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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2003

Spinoff 2003: 100 Years of Powered Flight

Today, NASA continues to reach milestones in space exploration with the Hubble Telescope, Earth-observing systems, the Space Shuttle, the Stardust spacecraft, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, the International Space Station, the Mars rovers, and experimental research aircraft these are only a few of the many initiatives that have grown out of NASA engineering know-how to drive the Agency s missions. The technical expertise gained from these programs has transferred into partnerships with academia, industry, and other Federal agencies, ensuring America stays capable and competitive. With Spinoff 2003, we once again highlight the many partnerships with U.S. companies that are fulfilling the 1958 Space Act stipulation that NASA s vast body of scientific and technical knowledge also benefit mankind. This year's issue showcases innovations such as the cochlear implant in health and medicine, a cockpit weather system in transportation, and a smoke mask benefiting public safety; many other products are featured in these disciplines, as well as in the additional fields of consumer/home/recreation, environment and resources management, computer technology, and industrial productivity/ manufactacturing technology. Also in this issue, we devote an entire section to NASA s history in the field of flight and showcase NASA s newest enterprise dedicated to education. The Education Enterprise will provide unique teaching and learning experiences for students and teachers at all levels in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Agency also is committed, as never before, to engaging parents and families through NASA s educational resources, content, and opportunities. NASA s catalyst to intensify its focus on teaching and learning springs from our mission statement: to inspire the next generation of explorers as only NASA can.

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DOE OSTI2021

INS–Support for Formal Cyber Security Education in Brazil–After Action Report

The adoption of digital technology into Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems in nuclear facilities fundamentally changes the nature of these systems. Greater interconnectivity of reprogrammable, and functionally interdependent control systems has given rise to the need for computer security consideration in digital I&C Systems. The cyber security of I&C systems presents a growing risk to nuclear facilities and requires the development of educational and research tools to ensure the safety of these facilities. Currently there is a major gap in formal educational offerings on cyber security for these Operational Technology (OT) systems. To provide formal cyber security education resources, DOE’s office of International Nuclear Security (INS) partnered with the University of São Paulo (USP) to develop a training course on the cyber security of nuclear facility I&C systems using the hypothetical Nuclear Power Plant, Asherah.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Complex-valued universal linear transformations and image encryption using spatially incoherent diffractive networks

As an optical processor, a diffractive deep neural network (D2NN) utilizes engineered diffractive surfaces designed through machine learning to perform all-optical information processing, completing its tasks at the speed of light propagation through thin optical layers. With sufficient degrees of freedom, D2NNs can perform arbitrary complex-valued linear transformations using spatially coherent light. Similarly, D2NNs can also perform arbitrary linear intensity transformations with spatially incoherent illumination; however, under spatially incoherent light, these transformations are nonnegative, acting on diffraction-limited optical intensity patterns at the input field of view. Here, we expand the use of spatially incoherent D2NNs to complex-valued information processing for executing arbitrary complex-valued linear transformations using spatially incoherent light. Through simulations, we show that as the number of optimized diffractive features increases beyond a threshold dictated by the multiplication of the input and output space-bandwidth products, a spatially incoherent diffractive visual processor can approximate any complex-valued linear transformation and be used for all-optical image encryption using incoherent illumination. The findings are important for the all-optical processing of information under natural light using various forms of diffractive surface-based optical processors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Machine Learning Approach to Determine Surface Radiative Fluxes based on CERES Observations

The Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) projects provides satellite-based observations of the radiative fluxes and clouds systems. CERES climate quality data products typically take several months of calibration and validation before release to the public. An alternative data product, Fast Longwave and Shortwave radiative Flux (FLASHFlux), was created to provide data to the applied sciences and educational users. FLASHFlux provides Top-of-Atmosphere radiative fluxes, Clouds properties, and parameterized surface radiative fluxes within four days for footprint (Level 2) data. We investigate the use of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) using MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) derived clouds properties and meteorology from the Global Assimilation and Meteorology Office (GMAO) scaled to the CERES footprint from the CERES Clouds Radiative Swath (CRS) data product to compute surface radiative fluxes. We test ANN produce fluxes against surface fluxes produced from the Fu-Liou model used in CRS and the Langley Parameterized Shortwave Algorithm (LPSA) and Langley Parameterized Longwave Algorithm (LPLA) used in FLASHFlux. We also validated each model with ground-based observations. Furthermore, we investigate Leave-One-Feature-Out Importance (LOFO) to evaluate the significance of each feature in our training and provide insight for future models. Advances in machine learning, along with increases in computational capabilities and available data allow us to estimate effects of unresolved processes in our climate without direct modeling. This work evaluates the ability to create accurate data-driven models to supplement or replace current models that estimate surface radiative fluxes.

