Experimentally determining the locations of two astigmatic images for an underwater light source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Pao-Keng; Liu, Jian-You; Ying, Shang-Ping

2015-05-01

Images formed by an underwater object from light rays refracted in the sagittal and tangential planes are located at different positions for an oblique viewing position. The overlapping of these two images from the observer's perspective will thus prevent the image-splitting astigmatism from being directly observable. In this work, we present a heuristic method to experimentally visualize the astigmatism. A point light source is used as an underwater object and the emerging wave front is recorded using a Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor. The wave front is found to deform from a circular paraboloid to an elliptic paraboloid as the viewing position changes from normal to oblique. Using geometric optics, we derive an analytical expression for the image position as a function of the rotating angle of an arm used to carry the wave-front sensor in our experimental setup. The measured results are seen to be in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.

The vibration compensation system for ARGOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, D.; Gaessler, W.; Borelli, J.; Kulas, M.

2011-09-01

For every adaptive optics system telescope vibrations can strongly reduce the performance. This is true for the receiver part of the system i.e. the telescope and wave front sensor part as well as for the transmitter part in the case of a laser guide star system. Especially observations in deep fields observed with a laser guide star system without any tip-tilt star will be greatly spoiled by telescope vibrations. The ARGOS GLAO system actually being built for the LBT aims to implement this kind of mode where wave front correction will rely purely on signals from the laser beacons. To remove the vibrations from the uplink path a vibration compensation system will be installed. This system uses accelerometers to measure the vibrations and corrects their effect with a small fast tip-tilt mirror. The controller of the system is built based on the assumption that the vibrations take place at a few distinct frequencies. Here I present a lab set-up of this system and show first results of the performance.

Fatigue disbonding analysis of wide composite panels by means of Lamb waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michalcová, Lenka; Rechcígel, Lukáš; Bělský, Petr; Kucharský, Pavel

2018-03-01

Guided wave-based monitoring of composite structures plays an important role in the area of structural health monitoring (SHM) of aerospace structures. Adhesively bonded joints have not yet fulfilled current airworthiness requirements; hence, assemblies of carbon fibre-reinforced parts still require mechanical fasteners, and a verified SHM method with reliable disbonding/delamination detection and propagation assessment is needed. This study investigated the disbonding/delamination propagation in adhesively bonded panels using Lamb waves during fatigue tests. Analyses focused on the proper frequency and mode selection, sensor placement and selection of parameter sensitive to the growth of disbonding areas. Piezoelectric transducers placed across the bonded area were used as actuators and sensors. Lamb wave propagation was investigated considering the actual shape of the crack front and the mode of the crack propagation. The actual cracked area was determined by ultrasonic A-scans. A correlation between the crack propagation rate and the A0 mode velocity was found.

Scanning Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molebny, Vasyl V.

2004-09-01

Criss-crossing of focal images is the cause of a narrow dynamic range in Shack-Hartmann sensors. Practically, aberration range wider than +/-3 diopters can not be measured. A method has been proposed for ophthalmologic applications using a rarefied lenslet array through which a wave front is projected with the successive step-by-step changing of the global tilt. The data acquired in each step are accumulated and processed. In experimental setup, a doubled dynamic range was achieved with four steps of wave front tilting.

Iterative wave-front reconstruction in the Fourier domain.

PubMed

Bond, Charlotte Z; Correia, Carlos M; Sauvage, Jean-François; Neichel, Benoit; Fusco, Thierry

2017-05-15

The use of Fourier methods in wave-front reconstruction can significantly reduce the computation time for large telescopes with a high number of degrees of freedom. However, Fourier algorithms for discrete data require a rectangular data set which conform to specific boundary requirements, whereas wave-front sensor data is typically defined over a circular domain (the telescope pupil). Here we present an iterative Gerchberg routine modified for the purposes of discrete wave-front reconstruction which adapts the measurement data (wave-front sensor slopes) for Fourier analysis, fulfilling the requirements of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) and providing accurate reconstruction. The routine is used in the adaptation step only and can be coupled to any other Wiener-like or least-squares method. We compare simulations using this method with previous Fourier methods and show an increase in performance in terms of Strehl ratio and a reduction in noise propagation for a 40×40 SPHERE-like adaptive optics system. For closed loop operation with minimal iterations the Gerchberg method provides an improvement in Strehl, from 95.4% to 96.9% in K-band. This corresponds to ~ 40 nm improvement in rms, and avoids the high spatial frequency errors present in other methods, providing an increase in contrast towards the edge of the correctable band.

Measurement of wave-front aberration in a small telescope remote imaging system using scene-based wave-front sensing

DOEpatents

Poyneer, Lisa A; Bauman, Brian J

2015-03-31

Reference-free compensated imaging makes an estimation of the Fourier phase of a series of images of a target. The Fourier magnitude of the series of images is obtained by dividing the power spectral density of the series of images by an estimate of the power spectral density of atmospheric turbulence from a series of scene based wave front sensor (SBWFS) measurements of the target. A high-resolution image of the target is recovered from the Fourier phase and the Fourier magnitude.

Influence of wave-front sampling in adaptive optics retinal imaging

PubMed Central

Laslandes, Marie; Salas, Matthias; Hitzenberger, Christoph K.; Pircher, Michael

2017-01-01

A wide range of sampling densities of the wave-front has been used in retinal adaptive optics (AO) instruments, compared to the number of corrector elements. We developed a model in order to characterize the link between number of actuators, number of wave-front sampling points and AO correction performance. Based on available data from aberration measurements in the human eye, 1000 wave-fronts were generated for the simulations. The AO correction performance in the presence of these representative aberrations was simulated for different deformable mirror and Shack Hartmann wave-front sensor combinations. Predictions of the model were experimentally tested through in vivo measurements in 10 eyes including retinal imaging with an AO scanning laser ophthalmoscope. According to our study, a ratio between wavefront sampling points and actuator elements of 2 is sufficient to achieve high resolution in vivo images of photoreceptors. PMID:28271004

Sparse aperture differential piston measurements using the pyramid wave-front sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcidiacono, Carmelo; Chen, Xinyang; Yan, Zhaojun; Zheng, Lixin; Agapito, Guido; Wang, Chaoyan; Zhu, Nenghong; Zhu, Liyun; Cai, Jianqing; Tang, Zhenghong

2016-07-01

In this paper we report on the laboratory experiment we settled in the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) to investigate the pyramid wave-front sensor (WFS) ability to measure the differential piston on a sparse aperture. The ultimate goal is to verify the ability of the pyramid WFS work in close loop to perform the phasing of the primary mirrors of a sparse Fizeau imaging telescope. In the experiment we installed on the optical bench we performed various test checking the ability to flat the wave-front using a deformable mirror and to measure the signal of the differential piston on a two pupils setup. These steps represent the background from which we start to perform full close loop operation on multiple apertures. These steps were also useful to characterize the achromatic double pyramids (double prisms) manufactured in the SHAO optical workshop.

Ultrasonic material hardness depth measurement

DOEpatents

Good, M.S.; Schuster, G.J.; Skorpik, J.R.

1997-07-08

The invention is an ultrasonic surface hardness depth measurement apparatus and method permitting rapid determination of hardness depth of shafts, rods, tubes and other cylindrical parts. The apparatus of the invention has a part handler, sensor, ultrasonic electronics component, computer, computer instruction sets, and may include a display screen. The part handler has a vessel filled with a couplant, and a part rotator for rotating a cylindrical metal part with respect to the sensor. The part handler further has a surface follower upon which the sensor is mounted, thereby maintaining a constant distance between the sensor and the exterior surface of the cylindrical metal part. The sensor is mounted so that a front surface of the sensor is within the vessel with couplant between the front surface of the sensor and the part. 12 figs.

Multigrid preconditioned conjugate-gradient method for large-scale wave-front reconstruction.

PubMed

Gilles, Luc; Vogel, Curtis R; Ellerbroek, Brent L

2002-09-01

We introduce a multigrid preconditioned conjugate-gradient (MGCG) iterative scheme for computing open-loop wave-front reconstructors for extreme adaptive optics systems. We present numerical simulations for a 17-m class telescope with n = 48756 sensor measurement grid points within the aperture, which indicate that our MGCG method has a rapid convergence rate for a wide range of subaperture average slope measurement signal-to-noise ratios. The total computational cost is of order n log n. Hence our scheme provides for fast wave-front simulation and control in large-scale adaptive optics systems.

Robust Wave-front Correction in a Small Scale Adaptive Optics System Using a Membrane Deformable Mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Y.; Park, S.; Baik, S.; Jung, J.; Lee, S.; Yoo, J.

A small scale laboratory adaptive optics system using a Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor (WFS) and a membrane deformable mirror (DM) has been built for robust image acquisition. In this study, an adaptive limited control technique is adopted to maintain the long-term correction stability of an adaptive optics system. To prevent the waste of dynamic correction range for correcting small residual wave-front distortions which are inefficient to correct, the built system tries to limit wave-front correction when a similar small difference wave-front pattern is repeatedly generated. Also, the effect of mechanical distortion in an adaptive optics system is studied and a pre-recognition method for the distortion is devised to prevent low-performance system operation. A confirmation process for a balanced work assignment among deformable mirror (DM) actuators is adopted for the pre-recognition. The corrected experimental results obtained by using a built small scale adaptive optics system are described in this paper.

Enhancement of the beam quality of non-uniform output slab laser amplifier with a 39-actuator rectangular piezoelectric deformable mirror.

PubMed

Yang, Ping; Ning, Yu; Lei, Xiang; Xu, Bing; Li, Xinyang; Dong, Lizhi; Yan, Hu; Liu, Wenjing; Jiang, Wenhan; Liu, Lei; Wang, Chao; Liang, Xingbo; Tang, Xiaojun

2010-03-29

We present a slab laser amplifier beam cleanup experimental system based on a 39-actuator rectangular piezoelectric deformable mirror. Rather than use a wave-front sensor to measure distortions in the wave-front and then apply a conjugation wave-front for compensating them, the system uses a Stochastic Parallel Gradient Descent algorithm to maximize the power contained within a far-field designated bucket. Experimental results demonstrate that at the output power of 335W, more than 30% energy concentrates in the 1x diffraction-limited area while the beam quality is enhanced greatly.

Automatic low-order aberrations compensator for a conduction-cooled end-pumped solid-state zigzag slab laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Xin; Dong, Lizhi; Lai, Boheng; Yang, Ping; Wang, Shuai; Wang, Xun; Liu, Yong; Tang, Guomao; Xu, Bing

2017-11-01

In order to solve the problem of large low-order aberrations with solid-state zigzag slab lasers, an automatic compensator has been developed in this paper. In this compensator, three lenses are mounted on a motorized rail, whose positions can be obtained using ray tracing method based on the beam parameters detected by a wave-front sensor. The initial peak to valley (PV) values of the wave-front range up to several tens of microns. Both simulated and experimental results show that the PV values of the wave-front can be reduced to around 1 . 6 μm with the proposed automatic compensator.

Effect of aberrations in human eye on contrast sensitivity function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quan, Wei; Wang, Feng-lin; Wang, Zhao-qi

2011-06-01

The quantitative analysis of the effect of aberrations in human eye on vision has important clinical value in the correction of aberrations. The wave-front aberrations of human eyes were measured with the Hartmann-Shack wave-front sensor and modulation transfer function (MTF) was computed from the wave-front aberrations. Contrast sensitivity function (CSF) was obtained from MTF and the retinal aerial image modulation (AIM). It is shown that the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Zernike aberrations deteriorate contrast sensitivity function. When the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Zernike aberrations are corrected high contrast sensitivity function can be obtained.

Last results of MADRAS, a space active optics demonstrator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laslandes, Marie; Hourtoule, Claire; Hugot, Emmanuel; Ferrari, Marc; Devilliers, Christophe; Liotard, Arnaud; Lopez, Céline; Chazallet, Frédéric

2017-11-01

The goal of the MADRAS project (Mirror Active, Deformable and Regulated for Applications in Space) is to highlight the interest of Active Optics for the next generation of space telescope and instrumentation. Wave-front errors in future space telescopes will mainly come from thermal dilatation and zero gravity, inducing large lightweight primary mirrors deformation. To compensate for these effects, a 24 actuators, 100 mm diameter deformable mirror has been designed to be inserted in a pupil relay. Within the project, such a system has been optimized, integrated and experimentally characterized. The system is designed considering wave-front errors expected in 3m-class primary mirrors, and taking into account space constraints such as compactness, low weight, low power consumption and mechanical strength. Finite Element Analysis allowed an optimization of the system in order to reach a precision of correction better than 10 nm rms. A dedicated test-bed has been designed to fully characterize the integrated mirror performance in representative conditions. The test set up is made of three main parts: a telescope aberrations generator, a correction loop with the MADRAS mirror and a Shack-Hartman wave-front sensor, and PSF imaging. In addition, Fizeau interferometry monitors the optical surface shape. We have developed and characterized an active optics system with a limited number of actuators and a design fitting space requirements. All the conducted tests tend to demonstrate the efficiency of such a system for a real-time, in situ wave-front. It would allow a significant improvement for future space telescopes optical performance while relaxing the specifications on the others components.

A new wave front shape-based approach for acoustic source localization in an anisotropic plate without knowing its material properties.

PubMed

Sen, Novonil; Kundu, Tribikram

2018-07-01

Estimating the location of an acoustic source in a structure is an important step towards passive structural health monitoring. Techniques for localizing an acoustic source in isotropic structures are well developed in the literature. Development of similar techniques for anisotropic structures, however, has gained attention only in the recent years and has a scope of further improvement. Most of the existing techniques for anisotropic structures either assume a straight line wave propagation path between the source and an ultrasonic sensor or require the material properties to be known. This study considers different shapes of the wave front generated during an acoustic event and develops a methodology to localize the acoustic source in an anisotropic plate from those wave front shapes. An elliptical wave front shape-based technique was developed first, followed by the development of a parametric curve-based technique for non-elliptical wave front shapes. The source coordinates are obtained by minimizing an objective function. The proposed methodology does not assume a straight line wave propagation path and can predict the source location without any knowledge of the elastic properties of the material. A numerical study presented here illustrates how the proposed methodology can accurately estimate the source coordinates. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mathematical Methods in Wave Propagation: Part 2--Non-Linear Wave Front Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeffrey, Alan

1971-01-01

The paper presents applications and methods of analysis for non-linear hyperbolic partial differential equations. The paper is concluded by an account of wave front analysis as applied to the piston problem of gas dynamics. (JG)

Study on the Application of an Ultra-High-Frequency Fractal Antenna to Partial Discharge Detection in Switchgears

PubMed Central

Yao, Chenguo; Chen, Pan; Huang, Congjian; Chen, Yu; Qiao, Panpan

2013-01-01

The ultra-high-frequency (UHF) method is used to analyze the insulation condition of electric equipment by detecting the UHF electromagnetic (EM) waves excited by partial discharge (PD). As part of the UHF detection system, the UHF sensor determines the detection system performance in signal extraction and recognition. In this paper, a UHF antenna sensor with the fractal structure for PD detection in switchgears was designed by means of modeling, simulation and optimization. This sensor, with a flat-plate structure, had two resonance frequencies of 583 MHz and 732 MHz. In the laboratory, four kinds of insulation defect models were positioned in the testing switchgear for typical PD tests. The results show that the sensor could reproduce the electromagnetic waves well. Furthermore, to optimize the installation position of the inner sensor for achieving best detection performance, the precise simulation model of switchgear was developed to study the propagation characteristics of UHF signals in switchgear by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. According to the results of simulation and verification test, the sensor should be positioned at the right side of bottom plate in the front cabinet. This research established the foundation for the further study on the application of UHF technique in switchgear PD online detection. PMID:24351641

Characterization of gas targets for laser produced extreme ultraviolet plasmas with a Hartmann-Shack sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peth, Christian; Kranzusch, Sebastian; Mann, Klaus

2004-10-01

A table top extreme ultraviolet (EUV)-source was developed at Laser-Laboratorium Goettingen for the characterization of optical components and sensoric devices in the wavelength region from 11 to 13 nm. EUV radiation is generated by focusing the beam of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser into a pulsed xenon gas jet. Since a directed gas jet with a high number density is needed for an optimal performance of the source, conical nozzles with different cone angles were drilled with an excimer laser to produce a supersonic gas jet. The influence of the nozzle geometry on the gas jet was characterized with a Hartmann-Shackmore » wave front sensor. The deformation of a planar wave front after passing the gas jet was analyzed with this sensor, allowing a reconstruction of the gas density distribution. Thus, the gas jet was optimized resulting in an increase of EUV emission by a factor of two and a decrease of the plasma size at the same time.« less

CIAO: wavefront sensors for GRAVITY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheithauer, Silvia; Brandner, Wolfgang; Deen, Casey; Adler, Tobias; Bonnet, Henri; Bourget, Pierre; Chemla, Fanny; Clenet, Yann; Delplancke, Francoise; Ebert, Monica; Eisenhauer, Frank; Esselborn, Michael; Finger, Gert; Gendron, Eric; Glauser, Adrian; Gonte, Frederic; Henning, Thomas; Hippler, Stefan; Huber, Armin; Hubert, Zoltan; Jakob, Gerd; Jochum, Lieselotte; Jocou, Laurent; Kendrew, Sarah; Klein, Ralf; Kolb, Johann; Kulas, Martin; Laun, Werner; Lenzen, Rainer; Mellein, Marcus; Müller, Eric; Moreno-Ventas, Javier; Neumann, Udo; Oberti, Sylvain; Ott, Jürgen; Pallanca, Laurent; Panduro, Johana; Ramos, Jose; Riquelme, Miguel; Rohloff, Ralf-Rainer; Rousset, Gérard; Schuhler, Nicolas; Suarez, Marcos; Zins, Gerard

2016-07-01

GRAVITY is a second generation near-infrared VLTI instrument that will combine the light of the four unit or four auxiliary telescopes of the ESO Paranal observatory in Chile. The major science goals are the observation of objects in close orbit around, or spiraling into the black hole in the Galactic center with unrivaled sensitivity and angular resolution as well as studies of young stellar objects and evolved stars. In order to cancel out the effect of atmospheric turbulence and to be able to see beyond dusty layers, it needs infrared wave-front sensors when operating with the unit telescopes. Therefore GRAVITY consists of the Beam Combiner Instrument (BCI) located in the VLTI laboratory and a wave-front sensor in each unit telescope Coudé room, thus aptly named Coudé Infrared Adaptive Optics (CIAO). This paper describes the CIAO design, assembly, integration and verification at the Paranal observatory.

Research of centroiding algorithms for extended and elongated spot of sodium laser guide star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Yayun; Zhang, Yudong; Wei, Kai

2016-10-01

Laser guide stars (LGSs) increase the sky coverage of astronomical adaptive optics systems. But spot array obtained by Shack-Hartmann wave front sensors (WFSs) turns extended and elongated, due to the thickness and size limitation of sodium LGS, which affects the accuracy of the wave front reconstruction algorithm. In this paper, we compared three different centroiding algorithms , the Center-of-Gravity (CoG), weighted CoG (WCoG) and Intensity Weighted Centroid (IWC), as well as those accuracies for various extended and elongated spots. In addition, we compared the reconstructed image data from those three algorithms with theoretical results, and proved that WCoG and IWC are the best wave front reconstruction algorithms for extended and elongated spot among all the algorithms.

Measuring seeing with a Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor during an active-optics experiment.

PubMed

Zhang, Yong; Yang, Dehua; Cui, Xiangqun

2004-02-01

We describe the measurement of atmospheric enclosure seeing along a 120-m light path by use of a Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor (S-H WFS) for the first time to our knowledge in the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) outdoor active-optics experiment system, based on the differential image motion method and a S-H WFS. Seeing estimates that were gained with the S-H WFS were analyzed and found to be in close agreement with the actual seeing conditions, the estimates of refractive-index structure constant, and the thin-mirror active optics results, which usually include the shape sensing precision and the active correction precision of the experimental system. Finally, some countermeasures against poor seeing conditions were considered and adopted.

Retina imaging system with adaptive optics for the eye with or without myopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chao; Xia, Mingliang; Jiang, Baoguang; Mu, Quanquan; Chen, Shaoyuan; Xuan, Li

2009-04-01

An adaptive optics system for the retina imaging is introduced in the paper. It can be applied to the eye with myopia from 0 to 6 diopters without any adjustment of the system. A high-resolution liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) device is used as the wave-front corrector. The aberration is detected by a Shack-Harmann wave-front sensor (HASO) that has a Root Mean Square (RMS) measurement accuracy of λ/100 ( λ = 0.633 μm). And an equivalent scale model eye is constructed with a short focal length lens (˜18 mm) and a diffuse reflection object (paper screen) as the retina. By changing the distance between the paper screen and the lens, we simulate the eye with larger diopters than 5 and the depth of field. The RMS value both before and after correction is obtained by the wave-front sensor. After correction, the system reaches the diffraction-limited resolution approximately 230 cycles/mm at the object space. It is proved that if the myopia is smaller than 6 diopters and the depth of field is between -40 and +50 mm, the system can correct the aberration very well.

Characterization of laser-driven shock waves in solids using a fiber optic pressure probe.

PubMed

Cranch, Geoffrey A; Lunsford, Robert; Grün, Jacob; Weaver, James; Compton, Steve; May, Mark; Kostinski, Natalie

2013-11-10

Measurement of laser-driven shock wave pressure in solid blocks of polymethyl methacrylate is demonstrated using fiber optic pressure probes. Three probes based on a fiber Fabry-Perot, fiber Bragg grating, and interferometric fiber tip sensor are tested and compared. Shock waves are generated using a high-power laser focused onto a thin foil target placed in close proximity to the test blocks. The fiber Fabry-Perot sensor appears capable of resolving the shock front with a rise time of 91 ns. The peak pressure is estimated, using a separate shadowgraphy measurement, to be 3.4 GPa.

Layer-oriented simulation tool.

PubMed

Arcidiacono, Carmelo; Diolaiti, Emiliano; Tordi, Massimiliano; Ragazzoni, Roberto; Farinato, Jacopo; Vernet, Elise; Marchetti, Enrico

2004-08-01

The Layer-Oriented Simulation Tool (LOST) is a numerical simulation code developed for analysis of the performance of multiconjugate adaptive optics modules following a layer-oriented approach. The LOST code computes the atmospheric layers in terms of phase screens and then propagates the phase delays introduced in the natural guide stars' wave fronts by using geometrical optics approximations. These wave fronts are combined in an optical or numerical way, including the effects of wave-front sensors on measurements in terms of phase noise. The LOST code is described, and two applications to layer-oriented modules are briefly presented. We have focus on the Multiconjugate adaptive optics demonstrator to be mounted upon the Very Large Telescope and on the Near-IR-Visible Adaptive Interferometer for Astronomy (NIRVANA) interferometric system to be installed on the combined focus of the Large Binocular Telescope.

High-resolution image reconstruction technique applied to the optical testing of ground-based astronomical telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Zhenyu; Lin, Jing; Liu, Zhong

2008-07-01

By study of the classical testing techniques (such as Shack-Hartmann Wave-front Sensor) adopted in testing the aberration of ground-based astronomical optical telescopes, we bring forward two testing methods on the foundation of high-resolution image reconstruction technology. One is based on the averaged short-exposure OTF and the other is based on the Speckle Interferometric OTF by Antoine Labeyrie. Researches made by J.Ohtsubo, F. Roddier, Richard Barakat and J.-Y. ZHANG indicated that the SITF statistical results would be affected by the telescope optical aberrations, which means the SITF statistical results is a function of optical system aberration and the atmospheric Fried parameter (seeing). Telescope diffraction-limited information can be got through two statistics methods of abundant speckle images: by the first method, we can extract the low frequency information such as the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the telescope PSF to estimate the optical quality; by the second method, we can get a more precise description of the telescope PSF with high frequency information. We will apply the two testing methods to the 2.4m optical telescope of the GMG Observatory, in china to validate their repeatability and correctness and compare the testing results with that of the Shack-Hartmann Wave-Front Sensor got. This part will be described in detail in our paper.

GRAAL on the mountaintop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paufique, Jérôme; Madec, Pierre-Yves; Kolb, Johann; Kuntschner, Harald; Argomedo, Javier; Kiekebusch, Mario J.; Donaldson, Robert H.; Arsenault, Robin; Siebenmorgen, Ralf; Soenke, Christian; Tordo, Sebastien; Conzelmann, Ralf D.; Jost, Andreas; Reyes-Moreno, Javier; Downing, Mark; Hibon, Pascale; Valenzuela, Jose Javier; Haguenauer, Pierre

2016-07-01

GRAAL is the adaptive optics module feeding the wide-field IR imager HAWK-I at the VLT observatory. As part of the adaptive optics facility, GRAAL is equipped with 4 Laser-guide star wave-front sensors and provides a large field-of-view, ground layer correction system to HAWK-I. After a successful testing in Europe, the module has been re-assembled in Chile and installed at the Nasmyth-A platform of Yepun, the fourth Unit telescope of the observatory. We report on the installation of GRAAL on the mountain and on its first testing in stand-alone and on-sky.

CASOAR - An infrared active wave front sensor for atmospheric turbulence analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cariou, Jean-Pierre; Dolfi, Agnes

1992-12-01

Knowledge of deformation of every point of a wave front over time allows statistical turbulence parameters to be analyzed, and the definition of real time adaptive optics to be designed. An optical instrumentation was built to meet this need. Integrated in a compact enclosure for experiments on outdoor sites, the CASOAR allows the deformations of a wave front to be measured rapidly (100 Hz) and with accuracy (1 deg). The CASOAR is an active system: it includes its own light source (CW CO2 laser), making it self-contained, self-aligned and insensitive to spurious light rays. After being reflected off a mirror located beyond the atmospheric layer to be analyzed (range of several kilometers), the beam is received and detected by coherent mixing. Electronic phase is converted in optical phase and recorded or displayed in real time on a monitor. Experimental results are shown, pointing out the capabilities of this device.

