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At least 1,279 records · Page 71
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2017

ICESAT GLAS Altimetry Measurements: Received Signal Dynamic Range and Saturation Correction

NASAs Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), which operated between 2003 and 2009, made the first satellite-based global lidar measurement of earths ice sheet elevations, sea-ice thickness, and vegetation canopy structure. The primary instrument on ICESat was the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), which measured the distance from the spacecraft to the earth's surface via the roundtrip travel time of individual laser pulses. GLAS utilized pulsed lasers and a direct detection receiver consisting of a silicon avalanche photodiode and a waveform digitizer. Early in the mission, the peak power of the received signal from snow and ice surfaces was found to span a wider dynamic range than anticipated, often exceeding the linear dynamic range of the GLAS 1064-nm detector assembly. The resulting saturation of the receiver distorted the recorded signal and resulted in range biases as large as approximately 50 cm for ice- and snow-covered surfaces. We developed a correction for this saturation range bias based on laboratory tests using a spare flight detector, and refined the correction by comparing GLAS elevation estimates with those derived from Global Positioning System surveys over the calibration site at the salar de Uyuni, Bolivia. Applying the saturation correction largely eliminated the range bias due to receiver saturation for affected ICESat measurements over Uyuni and significantly reduced the discrepancies at orbit crossovers located on flat regions of the Antarctic ice sheet.

Sun, Xiaoli↗
NASA NTRS2022

NASA Engineering and Safety Center Technical Bulletin No. 22-06: Treatment of Slosh Stability Margin Reductions for Human-Rated Launch Vehicles

Slosh dynamics pose a stability concern for human-rated launch vehicles during ascent. Historical perspectives on the treatment of slosh dynamics, newly developed rules of thumb, the utility of flight data, and methods for analyzing and dispositioning slosh instability risks should be considered when linear stability margins are lower than typically accepted for human-rated systems.

Fuel Slosh↗
DOE OSTI2022

Provably accurate simulation of gauge theories and bosonic systems

Quantum many-body systems involving bosonic modes or gauge fields have infinite-dimensional local Hilbert spaces which must be truncated to perform simulations of real-time dynamics on classical or quantum computers. To analyze the truncation error, we develop methods for bounding the rate of growth of local quantum numbers such as the occupation number of a mode at a lattice site, or the electric field at a lattice link. Our approach applies to various models of bosons interacting with spins or fermions, and also to both abelian and non-abelian gauge theories. We show that if states in these models are truncated by imposing an upper limit Λ on each local quantum number, and if the initial state has low local quantum numbers, then an error at most ϵ can be achieved by choosing Λ to scale polylogarithmically with ϵ − 1 , an exponential improvement over previous bounds based on energy conservation. For the Hubbard-Holstein model, we numerically compute a bound on Λ that achieves accuracy ϵ , obtaining significantly improved estimates in various parameter regimes. We also establish a criterion for truncating the Hamiltonian with a provable guarantee on the accuracy of time evolution. Building on that result, we formulate quantum algorithms for dynamical simulation of lattice gauge theories and of models with bosonic modes; the gate complexity depends almost linearly on spacetime volume in the former case, and almost quadratically on time in the latter case. We establish a lower bound showing that there are systems involving bosons for which this quadratic scaling with time cannot be improved. By applying our result on the truncation error in time evolution, we also prove that spectrally isolated energy eigenstates can be approximated with accuracy ϵ by truncating local quantum numbers at Λ = polylog ( ϵ − 1 ) .