Climatology↗
DOE OSTI2023

Real-time mixed reality display of dual particle radiation detector data

Radiation source localization and characterization are challenging tasks that currently require complex analyses for interpretation. Mixed reality (MR) technologies are at the verge of wide scale adoption and can assist in the visualization of complex data. Herein, we demonstrate real-time visualization of gamma ray and neutron radiation detector data in MR using the Microsoft HoloLens 2 smart glasses, significantly reducing user interpretation burden. Radiation imaging systems typically use double-scatter events of gamma rays or fast neutrons to reconstruct the incidence directional information, thus enabling source localization. The calculated images and estimated ’hot spots’ are then often displayed in 2D angular space projections on screens. By combining a state-of-the-art dual particle imaging system with HoloLens 2, we propose to display the data directly to the user via the head-mounted MR smart glasses, presenting the directional information as an overlay to the user’s 3D visual experience. We describe an open source implementation using efficient data transfer, image calculation, and 3D engine. We thereby demonstrate for the first time a real-time user experience to display fast neutron or gamma ray images from various radioactive sources set around the detector. We also introduce an alternative source search mode for situations of low event rates using a neural network and simulation based training data to provide a fast estimation of the source’s angular direction. Using MR for radiation detection provides a more intuitive perception of radioactivity and can be applied in routine radiation monitoring, education & training, emergency scenarios, or inspections.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1994

Looking at Earth from space

This vendor equipment list was developed with NASA funding by the Dallas Remote Imaging Group (DRIG) and the Maryland Pilot Earth Science and Technology Education Network (MAPS-NET) project as a reference guide to low-cost ground station equipment for direct readout, the capability to acquire information directly from environmental satellites. Products were tested with the following standards in mind: ease of use; user friendliness and completeness of manual and instructions; total system cost for computer, geostationary operational environmental satellites (GOES), and automatic picture transmission (APT) capability under $4000; and vendor stability in the industry.

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NASA NTRS2016

Collaborative Computer Graphics Product Development between Academia and Government: A Dynamic Model

Collaborations and partnerships between academia and government agencies are common, especially when it comes to research and development in the fields of science, engineering and technology. However, collaboration between a government agency and an art school is rather atypical. This paper presents the Collaborative Student Project, which aims to explore the following challenge: The ideation, development and realization of education and public outreach products for NASAs upcoming ICESat-2 mission in collaboration with art students.

product development with students↗
DOE OSTI2020

Library for Evolutionary Algorithms in Python (LEAP)

There are generally three types of scientific software users: users that solve problems using existing science software tools, researchers that explore new approaches by extending existing code, and educators that teach students scientific concepts. Python is a general-purpose programming language that is accessible to beginners, such as students, but also as a language that has a rich scientific programming ecosystem that facilitates writing research software. Additionally, as high-performance computing (HPC) resources become more readily available, software support for parallel processing becomes more relevant to scientific software.There currently are no Python-based evolutionary computation frameworks that support all three types of scientific software users. Moreover, some support synchronous concurrent fitness evaluation that do not efficiently use HPC resources. We pose here a new Python-based EC framework that uses an established generalized unified approach to EA concepts to provide an easy to use toolkit for users wishing to use an EA to solve a problem, for researchers to implement novel approaches, and for providing a low-bar to entry to EA concepts for students. Additionally, this toolkit provides a scalable asynchronous fitness evaluation implementation friendly to HPC that has been vetted on hardware ranging from laptops to the world’s fastest supercomputer, Summit.

