Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “spectral prediction”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8

In-Flight Calibration and Validation of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS)

Calibrated spectra acquired remotely as images allow determination of surface and atmospheric properties based on absorption and scattering expressed in the spectra. AVIRIS measures spectra as images in the solar reflected portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. To use these spectra for scientific research and applications, the calibration of the spectra must be known at the time of measurement in flight. To validate the calibration of AVIRIS in flight, an in-flight calibration experiment was performed for an over-flight on May 9, 1995 at Ivanpah Playa, California. In-situ measurements of the atmosphere and surface at a calibration target were measured. These measurements were used to constrain a radiative transfer code and predict the total upwelling spectral radiance incident at AVIRIS. This prediction was compared to the radiance measured by AVIRIS for the calibration target. An agreement of 96.5% was determined. The in-flight signal-to-noise was determined and shown to have more than doubled over the previous year.

Green Robert O.↗

Accurate and confident prediction of electron beam longitudinal properties using spectral virtual diagnostics

Abstract Longitudinal phase space (LPS) provides a critical information about electron beam dynamics for various scientific applications. For example, it can give insight into the high-brightness X-ray radiation from a free electron laser. Existing diagnostics are invasive, and often times cannot operate at the required resolution. In this work we present a machine learning-based Virtual Diagnostic (VD) tool to accurately predict the LPS for every shot using spectral information collected non-destructively from the radiation of relativistic electron beam. We demonstrate the tool’s accuracy for three different case studies with experimental or simulated data. For each case, we introduce a method to increase the confidence in the VD tool. We anticipate that spectral VD would improve the setup and understanding of experimental configurations at DOE’s user facilities as well as data sorting and analysis. The spectral VD can provide confident knowledge of the longitudinal bunch properties at the next generation of high-repetition rate linear accelerators while reducing the load on data storage, readout and streaming requirements.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Prediction and Measurement of X-Ray Spectral and Intensity Distributions from Low Energy Electron Impact Sources

In-vacuum electron beam welding is a technology that NASA considered as a joining technique for manufacture of space structures. The interaction of energetic electrons with metal produces x-rays. The radiation exposure to astronauts performing the in-vacuum electron beam welding must be characterized and minimized to insure safe operating conditions. This investigation characterized the x-ray environment due to operation of an in-vacuum electron beam welding tool. NASA, in a joint venture with the Russian Space Agency, was scheduled to perform a series of welding in space experiments on board the United States Space Shuttle. This series of experiments was named the International Space Welding Experiment (ISWE). The hardware associated with the ISWE was leased to NASA, by the Paton Welding Institute (PWI) in Ukraine, for ground based welding experiments in preparation for flight. Two tests were scheduled, using the ISWE electron beam welding tool, to characterize the radiation exposure to an astronaut during the operation of the ISWE. These radiation exposure tests consisted of Thermoluminescence Dosimeters (TLD's) shielded with material currently used by astronauts during Extra Vehicular Activities (EVA) and exposed to x-ray radiation generated by operation of an in-vacuum electron beam welding tool. This investigation was the first known application of TLD's to measure absorbed dose from x-rays of energy less than 10 KeV. The ISWE hardware was returned to Ukraine before the issue of adequate shielding for the astronauts was verified. Therefore, alternate experimental and analytical methods were developed to measure and predict the x-ray spectral and intensity distribution generated by electron impact with metal. These x-ray spectra were used to calculate the absorbed radiation dose to astronauts. These absorbed dose values were compared to TLD measurements obtained during actual operation of the in-vacuum electron beam welding tool. The calculated absorbed dose values were found to be in good agreement with the TLD values.

Edwards, David L.↗

Possible Evidence for Relativistic Shocks in Gamma-Ray Bursts

Relativistic shock models of gamma-ray bursts may be tested by comparing their predicted low-energy asymptotic spectral indices s to observations. Synchrotron radiation theory predicts that the instantaneous spectrum has s = 1/3, and the spectrum integrated over the radiative decay of the electrons' energies has s = 1/2 with other cases lying between these limits. We examine the spectra of 11 bursts obtained by the Large Area Detectors on BATSE. One agrees with the predicted instantaneous spectrum, as does the initial portion of a second, and three are close to the predicted integrated spectrum. All of the observed asymptotic spectral slopes lie in the predicted range. This evidence for relativistic shocks is independent of detailed models of bursts and of assumptions about their distances. Radiation observed with the predicted instantaneous spectrum has a comparatively smooth time dependence, consistent with the necessarily long radiation time, while radiation observed with the predicted integrated spectrum has a spiky time dependence, consistent with the necessarily short radiation time.