An ANN-Based Smart Tomographic Reconstructor in a Dynamic Environment

PubMed Central

de Cos Juez, Francisco J.; Lasheras, Fernando Sánchez; Roqueñí, Nieves; Osborn, James

2012-01-01

In astronomy, the light emitted by an object travels through the vacuum of space and then the turbulent atmosphere before arriving at a ground based telescope. By passing through the atmosphere a series of turbulent layers modify the light's wave-front in such a way that Adaptive Optics reconstruction techniques are needed to improve the image quality. A novel reconstruction technique based in Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is proposed. The network is designed to use the local tilts of the wave-front measured by a Shack Hartmann Wave-front Sensor (SHWFS) as inputs and estimate the turbulence in terms of Zernike coefficients. The ANN used is a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) trained with simulated data with one turbulent layer changing in altitude. The reconstructor was tested using three different atmospheric profiles and compared with two existing reconstruction techniques: Least Squares type Matrix Vector Multiplication (LS) and Learn and Apply (L + A). PMID:23012524

Mode Conversion of a Solar Extreme-ultraviolet Wave over a Coronal Cavity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zong, Weiguo; Dai, Yu, E-mail: ydai@nju.edu.cn

2017-01-10

We report on observations of an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave event in the Sun on 2011 January 13 by Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and Solar Dynamics Observatory in quadrature. Both the trailing edge and the leading edge of the EUV wave front in the north direction are reliably traced, revealing generally compatible propagation velocities in both perspectives and a velocity ratio of about 1/3. When the wave front encounters a coronal cavity near the northern polar coronal hole, the trailing edge of the front stops while its leading edge just shows a small gap and extends over the cavity, meanwhile gettingmore » significantly decelerated but intensified. We propose that the trailing edge and the leading edge of the northward propagating wave front correspond to a non-wave coronal mass ejection component and a fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic wave component, respectively. The interaction of the fast-mode wave and the coronal cavity may involve a mode conversion process, through which part of the fast-mode wave is converted to a slow-mode wave that is trapped along the magnetic field lines. This scenario can reasonably account for the unusual behavior of the wave front over the coronal cavity.« less

Characterization of laser-driven shock waves in solids using a fiber optic pressure probe

DOE PAGES

Cranch, Geoffrey A.; Lunsford, Robert; Grun, Jacob; ...

2013-11-08

Measurement of laser-driven shock wave pressure in solid blocks of polymethyl methacrylate is demonstrated using fiber optic pressure probes. Three probes based on a fiber Fabry–Perot, fiber Bragg grating, and interferometric fiber tip sensor are tested and compared. Shock waves are generated using a high-power laser focused onto a thin foil target placed in close proximity to the test blocks. The fiber Fabry–Perot sensor appears capable of resolving the shock front with a rise time of 91 ns. As a result, the peak pressure is estimated, using a separate shadowgraphy measurement, to be 3.4 GPa.

Front-end multiplexing—applied to SQUID multiplexing: Athena X-IFU and QUBIC experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prele, D.

2015-08-01

As we have seen for digital camera market and a sensor resolution increasing to "megapixels", all the scientific and high-tech imagers (whatever the wave length - from radio to X-ray range) tends also to always increases the pixels number. So the constraints on front-end signals transmission increase too. An almost unavoidable solution to simplify integration of large arrays of pixels is front-end multiplexing. Moreover, "simple" and "efficient" techniques allow integration of read-out multiplexers in the focal plane itself. For instance, CCD (Charge Coupled Device) technology has boost number of pixels in digital camera. Indeed, this is exactly a planar technology which integrates both the sensors and a front-end multiplexed readout. In this context, front-end multiplexing techniques will be discussed for a better understanding of their advantages and their limits. Finally, the cases of astronomical instruments in the millimeter and in the X-ray ranges using SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Device) will be described.

STEREO OBSERVATIONS OF FAST MAGNETOSONIC WAVES IN THE EXTENDED SOLAR CORONA ASSOCIATED WITH EIT/EUV WAVES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kwon, Ryun-Young; Ofman, Leon; Kramar, Maxim

2013-03-20

We report white-light observations of a fast magnetosonic wave associated with a coronal mass ejection observed by STEREO/SECCHI/COR1 inner coronagraphs on 2011 August 4. The wave front is observed in the form of density compression passing through various coronal regions such as quiet/active corona, coronal holes, and streamers. Together with measured electron densities determined with STEREO COR1 and Extreme UltraViolet Imager (EUVI) data, we use our kinematic measurements of the wave front to calculate coronal magnetic fields and find that the measured speeds are consistent with characteristic fast magnetosonic speeds in the corona. In addition, the wave front turns outmore » to be the upper coronal counterpart of the EIT wave observed by STEREO EUVI traveling against the solar coronal disk; moreover, stationary fronts of the EIT wave are found to be located at the footpoints of deflected streamers and boundaries of coronal holes, after the wave front in the upper solar corona passes through open magnetic field lines in the streamers. Our findings suggest that the observed EIT wave should be in fact a fast magnetosonic shock/wave traveling in the inhomogeneous solar corona, as part of the fast magnetosonic wave propagating in the extended solar corona.« less

Ultrasonic monitoring of spontaneous imbibition experiments: Acoustic signature of fluid migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

David, Christian; Barnes, Christophe; Desrues, Mathilde; Pimienta, Lucas; Sarout, Joël.; Dautriat, Jérémie

2017-07-01

Capillary rise experiments (spontaneous imbibition tests) were conducted in the laboratory with ultrasonic and X-ray monitoring on the Sherwood sandstone and the Majella grainstone. The aim was to provide a direct comparison between the variation in seismic attributes (amplitude, velocity, spectral content, and energy) and the actual fluid distribution in the rock. Two pairs of ultrasonic P wave sensors located at different heights on a cylindrical rock specimen recorded every 5 s the waveforms when capillary forces make water rise up into the rock from the bottom in contact with a water tank. Simultaneously, computerized tomography scan images of a vertical cross section were also recorded. Two important results were found. (i) The amplitude of the first P wave arrival is impacted by the upward moving fluid front before the P wave velocity is, while the fluid front has not yet reached the sensors level. In contrast, the P wave velocity decreases when the fluid front reaches the Fresnel clearance zone. The spectral analysis of the waveforms shows that the peak frequency amplitude is continuously decreasing without noticeable frequency shift. (ii) A methodology based on the calculation of the analytical signal and instantaneous phase was designed to decompose each waveform into discrete wavelets associated with direct or reflected waves. The energy carried by the wavelets is very sensitive to the fluid substitution process: the coda wavelets related to reflections on the bottom end face of the specimen are impacted as soon as imbibition starts and can be used as a precursor for the arriving fluid.

Fast gradient-based algorithm on extended landscapes for wave-front reconstruction of Earth observation satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiebaut, C.; Perraud, L.; Delvit, J. M.; Latry, C.

2016-07-01

We present an on-board satellite implementation of a gradient-based (optical flows) algorithm for the shifts estimation between images of a Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor on extended landscapes. The proposed algorithm has low complexity in comparison with classical correlation methods which is a big advantage for being used on-board a satellite at high instrument data rate and in real-time. The electronic board used for this implementation is designed for space applications and is composed of radiation-hardened software and hardware. Processing times of both shift estimations and pre-processing steps are compatible of on-board real-time computation.

77 FR 19074 - Airworthiness Directives; DASSAULT AVIATION Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-30

... reports of fuel leakage from a defective fuel high-level sensor located in the wing front spar. This AD requires inspecting to determine fuel quantity sensors part numbers and replacing of certain fuel quantity sensors with new fuel quantity sensors. We are issuing this AD to prevent internal fuel leakage with...

Wave Front Sensor for Solar Concentrator Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

terrestrial-based and space-based. Both types of concentrator can be either imaging or nonimaging and they can be rigid or inflatable. Other...and T is the temperature of the absorber and propellant. In (5), Iin is input intensity with effects of the optical path through the concentrator acting...Hartmann in 1900 and was used for checking optical telescopes for aberrations. It was an array of holes in a plate placed in front of the mirror of

A 0.18 μm biosensor front-end based on 1/f noise, distortion cancelation and chopper stabilization techniques.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Viswanathan; Ruedi, Pierre-Francois; Temiz, Yuksel; Ferretti, Anna; Guiducci, Carlotta; Enz

2013-10-01

This paper presents a novel sensor front-end circuit that addresses the issues of 1/f noise and distortion in a unique way by using canceling techniques. The proposed front-end is a fully differential transimpedance amplifier (TIA) targeted for current mode electrochemical biosensing applications. In this paper, we discuss the architecture of this canceling based front-end and the optimization methods followed for achieving low noise, low distortion performance at minimum current consumption are presented. To validate the employed canceling based front-end, it has been realized in a 0.18 μm CMOS process and the characterization results are presented. The front-end has also been tested as part of a complete wireless sensing system and the cyclic voltammetry (CV) test results from electrochemical sensors are provided. Overall current consumption in the front-end is 50 μA while operating on a 1.8 V supply.

A frequency-sensing readout using piezoelectric sensors for sensing of physiological signals.

PubMed

Buxi, Dilpreet; Redouté, Jean-Michel; Yuce, Mehmet Rasit

2014-01-01

Together with a charge or voltage amplifier, piezoelectric sensors are commonly used to pick up physiological vibrations from the body. As an alternative to chopper or auto-zero amplifiers, frequency sensing is known in literature to provide advantages of noise immunity, interfacing to digital readout systems as well as tunable range of sensing. A frequency-sensing readout circuit for sensing low voltage signals from piezoelectric sensors is successfully developed and tested in this work. The output voltage of a piezoelectric sensor is fed to a varactor, which is part of an Colpitts LC oscillator. The oscillation frequency is converted into a voltage using a phase locked loop. The circuit is compared to a reference design in terms of linearity, noise and transfer function. The readout has a input-referred noise voltage of 2.24μV/√Hz and consumes 15 mA at 5V supply. Arterial pulse wave signals and the cardiac vibrations from the chest are measured from one subject to show the proof of concept of the proposed readout. The results of this work are intended to contribute towards alternative low noise analog front end designs for piezoelectric sensors.

A downslope propagating thermal front over the continental slope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Haren, Hans; Hosegood, Phil J.

2017-04-01

In the ocean, internal frontal bores above sloping topography have many appearances, depending on the local density stratification, and on the angle and source of generation of the carrier wave. However, their common characteristics are a backward breaking wave, strong sediment resuspension, and relatively cool (denser) water moving more or less upslope underneath warm (less dense) water. In this paper, we present a rare example of a downslope moving front of cold water moving over near-bottom warm water. Large backscatter is observed in the downslope moving front's trailing edge, rather than the leading edge as is common in upslope moving fronts. Time series observations have been made during a fortnight in summer, using a 101 m long array of high-resolution temperature sensors moored with an acoustic Doppler current profiler at 396 m depth in near-homogeneous waters, near a small canyon in the continental slope off the Malin shelf (West-Scotland, UK). Occurring between fronts that propagate upslope with tidal periodicity, the rare downslope propagating one resembles a gravity current and includes strong convective turbulence coming from the interior rather than the more usual frictionally generated turbulence arising from interaction with the seabed. Its turbulence is 3-10 times larger than that of more common upslope propagating fronts. As the main turbulence is in the interior with a thin stratified layer close to the bottom, little sediment is resuspended by a downslope propagating front. The downslope propagating front is suggested to be generated by oblique propagation of internal (tidal) waves and flow over a nearby upstream promontory.

THz semiconductor-based front-end receiver technology for space applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehdi, Imran; Siegel, Peter

2004-01-01

Advances in the design and fabrication of very low capacitance planar Schottky diodes and millimeter-wave power amplifiers, more accurate device and circuit models for commercial 3-D electromagnetic simulators, and the availability of both MEMS and high precision metal machining, have enabled RF engineers to extend traditional waveguide-based sensor and source technologies well into the TI-Iz frequency regime. This short paper will highlight recent progress in realizing THz space-qualified receiver front-ends based on room temperature semiconductor devices.

Geometric controls of the flexural gravity waves on the Ross Ice Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sergienko, O. V.

2017-12-01

Long-period ocean waves, formed locally or at distant sources, can reach sub-ice-shelf cavities and excite coupled motion in the cavity and the ice shelf - flexural gravity waves. Three-dimensional numerical simulations of the flexural gravity waves on the Ross Ice Shelf show that propagation of these waves is strongly controlled by the geometry of the system - the cavity shape, its water-column thickness and the ice-shelf thickness. The results of numerical simulations demonstrate that propagation of the waves is spatially organized in beams, whose orientation is determined by the direction of the of the open ocean waves incident on the ice-shelf front. As a result, depending on the beams orientation, parts of the Ross Ice Shelf experience significantly larger flexural stresses compared to other parts where the flexural gravity beams do not propagate. Very long-period waves can propagate farther away from the ice-shelf front exciting flexural stresses in the vicinity of the grounding line.

Oxy-acetylene driven laboratory scale shock tubes for studying blast wave effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courtney, Amy C.; Andrusiv, Lubov P.; Courtney, Michael W.

2012-04-01

This paper describes the development and characterization of modular, oxy-acetylene driven laboratory scale shock tubes. Such tools are needed to produce realistic blast waves in a laboratory setting. The pressure-time profiles measured at 1 MHz using high-speed piezoelectric pressure sensors have relevant durations and show a true shock front and exponential decay characteristic of free-field blast waves. Descriptions are included for shock tube diameters of 27-79 mm. A range of peak pressures from 204 kPa to 1187 kPa (with 0.5-5.6% standard error of the mean) were produced by selection of the driver section diameter and distance from the shock tube opening. The peak pressures varied predictably with distance from the shock tube opening while maintaining both a true blast wave profile and relevant pulse duration for distances up to about one diameter from the shock tube opening. This shock tube design provides a more realistic blast profile than current compression-driven shock tubes, and it does not have a large jet effect. In addition, operation does not require specialized personnel or facilities like most blast-driven shock tubes, which reduces operating costs and effort and permits greater throughput and accessibility. It is expected to be useful in assessing the response of various sensors to shock wave loading; assessing the reflection, transmission, and absorption properties of candidate armor materials; assessing material properties at high rates of loading; assessing the response of biological materials to shock wave exposure; and providing a means to validate numerical models of the interaction of shock waves with structures. All of these activities have been difficult to pursue in a laboratory setting due in part to lack of appropriate means to produce a realistic blast loading profile.

Spatially Extended Relativistic Particles Out of Traveling Front Solutions of Sine-Gordon Equation in (1+2) Dimensions

PubMed Central

Zarmi, Yair

2016-01-01

Slower-than-light multi-front solutions of the Sine-Gordon in (1+2) dimensions, constructed through the Hirota algorithm, are mapped onto spatially localized structures, which emulate free, spatially extended, massive relativistic particles. A localized structure is an image of the junctions at which the fronts intersect. It propagates together with the multi-front solution at the velocity of the latter. The profile of the localized structure obeys the linear wave equation in (1+2) dimensions, to which a term that represents interaction with a slower-than-light, Sine-Gordon-multi-front solution has been added. This result can be also formulated in terms of a (1+2)-dimensional Lagrangian system, in which the Sine-Gordon and wave equations are coupled. Expanding the Euler-Lagrange equations in powers of the coupling constant, the zero-order part of the solution reproduces the (1+2)-dimensional Sine-Gordon fronts. The first-order part is the spatially localized structure. PACS: 02.30.Ik, 03.65.Pm, 05.45.Yv, 02.30.Ik. PMID:26930077

Detonation suppression in hydrogen-air mixtures using porous coatings on the walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bivol, G. Yu.; Golovastov, S. V.; Golub, V. V.

2018-05-01

We considered the problem of detonation suppression and weakening of blast wave effects occurring during the combustion of hydrogen-air mixtures in confined spaces. The gasdynamic processes during combustion of hydrogen, an alternative environmentally friendly fuel, were also considered. Detonation decay and flame propagation in hydrogen-air mixtures were experimentally investigated in rectangular cross-section channels with solid walls and two types of porous coatings: steel wool and polyurethane foam. Shock wave pressure dynamics inside the section with porous coating were studied using pressure sensors; flame front propagation was studied using photodiodes and high-speed camera visualization. For all mixtures, the detonation wave formed before entering the section with porous coating. For both porous materials, the steady detonation wave decoupled in the porous section of the channel into a shock wave and flame front propagating with a velocity around the Chapman-Jouguet acoustic velocity. By the end of the porous section, shock wave pressure reductions of 70 and 85% were achieved for the polyurethane foam and steel wool, respectively. The dependence of the flame velocity on the mixture composition (equivalence ratio) is presented.

Anti-aliasing Wiener filtering for wave-front reconstruction in the spatial-frequency domain for high-order astronomical adaptive-optics systems.

PubMed

Correia, Carlos M; Teixeira, Joel

2014-12-01

Computationally efficient wave-front reconstruction techniques for astronomical adaptive-optics (AO) systems have seen great development in the past decade. Algorithms developed in the spatial-frequency (Fourier) domain have gathered much attention, especially for high-contrast imaging systems. In this paper we present the Wiener filter (resulting in the maximization of the Strehl ratio) and further develop formulae for the anti-aliasing (AA) Wiener filter that optimally takes into account high-order wave-front terms folded in-band during the sensing (i.e., discrete sampling) process. We employ a continuous spatial-frequency representation for the forward measurement operators and derive the Wiener filter when aliasing is explicitly taken into account. We further investigate and compare to classical estimates using least-squares filters the reconstructed wave-front, measurement noise, and aliasing propagation coefficients as a function of the system order. Regarding high-contrast systems, we provide achievable performance results as a function of an ensemble of forward models for the Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor (using sparse and nonsparse representations) and compute point-spread-function raw intensities. We find that for a 32×32 single-conjugated AOs system the aliasing propagation coefficient is roughly 60% of the least-squares filters, whereas the noise propagation is around 80%. Contrast improvements of factors of up to 2 are achievable across the field in the H band. For current and next-generation high-contrast imagers, despite better aliasing mitigation, AA Wiener filtering cannot be used as a standalone method and must therefore be used in combination with optical spatial filters deployed before image formation actually takes place.

Millimeter wave front-end figure of merit, part 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silberman, Gabriel G.

1995-09-01

This report presents a practical approach for defining and calculating a meaningful figure of merit for frequency modulated continuous wave radar systems with separate receive and transmit (bistatic) antennas.

Characterization of optical turbulence in a jet engine exhaust with Shack-Hartmenn wavefront sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deron, R.; Mendez, F.

2008-10-01

Airborne laser countermeasure applications (DIRCM) are hampered by the turbulence of jet engine exhaust. The effects of this source of perturbation on optical propagation have still to be documented and analyzed in order to get a better insight into the different mechanisms of the plume perturbations and also to validate CFD/LES codes. For that purpose, wave front sensing has been used as a non-intrusive optical technique to provide unsteady and turbulent optical measurements through a plume of a jet engine installed at a fixed point on the ground. The experiment has been implemented in October 2007 along with other optical measuring techniques at Volvo Aero Corporation (Trollhättan, Sweden). This study is part of a European research programme dealing with DIRCM issues. The Shack- Hartmann (SH) wave front sensing technique was employed. It consisted of 64 x 64 lenslets coupled to a 1024x1024 pixel Dalsa CCD sensor working at a sampling rate of 40 Hz. A 15 ns pulsed laser synchronized with the SH sensor enabled "freezing" turbulence in each SH image. The ability of the technique to substract a reference permitted a simple calibration procedure to ensure accurate and reliable measurements despite vibration environment. Instantaneous phases are reconstructed using Fourier techniques so as to obtain a better spatial resolution against turbulent effects. Under any given plume condition, overall tilt aberration prevails. Phase power spectra derived from phase statistics are drawn according to the plume main axis and to normal axis. They compare favorably well to the decaying Kolmogorov power law on a useful high spatial frequency range. Averaged phases are also decomposed into Zernike polynomials to analyze optical mode behavior according to engine status and to plume abscissa. With overall tilt removed, turbulent DSP's amplitude drops by a factor of 30 to 40 and mean aberrations by a factor of 10 from an abscissa 1 meter to another 3.5 meters away from the engine nozzle, due to quite different turbulent conditions.

Multifunctional millimeter-wave radar system for helicopter safety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goshi, Darren S.; Case, Timothy J.; McKitterick, John B.; Bui, Long Q.

2012-06-01

A multi-featured sensor solution has been developed that enhances the operational safety and functionality of small airborne platforms, representing an invaluable stride toward enabling higher-risk, tactical missions. This paper demonstrates results from a recently developed multi-functional sensor system that integrates a high performance millimeter-wave radar front end, an evidence grid-based integration processing scheme, and the incorporation into a 3D Synthetic Vision System (SVS) display. The front end architecture consists of a w-band real-beam scanning radar that generates a high resolution real-time radar map and operates with an adaptable antenna architecture currently configured with an interferometric capability for target height estimation. The raw sensor data is further processed within an evidence grid-based integration functionality that results in high-resolution maps in the region surrounding the platform. Lastly, the accumulated radar results are displayed in a fully rendered 3D SVS environment integrated with local database information to provide the best representation of the surrounding environment. The integrated system concept will be discussed and initial results from an experimental flight test of this developmental system will be presented. Specifically, the forward-looking operation of the system demonstrates the system's ability to produce high precision terrain mapping with obstacle detection and avoidance capability, showcasing the system's versatility in a true operational environment.

3D structure and kinematics characteristics of EUV wave front

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podladchikova, T.; Veronig, A.; Dissauer, K.

2017-12-01

We present 3D reconstructions of EUV wave fronts using multi-point observations from the STEREO-A and STEREO-B spacecraft. EUV waves are large-scale disturbances in the solar corona that are initiated by coronal mass ejections, and are thought to be large-amplitude fast-mode MHD waves or shocks. The aim of our study is to investigate the dynamic evolution of the 3D structure and wave kinematics of EUV wave fronts. We study the events on December 7, 2007 and February 13, 2009 using data from the STEREO/EUVI-A and EUVI-B instruments in the 195 Å filter. The proposed approach is based on a complementary combination of epipolar geometry of stereo vision and perturbation profiles. We propose two different solutions to the matching problem of the wave crest on images from the two spacecraft. One solution is suitable for the early and maximum stage of event development when STEREO-A and STEREO-B see the different facets of the wave, and the wave crest is clearly outlined. The second one is applicable also at the later stage of event development when the wave front becomes diffuse and is faintly visible. This approach allows us to identify automatically the segments of the diffuse front on pairs of STEREO-A and STEREO-B images and to solve the problem of identification and matching of the objects. We find that the EUV wave observed on December 7, 2007 starts with a height of 30-50 Mm, sharply increases to a height of 100-120 Mm about 10 min later, and decreases to 10-20 Mm in the decay phase. Including the 3D evolution of the EUV wave front allowed us to correct the wave kinematics for projection and changing height effects. The velocity of the wave crest (V=215-266 km/s) is larger than the trailing part of the wave pulse (V=103-163 km/s). For the February 9, 2009 event, the upward movement of the wave crest shows an increase from 20 to 100 Mm over a period of 30 min. The velocity of wave crest reaches values of 208-211 km/s.

Effect of Protective Devices on Brain Trauma Mechanics Under Idealized Shock Wave Loading

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-29

shots was taken 1.5” from the open end. Although the incident pressure measured for both D1 and D2 are similar, the pressure experienced by the head...of the free field shock wave pushing up and underneath the helmet brim , as indicated in the Figure 12. Figure 11 comparisons of (a) maximum...head form and potential shockwave interactions. Blue square indicates location of sensor 1 with respect to the brim of the helmet. The shock fronts

Wavefront image sensor chip

PubMed Central

Cui, Xiquan; Ren, Jian; Tearney, Guillermo J.; Yang, Changhuei

2010-01-01

We report the implementation of an image sensor chip, termed wavefront image sensor chip (WIS), that can measure both intensity/amplitude and phase front variations of a light wave separately and quantitatively. By monitoring the tightly confined transmitted light spots through a circular aperture grid in a high Fresnel number regime, we can measure both intensity and phase front variations with a high sampling density (11 µm) and high sensitivity (the sensitivity of normalized phase gradient measurement is 0.1 mrad under the typical working condition). By using WIS in a standard microscope, we can collect both bright-field (transmitted light intensity) and normalized phase gradient images. Our experiments further demonstrate that the normalized phase gradient images of polystyrene microspheres, unstained and stained starfish embryos, and strongly birefringent potato starch granules are improved versions of their corresponding differential interference contrast (DIC) microscope images in that they are artifact-free and quantitative. Besides phase microscopy, WIS can benefit machine recognition, object ranging, and texture assessment for a variety of applications. PMID:20721059

MIMIC For Millimeter Wave Integrated Circuit Radars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seashore, C. R.

1987-09-01

A significant program is currently underway in the U.S. to investigate, develop and produce a variety of GaAs analog circuits for use in microwave and millimeter wave sensors and systems. This represents a "new wave" of RF technology which promises to significantly change system engineering thinking relative to RF Architectures. At millimeter wave frequencies, we look forward to a relatively high level of critical component integration based on MESFET and HEMT device implementations. These designs will spawn more compact RF front ends with colocated antenna/transceiver functions and innovative packaging concepts which will survive and function in a typical military operational environment which includes challenging temperature, shock and special handling requirements.

Non-filamentated ultra-intense and ultra-short pulse fronts in three-dimensional Raman seed amplification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehmann, G.; Spatschek, K. H.

