stratiform classification. The global frequency of occurrence and contribution to rainfall for the profile types are presented, demonstrating primary rainfall contribution by midlevel glaciated convection (27%) and similar depth decaying/stratiform stages (28%-31%). Profiles of these types exhibit similar 37- and 85-GHz passive microwave brightness temperatures but differ greatly in their frequency of occurrence and mean rain rates, underscoring the importance to passive microwave rain retrieval of convective/stratiform discrimination by other means, such as polarization or texture techniques, or incorporation of lightning observations. Close correspondence is found between deep convective profile frequency and annualized lightning production, and pixel-level lightning occurrence likelihood directly tracks the estimated mean ice water path within profile types.

Precipitation radar↗

The Solar Spectrum: An Atmospheric Remote Sensing Perspective

The solar spectrum not only contains information about the composition and structure of the sun, it also provides a bright and stable continuum source for earth remote sensing (atmosphere and surface). Many types of remote sensors use solar radiation. While high-resolution spaceborne sensors (e.g. ACE) can largely remove the effects of the solar spectrum by exo-atmospheric calibration, this isn't an option for sub-orbital sensors, such as the FTIR spectrometers used in the NDACC and TCCON networks. In this case the solar contribution must be explicitly included in the spectral analysis. In this talk the methods used to derive the solar spectrum are presented, and the underlying solar physics are discussed. Implication for remote sensing are described.

sunlight↗

Comparison of MGII and CIV emission lines in NGC5548

Results are presented of a cross-correlation analysis in which the Seyfert galaxy NGC 5548 was monitored in the UV portion of its spectrum every 4 d for an 8-mo period by an international collaborative effort using the IUE satellite. The analysis shows that the CIV 1550-A line correlates with the underlying continuum with a time delay of about 10 d. A similar analysis for the MgII 2798-A line yields a much broader peak and a delay of about 50 +/- 20 d. Thus the MgII line emitting gas appears to be about 5 times more distant from the central source. The MgII and CIV profiles in this series of spectra are compared on the same velocity scale. The two lines are quite similar on the red side of the profile, with the CIV more extended on the blue side. The overall width of the CIV is as much as 40 percent larger, but it is definitely not larger by a factor or two or more. It is concluded that the motion of the broad line emitting gas is not dominated by the gravitational influence of a central massive object.

Ptak, R.↗

Infrared observations of planetary atmospheres

The goal of this research in to obtain infrared data on planetary atmospheres which provide information on several aspects of structure and composition. Observations include direct mission real-time support as well as baseline monitoring preceding mission encounters. Besides providing a broader information context for spacecraft experiment data analysis, observations will provide the quantitative data base required for designing optimum remote sensing sequences and evaluating competing science priorities. In the past year, thermal images of Jupiter and Saturn were made near their oppositions in order to monitor long-term changes in their atmospheres. Infrared images of the Jovian polar stratospheric hot spots were made with IUE observations of auroral emissions. An exploratory 5-micrometer spectrum of Uranus was reduced and accepted for publication. An analysis of time-variability of temperature and cloud properties of the Jovian atomsphere was made. Development of geometric reduction programs for imaging data was initiated for the sun workstation. Near-infrared imaging observations of Jupiter were reduced and a preliminary analysis of cloud properties made. The first images of the full disk of Jupiter with a near-infrared array camera were acquired. Narrow-band (10/cm) images of Jupiter and Saturn were obtained with acousto-optical filters.