Coletti, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1997

Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program (SHARP)

The summer of 1997 will not only be noted by NASA for the mission to Mars by the Pathfinder but also for the 179 brilliant apprentices that participated in the SHARP Program. Apprentice participation increased 17% over last year's total of 153 participants. As indicated by the End-of-the-Program Evaluations, 96% of the programs' participants rated the summer experience from very good to excellent. The SHARP Management Team began the year by meeting in Cocoa Beach, Florida for the annual SHARP Planning Conference. Participants strengthened their Education Division Computer Aided Tracking System (EDCATS) skills, toured the world-renowned Kennedy Space Center, and took a journey into space during the Alien Encounter Exercise. The participants returned to their Centers with the same goals and objectives in mind. The 1997 SHARP Program goals were: (1) Utilize NASA's mission, unique facilities and specialized workforce to provide exposure, education, and enrichment experiences to expand participants' career horizons and inspire excellence in formal education and lifelong learning. (2) Develop and implement innovative education reform initiatives which support NASA's Education Strategic Plan and national education goals. (3) Utilize established statistical indicators to measure the effectiveness of SHARP's program goals. (4) Explore new recruiting methods which target the student population for which SHARP was specifically designed. (5) Increase the number of participants in the program. All of the SHARP Coordinators reported that the goals and objectives for the overall program as well as their individual program goals were achieved. Some of the goals and objectives for the Centers were: (1) To increase the students' awareness of science, mathematics, engineering, and computer technology; (2) To provide students with the opportunity to broaden their career objectives; and (3) To expose students to a variety of enrichment activities. Most of the Center goals and objectives were consistent with the overall program goals. Modem Technology Systems, Inc., was able to meet the SHARP Apprentices, Coordinators and Mentors during their site visits to Stennis Space Center, Ames Research Center and Dryden Flight Research Center. All three Centers had very efficient programs and adhered to SHARP's general guidelines and procedures. MTSI was able to meet the apprentices from the other Centers via satellite in July during the SHARP Video-Teleconference(ViTS). The ViTS offered the apprentices and the NASA and SHARP Coordinators the opportunity to introduce themselves. The apprentices from each Center presented topical "Cutting Edge Projects". Some of the accomplishments for the 1997 SHARP Program year included: MTSI hiring apprentices from four of the nine NASA Centers, the full utilization of the EDCATS by apprentices and NASA/SHARP Coordinators, the distribution of the SHARP Apprentice College and Scholarship Directory, a reunion with former apprentices from Langley Research Center and the development of a SHARP Recruitment Poster. MTSI developed another exciting newsletter containing graphics and articles submitted by the apprentices and the SHARP Management Team.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Study of Short-Term Variations in Jupiter's Synchrotron Emission

Earth-based observations of the flux density and polarization of Jupiter's microwave emission provide useful data to test and constrain computational models of synchrotron radio emission from the inner regions of the Jovian magnetosphere. Stimulated by the sudden brightening of the synchrotron emission caused by the impacts of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 in 1994, the observational techniques of the NASA-JPL Jupiter Patrol were modified to search for other short-term variations unrelated to the SL-9 event. The characteristics of the improved data base are described and the results of the search for variability on timescales of 5 to 100 days are reported. The first results of Jupiter observations from the Goldstone-Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) project are reported and included in the data base. GAVRT is a new project in science education that engages middle- and high school students in science research. The paper also includes new observations of Jupiter's rotational beamed emission, commonly known as the "beaming curve", that describes the observed flux density as a function of System III longitude. The shape of the "beaming curve" is known to change with the parameter D(sub E), the declination of the earth relative to Jupiter's rotational equator. While the history of Jupiter's beaming curve exhibits remarkable stability and repeatability as a function of D(sub E), there may be evidence for short term departures from the nominal curves. Data supporting this tentative conclusion are presented. Preliminary results of a study comparing the observations and computer simulations of the synchrotron beaming curve will also be presented and discussed (see companion paper, "Modeling Jupiter's Synchrotron Emission", by Bolton et. al.). The research reported in this paper was performed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Klein, M.J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Photoionization of seeded combustion products as a method of enhancing the efficiency of magnetohydrodynamic power generators