Ultra-intense and ultra-short laser pulses may be generated up to the exawatt-zetawatt regime due to parametric processes in plasmas. The minimization of unwanted plasma processes leads to operational limits which are discussed here with respect to filamentation. Transverse filamentation, which originally was derived for plane waves, is being investigated for seed pulse propagation in the so called π-pulse limit. A three-dimensional (3D) three-wave-interaction model is the basis of the present investigation. To demonstrate the applicability of the three-wave-interaction model, the 1D pulse forms are compared with those obtained from 1D particle in cell and Vlasov simulations. Although wave-breaking may occur,more » the kinetic simulations show that the leading pumped pulse develops a form similar to that obtained from the three-wave-interaction model. In the main part, 2D and 3D filamentation processes of (localized) pulses are investigated with the three-wave-interaction model. It is shown that the leading pulse front can stay filamentation-free, whereas the rear parts show transverse modulations.« less

Fiber optic sensor employing successively destroyed coupled points or reflectors for detecting shock wave speed and damage location

DOEpatents

Weiss, Jonathan D.

1995-01-01

A shock velocity and damage location sensor providing a means of measuring shock speed and damage location. The sensor consists of a long series of time-of-arrival "points" constructed with fiber optics. The fiber optic sensor apparatus measures shock velocity as the fiber sensor is progressively crushed as a shock wave proceeds in a direction along the fiber. The light received by a receiving means changes as time-of-arrival points are destroyed as the sensor is disturbed by the shock. The sensor may comprise a transmitting fiber bent into a series of loops and fused to a receiving fiber at various places, time-of-arrival points, along the receiving fibers length. At the "points" of contact, where a portion of the light leaves the transmitting fiber and enters the receiving fiber, the loops would be required to allow the light to travel backwards through the receiving fiber toward a receiving means. The sensor may also comprise a single optical fiber wherein the time-of-arrival points are comprised of reflection planes distributed along the fibers length. In this configuration, as the shock front proceeds along the fiber it destroys one reflector after another. The output received by a receiving means from this sensor may be a series of downward steps produced as the shock wave destroys one time-of-arrival point after another, or a nonsequential pattern of steps in the event time-of-arrival points are destroyed at any point along the sensor.

Fiber optic sensor employing successively destroyed coupled points or reflectors for detecting shock wave speed and damage location

DOEpatents

Weiss, J.D.

1995-08-29

A shock velocity and damage location sensor providing a means of measuring shock speed and damage location is disclosed. The sensor consists of a long series of time-of-arrival ``points`` constructed with fiber optics. The fiber optic sensor apparatus measures shock velocity as the fiber sensor is progressively crushed as a shock wave proceeds in a direction along the fiber. The light received by a receiving means changes as time-of-arrival points are destroyed as the sensor is disturbed by the shock. The sensor may comprise a transmitting fiber bent into a series of loops and fused to a receiving fiber at various places, time-of-arrival points, along the receiving fibers length. At the ``points`` of contact, where a portion of the light leaves the transmitting fiber and enters the receiving fiber, the loops would be required to allow the light to travel backwards through the receiving fiber toward a receiving means. The sensor may also comprise a single optical fiber wherein the time-of-arrival points are comprised of reflection planes distributed along the fibers length. In this configuration, as the shock front proceeds along the fiber it destroys one reflector after another. The output received by a receiving means from this sensor may be a series of downward steps produced as the shock wave destroys one time-of-arrival point after another, or a nonsequential pattern of steps in the event time-of-arrival points are destroyed at any point along the sensor. 6 figs.

Smart walking stick for blind people: an application of 3D printer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikbal, Md. Allama; Rahman, Faidur; Ali, Md. Ripon; Kabir, M. Hasnat; Furukawa, Hidemitsu

2017-04-01

A prototype of the smart walking stick has been designed and characterized for the people who are visually impaired. In this study, it was considered that the proposed system will alert visuallyimpaired people over the obstacles which are in front of blind people as well as the obstacles of the street such as a manhole, when the blind people are walking in the street. The proposed system was designed in two stages, i.e. hardware and software which makes the system as a complete prototype. Three ultrasonic sonar sensors were used to detect in front obstacle and street surface obstacle such as manhole. Basically the sensor transmits an electromagnetic wave which travels toward the obstacle and back to the sensor receiver. The distance between the sensor and the obstacle is calculated from the received signal. The calculated distance value is compared with the pre-defined value and determines whether the obstacle is present or not. The 3D CAD software was used to design the sensor holder. An Up-Mini 3D printer was used to print the sensor holders which were mounted on the walking stick. Therefore, the sensors were fixed in the right position. Another sensor was used for the detecting the water on the walking street. The performance for detecting the obstacles and water indicate the merit of smart walking stick.

Ocular aberrations with ray tracing and Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensors: Does polarization play a role?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcos, Susana; Diaz-Santana, Luis; Llorente, Lourdes; Dainty, Chris

2002-06-01

Ocular aberrations were measured in 71 eyes by using two reflectometric aberrometers, employing laser ray tracing (LRT) (60 eyes) and a Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor (S-H) (11 eyes). In both techniques a point source is imaged on the retina (through different pupil positions in the LRT or a single position in the S-H). The aberrations are estimated by measuring the deviations of the retinal spot from the reference as the pupil is sampled (in LRT) or the deviations of a wave front as it emerges from the eye by means of a lenslet array (in the S-H). In this paper we studied the effect of different polarization configurations in the aberration measurements, including linearly polarized light and circularly polarized light in the illuminating channel and sampling light in the crossed or parallel orientations. In addition, completely depolarized light in the imaging channel was obtained from retinal lipofuscin autofluorescence. The intensity distribution of the retinal spots as a function of entry (for LRT) or exit pupil (for S-H) depends on the polarization configuration. These intensity patterns show bright corners and a dark area at the pupil center for crossed polarization, an approximately Gaussian distribution for parallel polarization and a homogeneous distribution for the autofluorescence case. However, the measured aberrations are independent of the polarization states. These results indicate that the differences in retardation across the pupil imposed by corneal birefringence do not produce significant phase delays compared with those produced by aberrations, at least within the accuracy of these techniques. In addition, differences in the recorded aerial images due to changes in polarization do not affect the aberration measurements in these reflectometric aberrometers.

Development and Realization of a Shock Wave Test on Expert Flap Qualification Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Fruytier, C.; Dell'Orco, F.; Ullio, R.; Gomiero, F.

2012-07-01

This paper presents the methodology and the results of the shock test campaign conducted by TAS-I and TAS ETCA to qualify the EXPERT Flap in regards of shock wave and acoustic load generated by pyrocord detonation at stages 2/3 separation phase of the EXPERT vehicle. The design concept of the open flap (manufactured by MT AEROSPACE) is a fully integral manufactured, four sided control surface, with an additional stiffening rib and flanges to meet the first eigenfrequency and the allowable deformation requirement with a minimum necessary mass. The objectives were to reproduce equivalent loading at test article level in terms of pulse duration, front pressure, front velocity and acoustic emission. The Thales Alenia Space ETCA pyrotechnic shock test device is usually used to produce high level shocks by performing a shock on a test fixture supporting the unit under test. In this case, the facility has been used to produce a shock wave, with different requested physical characteristics, directed to the unit under test. Different configurations have been tried on a dummy of the unit to test, following an empirical process. This unusual work has lead to the definition of a nominal set- up meeting the requested physical parameters. Two blast sensors have been placed to acquire the pressure around the flap. The distance between the two sensors has allowed estimating the front pressure velocity. Then, several locations have been selected to acquire the acceleration responses on the unit when it was submitted to this environment. Additionally, a “standard” shock test has been performed on this model. The qualification of the flap, in regards of shock environment, has been successfully conducted.

Ultrafast Fiber Bragg Grating Interrogation for Sensing in Detonation and Shock Wave Experiments.

PubMed

Rodriguez, George; Gilbertson, Steve M

2017-01-27

Chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) sensors coupled to high speed interrogation systems are described as robust diagnostic approaches to monitoring shock wave and detonation front propagation tracking events for use in high energy density shock physics applications. Taking advantage of the linear distributed spatial encoding of the spectral band in single-mode CFBGs, embedded fiber systems and associated photonic interrogation methodologies are shown as an effective approach to sensing shock and detonation-driven loading processes along the CFBG length. Two approaches, one that detects spectral changes in the integrated spectrum of the CFBG and another coherent pulse interrogation approach that fully resolves its spectral response, shows that 100-MHz-1-GHz interrogation rates are possible with spatial resolution along the CFBG in the 50 µm to sub-millimeter range depending on the combination of CFBG parameters (i.e., length, chirp rate, spectrum) and interrogator design specifics. Results from several dynamic tests are used to demonstrate the performance of these high speed systems for shock and detonation propagation tracking under strong and weak shock pressure loading: (1) linear detonation front tracking in the plastic bonded explosive (PBX) PBX-9501; (2) tracking of radial decaying shock with crossover to non-destructive CFBG response; (3) shock wave tracking along an aluminum cylinder wall under weak loading accompanied by dynamic strain effects in the CFBG sensor.

Ultrafast Fiber Bragg Grating Interrogation for Sensing in Detonation and Shock Wave Experiments

PubMed Central

Rodriguez, George; Gilbertson, Steve M.

2017-01-01

Chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) sensors coupled to high speed interrogation systems are described as robust diagnostic approaches to monitoring shock wave and detonation front propagation tracking events for use in high energy density shock physics applications. Taking advantage of the linear distributed spatial encoding of the spectral band in single-mode CFBGs, embedded fiber systems and associated photonic interrogation methodologies are shown as an effective approach to sensing shock and detonation-driven loading processes along the CFBG length. Two approaches, one that detects spectral changes in the integrated spectrum of the CFBG and another coherent pulse interrogation approach that fully resolves its spectral response, shows that 100-MHz–1-GHz interrogation rates are possible with spatial resolution along the CFBG in the 50 μm to sub-millimeter range depending on the combination of CFBG parameters (i.e., length, chirp rate, spectrum) and interrogator design specifics. Results from several dynamic tests are used to demonstrate the performance of these high speed systems for shock and detonation propagation tracking under strong and weak shock pressure loading: (1) linear detonation front tracking in the plastic bonded explosive (PBX) PBX-9501; (2) tracking of radial decaying shock with crossover to non-destructive CFBG response; (3) shock wave tracking along an aluminum cylinder wall under weak loading accompanied by dynamic strain effects in the CFBG sensor. PMID:28134819

Ultrafast Fiber Bragg Grating Interrogation for Sensing in Detonation and Shock Wave Experiments

DOE PAGES

Rodriguez, George; Gilbertson, Steve Michael

2017-01-27

Chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) sensors coupled to high speed interrogation systems are described as robust diagnostic approaches to monitoring shock wave and detonation front propagation tracking events for use in high energy density shock physics applications. Taking advantage of the linear distributed spatial encoding of the spectral band in single-mode CFBGs, embedded fiber systems and associated photonic interrogation methodologies are shown as an effective approach to sensing shock and detonation-driven loading processes along the CFBG length. Two approaches, one that detects spectral changes in the integrated spectrum of the CFBG and another coherent pulse interrogation approach that fully resolvesmore » its spectral response, shows that 100-MHz–1-GHz interrogation rates are possible with spatial resolution along the CFBG in the 50 µm to sub-millimeter range depending on the combination of CFBG parameters (i.e., length, chirp rate, spectrum) and interrogator design specifics. In conclusion, results from several dynamic tests are used to demonstrate the performance of these high speed systems for shock and detonation propagation tracking under strong and weak shock pressure loading: (1) linear detonation front tracking in the plastic bonded explosive (PBX) PBX-9501; (2) tracking of radial decaying shock with crossover to non-destructive CFBG response; (3) shock wave tracking along an aluminum cylinder wall under weak loading accompanied by dynamic strain effects in the CFBG sensor.« less

Thirty Meter Telescope narrow-field infrared adaptive optics system real-time controller prototyping results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Malcolm; Kerley, Dan; Chapin, Edward L.; Dunn, Jennifer; Herriot, Glen; Véran, Jean-Pierre; Boyer, Corinne; Ellerbroek, Brent; Gilles, Luc; Wang, Lianqi

2016-07-01

Prototyping and benchmarking was performed for the Real-Time Controller (RTC) of the Narrow Field InfraRed Adaptive Optics System (NFIRAOS). To perform wavefront correction, NFIRAOS utilizes two deformable mirrors (DM) and one tip/tilt stage (TTS). The RTC receives wavefront information from six Laser Guide Star (LGS) Shack- Hartmann WaveFront Sensors (WFS), one high-order Natural Guide Star Pyramid WaveFront Sensor (PWFS) and multiple low-order instrument detectors. The RTC uses this information to determine the commands to send to the wavefront correctors. NFIRAOS is the first light AO system for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The prototyping was performed using dual-socket high performance Linux servers with the real-time (PREEMPT_RT) patch and demonstrated the viability of a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware approach to large scale AO reconstruction. In particular, a large custom matrix vector multiplication (MVM) was benchmarked which met the required latency requirements. In addition all major inter-machine communication was verified to be adequate using 10Gb and 40Gb Ethernet. The results of this prototyping has enabled a CPU-based NFIRAOS RTC design to proceed with confidence and that COTS hardware can be used to meet the demanding performance requirements.

Evaluation of thin discontinuities in planar conducting materials using the diffraction of electromagnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savin, A.; Novy, F.; Fintova, S.; Steigmann, R.

2017-08-01

The current stage of nondestructive evaluation techniques imposes the development of new electromagnetic (EM) methods that are based on high spatial resolution and increased sensitivity. In order to achieve high performance, the work frequencies must be either radifrequencies or microwaves. At these frequencies, at the dielectric/conductor interface, plasmon polaritons can appear, propagating between conductive regions as evanescent waves. In order to use the evanescent wave that can appear even if the slits width is much smaller that the wavwelength of incident EM wave, a sensor with metamaterial (MM) is used. The study of the EM field diffraction against the edge of long thin discontinuity placed under the inspected surface of a conductive plate has been performed using the geometrical optics principles. This type of sensor having the reception coils shielded by a conductive screen with a circular aperture placed in the front of reception coil of emission reception sensor has been developed and “transported” information for obtaining of magnified image of the conductive structures inspected. This work presents a sensor, using MM conical Swiss roll type that allows the propagation of evanescent waves and the electromagnetic images are magnified. The test method can be successfully applied in a variety of applications of maxim importance such as defect/damage detection in materials used in automotive and aviation technologies. Applying this testing method, spatial resolution can be improved.

Development of a Pyramid Wave-front Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Hadi, Kacem; Vignaux, Mael; Fusco, Thierry

2013-12-01

Within the framework of the E-ELT studies, several laboratories are involved on some instruments: HARMONY with its ATLAS adaptive optics [AO] system, EAGLE or EPICS. Most of the AO systems will probably integrate one or several pyramidal wavefront sensors, PWFS (R. Ragazzoni [1]). The coupling in an AO loop and the control in laboratory (then on sky) of this type of sensor is fundamental for the continuation of the projects related to OA systems on the E-ELT. LAM (Laboratory of Astrophysics of Marseille) is involved in particular in the VLT-SPHERE, ATLAS, EPICS projects. For the last few years, our laboratory has been carrying out different R&D activities in AO instrumentation for ELTs. An experimental AO bench is designed and being developed to allow the validation of new wave-front sensing and control concepts [2]. One the objectives of this bench, is the experimental validation of a pyramid WFS. Theoretical investigations on its behavior have been already made. The world's fastest and most sensitive camera system (OCAM2) has been recently developed at LAM (J.L Gach [3], First Light Imaging). Conjugating this advantage with the pyramid concept, we plan to demonstrate a home made Pyramid sensor for Adaptive Optics whose the speed and the precision are the key points. As a joint collaboration with ONERA and Shaktiware, our work aims at the optimization (measurement process, calibration and operation) in laboratory then on the sky of a pyramid sensor dedicated to the first generation instruments for ELTs. The sensor will be implemented on the ONERA ODISSEE AO bench combining thus a pyramid and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors. What would give the possibility to compare strictly these two WFS types and make this bench unique in France and even in Europe. Experimental work on laboratory demonstration is undergoing. The status of our development will presented at the conference.

Managing piezoelectric sensor jitter: kinematic position tracking applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khomo, Malome T.

2016-02-01

Piezo-acoustic distance tracking sensors have challenges of reporting true distance readings. Challenges include directional anisotropy signal loss in transmission power and in receiver sensitivity, distance-related attenuation of signal and the phase shifts that result in jittery values, some preceding, and others succeeding the expected distance readings. There also exist signal time losses arising from dead time associated with processor latency, with carrier signal pulse length and with voltage rise-time delays in pulse detection. Together these factors cause distance under-reporting, and more critically, makes each reported value uncertain, which is unacceptable in distance-critical applications. Piezo-inertial accelerometers have equivalent if not more severe challenges in tri-axial configurations, for instance where a rotational tilt may happen under linear accelerative force. In the absence of tensor component adaptation to change of orientation, signal is lost until the next axial sensor detects it. Study paper focusses on piezo-acoustic transducers UCD1007 and 400SR160 (40kHz), used in a face-to-face configuration over a 600mm range. Within that range 10 successive phase shift wave fronts were identified, but it took 15 reconstructed wave fronts to uniquely identify a continuous end-to-end jitter-free and slippage-free kinematic data stream from the jittery sensor data. The additional 5 degrees of freedom were consumed by the 5-stage filter applied. The technique has remarkable combinatorial and projective geometry implications for digital sensor design. It is possible for the procedure to be applicable in 3-axis accelerometers and adapted into firmware for truly kinematic device driver interfaces so long as the reporting rates are matched with the user interface refresh rates. It is shown that acoustic transducer sensors require phase loop locking for kinematic continuity whereas gravimetric accelerometers demand better measurement time consistence in sensor values for induced kinematic phase locking.

Null geodesics and wave front singularities in the Gödel space-time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kling, Thomas P.; Roebuck, Kevin; Grotzke, Eric

2018-01-01

We explore wave fronts of null geodesics in the Gödel metric emitted from point sources both at, and away from, the origin. For constant time wave fronts emitted by sources away from the origin, we find cusp ridges as well as blue sky metamorphoses where spatially disconnected portions of the wave front appear, connect to the main wave front, and then later break free and vanish. These blue sky metamorphoses in the constant time wave fronts highlight the non-causal features of the Gödel metric. We introduce a concept of physical distance along the null geodesics, and show that for wave fronts of constant physical distance, the reorganization of the points making up the wave front leads to the removal of cusp ridges.

An Analysis of Fundamental Waffle Mode in Early AEOS Adaptive Optics Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makidon, Russell B.; Sivaramakrishnan, Anand; Perrin, Marshall D.; Roberts, Lewis C., Jr.; Oppenheimer, Ben R.; Soummer, Rémi; Graham, James R.

2005-08-01

Adaptive optics (AO) systems have significantly improved astronomical imaging capabilities over the last decade and are revolutionizing the kinds of science possible with 4-5 m class ground-based telescopes. A thorough understanding of AO system performance at the telescope can enable new frontiers of science as observations push AO systems to their performance limits. We look at recent advances with wave-front reconstruction (WFR) on the Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS) 3.6 m telescope to show how progress made in improving WFR can be measured directly in improved science images. We describe how a ``waffle mode'' wave-front error (which is not sensed by a Fried geometry Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor) affects the AO point-spread function. We model details of AEOS AO to simulate a PSF that matches the actual AO PSF in the I band and show that while the older observed AEOS PSF contained several times more waffle error than expected, improved WFR techniques noticeably improve AEOS AO performance. We estimate the impact of these improved WFRs on H-band imaging at AEOS, chosen based on the optimization of the Lyot Project near-infrared coronagraph at this bandpass. Based on observations made at the Maui Space Surveillance System, operated by Detachment 15 of the US Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate.

Numerical Modeling of Infragravity Wave Runup on Steep and Mildly Sloping Natural Beaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiedler, J. W.; Smit, P.; Brodie, K. L.; McNinch, J.; Guza, R. T.; Gallien, T.

2016-12-01

We present ongoing work which aims to validate the non-hydrostatic model SWASH for wave runup and infragravity waves generated by a range of different incident wave spectra at the offshore boundary, including the effect of finite directional spread. Flume studies of wave runup are limited to normally incident (1D) sea and infragravity waves, but natural waves are directionally spread (2D), with substantially different dynamics from 1D. For example, refractive trapping (edge waves) is only possible with 2D waves, and the bound infragravity wave response to short wave groups is highly amplified for the special case of normal incidence. Selected case studies are modeled at Agate Beach, Oregon, a low slope (1:80) beach with maximum offshore wave heights greater than 7m, and Cardiff, California, a steep (1:8) beach with maximum wave heights of 2m. Peak periods ranged between 5-20 s at both sites. On both beaches, waves were measured on a transect from approximately 10m depth to the runup, using pressure sensors, current meters, and a scanning lidar. Bulk short wave quantities, wave runup, infragravity frequency spectra and energy fluxes are compared with SWASH. On the low slope beach with energetic incident waves, the observed horizontal runup excursions reach 140m ( 100s periods). Swash front velocities reached up to several m/s, causing short waves to stack up during runup drawdown. On reversal of the infragravity phase, the stacked short waves are swept onshore with the long wave front, effectively enhancing runup by phase coupling long and short waves. Statistical variability and nonlinearity in swash generation lead to time-varying runup heights. Here, we test these observations with 2D SWASH, as well as the sensitivity of modeled runup to the parameterization of bottom friction.

Atmospheric turbulence characterization with the Keck adaptive optics systems. I. Open-loop data.

PubMed

Schöck, Matthias; Le Mignant, David; Chanan, Gary A; Wizinowich, Peter L; van Dam, Marcos A

2003-07-01

We present a detailed investigation of different methods of the characterization of atmospheric turbulence with the adaptive optics systems of the W. M. Keck Observatory. The main problems of such a characterization are the separation of instrumental and atmospheric effects and the accurate calibration of the devices involved. Therefore we mostly describe the practical issues of the analysis. We show that two methods, the analysis of differential image motion structure functions and the Zernike decomposition of the wave-front phase, produce values of the atmospheric coherence length r0 that are in excellent agreement with results from long-exposure images. The main error source is the calibration of the wave-front sensor. Values determined for the outer scale L0 are consistent between the methods and with typical L0 values found at other sites, that is, of the order of tens of meters.

Impact of plunging breaking waves on a partially submerged cube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, A.; Ikeda, C.; Duncan, J. H.

2013-11-01

The impact of a deep-water plunging breaking wave on a partially submerged cube is studied experimentally in a tank that is 14.8 m long and 1.2 m wide with a water depth of 0.91 m. The breakers are created from dispersively focused wave packets generated by a programmable wave maker. The water surface profile in the vertical center plane of the cube is measured using a cinematic laser-induced fluorescence technique with movie frame rates ranging from 300 to 4,500 Hz. The pressure distribution on the front face of the cube is measured with 24 fast-response sensors simultaneously with the wave profile measurements. The cube is positioned vertically at three heights relative to the mean water level and horizontally at a distance from the wave maker where a strong vertical water jet is formed. The portion of the water surface between the contact point on the front face of the cube and the wave crest is fitted with a circular arc and the radius and vertical position of the fitted circle is tracked during the impact. The vertical acceleration of the contact point reaches more than 50 times the acceleration of gravity and the pressure distribution just below the free surface shows a localized high-pressure region with a very high vertical pressure gradient. This work is supported by the Office of Naval Research under grant N000141110095.

Impact and vibration detection in composite materials by using intermodal interference in multimode optical fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malki, Abdelrafik; Gafsi, Rachid; Michel, Laurent; Labarrère, Michel; Lecoy, Pierre

1996-09-01

An optical fiber sensor based on the intermodal interference principle is integrated in a composite material to detect impacts and vibrations. Six fibers are integrated at the top of a carbon/epoxy composite panel so as to form a grid into the structure. Spectral and temporal responses to impacts and acoustic vibrations of the sensor are compared with a piezoelectric accelerometer. The tests proved the facility of integration and the high sensitivity of the device. The location of impacts is performed with this arrangement by measuring the arrival times of the front waves to the fibers.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodriguez, George; Gilbertson, Steve Michael

Chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) sensors coupled to high speed interrogation systems are described as robust diagnostic approaches to monitoring shock wave and detonation front propagation tracking events for use in high energy density shock physics applications. Taking advantage of the linear distributed spatial encoding of the spectral band in single-mode CFBGs, embedded fiber systems and associated photonic interrogation methodologies are shown as an effective approach to sensing shock and detonation-driven loading processes along the CFBG length. Two approaches, one that detects spectral changes in the integrated spectrum of the CFBG and another coherent pulse interrogation approach that fully resolvesmore » its spectral response, shows that 100-MHz–1-GHz interrogation rates are possible with spatial resolution along the CFBG in the 50 µm to sub-millimeter range depending on the combination of CFBG parameters (i.e., length, chirp rate, spectrum) and interrogator design specifics. In conclusion, results from several dynamic tests are used to demonstrate the performance of these high speed systems for shock and detonation propagation tracking under strong and weak shock pressure loading: (1) linear detonation front tracking in the plastic bonded explosive (PBX) PBX-9501; (2) tracking of radial decaying shock with crossover to non-destructive CFBG response; (3) shock wave tracking along an aluminum cylinder wall under weak loading accompanied by dynamic strain effects in the CFBG sensor.« less

Storm-induced inner-continental shelf circulation and sediment transport: Long Bay, South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, John C.; Armstrong, Brandy N.; Sylvester, Charlene S.; Voulgaris, George; Nelson, Tim; Schwab, William C.; Denny, Jane F.