Cohen, E.↗

Prediction of dominant wave properties ahead of hurricanes

A method is proposed for predicting properties of dominant waves in the forward region of hurricanes where the waves are found to propagate predominantly in the direction of hurricane forward travel. An extended fetch concept is used in which each wave component is exposed to the action of wind over a fetch length that is determined by wave group speed, hurricane forward speed, and location with respect to eye. Maximum extended fetches are found to the right of the eye (with respect to direction of hurricane travel) in the northern hemisphere. The method correctly predicts dominant wave frequencies and significant wave heights. The prediction method utilizes recently developed concepts in wave generation and energy transfer among wave spectral components; the predicted values are compared favorably with observations.

Shemdin, O. H.↗

'Spherical' disks: Moving toward a unified source model for L1551

To predict the effects of a disk on the spectral energy distribution of a deeply embedded protostar, we construct disk models with power-law temperature distributions T is proportional to r(exp -q). We then use the spherically averaged disk emission as the central source for a spherical envelope, hence the term, 'spherical' disk. We then calculate the predicted spectral energy distribution of the disk and envelope, using a spherically symmetric radiative transport code. Applying this procedure to L1551 IRS 5, we find that the predicted far-infrared flux is not very sensitive to the nature of the central source. The best source model is consistent with the far-infrared emission arising from the infalling region in an 'inside-out' collapse model, independent of the nature of the central source. Disk models are superior to the star-only model when we try to match millimeter interferometer data. While disks with various q can reproduce the observed 2.7 mm interferometer flux, only an active disk (q = 0.5) can produce enough emission in a region small enough to match the observed 2.7 mm visibilities. However, if the disk is backwarmed by the envelope, even purely reprocessing disks can meet this constraint. All types of backwarmed disks are virtually in distinguishable in their millimeter properties. We find that all reasonable envelope models are sufficiently opaque in the mid-infrared to attenuate any disk model to a level well below the observations, unless the ratio of the mid-infrared to far-infrared dust opacities is similar to that of the dust opacities advocated by Mathis, Mezger, & Panagia (1983).

Butner, Harold M.↗

Interpreting and Stabilizing Machine-Learning Parametrizations of Convection

Neural networks are a promising technique for parameterizing subgrid-scale physics (e.g., moist atmospheric convection) in coarse-resolution climate models, but their lack of interpretability and reliability prevents widespread adoption. For instance, it is not fully understood why neural network parameterizations often cause dramatic instability when coupled to atmospheric fluid dynamics. This paper introduces tools for interpreting their behavior that are customized to the parameterization task. First, we assess the nonlinear sensitivity of a neural network to lower-tropospheric stability and the midtropospheric moisture, two widely studied controls of moist convection. Second, we couple the linearized response functions of these neural networks to simplified gravity wave dynamics, and analytically diagnose the corresponding phase speeds, growth rates, wavelengths, and spatial structures. To demonstrate their versatility, these techniques are tested on two sets of neural networks, one trained with a super-parameterized version of the Community Atmosphere Model (SPCAM) and the second with a near-global cloud-resolving model (GCRM). Additionally, even though the SPCAM simulation has a warmer climate than the cloud-resolving model, both neural networks predict stronger heating/drying in moist and unstable environments, which is consistent with observations. Moreover, the spectral analysis can predict that instability occurs when GCMs are coupled to networks that support gravity waves that are unstable and have phase speeds larger than 5 m s -1 . In contrast, standing unstable modes do not cause catastrophic instability. Using these tools, differences between the SPCAM-trained versus GCRM-trained neural networks are analyzed, and strategies to incrementally improve both of their coupled online performance unveiled.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Quantifying spectral albedo effects on bifacial photovoltaic module measurements and system model predictions

