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At least 19 records

Reference Cell Performance and Modeling on a One-Axis Tracking Surface: Preprint

Performance of five silicon-based reference cells is examined on a single-axis tracking surface. The reference cells' output are modeled using one-minute sampled spectral irradiance and reference cell temperature measurements. The model also incorporates spectral responsivity data for the reference cell. The transmission of light through the glazing multiplies the sum over all appropriate wavelengths of temperature adjusted reference cell responsivity times the measured spectral irradiance. Modeled reference cell output is compared with measured reference cell output under clear sky and totally cloudy sky conditions. For each reference cell the ratio of modeled to measured output varies by less than 2% over the year.

modeling↗

Spacecraft preliminary orbit determination using tracking measurements obtained from the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) and the Ground Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network (GSTDN)

In order to validate the operational and computational capabilities of the Preliminary Orbit Determination System (PODS), tests were performed using tracking measurements for several systems including the ERB satellite, the SMM, the STS and Landsat-4. POD procedures are utilized to generate a state vector following an unplanned orbital perturbation or spacecraft maneuver, when an estimation process such as a differential correction orbit determination cannot obtain a solution. Results are presented to demonstrate POD for several situations involving different qualities of a priori target state vectors, data type combinations, data arc lengths, and mixtures of single-TDRS, dual-TDRS, and GSTDN measurements. The system's ability to determine accurately the state vector for the spacecraft and the effectiveness of the solution screening process are discussed. It is shown that PODS is capable of determining a spacecraft vector when differential correction orbit determination processes fail.

Kirschner, S. M.↗

Computer-Vision-Based Vibration Tracking Using a Digital Camera: A Sparse-Optical-Flow-Based Target Tracking Method

Computer-vision-based target tracking is a technology applied to a wide range of research areas, including structural vibration monitoring. However, current target tracking methods suffer from noise in digital image processing. In this paper, a new target tracking method based on the sparse optical flow technique is introduced for improving the accuracy in tracking the target, especially when the target has a large displacement. The proposed method utilizes the Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF (ORB) technique which is based on FAST (Features from Accelerated Segment Test), a feature detector, and BRIEF (Binary Robust Independent Elementary Features), a binary descriptor. ORB maintains a variety of keypoints and combines the multi-level strategy with an optical flow algorithm to search the keypoints with a large motion vector for tracking. Then, an outlier removal method based on Hamming distance and interquartile range (IQR) score is introduced to minimize the error. The proposed target tracking method is verified through a lab experiment—a three-story shear building structure subjected to various harmonic excitations. It is compared with existing sparse-optical-flow-based target tracking methods and target tracking methods based on three other types of techniques, i.e., feature matching, dense optical flow, and template matching. The results show that the performance of target tracking is greatly improved through the use of a multi-level strategy and the proposed outlier removal method. The proposed sparse-optical-flow-based target tracking method achieves the best accuracy compared to other existing target tracking methods.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Multibeam optical apparatus and method for tracking control for an optical disk having a set of tracks

A multitrack optical disk has two or more circular or spiral tracks, which are recorded or played back in simultaneous sets for high data rates. Tracking is accomplished by sets of first and second tracking pads, which lie partially on and partially off the track paths. The amount of inter-track space required to accommodate the track pads is reduced by placing the overlap of the tracking pads in the same inter-track space, and by tracking any additional simultaneous tracks in excess of two by mechanical coupling with the first two.

Reno, Charles W.↗

Solar-Energetic-Particle Track-Production Rates at 1 au: Comparing In-Situ Particle Fluxes with Lunar Sample-Derived Track Densities