2012-01-01

Long Bay is a sediment-starved, arcuate embayment located along the US East Coast connecting both South and North Carolina. In this region the rates and pathways of sediment transport are important because they determine the availability of sediments for beach nourishment, seafloor habitat, and navigation. The impact of storms on sediment transport magnitude and direction were investigated during the period October 2003–April 2004 using bottom mounted flow meters, acoustic backscatter sensors and rotary sonars deployed at eight sites offshore of Myrtle Beach, SC, to measure currents, water levels, surface waves, salinity, temperature, suspended sediment concentrations, and bedform morphology. Measurements identify that sediment mobility is caused by waves and wind driven currents from three predominant types of storm patterns that pass through this region: (1) cold fronts, (2) warm fronts and (3) low-pressure storms. The passage of a cold front is accompanied by a rapid change in wind direction from primarily northeastward to southwestward. The passage of a warm front is accompanied by an opposite change in wind direction from mainly southwestward to northeastward. Low-pressure systems passing offshore are accompanied by a change in wind direction from southwestward to southeastward as the offshore storm moves from south to north.During the passage of cold fronts more sediment is transported when winds are northeastward and directed onshore than when the winds are directed offshore, creating a net sediment flux to the north–east. Likewise, even though the warm front has an opposite wind pattern, net sediment flux is typically to the north–east due to the larger fetch when the winds are northeastward and directed onshore. During the passage of low-pressure systems strong winds, waves, and currents to the south are sustained creating a net sediment flux southwestward. During the 3-month deployment a total of 8 cold fronts, 10 warm fronts, and 10 low-pressure systems drove a net sediment flux southwestward. Analysis of a 12-year data record from a local buoy shows an average of 41 cold fronts, 32 warm fronts, and 26 low-pressure systems per year. The culmination of these events would yield a cumulative net inner-continental shelf transport to the south–west, a trend that is further verified by sediment textural analysis and bedform morphology on the inner-continental shelf.

Electronic 4-wheel drive control device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayato, S.; Takanori, S.; Shigeru, H.; Tatsunori, S.

1984-01-01

The internal rotation torque generated during operation of a 4-wheel drive vehicle is reduced using a control device whose clutch is attached to one part of the rear-wheel drive shaft. One torque sensor senses the drive torque associated with the rear wheel drive shaft. A second sensor senses the drive torque associated with the front wheel drive shaft. Revolution count sensors sense the revolutions of each drive shaft. By means of a microcomputer, the engagement of the clutch is changed to insure that the ratio of the torque sensors remains constant.

An Optimal Set of Flesh Points on Tongue and Lips for Speech-Movement Classification

PubMed Central

Samal, Ashok; Rong, Panying; Green, Jordan R.

2016-01-01

Purpose The authors sought to determine an optimal set of flesh points on the tongue and lips for classifying speech movements. Method The authors used electromagnetic articulographs (Carstens AG500 and NDI Wave) to record tongue and lip movements from 13 healthy talkers who articulated 8 vowels, 11 consonants, a phonetically balanced set of words, and a set of short phrases during the recording. We used a machine-learning classifier (support-vector machine) to classify the speech stimuli on the basis of articulatory movements. We then compared classification accuracies of the flesh-point combinations to determine an optimal set of sensors. Results When data from the 4 sensors (T1: the vicinity between the tongue tip and tongue blade; T4: the tongue-body back; UL: the upper lip; and LL: the lower lip) were combined, phoneme and word classifications were most accurate and were comparable with the full set (including T2: the tongue-body front; and T3: the tongue-body front). Conclusion We identified a 4-sensor set—that is, T1, T4, UL, LL—that yielded a classification accuracy (91%–95%) equivalent to that using all 6 sensors. These findings provide an empirical basis for selecting sensors and their locations for scientific and emerging clinical applications that incorporate articulatory movements. PMID:26564030

Structure of the detonation wave front in a mixture of nitromethane with acetone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buravova, S. N.

2012-09-01

It is shown that the leading front of an inhomogeneous detonation wave is a shock wave in which wave structures of the type of triple shock configurations are moving. It was experimentally found that the reaction in these inhomogeneities occurs in oblique shock waves. The reaction sites at the wave front are ring-shaped. In a 75: 25 mixture of nitromethane with acetone, up to 70% of the front surface is occupied by the reaction at the sites in the wave front. Measurements of the mass velocity profile indicate that afterburning takes place in the unloading area behind the Jouguet plane. Calculations of the heat release in the reaction mixture with a decrease in the mass velocity indicate that the material that have not reacted in the inhomogeneities can be ignited in the induction zone. It is suggested that the adiabatic flashes are a mechanism that generates inhomogeneities in the detonation wave front.

An 8.4-GHz dual-maser front-end system for Parkes reimplementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trowbridge, D. L.; Loreman, J. R.; Brunzie, T. J.; Quinn, R.

1990-01-01

An 8.4-GHz front-end system consisting of a feedhorn, a waveguide feed assembly, dual masers, and downconverters was reimplemented at Parkes as part of the Parkes Canberra Telemetry Array for the Voyager Neptune encounter. The front-end system was originally assembled by the European Space Agency and installed on the Parkes antenna for the Giotto project. It was also used on a time-sharing basis by the Deep Space Network as part of the Parkes Canberra Telemetry Array to enhance the data return from the Voyager Uranus encounter. At the conclusion of these projects in 1986, part of the system was then shipped to JPL on loan for reimplementation at Parkes for the Voyager Neptune encounter. New design and implementation required to make the system operable at Parkes included new microwave front-end control cabinets, closed-cycle refrigeration monitor system, noise-adding radiometer system, front-end controller assembly, X81 local oscillator multiplier, and refurbishment of the original dual 8.4-GHz traveling-wave masers and waveguide feed system. The front-end system met all requirements during the encounter and was disassembled in October 1989 and returned to JPL.

Submesoscale features and their interaction with fronts and internal tides in a high-resolution coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave model of the Bay of Bengal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, Tommy G.; Shulman, Igor; Wijesekera, Hemantha W.; Anderson, Stephanie; Ladner, Sherwin

2018-03-01

Large freshwater fluxes into the Bay of Bengal by rainfall and river discharges result in strong salinity fronts in the bay. In this study, a high-resolution coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave model with comprehensive physics is used to model the weather, ocean circulation, and wave field in the Bay of Bengal. Our objective is to explore the submesoscale activity that occurs in a realistic coupled model that resolves mesoscales and allows part of the submesoscale field. Horizontal resolution in the atmosphere varies from 2 to 6 km and is 13 km for surface waves, while the ocean model is submesoscale permitting with resolutions as high as 1.5 km and a vertical resolution of 0.5 m in the upper 10 m. In this paper, three different cases of oceanic submesoscale features are discussed. In the first case, heavy rainfall and intense downdrafts produced by atmospheric convection are found to force submesoscale currents, temperature, and salinity anomalies in the oceanic mixed layer and impact the mesoscale flow. In a second case, strong solitary-like waves are generated by semidiurnal tides in the Andaman Sea and interact with mesoscale flows and fronts and affect submesoscale features generated along fronts. A third source of submesoscale variability is found further north in the Bay of Bengal where river outflows help maintain strong salinity gradients throughout the year. For that case, a comparison with satellite observations of sea surface height anomalies, sea surface temperature, and chlorophyll shows that the model captures the observed mesoscale eddy features of the flow field, but in addition, submesoscale upwelling and downwelling patterns associated with ageostrophic secondary circulations along density fronts are also captured by the model.

Joint Optics Structures Experiment (JOSE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Founds, David

1987-01-01

The objectives of the JOSE program is to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate active vibration suppression techniques for Directed Energy Weapons (DEW). DEW system performance is highly influenced by the line-of-sight (LOS) stability and in some cases by the wave front quality. The missions envisioned for DEW systems by the Strategic Defense Initiative require LOS stability and wave front quality to be significantly improved over any current demonstrated capability. The Active Control of Space Structures (ACOSS) program led to the development of a number of promising structural control techniques. DEW structures are vastly more complex than any structures controlled to date. They will be subject to disturbances with significantly higher magnitudes and wider bandwidths, while holding higher tolerances on allowable motions and deformations. Meeting the performance requirements of the JOSE program requires upgrading the ACOSS techniques to meet new more stringent requirements, the development of requisite sensors and acturators, improved control processors, highly accurate system identification methods, and the integration of hardware and methodologies into a successful demonstration.

Robustness study of the pseudo open-loop controller for multiconjugate adaptive optics.

PubMed

Piatrou, Piotr; Gilles, Luc

2005-02-20

Robustness of the recently proposed "pseudo open-loop control" algorithm against various system errors has been investigated for the representative example of the Gemini-South 8-m telescope multiconjugate adaptive-optics system. The existing model to represent the adaptive-optics system with pseudo open-loop control has been modified to account for misalignments, noise and calibration errors in deformable mirrors, and wave-front sensors. Comparison with the conventional least-squares control model has been done. We show with the aid of both transfer-function pole-placement analysis and Monte Carlo simulations that POLC remains remarkably stable and robust against very large levels of system errors and outperforms in this respect least-squares control. Approximate stability margins as well as performance metrics such as Strehl ratios and rms wave-front residuals averaged over a 1-arc min field of view have been computed for different types and levels of system errors to quantify the expected performance degradation.

Extended Kalman Doppler tracking and model determination for multi-sensor short-range radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mittermaier, Thomas J.; Siart, Uwe; Eibert, Thomas F.; Bonerz, Stefan

2016-09-01

A tracking solution for collision avoidance in industrial machine tools based on short-range millimeter-wave radar Doppler observations is presented. At the core of the tracking algorithm there is an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) that provides dynamic estimation and localization in real-time. The underlying sensor platform consists of several homodyne continuous wave (CW) radar modules. Based on In-phase-Quadrature (IQ) processing and down-conversion, they provide only Doppler shift information about the observed target. Localization with Doppler shift estimates is a nonlinear problem that needs to be linearized before the linear KF can be applied. The accuracy of state estimation depends highly on the introduced linearization errors, the initialization and the models that represent the true physics as well as the stochastic properties. The important issue of filter consistency is addressed and an initialization procedure based on data fitting and maximum likelihood estimation is suggested. Models for both, measurement and process noise are developed. Tracking results from typical three-dimensional courses of movement at short distances in front of a multi-sensor radar platform are presented.

Nonlinear wave fronts and ionospheric irregularities observed by HF sounding over a powerful acoustic source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanc, Elisabeth; Rickel, Dwight

1989-06-01

Different wave fronts affected by significant nonlinearities have been observed in the ionosphere by a pulsed HF sounding experiment at a distance of 38 km from the source point of a 4800-kg ammonium nitrate and fuel oil (ANFO) explosion on the ground. These wave fronts are revealed by partial reflections of the radio sounding waves. A small-scale irregular structure has been generated by a first wave front at the level of a sporadic E layer which characterized the ionosphere at the time of the experiment. The time scale of these fluctuations is about 1 to 2 s; its lifetime is about 2 min. Similar irregularities were also observed at the level of a second wave front in the F region. This structure appears also as diffusion on a continuous wave sounding at horizontal distances of the order of 200 km from the source. In contrast, a third front unaffected by irregularities may originate from the lowest layers of the ionosphere or from a supersonic wave front propagating at the base of the thermosphere. The origin of these structures is discussed.

Rapid detection and identification of pedestrian impacts using a distributed sensor network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Andrew C.; Chang, Fu-Kuo

2005-05-01

Pedestrian fatalities from automobile accidents often occur as a result of head injuries suffered from impacts with an automobile front end. Active pedestrian protection systems with proper pedestrian recognition algorithms can protect pedestrians from such head trauma. An investigation was conducted to assess the feasibility of using a network of piezoelectric sensors mounted on the front bumper beam of an automobile to discriminate between impacts with "pedestrian" and "non-pedestrian" objects. This information would be used to activate a safety device (e.g., external airbag or pop-up hood) to provide protection for the vulnerable pedestrian. An analytical foundation for the object-bumper impact problem will be presented, as well as the classical beam impact theory. The mechanical waves that propagate in the structure from an external impact contain a wealth of information about the specifics of a particular impact -- object mass, size, impact speed, etc. -- but most notably the object stiffness, which identifies the impacted object. Using the frequency content of the sensor signals, it can be shown that impacts with a "pedestrian" object of varying size, weight, and speed can be easily differentiated from impacts with other "non-pedestrian" objects. Simulation results will illustrate this phenomenon, and experimental tests will verify the results. A comprehensive series of impact tests were performed for validation, using both a stationary front bumper with a drop-pendulum impactor and a moving car with stationary impact objects. Results from both tests will be presented.

On impact by a hard cone on elasto-viscoplastic material, leading to the generation of a conical crack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verveiko, N. D.; Shashkin, A. I.; Krupenko, S. E.

2018-03-01

The destruction of solid physical objects is a complex process in which mechanical, chemical, thermobaric and other matter transformations take place. Under mechanical destruction is understood the violation of the integrity of the object due to the occurrence of cracks. High-speed impact of a solid body on deformable materials is accompanied by the spread of cracks and is of a wave nature. This article presents an analysis of the dynamic stress-strain state in an elastoviscoplastic (EVP) material near the leading edge of a moving crack, approximated by a zone of continuous deformation. An analysis of the distribution of the intensity of tangential stresses and plastic deformations that occur behind the front of the longitudinal and shear head waves of a spherical shape generated by the impact of the vertex of the solid cone is carried out on the model EVP of the medium by the ray method. It is shown that the presence of a maximum of the jump of the tangential velocity component on the shear wave leads to a development with time of a jump in the displacements of the tangents to the front of the shear wave. This can be interpreted as the moment of initiation of the head part of a crack running along with the front of the elastic wave with the velocity of shear waves.

Numerical modeling of a multiscale gravity wave event and its airglow signatures over Mount Cook, New Zealand, during the DEEPWAVE campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heale, C. J.; Bossert, K.; Snively, J. B.; Fritts, D. C.; Pautet, P.-D.; Taylor, M. J.

2017-01-01

A 2-D nonlinear compressible model is used to simulate a large-amplitude, multiscale mountain wave event over Mount Cook, NZ, observed as part of the Deep Propagating Gravity Wave Experiment (DEEPWAVE) campaign and to investigate its observable signatures in the hydroxyl (OH) layer. The campaign observed the presence of a λx=200 km mountain wave as part of the 22nd research flight with amplitudes of >20 K in the upper stratosphere that decayed rapidly at airglow heights. Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM) showed the presence of small-scale (25-28 km) waves within the warm phase of the large mountain wave. The simulation results show rapid breaking above 70 km altitude, with the preferential formation of almost-stationary vortical instabilities within the warm phase front of the mountain wave. An OH airglow model is used to identify the presence of small-scale wave-like structures generated in situ by the breaking of the mountain wave that are consistent with those seen in the observations. While it is easy to interpret these feature as waves in OH airglow data, a considerable fraction of the features are in fact instabilities and vortex structures. Simulations suggest that a combination of a large westward perturbation velocity and shear, in combination with strong perturbation temperature gradients, causes both dynamic and convective instability conditions to be met particularly where the wave wind is maximized and the temperature gradient is simultaneously minimized. This leads to the inevitable breaking and subsequent generation of smaller-scale waves and instabilities which appear most prominent within the warm phase front of the mountain wave.

Scintillation Control for Adaptive Optical Sensors

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-09-21

defining where one influence function goes to zero fall directly under the peaks of the adjoining influcence functions. These actuators were fit to ^>gp(i...not orthogonal the influence function interaction matrix R must be computed with elements given by [3] rH = J dxPW(xp)e/b(xp)e,(xp). (22) In our...control signals can be found from the wave front phase by the least squares phase reconstruction technique [3]. An influence function and the

Educing the emission mechanism of internal gravity waves in the differentially heat rotating annulus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolland, Joran; Hien, Steffen; Achatz, Ulrich; Borchert, Sebastian; Fruman, Mark

2016-04-01

Understanding the lifecycle of gravity waves is fundamental to a good comprehension of the dynamics of the atmosphere. In this lifecycle, the emission mechanisms may be the most elusive. Indeed, while the emission of gravity waves by orography or convection is well understood, the so-called spontaneous emission is still a quite open topic of investigation [1]. This type of emission usually occur very near jet-front systems in the troposphere. In this abstract, we announce our numerical study of the question. Model systems of the atmosphere which can be easily simulated or built in a laboratory have always been an important part of the study of atmospheric dynamics, alongside global simulations, in situ measurements and theory. In the case of the study of the spontaneous emission of gravity waves near jet-front systems, the differentially heated rotating annulus set up has been proposed and extensively used. It comprises of an annular tank containing water: the inner cylinder is kept at a cold temperature while the outer cylinder is kept at a warm temperature. The whole system is rotating. Provided the values of the control parameters (temperature, rotation rate, gap between the cylinders, height of water) are well chosen, the resulting flow mimics the troposphere at midlatitudes: it has a jet stream, and a baroclinic lifecycle develops on top of it. A very reasonable ratio of Brunt-Väisälä frequency over rotation rate of the system can be obtained, so as to be as close to the atmosphere as possible. Recent experiments as well as earlier numerical simulations in our research group have shown that gravity waves are indeed emitted in this set up, in particular near the jet front system of the baroclinic wave [2]. After a first experimental stage of characterising the emitted wavepacket, we focused our work on testing hypotheses on the gravity wave emission mechanism: we have tested and validated the hypothesis of spontaneous imbalance generated by the flow in geostrophic balance. For the first stage of this investigation, we separated the flow between a balance and an imbalanced part at first order in Rossby number: the balanced pressure field was computed through an inversion of the potential vorticity equation [3]. The balanced horizontal velocity field and buoyancy were then computed using the geostrophic and hydrostatic balance conditions. We first checked that this decomposition gave on the one hand a large scaled balanced flow, comprising mostly of the baroclinic wave, and on the other hand a small scale flow comprising mostly of the gravity wave signal. We then proceeded with the central stage of the validation: we simulated the tangent linear dynamics of the imbalanced part of the flow [4]. The equations are linearised about the balanced part, and any imbalances forces the modeled imbalanced part. The output of this simulation compares very well with the actual imbalanced part, thus confirming that the observed gravity waves are indeed generated through spontaneous imbalance. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of emission by this mechanism in a flow which is not idealised: a flow which can be obtained as a result of a numerical simulation of primitive equations or actually observed in a laboratory experiment. References [1] R. Plougonven, F. Zhang, Internal gravity waves from atmospheric jets and fronts, Rev. Geophys. 52, 33-76 (2014). [2] S. Borchert, U. Achatz, M.D. Fruman, Spontaneous Gravity wave emission in the differentially heated annulus, J. Fluid Mech. 758, 287-311 (2014). [3] F. Zhang, S.E . Koch, C. A. Davis, M. L. Kaplan, A Survey of unbalanced flow diagnostics and their application, Adv. Atmo. Sci. 17, 165-183 (2000). [4] S. Wang, F. Zhang, Source of gravity waves within a vortex dipole jet revealed by a linear model, J. Atmo. Sci. 67, 1438-1455 (2010).

High-Temperature Surface-Acoustic-Wave Transducer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, Xiaoliang; Tittmann, Bernhard R.

2010-01-01

Aircraft-engine rotating equipment usually operates at high temperature and stress. Non-invasive inspection of microcracks in those components poses a challenge for the non-destructive evaluation community. A low-profile ultrasonic guided wave sensor can detect cracks in situ. The key feature of the sensor is that it should withstand high temperatures and excite strong surface wave energy to inspect surface/subsurface cracks. As far as the innovators know at the time of this reporting, there is no existing sensor that is mounted to the rotor disks for crack inspection; the most often used technology includes fluorescent penetrant inspection or eddy-current probes for disassembled part inspection. An efficient, high-temperature, low-profile surface acoustic wave transducer design has been identified and tested for nondestructive evaluation of structures or materials. The development is a Sol-Gel bismuth titanate-based surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) sensor that can generate efficient surface acoustic waves for crack inspection. The produced sensor is very thin (submillimeter), and can generate surface waves up to 540 C. Finite element analysis of the SAW transducer design was performed to predict the sensor behavior, and experimental studies confirmed the results. One major uniqueness of the Sol-Gel bismuth titanate SAW sensor is that it is easy to implement to structures of various shapes. With a spray coating process, the sensor can be applied to surfaces of large curvatures. Second, the sensor is very thin (as a coating) and has very minimal effect on airflow or rotating equipment imbalance. Third, it can withstand temperatures up to 530 C, which is very useful for engine applications where high temperature is an issue.

Pulsed discharges produced by high-power surface waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Böhle, A.; Ivanov, O.; Kolisko, A.; Kortshagen, U.; Schlüter, H.; Vikharev, A.

1996-02-01

The mechanisms of the ionization front advance in surface-wave-produced discharges are investigated using two experimental set-ups. The high-power surface waves are excited in a 3 cm wavelength band by a surfaguide and a novel type of launcher (an E-plane junction). The ionization front velocity of the surface wave is measured for a wide range of gas pressures, incident microwave power and initial pre-ionization. The experimental results are compared with theoretical ones based on three different models. The comparison between theory and experiment allows one to suggest a new interpretation of the ionization front's advance. The ionization front velocity is determined by a breakdown wave or an ionization wave in the electric field of a high-power surface wave in the zone near the ionization front.

A Visualization Method for Corrosion Damage on Aluminum Plates Using an Nd:YAG Pulsed Laser Scanning System

PubMed Central

Lee, Inbok; Zhang, Aoqi; Lee, Changgil; Park, Seunghee

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a non-contact nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique that uses laser-induced ultrasonic waves to visualize corrosion damage in aluminum alloy plate structures. The non-contact, pulsed-laser ultrasonic measurement system generates ultrasonic waves using a galvanometer-based Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and measures the ultrasonic waves using a piezoelectric (PZT) sensor. During scanning, a wavefield can be acquired by changing the excitation location of the laser point and measuring waves using the PZT sensor. The corrosion damage can be detected in the wavefield snapshots using the scattering characteristics of the waves that encounter corrosion. The structural damage is visualized by calculating the logarithmic values of the root mean square (RMS), with a weighting parameter to compensate for the attenuation caused by geometrical spreading and dispersion of the waves. An intact specimen is used to conduct a comparison with corrosion at different depths and sizes in other specimens. Both sides of the plate are scanned with the same scanning area to observe the effect of the location where corrosion has formed. The results show that the damage can be successfully visualized for almost all cases using the RMS-based functions, whether it formed on the front or back side. Also, the system is confirmed to have distinguished corroded areas at different depths. PMID:27999252

A Visualization Method for Corrosion Damage on Aluminum Plates Using an Nd:YAG Pulsed Laser Scanning System.

PubMed

Lee, Inbok; Zhang, Aoqi; Lee, Changgil; Park, Seunghee

2016-12-16

This paper proposes a non-contact nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique that uses laser-induced ultrasonic waves to visualize corrosion damage in aluminum alloy plate structures. The non-contact, pulsed-laser ultrasonic measurement system generates ultrasonic waves using a galvanometer-based Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and measures the ultrasonic waves using a piezoelectric (PZT) sensor. During scanning, a wavefield can be acquired by changing the excitation location of the laser point and measuring waves using the PZT sensor. The corrosion damage can be detected in the wavefield snapshots using the scattering characteristics of the waves that encounter corrosion. The structural damage is visualized by calculating the logarithmic values of the root mean square (RMS), with a weighting parameter to compensate for the attenuation caused by geometrical spreading and dispersion of the waves. An intact specimen is used to conduct a comparison with corrosion at different depths and sizes in other specimens. Both sides of the plate are scanned with the same scanning area to observe the effect of the location where corrosion has formed. The results show that the damage can be successfully visualized for almost all cases using the RMS-based functions, whether it formed on the front or back side. Also, the system is confirmed to have distinguished corroded areas at different depths.

A portable W-band radar system for enhancement of infrared vision in fire fighting operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klenner, Mathias; Zech, Christian; Hülsmann, Axel; Kühn, Jutta; Schlechtweg, Michael; Hahmann, Konstantin; Kleiner, Bernhard; Ulrich, Michael; Ambacher, Oliver

2016-10-01

In this paper, we present a millimeter wave radar system which will enhance the performance of infrared cameras used for fire-fighting applications. The radar module is compact and lightweight such that the system can be combined with inertial sensors and integrated in a hand-held infrared camera. This allows for precise distance measurements in harsh environmental conditions, such as tunnel or industrial fires, where optical sensors are unreliable or fail. We discuss the design of the RF front-end, the antenna and a quasi-optical lens for beam shaping as well as signal processing and demonstrate the performance of the system by in situ measurements in a smoke filled environment.

Ship Shoal as a prospective borrow site for barrier island restoration, coastal south-central Louisiana, Usa: Numerical wave modeling and field measurements of hydrodynamics and sediment transport

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stone, G.W.; Pepper, D.A.; Xu, Jie; Zhang, X.

2004-01-01

Ship Shoal, a transgressive sand body located at the 10 m isobath off south-central Louisiana, is deemed a potential sand source for restoration along the rapidly eroding Isles Dernieres barrier chain and possibly other sites in Louisiana. Through numerical wave modeling we evaluate the potential response of mining Ship Shoal on the wave field. During severe and strong storms, waves break seaward of the western flank of Ship Shoal. Therefore, removal of Ship Shoal (approximately 1.1 billion m3) causes a maximum increase of the significant wave height by 90%-100% and 40%-50% over the shoal and directly adjacent to the lee of the complex for two strong storm scenarios. During weak storms and fair weather conditions, waves do not break over Ship Shoal. The degree of increase in significant wave height due to shoal removal is considerably smaller, only 10%-20% on the west part of the shoal. Within the context of increasing nearshore wave energy levels, removal of the shoal is not significant enough to cause increased erosion along the Isles Dernieres. Wave approach direction exerts significant control on the wave climate leeward of Ship Shoal for stronger storms, but not weak storms or fairweather. Instrumentation deployed at the shoal allowed comparison of measured wave heights with numerically derived wave heights using STWAVE. Correlation coefficients are high in virtually all comparisons indicating the capability of the model to simulate wave behavior satisfactorily at the shoal. Directional waves, currents and sediment transport were measured during winter storms associated with frontal passages using three bottom-mounted arrays deployed on the seaward and landward sides of Ship Shoal (November, 1998-January, 1999). Episodic increases in wave height, mean and oscillatory current speed, shear velocity, and sediment transport rates, associated with recurrent cold front passages, were measured. Dissipation mechanisms included both breaking and bottom friction due to variable depths across the shoal crest and variable wave amplitudes during storms and fair-weather. Arctic surge fronts were associated with southerly storm waves, and southwesterly to westerly currents and sediment transport. Migrating cyclonic fronts generated northerly swell that transformed into southerly sea, and currents and sediment transport that were southeasterly overall. Waves were 36% higher and 9% longer on the seaward side of the shoal, whereas mean currents were 10% stronger landward, where they were directed onshore, in contrast to the offshore site, where seaward currents predominated. Sediment transport initiated by cold fronts was generally directed southeasterly to southwesterly at the offshore site, and southerly to westerly at the nearshore site. The data suggest that both cold fronts and the shoal, exert significant influences on regional hydrodynamics and sediment transport.