Here, in this study, we performed an experimental and computational investigation into the feasibility of utilizing photoionization to enhance the electrical conductivity of seeded oxy-fuel combustion products and improve the performance of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generators. We applied a variety of optical and microwave diagnostics to study the ionization and recombination processes of potassium excited by an excimer laser in a high-velocity oxy-fuel free jet. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations were performed to model the thermophysical properties and species densities of the free jet. The CFD results were validated with position-dependent potassium concentration measurements. Electron recombination exponential lifetimes were measured through time-resolved microwave transmission. The experimental electron lifetimes were compared with lifetimes calculated from CFD-predicted species densities and literature recombination rates. It was determined that K + or O 2 are the most likely recombination partners for photoionized electrons. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements provided evidence of an ionization pathway involving a two-photon ionization of KOH . Finally, a zero-dimensional chemical kinetic model was developed to assess the fundamental viability of inducing a non-equilibrium electron population to provide a net energy return in combustion-driven MHD power generators. We determined that a high energy return is feasible for targeting electrode boundary layers with ultraviolet photoionization. We also found that photoionization could potentially lower the required temperature of the bulk gas flow.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS2000

Gravitational Influences on the Growth of Polydiacetylene Films by Ultraviolet Solution Polymerization

Technically, the field of integrated optics using organic/polymer materials as a new means of information processing, has emerged as of vital importance to optical computers, optical switching, optical communications, the defense industry, etc. The goal is to replace conventional electronic integrated circuits and wires by equivalent miniaturized optical integrated circuits and fibers, offering larger bandwidths, more compactness and reliability, immunity to electromagnetic interference and less cost. From the Code E perspective, this research area represents an opportunity to marry "front-line" education in science and technology with national scientific and technological interests while maximizing human resources utilization. This can be achieved by the development of untapped resources for scientific research - such as minorities, women, and universities traditionally uninvolved in scientific research.

Frazier, Donald O.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A Knowledge-Based Representation Scheme for Environmental Science Models

One of the primary methods available for studying environmental phenomena is the construction and analysis of computational models. We have been studying how artificial intelligence techniques can be applied to assist in the development and use of environmental science models within the context of NASA-sponsored activities. We have identified several high-utility areas as potential targets for research and development: model development; data visualization, analysis, and interpretation; model publishing and reuse, training and education; and framing, posing, and answering questions. Central to progress on any of the above areas is a representation for environmental models that contains a great deal more information than is present in a traditional software implementation. In particular, a traditional software implementation is devoid of any semantic information that connects the code with the environmental context that forms the background for the modeling activity. Before we can build AI systems to assist in model development and usage, we must develop a representation for environmental models that adequately describes a model's semantics and explicitly represents the relationship between the code and the modeling task at hand. We have developed one such representation in conjunction with our work on the SIGMA (Scientists' Intelligent Graphical Modeling Assistant) environment. The key feature of the representation is that it provides a semantic grounding for the symbols in a set of modeling equations by linking those symbols to an explicit representation of the underlying environmental scenario.

Keller, Richard M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Theoretical study of CO2 capture mechanisms of SrO and Sr(OH)2.nH2O (n=0,1,8)

This presentation encapsulated the use of density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the mechanism of CO2 conversion on various crystal surfaces, including SrO, Sr(OH)2, Sr(OH)2·H2O, and Sr(OH)2·8H2O. The study provides unique insights into the fundamental mechanism for CO2 capture using SrO and its hydrated forms.

catalyst performance↗
NASA NTRS2001

Three Dimensional Atmospheric Radiative Transfer-Applications and Methods Comparison