Heavy ( Z > 26) solar energetic particles (SEPs) with energies ~1 MeV/nucleon are known to leave visible damage tracks in meteoritic materials. The density of such `solar flare tracks' in lunar and asteroidal samples has been used as a measure of a sample's exposure time to space, yielding critical information on planetary space weathering rates, the dynamics and lifetimes of interplanetary dust grains, and the long-term history of solar particle fluxes. Knowledge of the SEP track accumulation rate in planetary materials at 1 au is critical for properly interpreting observed track densities. Here, we use in-situ particle observations of the 0.50-3.0 MeV/nuc Fe-group SEP ux taken by NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) to calculate a flux of track-inducing particles at 1 au of 6.0 × 10 5 cm -2 yr -1 str -1 . Using the observed energy spectrum of Fe-group SEPs, we find that the depth distribution of SEP-induced damage tracks inferred from ACE measurements matches closely to that recently measured in lunar sample 64455; however, the magnitude of the ACE-inferred rate is approximately 25× higher than that observed in the lunar sample. We discuss several hypotheses for the nature of this discrepancy, including inefficiencies in track formation, thermal annealing of lunar samples, erosion via space weathering processing, and variations in the SEP flux at the Moon, yet find no satisfactory explanation. We encourage further research on both the nature of SEP track formation in meteoritic materials and the flux of Fe-group SEPs at the lunar surface in recent and geologic times to resolve this discrepancy.

Interplanetary dust↗

The Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project (ARTMIP): Quantifying Uncertainties in Atmospheric River Climatology

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are now widely known for their association with high-impact weather events and long-term water supply in many regions. Researchers within the scientific community have developed numerous methods to identify and track of ARs—a necessary step for analyses on gridded data sets, and objective attribution of impacts to ARs. These different methods have been developed to answer specific research questions and hence use different criteria (e.g., geometry, threshold values of key variables, and time dependence). Furthermore, these methods are often employed using different reanalysis data sets, time periods, and regions of interest. The goal of the Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project (ARTMIP) is to understand and quantify uncertainties in AR science that arise due to differences in these methods. This paper presents results for key AR-related metrics based on 20+ different AR identification and tracking methods applied to Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 reanalysis data from January 1980 through June 2017. We show that AR frequency, duration, and seasonality exhibit a wide range of results, while the meridional distribution of these metrics along selected coastal (but not interior) transects are quite similar across methods. Furthermore, methods are grouped into criteria-based clusters, within which the range of results is reduced. AR case studies and an evaluation of individual method deviation from an all-method mean highlight advantages/disadvantages of certain approaches. For example, methods with less (more) restrictive criteria identify more (less) ARs and AR-related impacts. Finally, this paper concludes with a discussion and recommendations for those conducting AR-related research to consider.

Rutz, Jonathan J.↗

Modeling of standing wave RF cavities for tracking through multi-pass energy recovery linac

Short bunches, high current and multiple linac pass are all characteristics of Energy Recovery Linacs (ERLs), which may result in collective effects. They in turn, may affect the beam, degrading its quality, or even yield to instabilities causing a beam loss. To study and mitigate these effects one needs a numerical simulation code, that can take into account both the collective effects, as well as, particular ERL features, such as a multi-turn design that does not reach a steady state or the multiple passages of the beam through Radio-Frequency (RF) cavities at different energies. CODAL [1], a code developed by SOLEIL in collaboration with IJCLab, enables such studies. It is a 6 dimensional (6D) tracking code applying 'kicks' based on the integration of the local Hamiltonian for each element of the lattice. It is also capable of simulating space charge, wakefields and coherent synchrotron radiation. However, to correctly take into account the ERL dynamics, an upgrade had to be made to include the effect of a standing wave RF cavity in 6D. In this paper, we will concentrate on the implementation and benchmarking (with DESY’s tracking code ASTRA [2]) of both the longitudinal and the transverse models (by J.B. Rosenzweig and L. Serafini [3]), which we use to carry out tracking of fully analytical 6D RF cavity.