Acoustic event location and background noise characterization on a free flying infrasound sensor network in the stratosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, Daniel C.; Albert, Sarah A.

2018-06-01

A variety of Earth surface and atmospheric sources generate low-frequency sound waves that can travel great distances. Despite a rich history of ground-based sensor studies, very few experiments have investigated the prospects of free floating microphone arrays at high altitudes. However, recent initiatives have shown that such networks have very low background noise and may sample an acoustic wave field that is fundamentally different than that at Earth's surface. The experiments have been limited to at most two stations at altitude, making acoustic event detection and localization difficult. We describe the deployment of four drifting microphone stations at altitudes between 21 and 24 km above sea level. The stations detected one of two regional ground-based chemical explosions as well as the ocean microbarom while travelling almost 500 km across the American Southwest. The explosion signal consisted of multiple arrivals; signal amplitudes did not correlate with sensor elevation or source range. The waveforms and propagation patterns suggest interactions with gravity waves at 35-45 km altitude. A sparse network method that employed curved wave front corrections was able to determine the backazimuth from the free flying network to the acoustic source. Episodic signals similar to those seen on previous flights in the same region were noted, but their source remains unclear. Background noise levels were commensurate with those on infrasound stations in the International Monitoring System below 2 s.

Acoustic Event Location and Background Noise Characterization on a Free Flying Infrasound Sensor Network in the Stratosphere

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowman, Daniel C.; Albert, Sarah A.

We present that a variety of Earth surface and atmospheric sources generate low frequency sound waves that can travel great distances. Despite a rich history of ground-based sensor studies, very few experiments have investigated the prospects of free floating microphone arrays at high altitudes. However, recent initiatives have shown that such networks have very low background noise and may sample an acoustic wave field that is fundamentally different than that at Earth’s surface. The experiments have been limited to at most two stations at altitude, making acoustic event detection and localization difficult. We describe the deployment of four drifting microphonemore » stations at altitudes between 21 and 24 km above sea level. The stations detected one of two regional ground-based chemical explosions as well as the ocean microbarom while traveling almost 500 km across the American Southwest. The explosion signal consisted of multiple arrivals; signal amplitudes did not correlate with sensor elevation or source range. The waveforms and propagation patterns suggest interactions with gravity waves in the 35-45 km altitude. A sparse network method that employed curved wave front corrections was able to determine the backazimuth from the free flying network to the acoustic source. Episodic signals similar to those seen on previous flights in the same region were noted, but their source remains unclear. Lastly, background noise levels were commensurate with those on infrasound stations in the International Monitoring System below 2 seconds.« less

Acoustic Event Location and Background Noise Characterization on a Free Flying Infrasound Sensor Network in the Stratosphere

DOE PAGES

Bowman, Daniel C.; Albert, Sarah A.

2018-02-22

We present that a variety of Earth surface and atmospheric sources generate low frequency sound waves that can travel great distances. Despite a rich history of ground-based sensor studies, very few experiments have investigated the prospects of free floating microphone arrays at high altitudes. However, recent initiatives have shown that such networks have very low background noise and may sample an acoustic wave field that is fundamentally different than that at Earth’s surface. The experiments have been limited to at most two stations at altitude, making acoustic event detection and localization difficult. We describe the deployment of four drifting microphonemore » stations at altitudes between 21 and 24 km above sea level. The stations detected one of two regional ground-based chemical explosions as well as the ocean microbarom while traveling almost 500 km across the American Southwest. The explosion signal consisted of multiple arrivals; signal amplitudes did not correlate with sensor elevation or source range. The waveforms and propagation patterns suggest interactions with gravity waves in the 35-45 km altitude. A sparse network method that employed curved wave front corrections was able to determine the backazimuth from the free flying network to the acoustic source. Episodic signals similar to those seen on previous flights in the same region were noted, but their source remains unclear. Lastly, background noise levels were commensurate with those on infrasound stations in the International Monitoring System below 2 seconds.« less

Coronal "wave": Magnetic Footprint Of A Cme?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attrill, Gemma; Harra, L. K.; van Driel-Gesztelyi, L.; Demoulin, P.; Wuelser, J.

2007-05-01

We propose a new mechanism for the generation of "EUV coronal waves". This work is based on new analysis of data from SOHO/EIT, SOHO/MDI & STEREO/EUVI. Although first observed in 1997, the interpretation of coronal waves as flare-induced or CME-driven remains a debated topic. We investigate the properties of two "classical" SOHO/EIT coronal waves in detail. The source regions of the associated CMEs possess opposite helicities & the coronal waves display rotations in opposite senses. We observe deep dimmings near the flare site & also widespread diffuse dimming, accompanying the expansion of the EIT wave. We report a new property of these EIT waves, namely, that they display dual brightenings: persistent ones at the outermost edge of the core dimming regions & simultaneously diffuse brightenings constituting the leading edge of the coronal wave, surrounding the expanding diffuse dimmings. We show that such behaviour is consistent with a diffuse EIT wave being the magnetic footprint of a CME. We propose a new mechanism where driven magnetic reconnections between the skirt of the expanding CME & quiet-Sun magnetic loops generate the observed bright diffuse front. The dual brightenings & widespread diffuse dimming are identified as innate characteristics of this process. In addition we present some of the first analysis of a STEREO/EUVI limb coronal wave. We show how the evolution of the diffuse bright front & dimmings can be understood in terms of the model described above. We show that an apparently stationary part of the bright front can be understood in terms of magnetic interchange reconnections between the expanding CME & the "open" magnetic field of a low-latitude coronal hole. We use both the SOHO/EIT & STEREO/EUVI events to demonstrate that through successive reconnections, this new model provides a natural mechanism via which CMEs can become large-scale in the lower corona.

Sharp-front wave of strong magnetic field diffusion in solid metal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xiao, Bo; Gu, Zhuo-wei; Kan, Ming-xian

When a strong magnetic field diffuses into a solid metal, if the metal's resistance possesses an abrupt rise at some critical temperature and the magnetic field strength is above some critical value, the magnetic field will diffuse into the metal in the form of a sharp-front wave. Formulas for the critical conditions under which a sharp-front magnetic diffusion wave emerges and a formula for the wave-front velocity are derived in this work.

Highly Efficient Wave-Front Reshaping of Surface Waves with Dielectric Metawalls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Shaohua; Zhang, Yu; Guo, Huijie; Duan, Jingwen; Guan, Fuxin; He, Qiong; Zhao, Haibin; Zhou, Lei; Sun, Shulin

2018-01-01

Controlling the wave fronts of surface waves (including surface-plamon polaritons and their equivalent counterparts) at will is highly important in photonics research, but the available mechanisms suffer from the issues of low efficiency, bulky size, and/or limited functionalities. Inspired by recent studies of metasurfaces that can freely control the wave fronts of propagating waves, we propose to use metawalls placed on a plasmonic surface to efficiently reshape the wave fronts of incident surface waves (SWs). Here, the metawall is constructed by specifically designed meta-atoms that can reflect SWs with desired phases and nearly unit amplitudes. As a proof of concept, we design and fabricate a metawall in the microwave regime (around 12 GHz) that can anomalously reflect the SWs following the generalized Snell's law with high efficiency (approximately 70%). Our results, in excellent agreement with full-wave simulations, provide an alternative yet efficient way to control the wave fronts of SWs in different frequency domains. We finally employ full-wave simulations to demonstrate a surface-plasmon-polariton focusing effect at telecom wavelength based on our scheme.

Planar Reflection of Gaseous Detonations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damazo, Jason Scott

Pipes containing flammable gaseous mixtures may be subjected to internal detonation. When the detonation normally impinges on a closed end, a reflected shock wave is created to bring the flow back to rest. This study built on the work of Karnesky (2010) and examined deformation of thin-walled stainless steel tubes subjected to internal reflected gaseous detonations. A ripple pattern was observed in the tube wall for certain fill pressures, and a criterion was developed that predicted when the ripple pattern would form. A two-dimensional finite element analysis was performed using Johnson-Cook material properties; the pressure loading created by reflected gaseous detonations was accounted for with a previously developed pressure model. The residual plastic strain between experiments and computations was in good agreement. During the examination of detonation-driven deformation, discrepancies were discovered in our understanding of reflected gaseous detonation behavior. Previous models did not accurately describe the nature of the reflected shock wave, which motivated further experiments in a detonation tube with optical access. Pressure sensors and schlieren images were used to examine reflected shock behavior, and it was determined that the discrepancies were related to the reaction zone thickness extant behind the detonation front. During these experiments reflected shock bifurcation did not appear to occur, but the unfocused visualization system made certainty impossible. This prompted construction of a focused schlieren system that investigated possible shock wave-boundary layer interaction, and heat-flux gauges analyzed the boundary layer behind the detonation front. Using these data with an analytical boundary layer solution, it was determined that the strong thermal boundary layer present behind the detonation front inhibits the development of reflected shock wave bifurcation.

Analysis of airborne Doppler lidar, Doppler radar and tall tower measurements of atmospheric flows in quiescent and stormy weather

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bluestein, H. B.; Doviak, R. J.; Eilts, M. D.; Mccaul, E. W.; Rabin, R.; Sundara-Rajan, A.; Zrnic, D. S.

1986-01-01

The first experiment to combine airborne Doppler Lidar and ground-based dual Doppler Radar measurements of wind to detail the lower tropospheric flows in quiescent and stormy weather was conducted in central Oklahoma during four days in June-July 1981. Data from these unique remote sensing instruments, coupled with data from conventional in-situ facilities, i.e., 500-m meteorological tower, rawinsonde, and surface based sensors, were analyzed to enhance understanding of wind, waves and turbulence. The purposes of the study were to: (1) compare winds mapped by ground-based dual Doppler radars, airborne Doppler lidar, and anemometers on a tower; (2) compare measured atmospheric boundary layer flow with flows predicted by theoretical models; (3) investigate the kinematic structure of air mass boundaries that precede the development of severe storms; and (4) study the kinematic structure of thunderstorm phenomena (downdrafts, gust fronts, etc.) that produce wind shear and turbulence hazardous to aircraft operations. The report consists of three parts: Part 1, Intercomparison of Wind Data from Airborne Lidar, Ground-Based Radars and Instrumented 444 m Tower; Part 2, The Structure of the Convective Atmospheric Boundary Layer as Revealed by Lidar and Doppler Radars; and Part 3, Doppler Lidar Observations in Thunderstorm Environments.

Nonlinear waves in reaction-diffusion systems: The effect of transport memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manne, K. K.; Hurd, A. J.; Kenkre, V. M.

2000-04-01

Motivated by the problem of determining stress distributions in granular materials, we study the effect of finite transport correlation times on the propagation of nonlinear wave fronts in reaction-diffusion systems. We obtain results such as the possibility of spatial oscillations in the wave-front shape for certain values of the system parameters and high enough wave-front speeds. We also generalize earlier known results concerning the minimum wave-front speed and shape-speed relationships stemming from the finiteness of the correlation times. Analytic investigations are made possible by a piecewise linear representation of the nonlinearity.

Using Network Theory to Understand Seismic Noise in Dense Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riahi, N.; Gerstoft, P.

2015-12-01

Dense seismic arrays offer an opportunity to study anthropogenic seismic noise sources with unprecedented detail. Man-made sources typically have high frequency, low intensity, and propagate as surface waves. As a result attenuation restricts their measurable footprint to a small subset of sensors. Medium heterogeneities can further introduce wave front perturbations that limit processing based on travel time. We demonstrate a non-parametric technique that can reliably identify very local events within the array as a function of frequency and time without using travel-times. The approach estimates the non-zero support of the array covariance matrix and then uses network analysis tools to identify clusters of sensors that are sensing a common source. We verify the method on simulated data and then apply it to the Long Beach (CA) geophone array. The method exposes a helicopter traversing the array, oil production facilities with different characteristics, and the fact that noise sources near roads tend to be around 10-20 Hz.

Gene surfing in expanding populations.

PubMed

Hallatschek, Oskar; Nelson, David R

2008-02-01

Large scale genomic surveys are partly motivated by the idea that the neutral genetic variation of a population may be used to reconstruct its migration history. However, our ability to trace back the colonization pathways of a species from their genetic footprints is limited by our understanding of the genetic consequences of a range expansion. Here, we study, by means of simulations and analytical methods, the neutral dynamics of gene frequencies in an asexual population undergoing a continual range expansion in one dimension. During such a colonization period, lineages can fix at the wave front by means of a "surfing" mechanism [Edmonds, C.A., Lillie, A.S., Cavalli-Sforza, L.L., 2004. Mutations arising in the wave front of an expanding population. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 101, 975-979]. We quantify this phenomenon in terms of (i) the spatial distribution of lineages that reach fixation and, closely related, (ii) the continual loss of genetic diversity (heterozygosity) at the wave front, characterizing the approach to fixation. Our stochastic simulations show that an effective population size can be assigned to the wave that controls the (observable) gradient in heterozygosity left behind the colonization process. This effective population size is markedly higher in the presence of cooperation between individuals ("pushed waves") than when individuals proliferate independently ("pulled waves"), and increases only sub-linearly with deme size. To explain these and other findings, we develop a versatile analytical approach, based on the physics of reaction-diffusion systems, that yields simple predictions for any deterministic population dynamics. Our analytical theory compares well with the simulation results for pushed waves, but is less accurate in the case of pulled waves when stochastic fluctuations in the tip of the wave are important.

MM wave SAR sensor design: Concept for an airborne low level reconnaissance system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boesswetter, C.

1986-07-01

The basic system design considerations for a high resolution SAR system operating at 35 GHz or 94 GHz are given. First it is shown that only the focussed SAR concept in the side looking configuration matches the requirements and constraints. After definition of illumination geometry and airborne modes the fundamental SAR parameters in range and azimuth direction are derived. A review of the performance parameters of some critical mm wave components (coherent pulsed transmitters, front ends, antennas) establish the basis for further analysis. The power and contrast budget in the processed SAR image shows the feasibility of a 35/94 GHz SAR sensor design. The discussion of the resulting system parameters points out that this unusual system design implies both benefits and new risk areas. One of the benefits besides the compactness of sensor hardware turns out to be the short synthetic aperture length simplifying the design of the digital SAR processor, preferably operating in real time. A possible architecture based on current state-of-the-art correlator hardware is shown. One of the potential risk areas in achieving high resolution SAR imagery in the mm wave frequency band is motion compensation. However, it is shown that the short range and short synthetic aperture lengths ease the problem so that correction of motion induced phase errors and thus focussed synthetic aperture processing should be possible.

Impacts of storms on coastal circulation in Long Bay, South Carolina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, H.; Warner, J. C.; Voulgaris, G.; Work, P.

2006-12-01

We investigate the effects of coastal storms on the regional circulation in Long Bay, South Carolina, using a coupled ROMS (Regional Ocean Modeling System)- SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore) model. Meteorological observations during the South Carolina Coastal Erosion Study (October 2003 April 2004) reveal three dominant types of storms in the region warm fronts, cold fronts, and tropical storms. Each storm has a characteristic progression of wind patterns: (1) Warm fronts start with southwestward winds and change to northeastward after the front passes; (2) Cold fronts begin with northeastward winds and shift to southeastward when the front moves out; and (3) Tropical storms change wind directions from the southwest to the southeast during the storm. It is observed the coastal circulation distinctly responds to such atmospheric disturbances in either a upwelling-favorable condition to the northeastward winds or a downwelling-favorable condition to the southwestward winds. The study domain encompasses 300-km of gently arcing shoreline between Cape Romain to Cape Fear, and approximately 100-km offshore to the shelf edge. The model domain is resolved by a 300×130 mesh at 1-km intervals in the horizontal and twenty terrain-following layers in the vertical. The ROMS model is driven by tides and wind stress, and it includes wave-current interactions via dynamic coupling to the surface wave model SWAN. Salinity and temperature along the open boundaries are included by nudging to climatological values. A time period of six months is simulated from October 2003 to April 2004, concurrent with the observation study. Model results are compared to an extensive set of measurements collected at eight sites in the inner part of Long Bay, and are used to identify varying circulation response to each storm type. In addition, we investigate the significance of the Capes on the development of the alongshore pressure gradients, and examine the importance of wave-current interactions in the study region.

Laser Beam Shaping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aït-Ameur, Kamel; Passilly, Nicolas; de Saint Denis, R.; Fromager, Michaël

2008-09-01

We consider the promising properties of very simple Diffractive Optical Elements (DOE) for reshaping the intensity profile of a laser beam. The first type of DOE that we have considered is a phase aperture which consists in a transparent plate with a circular relief introducing a π phase shift in the central region of the incident beam. The phase aperture is able to convert a Gaussian beam into a super-Gaussian, a ring-shaped or a doughnut profile. The second DOE that has been considered is an adjustable axicon able to transform a Gaussian laser beam into a dark hollow beam or a Bessel-Gauss beam. The desired conical geometry is obtained from a deformable mirror formed by a 2 inches, 0.25mm thick silicon wafer supported by a standard 2 inches optical mount. To achieve the adequate deformation a small metallic ball pushes the back of the mirror wafer. The realized shape is monitored with a Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor and it is shown that conical shape cannot be achieved. Nevertheless, recorded wave fronts exhibit important third order spherical aberration able to achieve beam profile transformation as conical lenses.

Optical testing of progressive ophthalmic glasses based on galvo mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuerwald, S.; Schmitt, R.

2014-03-01

In production of ophthalmic freeform optics like progressive eyeglasses, the specimens are tested according to a standardized method which is based on the measurement of the vertex power on usually less than 10 points. For a better quality management and thus to ensure more reliable and valid tests, a more comprehensive measurement approach is required. For Shack Hartmann Sensors (SHS) the dynamic range is defined by the number of micro-lenses and the resolution of the imaging sensor. Here, we present an approach for measuring wavefronts with increased dynamic range and lateral resolution by the use of a scanning procedure. Therefore, the proposed innovative setup is based on galvo mirrors that are capable of measuring the vertex power with a lateral resolution below one millimeter since this is sufficient for a functional test of progressive eyeglasses. Expressed in a more abstract way, the concept is based on a selection and thereby encoding of single sub-apertures of the wave front under test. This allows measuring the wave fronts slope consecutively in a scanning procedure. The use of high precision galvo systems allows a lateral resolution below one millimeter as well as a significant fast scanning ability. The measurement concept and performance of this method will be demonstrated for different spherical and freeformed specimens like progressive eye glasses. Furthermore, approaches for calibration of the measurement system will be characterized and the optical design of the detector will be discussed.

Automatic low-order aberration compensator for solid-state slab lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Xin; Dong, Lizhi; Lai, Boheng; Yang, Ping; Kong, Qingfeng; Yang, Kangjian; Liu, Yong; Tang, Guomao; Xu, Bing

2016-09-01

Slab geometry is a promising architecture for power scaling of solid-state lasers. By propagating the laser beams along zigzag path in the gain medium, the thermal effects can be well compensated. However, in the non-zigzag direction, the thermal effects are not compensated. Among the overall aberrations in the slab lasers, the major contributors are two low-order aberrations: astigmatism and defocus, which can range up to over 100 microns (peak to valley), leading to detracted beam quality. Another problem with slab lasers is that the output beams are generally in a rectangular aperture with high aspect ratio (normally 1:10), where square beams are favorable for many applications. In order to solve these problems, we propose an automatic low-order aberration compensation system. This system is composed of three lenses fixed on a motorized rail, one is a spherical lens and the others are cylindrical lenses. Astigmatism and defocus can be compensated by merely adjusting the distances between the lenses. Two wave-front sensors are employed in this compensation system, one is used for detecting the initial parameters of the beams, and the other one is used for detecting the remaining aberrations after correction. The adjustments of the three lenses are directly calculated based on beam parameters using ray tracing method. The initial size of the beam is 3.2mm by 26mm, and peak to valley(PV) value of the wave-front is 33.07λ(λ=1064nm). After correction, the dimension becomes 40mm by 40mm, and peak to valley (PV) value of the wave-front is less than 2 microns.

Imaging Gravity Waves in Lower Stratospheric AMSU-A Radiances. Part 1: Simple Forward Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-14

brightening” of microwave radiances acquired from purely vertical background temperature profiles by cross- track scanners. Waves propagating along track...three-dimensional wave fields. For example, some limb sensors return high- resolution vertical temperature profiles with wave oscilla- tions...provide only ver- tical profiles of wave oscillations, similar to radiosonde and rocketsonde data. Similarly, limb-tracking measurements from the

Fast obstacle detection based on multi-sensor information fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Linli; Ying, Jie

2014-11-01

Obstacle detection is one of the key problems in areas such as driving assistance and mobile robot navigation, which cannot meet the actual demand by using a single sensor. A method is proposed to realize the real-time access to the information of the obstacle in front of the robot and calculating the real size of the obstacle area according to the mechanism of the triangle similarity in process of imaging by fusing datum from a camera and an ultrasonic sensor, which supports the local path planning decision. In the part of image analyzing, the obstacle detection region is limited according to complementary principle. We chose ultrasonic detection range as the region for obstacle detection when the obstacle is relatively near the robot, and the travelling road area in front of the robot is the region for a relatively-long-distance detection. The obstacle detection algorithm is adapted from a powerful background subtraction algorithm ViBe: Visual Background Extractor. We extracted an obstacle free region in front of the robot in the initial frame, this region provided a reference sample set of gray scale value for obstacle detection. Experiments of detecting different obstacles at different distances respectively, give the accuracy of the obstacle detection and the error percentage between the calculated size and the actual size of the detected obstacle. Experimental results show that the detection scheme can effectively detect obstacles in front of the robot and provide size of the obstacle with relatively high dimensional accuracy.

Experimental study of an adaptive CFRC reflector for high order wave-front error correction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lan, Lan; Fang, Houfei; Wu, Ke; Jiang, Shuidong; Zhou, Yang

2018-03-01

The recent radio frequency communication system developments are generating the need for creating space antennas with lightweight and high precision. The carbon fiber reinforced composite (CFRC) materials have been used to manufacture the high precision reflector. The wave-front errors caused by fabrication and on-orbit distortion are inevitable. The adaptive CFRC reflector has received much attention to do the wave-front error correction. Due to uneven stress distribution that is introduced by actuation force and fabrication, the high order wave-front errors such as print-through error is found on the reflector surface. However, the adaptive CFRC reflector with PZT actuators basically has no control authority over the high order wave-front errors. A new design architecture assembled secondary ribs at the weak triangular surfaces is presented in this paper. The virtual experimental study of the new adaptive CFRC reflector has conducted. The controllability of the original adaptive CFRC reflector and the new adaptive CFRC reflector with secondary ribs are investigated. The virtual experimental investigation shows that the new adaptive CFRC reflector is feasible and efficient to diminish the high order wave-front error.

Damage detection in composite materials using Lamb wave methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kessler, Seth S.; Spearing, S. Mark; Soutis, Constantinos

2002-04-01

Cost-effective and reliable damage detection is critical for the utilization of composite materials. This paper presents part of an experimental and analytical survey of candidate methods for in situ damage detection of composite materials. Experimental results are presented for the application of Lamb wave techniques to quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy test specimens containing representative damage modes, including delamination, transverse ply cracks and through-holes. Linear wave scans were performed on narrow laminated specimens and sandwich beams with various cores by monitoring the transmitted waves with piezoceramic sensors. Optimal actuator and sensor configurations were devised through experimentation, and various types of driving signal were explored. These experiments provided a procedure capable of easily and accurately determining the time of flight of a Lamb wave pulse between an actuator and sensor. Lamb wave techniques provide more information about damage presence and severity than previously tested methods (frequency response techniques), and provide the possibility of determining damage location due to their local response nature. These methods may prove suitable for structural health monitoring applications since they travel long distances and can be applied with conformable piezoelectric actuators and sensors that require little power.

Study of the performance of image restoration under different wavefront aberrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xinqiu; Hu, Xinqi

2016-10-01

Image restoration is an effective way to improve the quality of images degraded by wave-front aberrations. If the wave-front aberration is too large, the performance of the image restoration will not be good. In this paper, the relationship between the performance of image restoration and the degree of wave-front aberrations is studied. A set of different wave-front aberrations is constructed by Zernike polynomials, and the corresponding PSF under white-light illumination is calculated. A set of blurred images is then obtained through convolution methods. Next we recover the images with the regularized Richardson-Lucy algorithm and use the RMS of the original image and the homologous deblurred image to evaluate the quality of restoration. Consequently, we determine the range of wave-front errors in which the recovered images are acceptable.

Ultrasensitive, passive and wearable sensors for monitoring human muscle motion and physiological signals.