We provide a comprehensive analysis of the effect of spectral albedo on photovoltaic (PV) module measurements and system model predictions. We demonstrate how to account for albedo in indoor bifacial device measurements by adjusting the applied irradiance using the scaled rear irradiance method, exemplified on fabricated silicon heterojunction (SHJ) modules. System model performance is studied using a detailed 3D finite-element model, DUET, for fixed-tilt and horizontal single-axis tracked (SAT) arrays between 15 and 75°N. Spectral effects cause variations in measured SHJ module short-circuit current up to 2% and efficiency variation up to 0.3% abs. We further demonstrate that rear-side spectral mismatch factors (SMMs) resulting from including or omitting spectral albedo in PV system modeling vary between ±13%, while total (front+rear) SMMs vary up to 3%, depending on the deployment configuration and latitude. SAT array SMMs are weakly correlated with latitude, while fixed-tilt array SMMs increase with latitude, driven by an increasing proportion of ground-reflected light on the front-side of modules. Ground-reflections can constitute between 2% and 32% of total incident module irradiance, with notably high (>10%) contributions for fixed-tilt arrays at high latitude. Effects of spectral albedo are most significant for: (1) fixed-tilt deployments at high latitudes, (2) wide bandgap technologies such as perovskite and cadmium telluride cells, (3) albedos which vary steeply over the technology's absorption range, and (4) high albedo ground covers. Overall, we demonstrate that omitting spectral albedo effects can result in PV measurement and system-level modeling uncertainties on the order of several percent in these cases.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Determination of the in-flight spectral and radiometric characteristics of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS)

AVIRIS is a science research imaging spectrometer that measures radiance in 224 channels between 400 to 2450 nm in the electromagnetic spectrum. To determine the inflight spectral and radiometric characteristics of AVIRIS a validation and calibration experiment was performed. Five data sets were acquired over a calibration site on the homogeneous playa of Rogers Dry Lake, California, U.S. Surface reflectance, atmospheric optical depths, and atmospheric water vapor measurements were acquired concurrently with the overflights. These in situ measurements were used to constrain the LOWTRAN 7 radiative transfer code to predict the total spectral radiance incident at the AVIRIS aperture. These predicted radiances and the AVIRIS measured radiances were analyzed to validate the inflight characteristics. Inflight spectral channel positions and response functions over the AVIRIS spectral range were derived. Radiometric calibration coefficients were calculated for each channel as well as radiometric accuracy, intraflight stability, and noise equivalent delta radiance.

Green, Robert O.↗

A method for predicting full scale buffet response with rigid wind tunnel model fluctuating pressure data. Volume 2: Power spectral densities for method assessment

The predicted upper and lower bounds power spectra for all of the cases and response items given in Volume 1 are plotted. The flight test power spectra are shown on each prediction plot for the nominal value of angle of attack that most closely agrees with the flexible angle for the prediction. The flight test and prediction conditions are given in tabular form for all cases considered.

Cunningham, A. M., Jr.↗

Temporal Variability of Observed and Simulated Hyperspectral Earth Reflectance

The Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) is a climate observation system designed to study Earth's climate variability with unprecedented absolute radiometric accuracy and SI traceability. Observation System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) were developed using GCM output and MODTRAN to simulate CLARREO reflectance measurements during the 21st century as a design tool for the CLARREO hyperspectral shortwave imager. With OSSE simulations of hyperspectral reflectance, Feldman et al. [2011a,b] found that shortwave reflectance is able to detect changes in climate variables during the 21st century and improve time-to-detection compared to broadband measurements. The OSSE has been a powerful tool in the design of the CLARREO imager and for understanding the effect of climate change on the spectral variability of reflectance, but it is important to evaluate how well the OSSE simulates the Earth's present-day spectral variability. For this evaluation we have used hyperspectral reflectance measurements from the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Cartography (SCIAMACHY), a shortwave spectrometer that was operational between March 2002 and April 2012. To study the spectral variability of SCIAMACHY-measured and OSSE-simulated reflectance, we used principal component analysis (PCA), a spectral decomposition technique that identifies dominant modes of variability in a multivariate data set. Using quantitative comparisons of the OSSE and SCIAMACHY PCs, we have quantified how well the OSSE captures the spectral variability of Earth?s climate system at the beginning of the 21st century relative to SCIAMACHY measurements. These results showed that the OSSE and SCIAMACHY data sets share over 99% of their total variance in 2004. Using the PCs and the temporally distributed reflectance spectra projected onto the PCs (PC scores), we can study the temporal variability of the observed and simulated reflectance spectra. Multivariate time series analysis of the PC scores using techniques such as Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) and Multichannel SSA will provide information about the temporal variability of the dominant variables. Quantitative comparison techniques can evaluate how well the OSSE reproduces the temporal variability observed by SCIAMACHY spectral reflectance measurements during the first decade of the 21st century. PCA of OSSE-simulated reflectance can also be used to study how the dominant spectral variables change on centennial scales for forced and unforced climate change scenarios. To have confidence in OSSE predictions of the spectral variability of hyperspectral reflectance, it is first necessary for us to evaluate the degree to which the OSSE simulations are able to reproduce the Earth?s present-day spectral variability.