Orton, Glenn S.↗

Topological and Dynamical Representations for Radio Frequency Signal Classification

Radio Frequency (RF) signals are found throughout our world, carrying over-the-air information for both digital and analog uses with applications ranging from WiFi to the radio. One area of focus in RF signal analysis is determining the modulation schemes employed in these signals which is crucial in many RF signal processing domains from secure communication to spectrum monitoring. This work investigates the accuracy and noise robustness of novel Topological Data Analysis (TDA) and dynamic representation based approaches paired with a small convolution neural network for RF signal modulation classification with a comparison to state-of-the-art deep neural network approaches. We show that using TDA tools, like Vietoris-Rips and lower star filtrations, and the Takens' embedding in conjunction with a standard shallow neural network we can capture the intrinsic dynamical, geometric, and topological features of the underlying signal's manifold, offering informative representations of the RF signals. Our approach is effective in handling the modulation classification task and is notably noise robust, outperforming the commonly used deep neural network approaches in mode classification. Moreover, our fusion of dynamical and topological information is able to attain similar performance to deep neural network architectures with significantly smaller training datasets.

Myers, Audun D.↗

Using photoelectron spectroscopy to measure resonant inelastic X-ray scattering: a computational investigation

Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) has become an important scientific tool. Nonetheless, conventional high-resolution (few hundred meV or less) RIXS measurements, especially in the soft X-ray range, require low-throughput grating spectrometers, which limits measurement accuracy. Here, the performance of a different method for measuring RIXS, i.e. photoelectron spectrometry for analysis of X-rays (PAX), is computationally investigated. This method transforms the X-ray measurement problem of RIXS to an electron measurement problem, enabling use of high-throughput, compact electron spectrometers. X-rays to be measured are incident on a converter material and the energy distribution of the resultant photoelectrons, the PAX spectrum, is measured with an electron spectrometer. A deconvolution algorithm for analysis of such PAX data is proposed. It is shown that the deconvolution algorithm works well on data recorded with ~0.5 eV resolution. Additional simulations show the potential of PAX for estimation of RIXS features with smaller widths. For simulations using the 3d levels of Ag as a converter material, and with 10 5 simulated detected electrons, it is estimated that features with a few hundred meV width can be accurately estimated in a model RIXS spectrum. For simulations using a sharp Fermi edge to encode RIXS spectra, it is estimated that one can accurately distinguish 100 meV FWHM peaks separated by 45 meV with 10 5 simulated detected electrons that were photoemitted from within 0.4 eV of the Fermi level.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Stability and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Condensing Films

The overall objective of this research is to investigate the fundamental physics of film condensation in reduced gravity. The condensation of vapor on a cool surface is important in many engineering problems,including spacecraft thermal control and also the behavior of condensate films that may form on the interior surfaces of spacecraft. To examine the effects of body force on condensing films, two different geometries have been tested in the laboratory: (1) a stabilizing gravitational body force (+1g, or condensing surface facing 'upwards') and (2) de-stabilizing gravitational body force (-1g, or 'downwards'). For each geometry, different fluid configurations are employed to help isolate the fluid mechanical and thermal mechanisms operative in condensing films. The fluid configurations are (a) a condensing film, and (b) a non-condensing film with film growth by mass addition by through the plate surface. Condensation experiments are conducted in a test cell containing a cooled copper or brass plate with an exposed diameter of 12.7 cm. The metal surface is polished to allow for double-pass shadowgraph imaging, and the test surface is instrumented with imbedded heat transfer gauges and thermocouples. Representative shadowgraph images of a condensing, unstable (-1g) n-pentane film are shown. The interfacial disturbances associated with the de-stabilizing body force leading to droplet formation and break-off can be clearly seen. The heat transfer coefficient associated with the condensing film is shown. The heat transfer coefficient is seen to initially decrease, consistent with the increased thermal resistance due to layer growth. For sufficiently long time, a steady value of heat transfer is observed, accompanied by continuous droplet formation and break-off. The non-condensing cell consists of a stack of thin stainless steel disks 10 cm in diameter mounted in a brass enclosure. The disks are perforated with a regular pattern of 361 holes each 0.25 mm in diameter. Non-condensing experiments in -1g have employed 50 cSt and 125 cSt silicone oil pumped through the perforated disks at a specified rate by a syringe micropump. The time to droplet break-off and the disturbance wavelengths appear to decrease with increasing pumping rate. The ability to reliably perform multi-point, ultrasonic measurements of the film thickness has been demonstrated. A linear array of eight transducers of 6 mm diameter (with a beam footprint of comparable size) are pulsed with a square-wave signal at a frequency of 5 MHz and a pulse duration of approximately 0.3 s. For thin films (60 m to 2-3 mm in thickness) the layer thickness is determined by frequency analysis, where the received ultrasound pulse is Fourier transformed and the spacing between the peaks in the frequency spectrum is analyzed. For thicker layers (up to at least 1 cm in thickness), time-domain analysis is performed of the received ultrasound pulses to generate directly the layer thickness. A time-trace of the film thickness at a point using a single transducer in the linear array is shown for the case of an unstable (-1g) n-pentane film. The oscillations in film thickness are evidently due to the passage and/or shedding of droplets from the cooled plate surface. The entire transducer array was used to measure the changes in film thickness resulting from the passage of gravity waves generated either by an oscillating wall or the impact of a single droplet on the free surface of a film. The enclosure in both cases was 14 cm square and the transducer spacing was 12 mm. Best results were obtained using as test fluid a mixture of 50% glycerol and 50% water with a fluid layer thickness of 3-5 mm. In both cases the measured wavelengths and wave propagation speeds using the ultrasound technique compared reasonably well with those observed by optical imaging. Additional information can be found in the original extended abstract.