PubMed

Cai, Feng; Yi, Changrui; Liu, Shichang; Wang, Yan; Liu, Lacheng; Liu, Xiaoqing; Xu, Xuming; Wang, Li

2016-03-15

Flexible sensors have attracted more and more attention as a fundamental part of anthropomorphic robot research, medical diagnosis and physical health monitoring. Here, we constructed an ultrasensitive and passive flexible sensor with the advantages of low cost, lightness and wearability, electric safety and reliability. The fundamental mechanism of the sensor is based on triboelectric effect inducing electrostatic charges on the surfaces between two different materials. Just like a plate capacitor, current will be generated while the distance or size of the parallel capacitors changes caused by the small mechanical disturbance upon it and therefore the output current/voltage will be produced. Typically, the passive sensor unambiguously monitors muscle motions including hand motion from stretch-clench-stretch, mouth motion from open-bite-open, blink and respiration. Moreover, this sensor records the details of the consecutive phases in a cardiac cycle of the apex cardiogram, and identify the peaks including percussion wave, tidal wave and diastolic wave of the radial pulse wave. To record subtle human physiological signals including radial pulsilogram and apex cardiogram with excellent signal/noise ratio, stability and reproducibility, the sensor shows great potential in the applications of medical diagnosis and daily health monitoring. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the Stability of the Detonation Wave Front in the High Explosive Liquid Mixture Tetranitromethane/Nitrobenzene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorov, A. V.; Mikhaylov, A. L.; Men'Shikh, A. V.; Nazarov, D. V.; Finyushin, S. A.; Davydov, V. A.

2010-10-01

We performed experimental studies on the stability of the detonation wave front in mixtures of the liquids tetranitromethane (TNM) and nitrobenzene (NB). Tetranitromethane is an oxygen-rich explosive and nitrobenzene was used as a solvent or dilutant. (NB is not classed as an explosive but as an explosive would be oxygen poor and fuel rich.) The primary diagnostic was a laser velocimetry method with high temporal resolution. Data obtained were compared with the detonation parameters of the TNM/NB mixtures. In previous experimental work [1,2] it was shown that the detonation wave front in liquid explosives may be either smooth or rough. Rough detonation fronts have been reported in nitromethane, as well as nitromethane mixed with a solvent. Smooth detonation fronts have been reported in tetranitromethane. Previously, we conducted studies on the structure of the detonation wave front in liquid explosives containing tetranitromethane [3-5]. Smooth, stable fronts were recorded in pure tetranitromethane and in a 46/54 mixture of tetranitromethane and nitromethane. A pulsating, unstable detonation wave front was recorded in a 74/26 mixture of tetranitromethane and nitrobenzene. The goal of the present work is to extend our research on the structure of the detonation wave front in mixtures of tetranitromethane diluted with less energetic nitrobenzene. To this end, the following TNM/NB mixtures were studied: 95/5, 90/10, 85/15, 80/20, 74/26, and 50/50.

Electrostatic Accelerometer for the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On Mission (GRACE FO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perrot, Eddy; Christophe, Bruno; Foulon, Bernard; Boulanger, Damien; Liorzou, Françoise; Lebat, Vincent

2013-04-01

The GRACE FO mission, led by the JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), is an Earth-orbiting gravity mission, continuation of the GRACE mission, that will produce an accurate model of the Earth's gravity field variation providing global climatic data during five year at least. The mission involves two satellites in a loosely controlled tandem formation, with a micro-wave link measuring the inter-satellites distance variation. Non-uniformities in the distribution of the Earth's mass cause the distance between the two satellites to vary. This variation is measured to recover gravity, after substracting the non-gravitational contributors, as the residual drag. ONERA (the French Aerospace Lab) is developing and manufacturing electrostatic accelerometers measuring this residual drag applied on the satellites. The accelerometer is composed of two main parts: the Sensor Unit (including the Sensor Unit Mechanics and the Front-End Electronic Unit) and the Interface Control Unit. In the Accelerometer Core, located in the Sensor Unit Mechanics, the proof mass is levitated and maintained in a center of an electrode cage by electrostatic forces. Thus, any drag acceleration applied on the satellite involves a variation on the servo-controlled electrostatic suspension of the mass. The voltage on the electrodes providing this electrostatic force is the measurement output of the accelerometer. The impact of the accelerometer defaults (geometry, electronic and parasitic forces) leads to bias, misalignment and scale factor error, non-linearity and noise. Some of these accelerometer defaults are characterized by tests with micro-gravity pendulum bench and with drops in ZARM catapult. Besides, a thermal stability is needed for the accelerometer core and front-end electronics to avoid bias and scale factor variation. To reach this stability, the sensor unit is enclosed in a thermal box designed by Astrium, spacecraft manufacturer. The accelerometers are designed to endure mechanical excitation especially due to launching vibrations. As the measure must be accurate, no displacements or sliding must appear during excitations. The electrode cage is made of glass material (ULE), which is very critical, in particular due to the free motion of the proof-mass during the launch. Specific analysis on this part is realized to ensure mechanical behavior. The design of electrostatic accelerometer of the GRACE Follow-On mission benefits of the GRACE heritage, GOCE launched in 2009 and MICROSCOPE which will be launched in 2016, including some improvement to win in performance, in particular the thermal sensitivity of the measurements.

Twisted gravitational waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bini, Donato; Chicone, Carmen; Mashhoon, Bahram

2018-03-01

In general relativity (GR), linearized gravitational waves propagating in empty Minkowski spacetime along a fixed spatial direction have the property that the wave front is the Euclidean plane. Beyond the linear regime, exact plane waves in GR have been studied theoretically for a long time and many exact vacuum solutions of the gravitational field equations are known that represent plane gravitational waves. These have parallel rays and uniform wave fronts. It turns out, however, that GR also admits exact solutions representing gravitational waves propagating along a fixed direction that are nonplanar. The wave front is then nonuniform and the bundle of rays is twisted. We find a class of solutions representing nonplanar unidirectional gravitational waves and study some of the properties of these twisted waves.

Activation patterns of Purkinje fibers during long-duration ventricular fibrillation in an isolated canine heart model.

PubMed

Tabereaux, Paul B; Walcott, Greg P; Rogers, Jack M; Kim, Jong; Dosdall, Derek J; Robertson, Peter G; Killingsworth, Cheryl R; Smith, William M; Ideker, Raymond E

2007-09-04

The roles of Purkinje fibers (PFs) and focal wave fronts, if any, in the maintenance of ventricular fibrillation (VF) are unknown. If PFs are involved in VF maintenance, it should be possible to map wave fronts propagating from PFs into the working ventricular myocardium during VF. If wave fronts ever arise focally during VF, it should be possible to map them appearing de novo. Six canine hearts were isolated, and the left main coronary artery was cannulated and perfused. The left ventricular cavity was exposed, which allowed direct endocardial mapping of the anterior papillary muscle insertion. Nonperfused VF was induced, and 6 segments of data, each 5 seconds long, were analyzed during 10 minutes of VF. During 36 segments of data that were analyzed, 1018 PF or focal wave fronts of activation were identified. In 534 wave fronts, activation was mapped propagating from working ventricular myocardium to PF. In 142 wave fronts, activation was mapped propagating from PF to working ventricular myocardium. In 342 wave fronts, activation was mapped arising focally. More than 1 of these 3 patterns could occur in the same wave front. PFs are highly active throughout the first 10 minutes of VF. In addition to retrograde propagation from the working ventricular myocardium to PFs, antegrade propagation occurs from PFs to working ventricular myocardium, which suggests PFs are important in VF maintenance. Prior plunge needle recordings in dogs indicate activation propagates from the endocardium toward the epicardium after 1 minute of VF, which suggests that focal sites on the endocardium may represent foci and not breakthrough. If so, in addition to reentry, abnormal automaticity or triggered activity may also occur during VF.

Close range fault tolerant noncontacting position sensor

DOEpatents

Bingham, D.N.; Anderson, A.A.

1996-02-20

A method and system are disclosed for locating the three dimensional coordinates of a moving or stationary object in real time. The three dimensional coordinates of an object in half space or full space are determined based upon the time of arrival or phase of the wave front measured by a plurality of receiver elements and an established vector magnitudes proportional to the measured time of arrival or phase at each receiver element. The coordinates of the object are calculated by solving a matrix equation or a set of closed form algebraic equations. 3 figs.

Active optical control system design of the SONG-China Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Yu; Kou, Songfeng; Niu, Dongsheng; Li, Cheng; Wang, Guomin

2012-09-01

The standard SONG node structure of control system is presented. The active optical control system of the project is a distributed system, and a host computer and a slave intelligent controller are included. The host control computer collects the information from wave front sensor and sends commands to the slave computer to realize a closed loop model. For intelligent controller, a programmable logic controller (PLC) system is used. This system combines with industrial personal computer (IPC) and PLC to make up a control system with powerful and reliable.

Electron acceleration and radiation signatures in loop coronal transients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vlahos, L.; Gergely, T. E.; Papadopoulos, K.

1982-01-01

It is proposed that in loop coronal transients an erupting loop moves away from the solar surface, with a velocity exceeding the local Alfven speed, pushing against the overlying magnetic fields and driving a shock in the front of the moving part of the loop. Lower hybrid waves are excited at the shock front and propagate radially toward the center of the loop with phase velocity along the magnetic field that exceeds the thermal velocity. The lower hybrid waves stochastically accelerate the tail of the electron distribution inside the loop. The manner in which the accelerated electrons are trapped in the moving loop are discussed, and their radiation signature is estimated. It is suggested that plasma radiation can explain the power observed in stationary and moving type IV bursts.

Spatial Dynamics of Multilayer Cellular Neural Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Shi-Liang; Hsu, Cheng-Hsiung

2018-02-01

The purpose of this work is to study the spatial dynamics of one-dimensional multilayer cellular neural networks. We first establish the existence of rightward and leftward spreading speeds of the model. Then we show that the spreading speeds coincide with the minimum wave speeds of the traveling wave fronts in the right and left directions. Moreover, we obtain the asymptotic behavior of the traveling wave fronts when the wave speeds are positive and greater than the spreading speeds. According to the asymptotic behavior and using various kinds of comparison theorems, some front-like entire solutions are constructed by combining the rightward and leftward traveling wave fronts with different speeds and a spatially homogeneous solution of the model. Finally, various qualitative features of such entire solutions are investigated.

Bloom Chasing With a Wave Glider: The MAGI (Mesoscale Features Aggregates Interaction) Project in the North Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C.; Villareal, T. A.; Anderson, E.

2015-12-01

Satellite ocean color data over the past decade has revealed the existence of large phytoplankton blooms in the North Pacific Ocean - specifically in the region NE of Hawai´I near 30°N. These blooms cover thousands of km2, persist for weeks or longer, and are often dominated by nitrogen-fixing diatom symbioses. These events have proven difficult to study outside of the time series station ALOHA at Hawai´i. The limited data indicates that the 30°N blooms are longer-lived, larger, and occur at a greater temperature range than the blooms that develop closer to Hawai´i. In the NE Pacific, at least some of these blooms occur at or near the subtropical front, a salinity-defined temperature compensated frontal zone that has a number of fronts imbedded in it. Here we will report on the results from the MAGI (Mesoscale features Aggregates Interaction) project. In this project, we deployed a Liquid Robotics SV2 Wave Glider® in June, 2015 for a multiple (up to 6) month mission to sample these features and assist in characterizing the bloom dynamics of this region. The Wave Gliders are the first unmanned autonomous marine robots to use only the ocean's wave energy for propulsion. The gliders are navigated remotely allowing a dynamic route through the keying of unique waypoints. Waypoints can be changed to sample features as they develop in the near-real time satellite imagery. The wave glider named Honey Badger is equipped with a CTD, two C3 fluorometers (one with an anti-biofouling coating applied), a Turner Designs PhytoFlash, meteorology and wave sensors, a downward facing camera, a Vengmar passive acoustic monitor, and a towed LISST-Holo.

Evaluating the Capability of High-Altitude Infrasound Platforms to Cover Gaps in Existing Networks.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowman, Daniel

A variety of Earth surface and atmospheric sources generate low frequency sound waves that can travel great distances. Despite a rich history of ground-based sensor studies, very few experiments have investigated the prospects of free floating microphone arrays at high altitudes. However, recent initiatives have shown that such networks have very low background noise and may sample an acoustic wave field that is fundamentally different than that at the Earth's surface. The experiments have been limited to at most two stations at altitude, limiting their utility in acoustic event detection and localization. We describe the deployment of five drifting microphonemore » stations at altitudes between 21 and 24 km above sea level. The stations detected one of two regional ground-based explosions as well as the ocean microbarom while traveling almost 500 km across the American Southwest. The explosion signal consisted of multiple arrivals; signal amplitudes did not correlate with sensor elevation or source range. A sparse network method that employed curved wave front corrections was able to determine the backazimuth from the free flying network to the acoustic source. Episodic broad band signals similar to those seen on previous flights in the same region were noted as well, but their source remains unclear. Background noise levels were commensurate with those on infrasound stations in the International Monitoring System (IMS) below 2 seconds, but sensor self noise appears to dominate at higher frequencies.« less

Water-level and wave measurements in the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, 2012 and 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dickhudt, Patrick J.; Sherwood, Christopher R.; DeWitt, Nancy T.

2015-01-01

This report documents measurements of atmospheric pressure, water levels, and waves made by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, during 2012 and 2013 as part of the Barrier Island Evolution Research project. Simple, inexpensive pressure sensors mounted in shallow wells were buried in the beach and left for one hurricane season and one winter-storm season. Gauges with rapid-sampling pressure sensors that provided nondirectional wave data and water-level data were mounted on rugged mounts on the Chandeleur Sound side and at the base of a tower at the northern end of the island chain. Additionally, an atmospheric pressure sensor was mounted on the tower to provide a local atmospheric pressure measurement for correcting the submerged pressure records.

Environmental Guide for ASW in Eastern Canadian Shallow Waters. Part 1. An assessment of the State of Knowledge

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-01

parameters is an essential prerequisite when attempting to predict the performance of ASW sensors or weapon systems. Since a greater portion of the acoustic...operations at sea. Bad weather can result in a sever -’ ’ radation in the performance level of most sensor and weapon systems, axi- ...at of the...MS. February 9 to 11. 1983. Kibblewhite, A.C. 1985. Wave-wave interactions. microseisms, and infra - sonic ambient noise in the ocean. Journal of the

Chilean Tsunami Rocks the Ross Ice Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromirski, P. D.; Gerstoft, P.; Chen, Z.; Stephen, R. A.; Diez, A.; Arcas, D.; Wiens, D.; Aster, R. C.; Nyblade, A.

2016-12-01

The response of the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) to the September 16, 2015 9.3 Mb Chilean earthquake tsunami (> 75 s period) and infragravity (IG) waves (50 - 300 s period) were recorded by a broadband seismic array deployed on the RIS from November 2014 to November 2015. The array included two linear transects, one approximately orthogonal to the shelf front extending 430 km southward toward the grounding zone, and an east-west transect spanning the RIS roughly parallel to the front about 100 km south of the ice edge (https://scripps.ucsd.edu/centers/iceshelfvibes/). Signals generated by both the tsunami and IG waves were recorded at all stations on floating ice, with little ocean wave-induced energy reaching stations on grounded ice. Cross-correlation and dispersion curve analyses indicate that tsunami and IG wave-generated signals propagate across the RIS at gravity wave speeds (about 70 m/s), consistent with coupled water-ice flexural-gravity waves propagating through the ice shelf from the north. Gravity wave excitation at periods > 100 s is continuously observed during the austral winter, providing mechanical excitation of the RIS throughout the year. Horizontal displacements are typically about 3 times larger than vertical displacements, producing extensional motions that could facilitate expansion of existing fractures. The vertical and horizontal spectra in the IG band attenuate exponentially with distance from the front. Tsunami model data are used to assess variability of excitation of the RIS by long period gravity waves. Substantial variability across the RIS roughly parallel to the front is observed, likely resulting from a combination of gravity wave amplitude variability along the front, signal attenuation, incident angle of the wave forcing at the front that depends on wave generation location as well as bathymetry under and north of the shelf, and water layer and ice shelf thickness and properties.

Modulation of Polarization for Phase Extraction in Holographic Interferometry with Two References

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez-Zurita, G.; Vázquez-Castillo, J.-F.; Toto-Arellano, N.-I.; Meneses-Fabian, C.; Jiménez-Montero, L.-E.

2010-04-01

Heterodyne holographic interferometry allows high accuracy for phase-difference extraction between two wave fronts, especially when they are previously recorded in the same recording medium. In part, this is because the wave fronts can be affected by the recording process in a very similar way. The double reconstruction of a double-exposure hologram with two independent references results in a two-beam holographic interferometer with an arm conveying a wave modulated in frequency when using heterodyne techniques. The heterodyne frequency has been usually introduced with a plane mirror attached to a piezo-electric stack driven with a suitable variable power supply. For holographic interferometry, however, less attention has been devoted to alternative phase retrieval variants as, for example, phase-shifting with modulation of polarization or Fourier methods. In this work, we propose and demonstrate the basic capabilities of modulation of polarization performing as a phase-shifting technique for holographic interferometry with two references in a phase-stepping scheme. Experimental results are provided.

Frequency-Based Spatial Correlation Assessments of the Ares I Subscale Acoustic Model Test Firings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, R. Jeremy; Houston, J.

2012-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center has performed a series of test firings to simulate and understand the acoustic environments generated for the Ares I liftoff profiles. Part of the instrumentation package had special sensor groups to assess the acoustic field spatial correlation features for the various test configurations. The spatial correlation characteristics were evaluated for all of the test firings, inclusive of understanding the diffuse to propagating wave amplitude ratios, the acoustic wave decays, and the incident angle of propagating waves across the sensor groups. These parameters were evaluated across the measured frequency spectra and the associated uncertainties for each parameter were estimated.

Influence of source extension of 26 December 2004 Sumatra earthquake on character of tsunami wave propagation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazova, Raissa; Kisel'Man, Broneslav; Baranova, Natalya; Lobkovsky, Leopold

2010-05-01

The analysis of the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami on 26 December 2004 carried out in a number of works demonstrates that rupture process in the seismic source was realized during several minutes. In some works, there was suggested that a source probably consists of several segments with width near above hundred of kilometers and with total length more than 1000 km. Such a picture is consistent with subduction keyboard model of tsunamigenic earthquake (see, e.g. [1]) which treats the anomalously long source of Indian Ocean tsunami, caused by oblique subduction, as a multiblock piston mechanism with non-simultaneous realization of each block. Because of existing in literature uncertainty with source structure and movements at all its extent, it is interesting for given event to study in details the dependence of characteristics of surface water wave induced by seismic source on its extent [1,2]. In the work it was studied the influence of submarine seismic source extention to wave field distribution in basin of Bengal bay and central part of Indian ocean. To analyze, it was considered separately the influence of large segment of seismic source for given tsunami. On the basis of keyboard model it is considered the earthquake origin with extension near 1200 km comprises 3 seismic source: Sumatran, Andaman and Nicobar ones, each of which comprises 6, 4 and 3 keyboard blocks, respectively (1, 2 and 3 scenarios). It was calculated the maximal vertical displacement of these segments on 2-5 meters. The velocity of block movement was taken in correspondence with available data on characteristic times in the source. For scenario 1 tsunami source, formed at the ocean surface, generates almost circular wave which, due to bathymetry of given basin, preserve its form and propagates most quickly in west and south-west direction. To north-east, to Indian coast, the wave came with large delay, as compared with records of real mareographs. As follows from the wave field picture for second series of calculations, the wave front, as it was expected, becomes to be more elongated, and the time of approach of the wave front up to east Indian coast is decreased, as compared with the case of wave generation by only Sumatra segment. At turning on of third segment wave field is characterized by else more elongated to north wave front, and time of approach of wave front the south-east Indian coast is more decreased. It's seen that from the source side faced to Bengal bay there are well pronounced three wave fronts in correspondence with marked segments. These fronts evolve then in plane enough united front with bend in the region of Nicobar islands. The change of wave field character for three taken cases is well seen on accounted satellite altimetry. Adequateness of the calculations performed was verified by comparison of mareograms, obtained from real mareographs with records of virtual mareographs placed us in calculating basin and obtained by us for each scenario. The same verification was performed by comparison of real altimetric records of satellite "Yason-1" with virtual altimetric record obtained by us for each scenario. The computations performed explain the complex character of tsunami wave propagation for given earthquake. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project no. 08-05-01027 1.Lobkovsky L.I., Mazova R.Kh. The mechanism of source of Indian Ocean tsunami 2004: analysis and numerical simulation // Physics of Earth, v.43, № 7, pp.46-56, 2007. 2.Lobkovsky L.I., Mazova R.Kh., Garagash I.A., Kataeva L.Yu., Nardin I. To analysis of source mechanism of the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Russ.J.Earth Sci. V.8, ES5001, doi:10.2205/2006ES000208 http://dx.doi.org/ 10.2205/2006ES000208 (2006b).

Gas and particle motions in a rapidly decompressed flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Blair; Zunino, Heather; Adrian, Ronald; Clarke, Amanda

2017-11-01

To understand the behavior of a rapidly decompressed particle bed in response to a shock, an experimental study is performed in a cylindrical (D = 4.1 cm) glass vertical shock tube of a densely packed (ρ = 61%) particle bed. The bed is comprised of spherical glass particles, ranging from D50 = 44-297 μm between experiments. High-speed pressure sensors are incorporated to capture shock speeds and strengths. High-speed video and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements are collected to examine vertical and radial velocities of both the particles and gas to elucidate features of the shock wave and resultant expansion wave in the lateral center of the tube, away from boundaries. In addition to optically analyzing the front velocity of the rising particle bed, interaction between the particle and gas phases are investigated as the flow accelerates and the particle front becomes more dilute. Particle and gas interactions are also considered in exploring mechanisms through which turbulence develops in the flow. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Advanced Simulation and Computing Program, as a Cooperative Agreement under the Predictive Science and Academic Alliance Program, under Contract No. DE-NA0002378.

Space-borne observation of mesospheric bore by Visible and near Infrared Spectral Imager onboard the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hozumi, Y.; Saito, A.; Sakanoi, T.; Yamazaki, A.; Hosokawa, K.

2017-12-01

Mesospheric bores were observed by Visible and near Infrared Spectral Imager (VISI) of the ISS-IMAP mission (Ionosphere, Mesosphere, upper Atmosphere and Plasmasphere mapping mission from the International Space Station) in O2 airglow at 762 nm wavelength. The mesospheric bore is moving front of sharp jump followed by undulations or turbulence in the mesopause region. Since previous studies of mesospheric bore were mainly based on ground-based airglow imaging that is limited in field-of-view and observing site, little is known about its horizontal extent and global behavior. Space-borne imaging by ISS-IMAP/VISI provides an opportunity to study the mesospheric bore with a wide field-of-view and global coverage. A mesospheric bore was captured by VISI in two consecutive paths on 9 July 2015 over the south of African continent (48ºS - 54ºS and 15ºE). The wave front aligned with south-north direction and propagated to west. The phase velocity and wave length of the following undulation were estimated to 100 m/s and 30 km, respectively. Those parameters are similar to those reported by previous studies. 30º anti-clockwise rotation of the wave front was recognized in 100 min. Another mesospheric bore was captured on 9 May 2013 over the south Atlantic ocean (35ºS - 43ºS and 24ºW - 1ºE) with more than 2,200 km horizontal extent of wave front. The wave front aligned with southeast-northwest direction. Because the following undulation is recognized in the southwest side of the wave front, it is estimated to propagate to northeast direction. The wave front was modulated with 1,000 km wave length. This modulation implies inhomogeneity of the phase velocity.

Stability of nonlinear waves and patterns and related topics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghazaryan, Anna; Lafortune, Stephane; Manukian, Vahagn

2018-04-01

Periodic and localized travelling waves such as wave trains, pulses, fronts and patterns of more complex structure often occur in natural and experimentally built systems. In mathematics, these objects are realized as solutions of nonlinear partial differential equations. The existence, dynamic properties and bifurcations of those solutions are of interest. In particular, their stability is important for applications, as the waves that are observable are usually stable. When the waves are unstable, further investigation is warranted of the way the instability is exhibited, i.e. the nature of the instability, and also coherent structures that appear as a result of an instability of travelling waves. A variety of analytical, numerical and hybrid techniques are used to study travelling waves and their properties. This article is part of the theme issue `Stability of nonlinear waves and patterns and related topics'.

Apparatus for characterizing the temporo-spatial properties of a dynamic fluid front and method thereof

DOEpatents

Battiste, Richard L.

2007-12-25

Methods and apparatus are described for characterizing the temporal-spatial properties of a dynamic fluid front within a mold space while the mold space is being filled with fluid. A method includes providing a mold defining a mold space and having one or more openings into the mold space; heating a plurality of temperature sensors that extend into the mold space; injecting a fluid into the mold space through the openings, the fluid experiencing a dynamic fluid front while filling the mold space with the fluid; and characterizing temporal-spatial properties of the dynamic fluid front by monitoring a temperature of each of the plurality of heated temperature sensors while the mold space is being filled with the fluid. An apparatus includes a mold defining a mold space; one or more openings for introducing a fluid into the mold space and filling the mold space with the fluid, the fluid experiencing a dynamic fluid front while filling the mold space; a plurality of heated temperature sensors extending into the mold space; and a computer coupled to the plurality of heated temperature sensors for characterizing the temporal-spatial properties of the dynamic fluid front.

Apparatus for characterizing the temporo-spatial properties of a dynamic fluid front and method thereof

DOEpatents

Battiste, Richard L

2013-12-31

Methods and apparatus are described for characterizing the temporal-spatial properties of a dynamic fluid front within a mold space while the mold space is being filled with fluid. A method includes providing a mold defining a mold space and having one or more openings into the mold space; heating a plurality of temperature sensors that extend into the mold space; injecting a fluid into th emold space through the openings, the fluid experiencing a dynamic fluid front while filling the mold space with a fluid; and characterizing temporal-spatial properties of the dynamic fluid front by monitoring a termperature of each of the plurality of heated temperature sensors while the mold space is being filled with the fluid. An apparatus includes a mold defining a mold space; one or more openings for introducing a fluid into th emold space and filling the mold space with the fluid, the fluid experiencing a dynamic fluid front while filling the mold space; a plurality of heated temperature sensors extending into the mold space; and a computer coupled to the plurality of heated temperature sensors for characterizing the temporal-spatial properties of the dynamic fluid front.