Tong, Yu↗
NASA NTRS1999

Dynamical Signatures of Living Systems

One of the main challenges in modeling living systems is to distinguish a random walk of physical origin (for instance, Brownian motions) from those of biological origin and that will constitute the starting point of the proposed approach. As conjectured, the biological random walk must be nonlinear. Indeed, any stochastic Markov process can be described by linear Fokker-Planck equation (or its discretized version), only that type of process has been observed in the inanimate world. However, all such processes always converge to a stable (ergodic or periodic) state, i.e., to the states of a lower complexity and high entropy. At the same time, the evolution of living systems directed toward a higher level of complexity if complexity is associated with a number of structural variations. The simplest way to mimic such a tendency is to incorporate a nonlinearity into the random walk; then the probability evolution will attain the features of diffusion equation: the formation and dissipation of shock waves initiated by small shallow wave disturbances. As a result, the evolution never "dies:" it produces new different configurations which are accompanied by an increase or decrease of entropy (the decrease takes place during formation of shock waves, the increase-during their dissipation). In other words, the evolution can be directed "against the second law of thermodynamics" by forming patterns outside of equilibrium in the probability space. Due to that, a specie is not locked up in a certain pattern of behavior: it still can perform a variety of motions, and only the statistics of these motions is constrained by this pattern. It should be emphasized that such a "twist" is based upon the concept of reflection, i.e., the existence of the self-image (adopted from psychology). The model consists of a generator of stochastic processes which represents the motor dynamics in the form of nonlinear random walks, and a simulator of the nonlinear version of the diffusion equation which represents the mental dynamics. It has been demonstrated that coupled mental-motor dynamics can simulate emerging self-organization, prey-predator games, collaboration and competition, "collective brain," etc.

Zak, M.↗
DOE OSTI2020

DNA Reaction–Diffusion Attractor Patterns

Abstract Living systems can form and recover complex chemical patterns with precisely sized features in the ranges of tens or hundreds of microns. We show how designed reaction–diffusion processes can likewise produce precise patterns, termed attractor patterns, that reform their precise shape after being perturbed. We use oligonucleotide reaction networks, photolithography, and microfluidic delivery to form precisely controlled attractor patterns and study the responses of these patterns to different localized perturbations. Linear and “hill”‐shaped patterns formed and stabilized into shapes and at time scales consistent with reaction–diffusion models. When patterns were perturbed in particular locations with UV light, they reliably reformed their steady‐state profiles. Recovery also occurred after repeated perturbations. By designing the far‐from‐equilibrium dynamics of a chemical system, this study shows how it is possible to design spatial patterns of molecules that are sustained and regenerated by continually evolving towards a specific steady state configuration.

Dorsey, Phillip James↗
NASA NTRS2001

Advanced Aerodynamic Design of Passive Porosity Control Effectors

This paper describes aerodynamic design work aimed at developing a passive porosity control effector system for a generic tailless fighter aircraft. As part of this work, a computational design tool was developed and used to layout passive porosity effector systems for longitudinal and lateral-directional control at a low-speed, high angle of attack condition. Aerodynamic analysis was conducted using the NASA Langley computational fluid dynamics code USM3D, in conjunction with a newly formulated surface boundary condition for passive porosity. Results indicate that passive porosity effectors can provide maneuver control increments that equal and exceed those of conventional aerodynamic effectors for low-speed, high-alpha flight, with control levels that are a linear function of porous area. This work demonstrates the tremendous potential of passive porosity to yield simple control effector systems that have no external moving parts and will preserve an aircraft's fixed outer mold line.

Hunter, Craig A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Random field estimation approach to multibody dynamics

The use of recursive techniques similar to random field models to factor and invert the inertia matrix of a multibody system is discussed. An equivalence is established between the composite multibody system inertia matrix and the covariance of the output of a described linear system model. Conditional mean estimation and sequential estimation problems are solved along with problems of filtering and smoothing. Formulas are developed to compute the covariance of several relevant quantities. The foregoing results are used to obtain the inverse of the composite multibody system inertia in closed form.

Rodriguez, G.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Magnetotail dynamics under isobaric constraints