We review applications of 3D radiative transfer in the atmosphere, emphasizing the wide spectrum of scales important to remote sensing and modeling of cloud fields, and the characteristic scales introduced into observed radiances and fluxes by the distribution of photon pathlengths at conservative and absorbing wavelengths. We define the "plane-parallel bias", which is a measure of the importance of 3D cloud structure in large-scale models, and the "independent pixel errors" that quantify the significance of 3D effects in remote sensing, and emphasize their relative magnitude and scale dependence. A variety of approaches in current use in 3D radiative transfer, and issues of speed, accuracy, and flexibility are summarized. We also describe a recently initiated "International Intercomparison of 3-Dimensional Radiation Codes", or I3RC. I3RC is a 3-phase effort that has as its goals to: (1) understand the errors and limits of 3D methods; (2) provide "baseline" cases for future 3D code development; (3) promote sharing of 3D tools; (4) derive guidelines for 3D tool selection; and (5) improve atmospheric science education in 3D radiative transfer. Selected results from Phases 1 and 2 of I3RC are discussed. These are taken from five cloud fields: a 1D field of bar clouds, a 2D radar-derived field, a 3D Landsat-derived field, a stratiform cloud from the model of C. Moeng, and a convective cloud from the model of B. Stevens. Computations have been carried out for three monochromatic wavelengths (one conservative, one absorptive, and one thermal) and two solar zenith angles (0, 60 degrees).

Cahalan, Robert F.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Secondary Science Teachers’ Implementation of a Curricular Intervention When Teaching With Global Climate Models

In the past decade, emphasis on promoting “climate literacy” in K-16 science classrooms has increased. Teachers play a critical role in cultivating these opportunities, especially in secondary science classrooms. However, most prior climate education research has focused on students and student learning; little is known about how teachers implement climate-focused curricular interventions. Here, we report findings from a concurrent mixed methods, multiple-case study of four secondary science teachers’ implementation of a new, NGSS-aligned, model-centric climate curriculum module grounded in the use of a data-driven, computer-based climate modeling tool—Easy Global Climate Model (EzGCM). We employ multiple data sources, including video-recorded classroom observations, interviews, and instructional artifacts, and both qualitative and quantitative analyses, to investigate how teachers implemented the curriculum. Findings show that, overall, teachers implemented the curriculum in ways that were less model-centric than designed, placing greater emphasis on EzGCM itself rather than using the model to investigate Earth’s changing climate. Additionally, we present detailed single-case studies of each participant teacher that highlight differences in teachers’ implementation of the curriculum module and their reasoning for making observed instructional decisions. This research sheds light on the design of secondary science learning environments by illustrating the varied ways teachers implement a climate-focused curriculum to support students’ developing climate literacy. This has important implications for the design of climate-focused curriculum and supports for teachers.

Secondary science teaching↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Future of NASA Earth Science in the Commercial Cloud: Challenges and Opportunities

NASA produces a large volume and variety of data products that are used every day to support research, decision making, and education. The widespread use of NASA’s Earth Science data is enabled by NASA’s Earth Science Data System (ESDS) program, which oversees the archiving and distribution of these data and invests in the development of new data systems and tools. However, NASA’s current approach to Earth Science data distribution — based on distributed institutional archives with individual on-premises high-performance computing capabilities — faces some significant challenges, including massive increases in data volume from upcoming missions, a greater need for transdisciplinary science that synthesizes many different kinds of observations, and a push to make science more open, inclusive, and accessible. To address these challenges, NASA is aggressively migrating its Earth Science data and related tools and services into the commercial cloud. Migration of data into the commercial cloud can significantly improve NASA’s existing data system capabilities by (1) providing more flexible options for storage and compute (including rapid, as-needed access to state-of-the-art capabilities); (2) by centralizing and standardizing data access, which gives all of NASA’s institutional data centers access to all of each other’s datasets; and (3) by facilitating “analysis-in-place”, whereby users can bring their own computational workflows and tools to the data rather than having to maintain their own copies of NASA datasets. However, migration to the commercial cloud also poses some significant challenges, including (1) managing costs under a “pay-as-you-go” model; (2) incompatibility with existing tools and data formats with object-based storage and network access; (3) vendor lock-in; (4) challenges with data access for workflows that mix on-premise and cloud computing; and (5) standardization for highly diverse data as is present in NASA’s data archive. I conclude with two examples of recent NASA activities showcasing capabilities enabled by the commercial cloud: An interactive analysis and development platform for analyzing airborne imaging spectroscopy data, and a new collection of tools and services for data discovery, analysis, publication, and data-driven storytelling (Visualization, Exploration, and Data Analysis, VEDA).

Alexey N Shiklomanov↗