A Review of Alfvénic Turbulence in High-Speed Solar Wind Streams: Hints From Cometary Plasma Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsurutani, Bruce T.; Lakhina, Gurbax S.; Sen, Abhijit; Hellinger, Petr; Glassmeier, Karl-Heinz; Mannucci, Anthony J.

2018-04-01

Solar wind turbulence within high-speed streams is reviewed from the point of view of embedded single nonlinear Alfvén wave cycles, discontinuities, magnetic decreases (MDs), and shocks. For comparison and guidance, cometary plasma turbulence is also briefly reviewed. It is demonstrated that cometary nonlinear magnetosonic waves phase-steepen, with a right-hand circular polarized foreshortened front and an elongated, compressive trailing edge. The former part is a form of "wave breaking" and the latter that of "period doubling." Interplanetary nonlinear Alfvén waves, which are arc polarized, have a 180° foreshortened front and with an elongated trailing edge. Alfvén waves have polarizations different from those of cometary magnetosonic waves, indicating that helicity is a durable feature of plasma turbulence. Interplanetary Alfvén waves are noted to be spherical waves, suggesting the possibility of additional local generation. They kinetically dissipate, forming MDs, indicating that the solar wind is partially "compressive" and static. The 2 MeV protons can nonresonantly interact with MDs leading to rapid cross-field ( 5.5% Bohm) diffusion. The possibility of local ( 1 AU) generation of Alfvén waves may make it difficult to forecast High-Intensity, Long-Duration AE Activity and relativistic magnetospheric electrons with great accuracy. The future Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus missions should be able to not only test these ideas but to also extend our knowledge of plasma turbulence evolution.

A comparison of the Maslov integral seismogram and the finite-difference method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, X.; Kendall, J.-M.; Thomson, C. J.; West, G. F.

1998-03-01

The Maslov asymptotic method addresses some of the problems with standard ray theory, such as caustics and shadows. However, it has been applied relatively little, perhaps because its accuracy remains untested. In this study we examine Maslov integral (MI) seismograms by comparing them with finite-difference (FD) seismograms for several cases of interest, such as (1) velocity gradients generating traveltime triplications and shadows, (2) wave-front bending, kinking and folding in a low-velocity waveguide, and (3) wavefield propagation perturbed by a high-velocity slab. The results show that many features of high- and intermediate-frequency waveforms are reliably predicted by Maslov's technique, but also that it is far less reliable and even fails for low frequencies. The terms `high' and `low' are model-dependent, but we mean the range over which it is sensible to discuss signals associated with identifiable wave fronts and local (if complicated) effects that potentially can be unravelled in interpretation. Of the high- and intermediate-frequency wave components, those wave- front anomalies due to wave-front bending, kinking, folding or rapid ray divergence can be accurately given by MI. True diffractions due to secondary wave-front sections are theoretically not included in Maslov theory (as they require true diffracted rays), but in practice they can often be satisfactorily predicted. This occurs roughly within a wavelength of the truncated geometrical wave front, where such diffractions are most important since their amplitudes may still be as large as half that on the geometrical wave front itself. Outside this region MI is inaccurate (although then the diffractions are usually small). Thus waveforms of high and intermediate frequencies are essentially controlled by classical wave-front geometry. Our results also show that the accuracy of MI can be improved by rotating the Maslov integration axis so that the nearest wave-front anomaly is adequately `sampled'. This rotation can be performed after ray tracing and it can serve to avoid pseudo-caustics by using it in conjunction with the phase-partitioning approach. The effort needed in phase partitioning has been reduced by using an interactive graphics technique. It is difficult to formulate a general rule prescribing the limitations of MI accuracy because of model dependency. However, our experiences indicate that two space- and two timescales need to be considered. These are the pulse width in space, the length scale over which the instantaneous wave-front curvature changes, and the timescales of pulse width and significant features in the ray traveltime curve. It seems, from our examples, that when these scales are comparable, the Maslov method gives very acceptable results.

Study of Composite Plate Damages Using Embedded PZT Sensors with Various Center Frequency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Kyoung-Tak; Chun, Heoung-Jae; Son, Ju-Hyun; Byun, Joon-Hyung; Um, Moon-Kwang; Lee, Sang-Kwan

This study presents part of an experimental and analytical survey of candidate methods for damage detection of composite structural. Embedded piezoceramic (PZT) sensors were excited with the high power ultrasonic wave generator generating a propagation of stress wave along the composite plate. The same embedded piezoceramic (PZT) sensors are used as receivers for acquiring stress signals. The effects of center frequency of embedded sensor were evaluated for the damage identification capability with known localized defects. The study was carried out to assess damage in composite plate by fusing information from multiple sensing paths of the embedded network. It was based on the Hilbert transform, signal correlation and probabilistic searching. The obtained results show that satisfactory detection of defects could be achieved by proposed method.

Method for a quantitative investigation of the frozen flow hypothesis

PubMed

Schock; Spillar

2000-09-01

We present a technique to test the frozen flow hypothesis quantitatively, using data from wave-front sensors such as those found in adaptive optics systems. Detailed treatments of the theoretical background of the method and of the error analysis are presented. Analyzing data from the 1.5-m and 3.5-m telescopes at the Starfire Optical Range, we find that the frozen flow hypothesis is an accurate description of the temporal development of atmospheric turbulence on time scales of the order of 1-10 ms but that significant deviations from the frozen flow behavior are present for longer time scales.

The extraction of spot signal in Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor based on sparse representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yanyan; Xu, Wentao; Chen, Suting; Ge, Junxiang; Wan, Fayu

2016-07-01

Several techniques have been used with Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors to determine the local wave-front gradient across each lenslet. While the centroid error of Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is relatively large since the skylight background and the detector noise. In this paper, we introduce a new method based on sparse representation to extract the target signal from the background and the noise. First, an over complete dictionary of the spot signal is constructed based on two-dimensional Gaussian model. Then the Shack-Hartmann image is divided into sub blocks. The corresponding coefficients of each block is computed in the over complete dictionary. Since the coefficients of the noise and the target are large different, then extract the target by setting a threshold to the coefficients. Experimental results show that the target can be well extracted and the deviation, RMS and PV of the centroid are all smaller than the method of subtracting threshold.

Traveling waves in a spring-block chain sliding down a slope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales, J. E.; James, G.; Tonnelier, A.

2017-07-01

Traveling waves are studied in a spring slider-block model. We explicitly construct front waves (kinks) for a piecewise-linear spinodal friction force. Pulse waves are obtained as the matching of two traveling fronts with identical speeds. Explicit formulas are obtained for the wavespeed and the wave form in the anticontinuum limit. The link with localized waves in a Burridge-Knopoff model of an earthquake fault is briefly discussed.

Traveling waves in a spring-block chain sliding down a slope.

PubMed

Morales, J E; James, G; Tonnelier, A

2017-07-01

Traveling waves are studied in a spring slider-block model. We explicitly construct front waves (kinks) for a piecewise-linear spinodal friction force. Pulse waves are obtained as the matching of two traveling fronts with identical speeds. Explicit formulas are obtained for the wavespeed and the wave form in the anticontinuum limit. The link with localized waves in a Burridge-Knopoff model of an earthquake fault is briefly discussed.

Model-Data Assimilation of Internal Waves during ASIAEX-2001

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Antony; Zhao, Yun-He; Tang, T. Y.; Ramp, Steven R.

2003-01-01

In recent Asian Seas International Acoustics Experiment (ASIAEX), extensive moorings have been deployed around the continental shelf break area in the northeast of South China Sea in May 2001. Simultaneous RADARSAT SAR images have been collected during the field test to integrate with the in-situ measurements from moorings, ship-board sensors, and CTD casts. Besides it provides synoptic information, satellite imagery is very useful for tracking the internal waves, and locating surface fronts and mesoscale features. During ASIAEX in May 2001, many large internal waves were observed at the test area and were the major oceanic features for acoustic volume interaction. Based on the internal wave distribution maps compiled from satellite data, the wave crest can be as long as 200 km with amplitude of 100 m. Environmental parameters have been calculated based on extensive CTD casts data near the ASIAEX area. Nonlinear internal wave models have been applied to integrate and assimilate both SAR and mooring data. Using SAR data in deep water as an initial condition, numerical simulations produce the wave evolution on the continental shelf and compared reasonably well with the mooring measurements at the downstream station. The shoaling, turning, and dissipation of large internal waves on the shelf break, elevation solitons, and wave-wave interaction have been studied and are very important issues for acoustic propagation. The internal wave effects on acoustic modal coupling has been implicated and discussed.

Ontological Representation of Light Wave Camera Data to Support Vision-Based AmI

PubMed Central

Serrano, Miguel Ángel; Gómez-Romero, Juan; Patricio, Miguel Ángel; García, Jesús; Molina, José Manuel

2012-01-01

Recent advances in technologies for capturing video data have opened a vast amount of new application areas in visual sensor networks. Among them, the incorporation of light wave cameras on Ambient Intelligence (AmI) environments provides more accurate tracking capabilities for activity recognition. Although the performance of tracking algorithms has quickly improved, symbolic models used to represent the resulting knowledge have not yet been adapted to smart environments. This lack of representation does not allow to take advantage of the semantic quality of the information provided by new sensors. This paper advocates for the introduction of a part-based representational level in cognitive-based systems in order to accurately represent the novel sensors' knowledge. The paper also reviews the theoretical and practical issues in part-whole relationships proposing a specific taxonomy for computer vision approaches. General part-based patterns for human body and transitive part-based representation and inference are incorporated to an ontology-based previous framework to enhance scene interpretation in the area of video-based AmI. The advantages and new features of the model are demonstrated in a Social Signal Processing (SSP) application for the elaboration of live market researches.

Impurity-doped optical shock, detonation and damage location sensor

DOEpatents

Weiss, J.D.

1995-02-07

A shock, detonation, and damage location sensor providing continuous fiber-optic means of measuring shock speed and damage location, and could be designed through proper cabling to have virtually any desired crush pressure. The sensor has one or a plurality of parallel multimode optical fibers, or a singlemode fiber core, surrounded by an elongated cladding, doped along their entire length with impurities to fluoresce in response to light at a different wavelength entering one end of the fiber(s). The length of a fiber would be continuously shorted as it is progressively destroyed by a shock wave traveling parallel to its axis. The resulting backscattered and shifted light would eventually enter a detector and be converted into a proportional electrical signals which would be evaluated to determine shock velocity and damage location. The corresponding reduction in output, because of the shortening of the optical fibers, is used as it is received to determine the velocity and position of the shock front as a function of time. As a damage location sensor the sensor fiber cracks along with the structure to which it is mounted. The size of the resulting drop in detector output is indicative of the location of the crack. 8 figs.

Impurity-doped optical shock, detonation and damage location sensor

DOEpatents

Weiss, Jonathan D.

1995-01-01

A shock, detonation, and damage location sensor providing continuous fiber-optic means of measuring shock speed and damage location, and could be designed through proper cabling to have virtually any desired crush pressure. The sensor has one or a plurality of parallel multimode optical fibers, or a singlemode fiber core, surrounded by an elongated cladding, doped along their entire length with impurities to fluoresce in response to light at a different wavelength entering one end of the fiber(s). The length of a fiber would be continuously shorted as it is progressively destroyed by a shock wave traveling parallel to its axis. The resulting backscattered and shifted light would eventually enter a detector and be converted into a proportional electrical signals which would be evaluated to determine shock velocity and damage location. The corresponding reduction in output, because of the shortening of the optical fibers, is used as it is received to determine the velocity and position of the shock front as a function of time. As a damage location sensor the sensor fiber cracks along with the structure to which it is mounted. The size of the resulting drop in detector output is indicative of the location of the crack.

CORONAL AND CHROMOSPHERIC SIGNATURES OF LARGE-SCALE DISTURBANCES ASSOCIATED WITH A MAJOR SOLAR ERUPTION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zong, Weiguo; Dai, Yu, E-mail: ydai@nju.edu.cn

We present both coronal and chromospheric observations of large-scale disturbances associated with a major solar eruption on 2005 September 7. In the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites/Solar X-ray Imager (SXI), arclike coronal brightenings are recorded propagating in the southern hemisphere. The SXI front shows an initially constant speed of 730 km s{sup −1} and decelerates later on, and its center is near the central position angle of the associated coronal mass ejection (CME) but away from the flare site. Chromospheric signatures of the disturbances are observed in both Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO)/Polarimeter for Inner Coronal Studies Hα and MLSO/Chromospheric Helium Imore » Imaging Photometer He i λ10830 and can be divided into two parts. The southern signatures occur in regions where the SXI front sweeps over, with the Hα bright front coincident with the SXI front, while the He i dark front lags the SXI front but shows a similar kinematics. Ahead of the path of the southern signatures, oscillations of a filament are observed. The northern signatures occur near the equator, with the Hα and He i fronts coincident with each other. They first propagate westward and then deflect to the north at the boundary of an equatorial coronal hole. Based on these observational facts, we suggest that the global disturbances are associated with the CME lift-off and show a hybrid nature: a mainly non-wave CME flank nature for the SXI signatures and the corresponding southern chromospheric signatures, and a shocked fast-mode coronal MHD wave nature for the northern chromospheric signatures.« less

Test of CCD Precision Limits for Differential Photometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borucki, W. J.; Dunham, E. W.; Wei, M. Z.; Robinson, L. B.; Ford, C. H.; Granados, A. F.

1995-01-01

Results of tests to demonstrate the very high differential-photometric stability of CCD light sensors are presented. The measurements reported here demonstrate that in a controlled laboratory environment, a front-illuminated CCD can provide differential-photometric measurements with reproducible precision approaching one part in 105. Practical limitations to the precision of differential-photometric measurements with CCDs and implications for spaceborne applications are discussed.

Storms or cold fronts? What is really responsible for the extreme waves regime in the Colombian Caribbean coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otero, L. J.; Ortiz-Royero, J. C.; Ruiz-Merchan, J. K.; Higgins, A. E.; Henriquez, S. A.

2015-05-01

On Friday, 7 March 2009, a 200 m-long section of the tourist pier in Puerto Colombia collapsed under the impact of the waves generated by a cold front in the area. The aim of this study is to determine the contribution and importance of cold fronts and storms on extreme waves in different areas of the Colombian Caribbean to determine the degree of the threat posed by the flood processes to which these coastal populations are exposed and the actions to which coastal engineering constructions should be subject. In the calculation of maritime constructions, the most important parameter is the wave's height; therefore, it is necessary to definitively know the design wave height to which a coastal engineering structure should be resistant. This wave height varies according to the return period considered. Using Gumbel's extreme value methodology, the significant height values for the study area were calculated. The methodology was evaluated using data from the re-analysis of the spectral NOAA Wavewatch III (WW3) model for 15 points along the 1600 km of the Colombia Caribbean coast (continental and insular) of the last 15 years. The results demonstrated that the extreme waves caused by tropical cyclones and cold fronts have different effects along the Colombian Caribbean coast. Storms and hurricanes are of greater importance in the Guajira Peninsula (Alta Guajira). In the central area formed by Baja Guajira, Santa Marta, Barranquilla, and Cartagena, the strong influence of cold fronts on extreme waves is evident. On the other hand, in the southern region of the Colombian Caribbean coast, from the Gulf of Morrosquillo to the Gulf of Urabá, even though extreme waves are lower than in the previous regions, extreme waves are dominated mainly by the passage of cold fronts. Extreme waves in the San Andrés and Providencia insular region present a different dynamic from that in the continental area due to its geographic location. The wave heights in the extreme regime are similar in magnitude to those found in Alta Guajira, but the extreme waves associated with the passage of cold fronts in this region have lower return periods than the extreme waves associated with hurricane season. These results are of great importance when evaluating the threat of extreme waves in the coastal and port infrastructure, for purposes of the design of new constructions, and in the coastal flood processes due to run-up because, according to the site of interest in the coast, the forces that shape extreme waves are not the same.

The Maneuverable Atmospheric Probe (MAP), a Remotely Piloted Vehicle.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-05-01

9 lb. MAP vehicle and major- components .................................... 10 2. Endevco Pitot tube airspeed indicator mounted below front...28 8. Cascaded PIXE impactors, housing cylinder and wing pod front end cup with aerosol inlet plastic tubing ........................... 30 9...turbulence sensors, a Pitot tube , two air temperature sensors, and a yaw gust probe. Located at each wing tip are sensors that contain encapsulated

Stability of nonlinear waves and patterns and related topics.

PubMed

Ghazaryan, Anna; Lafortune, Stephane; Manukian, Vahagn

2018-04-13

Periodic and localized travelling waves such as wave trains, pulses, fronts and patterns of more complex structure often occur in natural and experimentally built systems. In mathematics, these objects are realized as solutions of nonlinear partial differential equations. The existence, dynamic properties and bifurcations of those solutions are of interest. In particular, their stability is important for applications, as the waves that are observable are usually stable. When the waves are unstable, further investigation is warranted of the way the instability is exhibited, i.e. the nature of the instability, and also coherent structures that appear as a result of an instability of travelling waves. A variety of analytical, numerical and hybrid techniques are used to study travelling waves and their properties.This article is part of the theme issue 'Stability of nonlinear waves and patterns and related topics'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Smoldering wave-front velocity in fiberboard

Treesearch

John J. Brenden; Erwin L. Schaffer

1980-01-01

In fiberboard, the phenomena of smoldering can be visualized as decomposition resulting from the motion of a thermal wave-front through the material. The tendency to smolder is then directly proportional to the velocity of the front. Velocity measurements were made on four fiberboards and were compared to values given in the literature for several substances....

Identifying Impacts Using Adaptive Fiber Bragg Grating Demodulator for Structural Health Monitoring Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirikera, G. R.; Balogun, O.; Krishnaswamy, S.

2008-02-01

A network of Fiber-Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors is developed as part of a Structural Health Monitoring system to identify impact damage. The sensor signals are adaptively demodulated using two-wave mixing (TWM) technology. The signals from multiple FBG sensors are multiplexed into a single TWM demodulator. The FBG sensor network is mounted on a plate, and the structure is subjected to impacts generated by dropping small ball bearings. Impact locations are identified based on time frequency analysis.

Augmented Method to Improve Thermal Data for the Figure Drift Thermal Distortion Predictions of the JWST OTIS Cryogenic Vacuum Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Sang C.; Carnahan, Timothy M.; Cohen, Lester M.; Congedo, Cherie B.; Eisenhower, Michael J.; Ousley, Wes; Weaver, Andrew; Yang, Kan

2017-01-01

The JWST Optical Telescope Element (OTE) assembly is the largest optically stable infrared-optimized telescope currently being manufactured and assembled, and is scheduled for launch in 2018. The JWST OTE, including the 18 segment primary mirror, secondary mirror, and the Aft Optics Subsystem (AOS) are designed to be passively cooled and operate near 45K. These optical elements are supported by a complex composite backplane structure. As a part of the structural distortion model validation efforts, a series of tests are planned during the cryogenic vacuum test of the fully integrated flight hardware at NASA JSC Chamber A. The successful ends to the thermal-distortion phases are heavily dependent on the accurate temperature knowledge of the OTE structural members. However, the current temperature sensor allocations during the cryo-vac test may not have sufficient fidelity to provide accurate knowledge of the temperature distributions within the composite structure. A method based on an inverse distance relationship among the sensors and thermal model nodes was developed to improve the thermal data provided for the nanometer scale WaveFront Error (WFE) predictions. The Linear Distance Weighted Interpolation (LDWI) method was developed to augment the thermal model predictions based on the sparse sensor information. This paper will encompass the development of the LDWI method using the test data from the earlier pathfinder cryo-vac tests, and the results of the notional and as tested WFE predictions from the structural finite element model cases to characterize the accuracies of this LDWI method.

Evaluating noise performance of the IUCAA sidecar drive electronics controller (ISDEC) based system for TMT on-instrument wavefront sensing (OIWFS) application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burse, Mahesh; Chattopadhyay, Sabyasachi; Ramaprakash, A. N.; Sinha, Sakya; Prabhudesai, Swapnil; Punnadi, Sujit; Chordia, Pravin; Kohok, Abhay

2016-07-01

As a part of a design study for the On-Instrument Low Order Wave-front Sensor (OIWFS) for the TMT Infra-Red Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), we recently evaluated the noise performance of a detector control system consisting of IUCAA SIDECAR DRIVE ELECRONICS CONTROLLER (ISDEC), SIDECAR ASIC and HAWAII-2RG (H2RG) MUX. To understand and improve the performance of this system to serve as a near infrared wavefront sensor, we implemented new read out modes like multiple regions of interest with differential multi-accumulate readout schemes for the HAWAII-2RG (H2RG) detector. In this system, the firmware running in SIDECAR ASIC programs the detector for ROI readout, reads the detector, processes the detector output and writes the digitized data into its internal memory. ISDEC reads the digitized data from ASIC, performs the differential multi-accumulate operations and then sends the processed data to a PC over a USB interface. A special loopback board was designed and used to measure and reduce the noise from SIDECAR ASIC DC biases2. We were able to reduce the mean r.m.s read noise of this system down to 1-2 e. for any arbitrary window frame of 4x4 size at frame rates below about 200 Hz.

Design of an Intelligent Front-End Signal Conditioning Circuit for IR Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Arcas, G.; Ruiz, M.; Lopez, J. M.; Gutierrez, R.; Villamayor, V.; Gomez, L.; Montojo, Mª. T.

2008-02-01

This paper presents the design of an intelligent front-end signal conditioning system for IR sensors. The system has been developed as an interface between a PbSe IR sensor matrix and a TMS320C67x digital signal processor. The system architecture ensures its scalability so it can be used for sensors with different matrix sizes. It includes an integrator based signal conditioning circuit, a data acquisition converter block, and a FPGA based advanced control block that permits including high level image preprocessing routines such as faulty pixel detection and sensor calibration in the signal conditioning front-end. During the design phase virtual instrumentation technologies proved to be a very valuable tool for prototyping when choosing the best A/D converter type for the application. Development time was significantly reduced due to the use of this technology.

Framework of passive millimeter-wave scene simulation based on material classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Hyuk; Kim, Sung-Hyun; Lee, Ho-Jin; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Ki, Jae-Sug; Yoon, In-Bok; Lee, Jung-Min; Park, Soon-Jun

2006-05-01

Over the past few decades, passive millimeter-wave (PMMW) sensors have emerged as useful implements in transportation and military applications such as autonomous flight-landing system, smart weapons, night- and all weather vision system. As an efficient way to predict the performance of a PMMW sensor and apply it to system, it is required to test in SoftWare-In-the-Loop (SWIL). The PMMW scene simulation is a key component for implementation of this simulator. However, there is no commercial on-the-shelf available to construct the PMMW scene simulation; only there have been a few studies on this technology. We have studied the PMMW scene simulation method to develop the PMMW sensor SWIL simulator. This paper describes the framework of the PMMW scene simulation and the tentative results. The purpose of the PMMW scene simulation is to generate sensor outputs (or image) from a visible image and environmental conditions. We organize it into four parts; material classification mapping, PMMW environmental setting, PMMW scene forming, and millimeter-wave (MMW) sensorworks. The background and the objects in the scene are classified based on properties related with MMW radiation and reflectivity. The environmental setting part calculates the following PMMW phenomenology; atmospheric propagation and emission including sky temperature, weather conditions, and physical temperature. Then, PMMW raw images are formed with surface geometry. Finally, PMMW sensor outputs are generated from PMMW raw images by applying the sensor characteristics such as an aperture size and noise level. Through the simulation process, PMMW phenomenology and sensor characteristics are simulated on the output scene. We have finished the design of framework of the simulator, and are working on implementation in detail. As a tentative result, the flight observation was simulated in specific conditions. After implementation details, we plan to increase the reliability of the simulation by data collecting using actual PMMW sensors. With the reliable PMMW scene simulator, it will be more efficient to apply the PMMW sensor to various applications.

Space active optics: in flight aberrations correction for the next generation of large space telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laslandes, M.; Ferrari, M.; Hugot, E.; Lemaitre, G.

2017-11-01

The need for both high quality images and light structures is a constant concern in the conception of space telescopes. In this paper, we present an active optics system as a way to fulfill those two objectives. Indeed, active optics consists in controlling mirrors' deformations in order to improve the images quality [1]. The two main applications of active optics techniques are the in-situ compensation of phase errors in a wave front by using a corrector deformable mirror [2] and the manufacturing of aspherical mirrors by stress polishing or by in-situ stressing [3]. We will focus here on the wave-front correction. Indeed, the next generation of space telescopes will have lightweight primary mirrors; in consequence, they will be sensitive to the environment variations, inducing optical aberrations in the instrument. An active optics system is principally composed of a deformable mirror, a wave front sensor, a set of actuators deforming the mirror and control/command electronics. It is used to correct the wave-front errors due to the optical design, the manufacturing imperfections, the large lightweight primary mirrors' deflection in field gravity, the fixation devices, and the mirrors and structures' thermal distortions due to the local turbulence [4]. Active optics is based on the elasticity theory [5]; forces and/or load are used to deform a mirror. Like in adaptive optics, actuators can simply be placed under the optical surface [1,2], but other configurations have also been studied: a system's simplification, inducing a minimization of the number of actuators can be achieved by working on the mirror design [5]. For instance, in the so called Vase form Multimode Deformable Mirror [6], forces are applied on an external ring clamped on the pupil. With this method, there is no local effect due to the application of forces on the mirror's back face. Furthermore, the number of actuators needed to warp the mirror does not depend on the pupil size; it is a fully scalable configuration. The insertion of a Vase form Multimode Deformable Mirror on the design of an optical instrument will allow correcting the most common low spatial frequency aberrations. This concept could be applied in a space telescope. A Finite Element Analysis of the developed model has been conducted in order to characterize the system's behavior and to validate the concept.