Hermanson, J. C.↗

An Investigation of the Characterization of Cloud Contamination in Hyperspectral Radiances

In regions lacking direct observations, the assimilation of radiances from infrared and microwave sounders is the primary method for characterizing the atmosphere in the analysis process. In recent years, technological advances have led to the launching of more advanced sounders, particularly in the thermal infrared spectrum. With the advent of these hyperspectral sounders, the amount of data available for the analysis process has and will continue to be dramatically increased. However, the utilization of infrared radiances in variational assimilation can be problematic in the presence of clouds; specifically the assessment of the presence of clouds in an instantaneous field of view (IFOV) and the contamination in the individual channels within the IFOV. Various techniques have been developed to determine if a channel is contaminated by clouds. The work presented in this paper and subsequent presentation will investigate traditional techniques and compare them to a new technique, the C02 sorting technique, which utilizes the high spectral resolution of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) within the framework of the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) 3DVAR system. Ultimately, this work is done in preparation for the assessment of short-term forecast impacts with the regional assimilation of AIRS radiances within the analysis fields of the Weather Research and Forecast Nonhydrostatic Mesoscale Model (WRF-NMM) at the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPORT) Center.

McCarty, William↗

A use of regression analysis in acoustical diagnostics of gear drives

A study is presented of components of the vibration spectrum as the filtered first and second harmonics of the tooth frequency which permits information to be obtained on the physical characteristics of the vibration excitation process, and an approach to be made to comparison of models of the gearing. Regression analysis of two random processes has shown a strong dependence of the second harmonic on the first, and independence of the first from the second. The nature of change in the regression line, with change in loading moment, gives rise to the idea of a variable phase shift between the first and second harmonics.