Bogacz, A.↗

Coincidence Anticipation Timing Responses with Head Tracking and Eye Tracking

Head tracking movements are common in interceptive tasks. The benefits of these movements are unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare coincidence anticipation timing (CAT) responses for a simulated approaching object when the eyes were used in tracking the object and when the head was used in tracking the object.A total of 29 subjects participated. A Bassin Anticipation Timer consisting of a track of sequentially illuminated lights was used to simulate an approaching object at velocities of 223 cm · s -1 to 894 cm · s -1 . Each velocity was used 10 times under 2 conditions. In one condition, subjects were told to turn the eyes with the stimulus. In the other condition, subjects viewed the stimulus through apertures and were told to turn the head with the stimulus. Subjects pushed a button to coincide with illumination of the final light on the track. Signed CAT errors, unsigned CAT errors, and variable CAT errors were compared between the head movement (HM) and eye movement (EM) conditions. No significant differences were noted for the signed errors (mean signed error at 894 cm · s -1 ; 10.3 ± 75.4 ms (HM), -16.1 ± 51.0 ms (EM). However, the unsigned and variable errors were significantly larger at some stimulus velocities in the head movement condition [mean unsigned error at 894 cm · s -1 : 82.6.0 ± 45.9 ms (HM), 59.0 ± 22.4 ms (EM); mean variable error at 894 cm · s -1 ; 78.0 ± 37.8 ms (HM), 49.2 ± 17.1ms (EM)]. DISCUSSION: Head movement did not result in improved CAT performance compared to eye movements. Further work will be required to determine whether these results are generalizable to situations where head tracking is required but apertures are not worn.

Biophysics↗

Preliminary Orbit Determination System (PODS) for Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS)-tracked target Spacecraft using the homotopy continuation method

The Preliminary Orbit Determination System (PODS) provides early orbit determination capability in the Trajectory Computation and Orbital Products System (TCOPS) for a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS)-tracked spacecraft. PODS computes a set of orbit states from an a priori estimate and six tracking measurements, consisting of any combination of TDRSS range and Doppler tracking measurements. PODS uses the homotopy continuation method to solve a set of nonlinear equations, and it is particularly effective for the case when the a priori estimate is not well known. Since range and Doppler measurements produce multiple states in PODS, a screening technique selects the desired state. PODS is executed in the TCOPS environment and can directly access all operational data sets. At the completion of the preliminary orbit determination, the PODS-generated state, along with additional tracking measurements, can be directly input to the differential correction (DC) process to generate an improved state. To validate the computational and operational capabilities of PODS, tests were performed using simulated TDRSS tracking measurements for the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite and using real TDRSS measurements for the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) and the Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) spacecraft. The effects of various measurement combinations, varying arc lengths, and levels of degradation of the a priori state vector on the PODS solutions were considered.

Kirschner, S. M.↗

Sky-Scanning Sun-Tracking Airborne Radiometer (3STAR): Instrument Design, Flight Testing, and Tracking Performance

The Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Airborne Radiometer (3STAR) adapts commercial radiometer technology developed for the ocean color research community to airborne measurement of spectrally resolved solar irradiance and sky radiance. These atmospheric observations are used to derive aerosol optical depth (AOD), supporting localized AOD inputs for atmospheric correction of satellite and airborne data over terrestrial and aquatic (including optically dark) targets. The ability to regionally “tune” atmospheric correction schemes with relevant spatial AOD supports constraining atmospheric correction of remote sensing reflectance. Very wide dynamic range has been achieved for multi-channel band-pass-filter-radiometers originally designed for deployment into the water column. By actively tracking and directly pointing to the Sun, the light attenuation by aerosol particles in the atmospheric column can be quantified. These measurements improve knowledge of atmospheric constituents and the atmospheric corrections required to improve remote sensing capabilities for interpreting reflectance measurements from the Earth surface. 3STAR incorporates a custom Sun-tracking/sky-scanning pointing head, a Sun-tracking camera, and a commercially available, cylindrical, 19-channel radiometer tube assembly. An accurate and responsive mount and tracking system has been developed and certified to NASA and Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) airworthiness standards for deployment into the aircraft slipstream. Ground and flight testing indicate typical tracking errors of less than 0.1 degrees, well within the field of view of the radiometer as required to minimize measurement uncertainty from alignment error. Preliminary AOD measurements compare to within 0.013 with 15 measurements from an Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) Cimel instrument at 500 nm wavelength and low solar angle.