Roberts, Yolanda↗

The inverse Compton gamma-ray spectrum of the Crab nebula

The observed TeV flux from the Crab can be explained by inverse Compton scattering in the nebula if the average nebular field is indeed approximately equal to 0.0003 G as is predicted by the spectral break between radio and optical. The estimated spectral index at TeV energies also agrees with the observed value. The unpulsed high energy gamma-rays seen by COS-B are not explained by this inverse Compton component but can be explained by synchrotron radiation requiring electrons up to at least 10 exp 16 eV, most likely accelerated at the shock in the pulsar wind. The detection of a spectral depression at about 1 GeV would allow an estimate of the maximum electron energy. The flux estimates also predict the detection of a steady flux of unpulsed UHE gamma-rays from near the shock with sensitive detectors if the field strength increases downstream with increasing radius as is predicted by MHD theory.

De Jager, O. C.↗

A leaf-level spectral library to support high-throughput plant phenotyping: predictive accuracy and model transfer

Abstract Leaf-level hyperspectral reflectance has become an effective tool for high-throughput phenotyping of plant leaf traits due to its rapid, low-cost, multi-sensing, and non-destructive nature. However, collecting samples for model calibration can still be expensive, and models show poor transferability among different datasets. This study had three specific objectives: first, to assemble a large library of leaf hyperspectral data (n=2460) from maize and sorghum; second, to evaluate two machine-learning approaches to estimate nine leaf properties (chlorophyll, thickness, water content, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur); and third, to investigate the usefulness of this spectral library for predicting external datasets (n=445) including soybean and camelina using extra-weighted spiking. Internal cross-validation showed satisfactory performance of the spectral library to estimate all nine traits (mean R2=0.688), with partial least-squares regression outperforming deep neural network models. Models calibrated solely using the spectral library showed degraded performance on external datasets (mean R2=0.159 for camelina, 0.337 for soybean). Models improved significantly when a small portion of external samples (n=20) was added to the library via extra-weighted spiking (mean R2=0.574 for camelina, 0.536 for soybean). The leaf-level spectral library greatly benefits plant physiological and biochemical phenotyping, whilst extra-weight spiking improves model transferability and extends its utility.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Analysis of JPSS J1 VIIRS Polarization Sensitivity Using the NIST T-SIRCUS

The polarization sensitivity of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) J1 Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) measured pre-launch using a broadband source was observed to be larger than expected for many reflective bands. Ray trace modeling predicted that the observed polarization sensitivity was the result of larger diattenuation at the edges of the focal plane filter spectral bandpass. Additional ground measurements were performed using a monochromatic source (the NIST T-SIRCUS) to input linearly polarized light at a number of wavelengths across the bandpass of two VIIRS spectral bands and two scan angles. This work describes the data processing, analysis, and results derived from the T-SIRCUS measurements, comparing them with broadband measurements. Results have shown that the observed degree of linear polarization, when weighted by the sensor's spectral response function, is generally larger on the edges and smaller in the center of the spectral bandpass, as predicted. However, phase angle changes in the center of the bandpass differ between model and measurement. Integration of the monochromatic polarization sensitivity over wavelength produced results consistent with the broadband source measurements, for all cases considered.