Balitskiy, F. Y.↗

The intermediate line region of QSOs

Our recent statistical investigations of broad UV lines of luminous quasars (QSOs) suggest that the traditional broadline region (BLR) consists of two components-one of width approximately 2000 km/s FWHM with the peak within a few hundred kilometers per second of the systemic redshift, and another very broad component of width greater than or equal to 7000 km/s FWHM and blueshifted by greater than or equal to 1000 km/s. Differences in the relative strengths of these components account for much of the diversity of broad-line profiles, as well as relations among line strength, line width, asymmetry, and peak blueshift. We have suggested that the narrower component arises in a distinct intermediate-line region (ILR) that is an inner extension of the narrow-line region (NLR). We form spectra of the ILR and very broad line region (VBLR) in two complementary ways. First, using a small sample of high-quality spectra, we difference two composite spectra, one with FWHM (sub C IV) approximately 3000 km/s, the other with FWHM (sub C IV) approximately 7000 km/s (essentially a VBLR spectrum)-revealing a narrower line spectrum with FWHM approximately 2000 km/s. Second, we use a principal component analysis of 200 low signal-to-noise ratio spectra from the Large Bright Quasar Survey. The ILR is identified with the first principal component-that component accounting for most of the spectrum-to-spectrum variation. The VBLR spectrum is derived by subtracting this ILR from the mean spectrum. The two methods yield similar results, and the spectra of the ILR and VBLR are very different. Additional support for the existence of two component is the lack of a correlation between the equivalent widths of the ILR and VBLR. We discuss the relationships between the VBLR, the ILR, and the traditional NLR. The ILR line intensity ratios are distinctly different from those of the VBLR, with (relative to C IV lambda 1549) stronger Lyman alpha and weaker N v lambda 1240, lambda 1400 feature, He II lambda 1640, O III lambda 1663, and Al III lambda 1860. Comparison with other active galactic nuclei (AGN) emission-line regions shows that the ILR spectrum tends to be intermediate between that of the VBLR and that of gas more distant from the ionizing continuum, such as the NLR and extended Lyman alpha nebulosity. Comparison of the spectra with results from photoionization models suggests that, compared with the VBLR, the ILR is about 10 times more distant from the ionizing continuum (approximately 1 pc), 100 to 1000 times less dense (10(exp 10)/cu cm), and has a smaller covering factor (less than or approximately 3%, compared with approximately 24% for the VBLR).

Brotherton, M. S.↗

High dispersion observations of Venus during 1972 - The CO2 band at 7820 A

Results are reported for analysis of 47 photographic plates of Venus which show the spectrum of the CO2 band at 7820 A. Evidence is found for a semiregular four-day variation in the CO2 abundance over the disk of the planet as well as for temporal variations in the rotational temperature of the 7820-A band and temperature variations over the disk. No apparent relationship is found between the CO2 abundance and temperature, although an increase in temperature is usually accompanied by a decrease in the CO2 abundance. A curve-of-growth analysis assuming a constant CO2 line width yields an average rotational temperature of about 249 K, which is several degrees higher than previously obtained rotational temperatures for the same band. Temperature variations are found to indicate that the average temperature in the equatorial and polar regions is 2.3 K higher than that near the limb or terminator.

Young, L. D. G.↗

Novel principal component analysis tool based on python for analysis of complex spectra of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is a powerful surface analysis tool, which can simultaneously provide elemental, isotopic, and molecular information with part per million (ppm) sensitivity. However, each spectrum may be composed of hundreds of ion signals, which makes the spectra data complex. Principal component analysis (PCA) is a multivariate analysis technique that has been widely used to figure out the variances among samples in ToF-SIMS spectra data analysis and is showing great success in the explanation of complex ToF-SIMS spectra. So far, several software tools have been developed for PCA of ToF-SIMS spectra; however, none of them are freely available. Such a situation leads to some difficulties in extending applications of PCA to various research fields. More importantly, it has long been challenging for common researchers to understand PCA plots and extract chemical differences among samples. In this work, we developed a new and flexible software tool (named “advanced spectra pca toolbox”) based on python for PCA of complex ToF-SIMS spectra along with an easy-to-read manual. It can generate data analysis reports automatically to explain chemical differences among samples, allowing less experienced researchers to easily understand tricky PCA results. Moreover, it is expandable and compatible with artificial intelligence/machine learning functions. Pure goethite and different lignin adsorbed goethite samples were used as a model system to demonstrate our new software tool, proving that our software tool can be readily used in complex spectra data processing. Our new software tool is open-source, convenient, flexible, and expandable. We expect this open-source tool will benefit the ToF-SIMS community.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