Atmosphere↗

Implementation of ACTS into sPHENIX Track Reconstruction

Abstract sPHENIX is a high energy nuclear physics experiment under construction at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The primary physics goals of sPHENIX are to study the quark-gluon-plasma, as well as the partonic structure of protons and nuclei, by measuring jets, their substructure, and heavy flavor hadrons in $$p$$ p $$+$$ + $$p$$ p , p + Au, and Au + Au collisions. sPHENIX will collect approximately 300 PB of data over three run periods, to be analyzed using available computing resources at BNL; thus, performing track reconstruction in a timely manner is a challenge due to the high occupancy of heavy ion collision events. The sPHENIX experiment has recently implemented the A Common Tracking Software (ACTS) track reconstruction toolkit with the goal of reconstructing tracks with high efficiency and within a computational budget of 5 s per minimum bias event. This paper reports the performance status of ACTS as the default track fitting tool within sPHENIX, including discussion of the first implementation of a time projection chamber geometry within ACTS.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Beyond 4D tracking: using cluster shapes for track seeding

Tracking is one of the most time consuming aspects of event reconstruction at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and its high-luminosity upgrade (HL-LHC). Innovative detector technologies extend tracking to four-dimensions by including timing in the pattern recognition and parameter estimation. However, present and future hardware already have additional information that is largely unused by existing track seeding algorithms. The shape of pixel-clusters provides an additional dimension for track seeding that can significantly reduce the combinatorial challenge of track finding. We use neural networks to show that cluster shapes can reduce significantly the rate of fake combinatorical backgrounds while preserving a high efficiency. We demonstrate this using the information in cluster singlets, doublets and triplets. Numerical results are presented with simulations from the TrackML challenge.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

A one way Doppler tracking system for satellite to satellite tracking

An S-band tracking system employing one way Doppler applicable to the tracking and data relay system (TDRS) was evaluated. This evaluation is limited to the measurement system parameters. The analysis assumes state-of-the-art components such as spacecraft oscillator long term stability of one part in 10 to the 8th power and ground station oscillator stability of one part in 10 to the 11th power. Signal characteristics comparable with the present ranging systems are utilized in the analysis. Predicated upon measurement system parameters, position uncertainties for the low orbiting spacecraft vary from 5 meters to 2 kilometers along track, 4 meters to 1 kilometer cross track, and 1 meter to 180 meters radially depending upon the tracking geometry and the high satellite position and velocity error assumptions.

Bryan, J. W.↗

Application of Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) Differenced One-Way Doppler (DOWD) Tracking Data for Orbit Determination and Station Acquisition Support of User Spacecraft Without TDRS Compatible Transponders

Many spacecraft are launched today with only an omni-directional (omni) antenna and do not have an onboard Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) transponder that is capable of coherently returning a carrier signal through TDRS. Therefore, other means of tracking need to be explored and used to adequately acquire the spacecraft. Differenced One-Way Doppler (DOWD) tracking data are very useful in eliminating the problems associated with the instability of the onboard oscillators when using strictly one-way Doppler data. This paper investigates the TDRS DOWD tracking data received by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) during the launch and early orbit phases for the the Interplanetary Physics Laboratory (WIND) and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-J missions. In particular FDF personnel performed an investigation of the data residuals and made an assessment of the acquisition capabilities of DOWD-based solutions. Comparisons of DOWD solutions with existing data types were performed and analyzed in this study. The evaluation also includes atmospheric editing of the DOWD data and a study of the feasibility of solving for Doppler biases in an attempt to minimize error. Furthermore, by comparing the results from WIND and NOAA-J, an attempt is made to show the limitations involved in using DOWD data for the two different mission profiles. The techniques discussed in this paper benefit the launches of spacecraft that do not have TDRS transponders on board, particularly those launched into a low Earth orbit. The use of DOWD data is a valuable asset to missions which do not have a stable local oscillator to enable high-quality solutions from the one-way/return-link Doppler tracking data.

Olszewski, A. D., Jr.↗

Orbit Determination of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) Mission Using Differenced One-way Doppler (DOWD)Tracking Data from the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS)

Over an approximately 48-hour period from September 26 to 28,2002, the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) mission was intensively supported by the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The TIMED satellite is in a nearly circular low-Earth orbit with a semimajor axis of approximately 7000 km and an inclination of approximately 74 degrees. The objective was to provide TDRSS tracking support for orbit determination (OD) to generate a definitive ephemeris of 24-hour duration or more with a 3-sigma position error no greater than 100 meters, and this tracking campaign was successful. An ephemeris was generated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) personnel using the TDRSS tracking data and was compared with an ephemeris generated by the Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Lab (APL) using TIMED Global Positioning System (GPS) data. Prior to the tracking campaign OD error analysis was performed to justify scheduling the TDRSS support.

Marr, Greg C.↗