Using linear theory and nonlinear MHD simulations, we investigate the resistive and ideal MHD stability of two-dimensional plasma configurations under the isobaric constraint dP/dt = 0, which in ideal MHD is equivalent to conserving the pressure function P = P(A), where A denotes the magnetic flux. This constraint is satisfied for incompressible modes, such as Alfven waves, and for systems undergoing energy losses. The linear stability analysis leads to a Schroedinger equation, which can be investigated by standard quantum mechanics procedures. We present an application to a typical stretched magnetotail configuration. For a one-dimensional sheet equilibrium characteristic properties of tearing instability are rediscovered. However, the maximum growth rate scales with the 1/7 power of the resistivity, which implies much faster growth than for the standard tearing mode (assuming that the resistivity is small). The same basic eigen-mode is found also for weakly two-dimensional equilibria, even in the ideal MHD limit. In this case the growth rate scales with the 1/4 power of the normal magnetic field. The results of the linear stability analysis are confirmed qualitatively by nonlinear dynamic MHD simulations. These results suggest the interesting possibility that substorm onset, or the thinning in the late growth phase, is caused by the release of a thermodynamic constraint without the (immediate) necessity of releasing the ideal MHD constraint. In the nonlinear regime the resistive and ideal developments differ in that the ideal mode does not lead to neutral line formation without the further release of the ideal MHD constraint; instead a thin current sheet forms. The isobaric constraint is critically discussed. Under perhaps more realistic adiabatic conditions the ideal mode appears to be stable but could be driven by external perturbations and thus generate the thin current sheet in the late growth phase, before a nonideal instability sets in.

Birn, Joachim↗
NASA NTRS2000

Adjoints and Low-rank Covariance Representation

Quantitative measures of the uncertainty of Earth System estimates can be as important as the estimates themselves. Second moments of estimation errors are described by the covariance matrix, whose direct calculation is impractical when the number of degrees of freedom of the system state is large. Ensemble and reduced-state approaches to prediction and data assimilation replace full estimation error covariance matrices by low-rank approximations. The appropriateness of such approximations depends on the spectrum of the full error covariance matrix, whose calculation is also often impractical. Here we examine the situation where the error covariance is a linear transformation of a forcing error covariance. We use operator norms and adjoints to relate the appropriateness of low-rank representations to the conditioning of this transformation. The analysis is used to investigate low-rank representations of the steady-state response to random forcing of an idealized discrete-time dynamical system.

Tippett, Michael K.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Lift & Learn: Physics-informed machine learning for large-scale nonlinear dynamical systems

In this work, we present Lift & Learn, a physics-informed method for learning low-dimensional models for large-scale dynamical systems. The method exploits knowledge of a system’s governing equations to identify a coordinate transformation in which the system dynamics have quadratic structure. This transformation is called a lifting map because it often adds auxiliary variables to the system state. The lifting map is applied to data obtained by evaluating a model for the original nonlinear system. This lifted data is projected onto its leading principal components, and low-dimensional linear and quadratic matrix operators are fit to the lifted reduced data using a least-squares operator inference procedure. Analysis of our method shows that the Lift & Learn models are able to capture the system physics in the lifted coordinates at least as accurately as traditional intrusive model reduction approaches. This preservation of system physics makes the Lift & Learn models robust to changes in inputs. Numerical experiments on the FitzHugh–Nagumo neuron activation model and the compressible Euler equations demonstrate the generalizability of our model.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Reconfigurable quantum phononic circuits via piezo-acoustomechanical interactions

Abstract We show that piezoelectric strain actuation of acoustomechanical interactions can produce large phase velocity changes in an existing quantum phononic platform: aluminum nitride on suspended silicon. Using finite element analysis, we demonstrate a piezo-acoustomechanical phase shifter waveguide capable of producing ± π phase shifts for GHz frequency phonons in 10s of μm with 10s of volts applied. Then, using the phase shifter as a building block, we demonstrate several phononic integrated circuit elements useful for quantum information processing. In particular, we show how to construct programmable multi-mode interferometers for linear phononic processing and a dynamically reconfigurable phononic memory that can switch between an ultra-long-lifetime state and a state strongly coupled to its bus waveguide. From the master equation for the full open quantum system of the reconfigurable phononic memory, we show that it is possible to perform read and write operations with over 90% quantum state transfer fidelity for an exponentially decaying pulse.

Taylor, Jeffrey C. (ORCID:0000000215982436)↗
NASA NTRS1972

Biased estimation for dynamic systems.

Optimization and regulation of static and dynamic systems require good estimates of the states of the system model and the parameters of the model in the presence of input and measurement noise. A biased estimator is proposed as an alternative to the familiar best linear unbiased estimator. Depending on the value of a constant, this biased estimator can be made unbiased and is then identical to the best linear unbiased estimator, thus permitting additional freedom of choice in design and application. The sum of squared errors of this bs tmator can be less than the best linear unbiased case. An existence theorem is established and various properties are discussed.