reflective bands↗

In-flight radiometric calibration of AVIRIS in 1994

The AVIRIS sensor must be calibrated at the time it measures spectra from the ER-2 airborne platform in order to achieve research and application objectives that are both quantitative and physically based. However, the operational environment inside the Q-bay of the ER-2 at 20 km altitude differs from that in the AVIRIS laboratory with respect to temperature, pressure, vibration, and high-frequency electromagnetic fields. Experiments at surface calibration targets are used in each flight season to confirm the accuracy of AVIRIS in-flight radiometric calibrations. For these experiments, the MODTRAN radiative transfer code is constrained by using in situ measurements to independently predict the upwelling spectral radiance arriving at AVIRIS for a specific calibration target. AVIRIS calibration is validated in flight by comparing the MODTRAN-predicted radiance to the laboratory-calibrated radiance measured by the AVIRIS sensor for the same time over the calibration target. We present radiometric calibration results for the AVIRIS in-flight calibration experiment held at the beginning of the 1994 flight season.

Green, Robert O.↗

Axion Mass Prediction from Adaptive Mesh Refinement Cosmological Lattice Simulations

The quantum chromodynamics (QCD) axion arises as the pseudo-Goldstone mode of a spontaneously broken Abelian Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry. If the scale of PQ symmetry breaking occurs below the inflationary reheat temperature and the domain wall number is unity, then there is a unique axion mass that gives the observed dark matter (DM) abundance. Computing this mass has been the subject of intensive numerical simulations for decades since the mass prediction informs laboratory experiments. Axion strings develop below the PQ symmetry-breaking temperature, and as the string network evolves, it emits axions that go on to become the DM. A key ingredient in the axion mass prediction is the spectral index of axion radiation emitted by the axion strings. We compute this index in this Letter using the most precise and accurate large-scale simulations to date of the axion-string network leveraging adaptive mesh refinement to achieve the precision that would, otherwise, require a static lattice with 262,144 3 lattice sites. We find a scale-invariant axion radiation spectrum to within 1% precision and find no evidence that the spectral index of radiation evolves with time. Accounting for axion production from strings prior to the QCD phase transition leads us to predict that the axion mass should be approximately 𝑚 𝑎 ∈ (45, 65) μ ⁢eV. However, we provide preliminary evidence that axions are produced in greater quantities from the string-domain-wall network collapse during the QCD phase transition, potentially increasing the mass prediction to as much as 300 μ ⁢eV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Remote sensing investigations of wetland biomass and productivity for global biosystems research

Monitoring biomass of wetlands ecosystems can provide information on net primary production and on the chemical and physical status of wetland soils relative to anaerobic microbial transformation of key elements. Multispectral remote sensing techniques successfully estimated macrophytic biomass in wetlands systems. Regression models developed from ground spectral data for predicting Spartina alterniflora biomass over an entire growing season include seasonal variations in biomass density and illumination intensity. An independent set of biomass and spectral data were collected and the standing crop biomass and net primary productivity were estimated. The improved spatial, radiometric and spectral resolution of th LANDSAT-4 Thematic Mapper over the LANDSAT MSS can greatly enhance multispectral techniques for estimating wetlands biomass over large areas. These techniques can provide the biomass data necessary for global ecology studies.

Harkisky, M.↗

Circumstellar dust emission models

We present the wavelength-dependent absorption coefficient K(sub lambda) the scattering coefficient o(sub lambda), the albedo w(sub lambda), and the average cosine of the scattering phase function g(sub lambda) between 0.0912 micrometers and 1000 micrometers for four interstellar medium grain models. These grain models are used in a radiation transfer code to calculate the properties of dust shells surrounding a newly formed O star. For each shell model a distribution of 25 grain sizes and two compositions were used in our calculations. The spectral type of the central star (O6 ZAMS), the geometry (shell), and circumstellar density distribution (constant) are the same in all models, so that different model predictions result entirely from differences in grain properties. For each grain type the models predict the emergent spectral energy distribution with wavelength, the optical depth with wavelength, and the mean dust temperature with distance from the central star. In addition, we find the emitted envelope flux (total flux minus the direct stellar contribution) included within an angular radius theta for several wavelengths between 2.2 micrometers and 100 micrometers. It is found that large differences in the emitted spectrum can occur when grains with different optical constants and size distributions are used.

Wolfire, Mark G.↗