Chang, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Time response simulation of the 1975 Viking Orbiter digital tape recorder

The objective of the present study was to verify and understand in depth the performance of the speed control (frequency loop) servo of the 1975 Viking Orbiter (VO75) digital tape recorder (DTR). The time response method employed is written in the continuous system simulation language (CSSL) for the Univac 1108 computer system. In order to demonstrate the power and flexibility of the graphic interactive simulation program, four aspects of system dynamics are interactively adjusted to arrive at a number of stable system configurations that have significantly different tape transport and/or summing amplifier gain, larger static/dynamic Coulomb friction, and different system lag than envisioned in the nominal design by linear methods. Work is currently underway to derive a new higher-order DST transfer function and to simulate the servo using state-space variable techniques.

Mukhopadhyay, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Minimal order observers for linear functions of the state vector

The problem of estimating linear functions of a state vector in a multi-input/output system is considered. A simple lower bound on the observer order with arbitrary eigenvalues is established. Algorithms to construct minimal-order stable (or arbitrary dynamics) observers are also outlined.

Srinathkumar, S.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Gyrodampers for large space structures

The problem of controlling the vibrations of a large space structures by the use of actively augmented damping devices distributed throughout the structure is addressed. The gyrodamper which consists of a set of single gimbal control moment gyros which are actively controlled to extract the structural vibratory energy through the local rotational deformations of the structure, is described and analyzed. Various linear and nonlinear dynamic simulations of gyrodamped beams are shown, including results on self-induced vibrations due to sensor noise and rotor imbalance. The complete nonlinear dynamic equations are included. The problem of designing and sizing a system of gyrodampers for a given structure, or extrapolating results for one gyrodamped structure to another is solved in terms of scaling laws. Novel scaling laws for gyro systems are derived, based upon fundamental physical principles, and various examples are given.

Aubrun, J. N.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Control design for robust stability in linear regulators: Application to aerospace flight control

Time domain stability robustness analysis and design for linear multivariable uncertain systems with bounded uncertainties is the central theme of the research. After reviewing the recently developed upper bounds on the linear elemental (structured), time varying perturbation of an asymptotically stable linear time invariant regulator, it is shown that it is possible to further improve these bounds by employing state transformations. Then introducing a quantitative measure called the stability robustness index, a state feedback conrol design algorithm is presented for a general linear regulator problem and then specialized to the case of modal systems as well as matched systems. The extension of the algorithm to stochastic systems with Kalman filter as the state estimator is presented. Finally an algorithm for robust dynamic compensator design is presented using Parameter Optimization (PO) procedure. Applications in a aircraft control and flexible structure control are presented along with a comparison with other existing methods.

Yedavalli, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Computing the Lyapunov spectrum of a dynamical system from an observed time series

The paper examines the problem of accurately determining, from an observed time series, the Liapunov exponents for the dynamical system generating the data. It is shown that, even with very large data sets, it is clearly advantageous to utilize local neighborhood-to-neighborhood mappings with higher-order Taylor series rather than just local linear maps. This procedure is demonstrated on the Henon and Ikeda maps of the plane itself, the Lorenz system of three ordinary differential equations, and the Mackey-Glass delay differential equation.

Brown, Reggie↗
NASA NTRS1993

Galilean covariant harmonic oscillator

A Galilean covariant approach to classical mechanics of a single particle is described. Within the proposed formalism, all non-covariant force laws defining acting forces which become to be defined covariantly by some differential equations are rejected. Such an approach leads out of the standard classical mechanics and gives an example of non-Newtonian mechanics. It is shown that the exactly solvable linear system of differential equations defining forces contains the Galilean covariant description of harmonic oscillator as its particular case. Additionally, it is demonstrated that in Galilean covariant classical mechanics the validity of the second Newton law of dynamics implies the Hooke law and vice versa. It is shown that the kinetic and total energies transform differently with respect to the Galilean transformations.

Horzela, Andrzej↗