SLOW PATCHY EXTREME-ULTRAVIOLET PROPAGATING FRONTS ASSOCIATED WITH FAST CORONAL MAGNETO-ACOUSTIC WAVES IN SOLAR ERUPTIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guo, Y.; Ding, M. D.; Chen, P. F., E-mail: guoyang@nju.edu.cn

2015-08-15

Using the high spatiotemporal resolution extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we conduct a statistical study of the observational properties of the coronal EUV propagating fronts. We find that it might be a universal phenomenon for two types of fronts to coexist in a large solar eruptive event. It is consistent with the hybrid model of EUV propagating fronts, which predicts that coronal EUV propagating fronts consist of both a fast magneto-acoustic wave and a nonwave component. We find that the morphologies, propagation behaviors, and kinematic features of the two EUVmore » propagating fronts are completely different from each other. The fast magneto-acoustic wave fronts are almost isotropic. They travel continuously from the flaring region across multiple magnetic polarities to global distances. On the other hand, the slow nonwave fronts appear as anisotropic and sequential patches of EUV brightening. Each patch propagates locally in the magnetic domains where the magnetic field lines connect to the bottom boundary and stops at the magnetic domain boundaries. Within each magnetic domain, the velocities of the slow patchy nonwave component are an order of magnitude lower than that of the fast-wave component. However, the patches of the slow EUV propagating front can jump from one magnetic domain to a remote one. The velocities of such a transit between different magnetic domains are about one-third to one-half of those of the fast-wave component. The results show that the velocities of the nonwave component, both within one magnetic domain and between different magnetic domains, are highly nonuniform due to the inhomogeneity of the magnetic field in the lower atmosphere.« less

Analysis of moving surface structures at a laser-induced boiling front

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matti, R. S.; Kaplan, A. F. H.

2014-10-01

Recently ultra-high speed imaging enabled to observe moving wave patterns on metal melts that experience laser-induced boiling. In laser materials processing a vertical laser-induced boiling front governs processes like keyhole laser welding, laser remote fusion cutting, laser drilling or laser ablation. The observed waves originate from temperature variations that are closely related to the melt topology. For improved understanding of the essential front mechanisms and of the front topology, for the first time a deeper systematic analysis of the wave patterns was carried out. Seven geometrical shapes of bright or dark domains were distinguished and categorized, in particular bright peaks of three kinds and dark valleys, often inclined. Two categories describe special flow patterns at the top and bottom of the front. Dynamic and statistical analysis has revealed that the shapes often combine or separate from one category to another when streaming down the front. The brightness of wave peaks typically fluctuates during 20-50 μs. This variety of thermal wave observations is interpreted with respect to the accompanying surface topology of the melt and in turn for governing local mechanisms like absorption, shadowing, boiling, ablation pressure and melt acceleration. The findings can be of importance for understanding the key process mechanisms and for optimizing laser materials processing.

Terahertz imaging system based on a backward-wave oscillator.

PubMed

Dobroiu, Adrian; Yamashita, Masatsugu; Ohshima, Yuichi N; Morita, Yasuyuki; Otani, Chiko; Kawase, Kodo

2004-10-20

We present an imaging system designed for use in the terahertz range. As the radiation source a backward-wave oscillator was chosen for its special features such as high output power, good wave-front quality, good stability, and wavelength tunability from 520 to 710 GHz. Detection is achieved with a pyroelectric sensor operated at room temperature. The alignment procedure for the optical elements is described, and several methods to reduce the etalon effect that are inherent in monochromatic sources are discussed. The terahertz spot size in the sample plane is 550 microm (nearly the diffraction limit), and the signal-to-noise ratio is 10,000:1; other characteristics were also measured and are presented in detail. A number of preliminary applications are also shown that cover various areas: nondestructive real-time testing for plastic tubes and packaging seals; biological terahertz imaging of fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried samples; paraffin-embedded specimens of cancer tissue; and measurement of the absorption coefficient of water by use of a wedge-shaped cell.

Cold fronts in the Colombian Caribbean Sea and their relationship to extreme wave events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Royero, J. C.; Otero, L. J.; Restrepo, J. C.; Ruiz, J.; Cadena, M.

2013-11-01

Extreme ocean waves in the Caribbean Sea are commonly related to the effects of storms and hurricanes during the months of June through November. The collapse of 200 m of the Puerto Colombia pier in March 2009 revealed the effects of meteorological phenomena other than storms and hurricanes that may be influencing the extreme wave regime in the Colombian Caribbean. The marked seasonality of these atmospheric fronts was established by analyzing the meteorological-marine reports of the Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales of Colombia (IDEAM, based on its initials in Spanish) and the Centro de Investigación en Oceanografía y Meteorología of Colombia (CIOH, based on its initials in Spanish) during the last 16 yr. The highest number of cold fronts was observed during the months of January, February, and March, with 6 fronts occurring per year. An annual trend was observed and the highest number of fronts occurred in 2010 (20 in total); moreover, an annual strong relationship between the maximum average wave values and the cold fronts in the central zone of the Colombian Caribbean during the first three months of the year was established. In addition, the maximum values of the significant height produced by the passage of cold fronts during the last 16 yr were identified. Although the Colombian Caribbean has been affected by storms and hurricanes in the past, this research allows us to conclude that there is a strong relationship between cold fronts and the largest waves in the Colombian Caribbean during the last 16 yr, which have caused damage to coastal infrastructure. We verified that the passage of a cold front corresponded to the most significant extreme wave event of the last two decades in the Colombian Caribbean, which caused the structural collapse of the Puerto Colombia pier, located near the city of Barranquilla, between 5 and 10 March 2009. This information is invaluable when evaluating average and extreme wave regimes for the purpose of informing the design of structures in this region of the Caribbean.

Investigating Thermal Parameters of PVDF Sensor in the Front Pyroelectric Configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noroozi, Monir; Zakaria, Azmi; Husin, Mohd Shahril; Moksin, Mohd Maarof; Wahab, Zaidan Abd

2013-11-01

A metalized PVDF pyroelectric (PE) sensor was used as an optically opaque sensor and in a thermally thick regime for both sensor and sample, instead of a very thick sensor in the conventional front PE configuration. From the frequency dependence measurements, the normalized amplitude and phase signal were independently analyzed to obtain the thermal effusivity of the sensor. The differential normalized amplitude measured with water as a substrate was analyzed to determine the sensor thermal diffusivity. The PVDF thermal diffusivity and thermal effusivity agree with literature values. Then, from the known thermal parameters of the sensor, the thermal effusivity of a standard liquid sample, glycerol, and other liquids were obtained by the similar procedure.

Viscoelastic shock wave in ballistic gelatin behind soft body armor.

PubMed

Liu, Li; Fan, Yurun; Li, Wei

2014-06-01

Ballistic gelatins are widely used as a surrogate of biological tissue in blunt trauma tests. Non-penetration impact tests of handgun bullets on the 10wt% ballistic gelatin block behind soft armor were carried out in which a high-speed camera recorded the crater׳s movement and pressure sensors imbedded in the gelatin block recorded the pressure waves at different locations. The observed shock wave attenuation indicates the necessity of considering the gelatin׳s viscoelasticity. A three-element viscoelastic constitutive model was adopted, in which the relevant parameters were obtained via fitting the damping free oscillations at the beginning of the creep-mode of rheological measurement, and by examining the data of published split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) experiments. The viscoelastic model is determined by a retardation time of 5.5×10(-5)s for high oscillation frequencies and a stress relaxation time of 2.0-4.5×10(-7)s for shock wave attenuation. Using the characteristic-line method and the spherical wave assumption, the propagation of impact pressure wave front and the subsequent unloading profile can be simulated using the experimental velocity boundary condition. The established viscoelastic model considerably improves the prediction of shock wave attenuation in the ballistic gelatin. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diffraction of a plane wave by a three-dimensional corner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ting, L.; Kung, F.

1971-01-01

By the superposition of the conical solution for the diffraction of a plane pulse by a three dimensional corner, the solution for a general incident plane wave is constructed. A numerical program is presented for the computation of the pressure distribution on the surface due to an incident plane wave of any wave form and at any incident angle. Numerical examples are presented to show the pressure signature at several points on the surface due to incident wave with a front shock wave, two shock waves in succession, or a compression wave with same peak pressure. The examples show that when the distance of a point on the surface from the edges or the vertex is comparable to the distance for the front pressure raise to reach the maximum, the peak pressure at that point can be much less than that given by a regular reflection, because the diffracted wave front arrives at that point prior to the arrival of the peak incident wave.

Phased Contrast X-Ray Imaging

ScienceCinema

Miller, Erin

2018-02-07

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is developing a range of technologies to broaden the field of explosives detection. Phased contrast X-ray imaging, which uses silicon gratings to detect distortions in the X-ray wave front, may be applicable to mail or luggage scanning for explosives; it can also be used in detecting other contraband, small-parts inspection, or materials characterization.

Smart measurement system for resistive (bridge) or capacitive sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guijie; Meijer, Gerard C. M.

1998-07-01

A low-cost smart measurement system for resistive (bridge) and capacitive sensors is presented and demonstrated. The measurement system consists of three main parts: the sensor element, a universal transducer interface (UTI) and a microcontroller. The UTI is a sensor-signal-to-time converter, based on a period-modulated oscillator, which is equipped with front-ends for many types of resistive (bridge) and capacitive sensors, and which generates a microcontroller-compatible output signal. The microcontroller performs data acquisition of the output signals from the interface UTI, controls the working status of the UTI for a specified application and communicates with a personal computer. Continuous auto-calibration of the offset and the gain of the complete system is applied to eliminate many nonidealities. Experimental results show that the accuracy and resolution are 14 bits and 16 bits, respectively, for a measurement time of about 100 ms.

Hydrodynamic and thermal mechanisms of filtration combustion inclinational instability based on non-uniform distribution of initial preheating temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Yongfang; Shi, Junrui; Xu, Youning; Ma, Rui

2018-03-01

Filtration combustion (FC) is one style of porous media combustion with inert matrix, in which the combustion wave front propagates, only downstream or reciprocally. In this paper, we investigate the FC flame front inclinational instability of lean methane/air mixtures flowing through a packed bed as a combustion wave front perturbation of the initial preheating temperature non-uniformity is assumed. The predicted results show that the growth rate of the flame front inclinational angle is proportional to the magnitude of the initial preheating temperature difference. Additionally, depending on gas inlet gas velocity and equivalence ratio, it is demonstrated that increase of gas inlet gas velocity accelerates the FC wave front deformation, and the inclinational instability evolves faster at lower equivalence ratio. The development of the flame front inclinational angle may be regarded as a two-staged evolution, which includes rapid increase, and approaching maximum value of inclinational angle due to the quasi-steady condition of the combustion system. The hydrodynamic and thermal mechanisms of the FC inclinational instability are analyzed. Consequently, the local propagation velocity of the FC wave front is non-uniform to result in the development of inclinational angle at the first stage of rapid increase.

Optimal sensor placement for active guided wave interrogation of complex metallic components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coelho, Clyde K.; Kim, Seung Bum; Chattopadhyay, Aditi

2011-04-01

With research in structural health monitoring (SHM) moving towards increasingly complex structures for damage interrogation, the placement of sensors is becoming a key issue in the performance of the damage detection methodologies. For ultrasonic wave based approaches, this is especially important because of the sensitivity of the travelling Lamb waves to material properties, geometry and boundary conditions that may obscure the presence of damage if they are not taken into account during sensor placement. The framework proposed in this paper defines a sensing region for a pair of piezoelectric transducers in a pitch-catch damage detection approach by taking into account the material attenuation and probability of false alarm. Using information about the region interrogated by a sensoractuator pair, a simulated annealing optimization framework was implemented in order to place sensors on complex metallic geometries such that a selected minimum damage type and size could be detected with an acceptable probability of false alarm anywhere on the structure. This approach was demonstrated on a lug joint to detect a crack and on a large Naval SHM test bed and resulted in a placement of sensors that was able to interrogate all parts of the structure using the minimum number of transducers.

PECULIAR STATIONARY EUV WAVE FRONTS IN THE ERUPTION ON 2011 MAY 11

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chandra, R.; Fulara, A.; Chen, P. F.

We present and interpret the observations of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) waves associated with a filament eruption on 2011 May 11. The filament eruption also produces a small B-class two ribbon flare and a coronal mass ejection. The event is observed by the Solar Dynamic Observatory with high spatio-temporal resolution data recorded by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly. As the filament erupts, we observe two types of EUV waves (slow and fast) propagating outwards. The faster EUV wave has a propagation velocity of ∼500 km s{sup −1} and the slower EUV wave has an initial velocity of ∼120 km s{sup −1}. Wemore » report, for the first time, that not only does the slower EUV wave stop at a magnetic separatrix to form bright stationary fronts, but also the faster EUV wave transits a magnetic separatrix, leaving another stationary EUV front behind.« less

Laboratory Study of Wave Generation Near Dipolarization Fronts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tejero, E. M.; Enloe, C. L.; Amatucci, B.; Crabtree, C. E.; Ganguli, G.; Malaspina, D.

2017-12-01

Experiments conducted in the Space Physics Simulation Chamber at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) create plasma equilibria that replicate those found in dipolarization fronts. These experiments were designed to study the dynamics of boundary layers, such as dipolarization fronts, and it was found that there are instabilities generated by highly inhomogeneous plasma flows. It has previously been shown that these highly inhomogeneous flows can generate waves in the lower hybrid frequency range. Analysis of satellite observations indicate that the sheared flows are a plausible explanation for the observed lower hybrid waves at dipolarization fronts since they can generate longer wavelengths compared to the electron gyroradius, which is consistent with observations. Recent experiments at NRL have demonstrated that these flows can also generate electromagnetic waves in the whistler band. These waves are large amplitude, bursty waves that exhibit frequency chirps similar to whistler mode chorus. Recent results from these experiments and comparisons to in situ observations will be presented. * Work supported by the Naval Research Laboratory Base Program and NASA Grant No. NNH17AE70I.

Test of CCD Precision Limits for Differential Photometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, L. B.; Wei, M. Z.; Borucki, W. J.; Dunham, E. W.; Ford, C. H.; Granados, A. F.

1995-01-01

Results of tests to demonstrate the very high differential-photometric stability of CCD light sensors are presented. The measurements reported here demonstrate that in a controlled laboratory environment, a front-illuminated CCD can provide differential-photometric measurements with reproducible precision approaching one part in 10(exp 5). Practical limitations to the precision of differential-photometric measurements with CCDs and implications for spaceborne applications are discussed.

The Effect of Sedimentary Basins on Through-Passing Short-Period Surface Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, L.; Ritzwoller, M. H.

2017-12-01

Surface waves propagating through sedimentary basins undergo elastic wave field complications that include multiple scattering, amplification, the formation of secondary wave fronts, and subsequent wave front healing. Unless these effects are accounted for accurately, they may introduce systematic bias to estimates of source characteristics, the inference of the anelastic structure of the Earth, and ground motion predictions for hazard assessment. Most studies of the effects of basins on surface waves have centered on waves inside the basins. In contrast, we investigate wave field effects downstream from sedimentary basins, with particular emphasis on continental basins and propagation paths, elastic structural heterogeneity, and Rayleigh waves at 10 s period. Based on wave field simulations through a recent 3D crustal and upper mantle model of East Asia, we demonstrate significant Rayleigh wave amplification downstream from sedimentary basins in eastern China such that Ms measurements obtained on the simulated wave field vary by more than a magnitude unit. We show that surface wave amplification caused by basins results predominantly from elastic focusing and that amplification effects produced through 3D basin models are reproduced using 2D membrane wave simulations through an appropriately defined phase velocity map. The principal characteristics of elastic focusing in both 2D and 3D simulations include (1) retardation of the wave front inside the basins; (2) deflection of the wave propagation direction; (3) formation of a high amplitude lineation directly downstream from the basin bracketed by two low amplitude zones; and (4) formation of a secondary wave front. Finally, by comparing the impact of elastic focusing with anelastic attenuation, we argue that on-continent sedimentary basins are expected to affect surface wave amplitudes more strongly through elastic focusing than through the anelastic attenuation.

A Unified Multi-Functional Dynamic Spectrum Access Framework: Tutorial, Theory and Multi-GHz Wideband Testbed

PubMed Central

Qiu, Robert; Guo, Nan; Li, Husheng; Wu, Zhiqiang; Chakravarthy, Vasu; Song, Yu; Hu, Zhen; Zhang, Peng; Chen, Zhe

2009-01-01

Dynamic spectrum access is a must-have ingredient for future sensors that are ideally cognitive. The goal of this paper is a tutorial treatment of wideband cognitive radio and radar—a convergence of (1) algorithms survey, (2) hardware platforms survey, (3) challenges for multi-function (radar/communications) multi-GHz front end, (4) compressed sensing for multi-GHz waveforms—revolutionary A/D, (5) machine learning for cognitive radio/radar, (6) quickest detection, and (7) overlay/underlay cognitive radio waveforms. One focus of this paper is to address the multi-GHz front end, which is the challenge for the next-generation cognitive sensors. The unifying theme of this paper is to spell out the convergence for cognitive radio, radar, and anti-jamming. Moore’s law drives the system functions into digital parts. From a system viewpoint, this paper gives the first comprehensive treatment for the functions and the challenges of this multi-function (wideband) system. This paper brings together the inter-disciplinary knowledge. PMID:22454598

Role of lower hybrid waves in ion heating at dipolarization fronts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greco, A.; Artemyev, A.; Zimbardo, G.; Angelopoulos, V.; Runov, A.

2017-05-01

One of the important sources of hot ions in the magnetotail is the bursty bulk flows propagating away from the reconnection region and heating the ambient plasma. Charged particles interact with nonlinear magnetic field pulses (dipolarization fronts, DFs) embedded into these flows. The convection electric fields associated with DF propagation are known to reflect and accelerate ambient ions. Moreover, a wide range of waves is observed within/near these fronts, the electric field fluctuations being dominated by the lower hybrid drift (LHD) instability. Here we investigate the potential role of these waves in the further acceleration of ambient ions. We use a LHD wave emission profile superimposed on the leading edge of a two-dimensional model profile of a DF and a test particle approach. We show that LHD waves with realistic amplitudes can significantly increase the upper limit of energies gained by ions. Wave-particle interaction near the front is more effective in producing superthermal ions than in increasing the flux of thermal ions. Comparison of test particle simulations and Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms observations show that ion acceleration by LHD waves is more important for slower DFs.

Horizontal Line-of-Sight Turbulence Over Near-Ground Paths and Implications for Adaptive Optics Corrections in Laser Communications.

PubMed

Levine, B M; Martinsen, E A; Wirth, A; Jankevics, A; Toledo-Quinones, M; Landers, F; Bruno, T L

1998-07-20

Atmospheric turbulence over long horizontal paths perturbs phase and can also cause severe intensity scintillation in the pupil of an optical communications receiver, which limits the data rate over which intensity-based modulation schemes can operate. The feasibility of using low-order adaptive optics by applying phase-only corrections over horizontal propagation paths is investigated. A Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor was built and data were gathered on paths 1 m above ground and between a 1- and 2.5-km range. Both intensity fluctuations and optical path fluctuation statistics were gathered within a single frame, and the wave-front reconstructor was modified to allow for scintillated data. The temporal power spectral density for various Zernike polynomial modes was used to determine the effects of the expected corrections by adaptive optics. The slopes of the inertial subrange of turbulence were found to be less than predicted by Kolmogorov theory with an infinite outer scale, and the distribution of variance explained by increasing order was also found to be different. Statistical analysis of these data in the 1-km range indicates that at communications wavelengths of 1.3 mum, a significant improvement in transmitted beam quality could be expected most of the time, to a performance of 10% Strehl ratio or better.

The Wave Glider°: A New Autonomous Surface Vehicle to Augment MBARI's Growing Fleet of Ocean Observing Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tougher, B. B.

2011-12-01

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute's (MBARI) evolving fleet of ocean observing systems has made it possible to collect information and data about a wide variety of ocean parameters, enabling researchers to better understand marine ecosystems. In collaboration with Liquid Robotics Inc, the designer of the Wave Glider autonomous surface vehicle (ASV), MBARI is adding a new capability to its suite of ocean observing tools. This new technology will augment MBARI research programs that use satellites, ships, moorings, drifters, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to improve data collection of temporally and spatially variable oceanographic features. The Wave Glider ASV derives its propulsion from wave energy, while sensors and communications are powered through the use of two solar panels and batteries, enabling it to remain at sea indefinitely. Wave Gliders are remotely controlled via real-time Iridium burst communications, which also permit real-time data telemetry. MBARI has developed Ocean Acidification (OA) moorings to continuously monitor the chemical and physical changes occurring in the ocean as a result of increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The moorings are spatially restricted by being anchored to the seafloor, so during the summer of 2011 the ocean acidification sensor suite designed for moorings was integrated into a Wave Glider ASV to increase both temporal and spatial ocean observation capabilities. The OA sensor package enables the measurement of parameters essential to better understanding the changing acidity of the ocean, specifically pCO2, pH, oxygen, salinity and temperature. The Wave Glider will also be equipped with a meteorological sensor suite that will measure air temperature, air pressure, and wind speed and direction. The OA sensor integration into a Wave Glider was part of MBARI's 2011 summer internship program. This project involved designing a new layout for the OA sensors within a Wave Glider aft payload dry box. The Wave Glider OA sensor suite includes the addition of a pCO2 standard tank not included within the current OA moorings. Communication links between MBARI electronics and Liquid Robotics Control and Communications were successfully established in the laboratory, however further steps to fully integrate and test the OA system into a Wave Glider ASV are still needed. In the future these ASVs will provide platforms for additional surface and subsurface instrumentation, particularly with MBARI's upcoming Controlled, Agile, and Novel, Observing Network (CANON) projects. The integration of the OA sensor package into a Wave Glider ASV will make it possible to continuously monitor the marine environment during adverse weather conditions which are often difficult to document but scientifically important.

Optical observation of shock waves and cavitation bubbles in high intensity laser-induced shock processes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marti-Lopez, L.; Ocana, R.; Porro, J. A.

2009-07-01

We report an experimental study of the temporal and spatial dynamics of shock waves, cavitation bubbles, and sound waves generated in water during laser shock processing by single Nd:YAG laser pulses of nanosecond duration. A fast ICCD camera (2 ns gate time) was employed to record false schlieren photographs, schlieren photographs, and Mach-Zehnder interferograms of the zone surrounding the laser spot site on the target, an aluminum alloy sample. We recorded hemispherical shock fronts, cylindrical shock fronts, plane shock fronts, cavitation bubbles, and phase disturbance tracks.

Real-time dangling objects sensing: A preliminary design of mobile headset ancillary device for visual impaired.

PubMed

Lin, C H; Cheng, P H; Shen, S T

2014-01-01

Blinds and severe visual impairments can utilize tactile sticks to assist their walking. However, they cannot fully understand the dangling objects in front of their walking routes. This research proposed a mobile real-time dangling objects sensing (RDOS) prototype, which is located on the cap to sense any front barrier. This device utilized cheap ultrasonic sensor to act as another complement eye for blinds to understand the front dangling objects. Meanwhile, the RDOS device can dynamically adjust the sensor's front angle that is depended on the user's body height and promote the sensing accuracy. Meanwhile, two major required algorithms, height-angle measurement and ultrasonic sensor alignment, are proposed with this prototype. The research team also integrated the RDOS device prototype with mobile Android devices by communicating with Bluetooth to record the walking route.

Macro Pixel ASIC (MPA): the readout ASIC for the pixel-strip (PS) module of the CMS outer tracker at HL-LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceresa, D.; Marchioro, A.; Kloukinas, K.; Kaplon, J.; Bialas, W.; Re, V.; Traversi, G.; Gaioni, L.; Ratti, L.

2014-11-01

The CMS tracker at HL-LHC is required to provide prompt information on particles with high transverse momentum to the central Level 1 trigger. For this purpose, the innermost part of the outer tracker is based on a combination of a pixelated sensor with a short strip sensor, the so-called Pixel-Strip module (PS). The readout of these sensors is carried out by distinct ASICs, the Strip Sensor ASIC (SSA), for the strip layer, and the Macro Pixel ASIC (MPA) for the pixel layer. The processing of the data directly on the front-end module represents a design challenge due to the large data volume (30720 pixels and 1920 strips per module) and the limited power budget. This is the reason why several studies have been carried out to find the best compromise between ASICs performance and power consumption. This paper describes the current status of the MPA ASIC development where the logic for generating prompt information on particles with high transverse momentum is implemented. An overview of the readout method is presented with particular attention on the cluster reduction, position encoding and momentum discrimination logic. Concerning the architectural studies, a software test bench capable of reading physics Monte-Carlo generated events has been developed and used to validate the MPA design and to evaluate the MPA performance. The MPA-Light is scheduled to be submitted for fabrication this year and will include the full analog functions and a part of the digital logic of the final version in order to qualify the chosen VLSI technology for the analog front-end, the module assembly and the low voltage digital supply.

Effect of cross grain on stress waves in lumber

Treesearch

C.C. Gerhards

1980-01-01

An evaluation is made of the effect of cross grain on the transit time of longitudinal compression stress waves in Douglas-fir 2 by 8 lumber. Cross grain causes the stress wave to advance with a front or contour skewed in the direction of the grain angle, rather than to advance with a front normal to the long axis of lumber. Thus, the timing of the stress wave in...

Development, Test, and Evaluation of Microwave Radar Water Level (MWWL) Sensors' Wave Measurement Capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyer, S. K.; Heitsenrether, R.

2015-12-01

Waves can have a significant impact on many coastal operations including navigational safety, recreation, and even the economy. Despite this, as of 2009, there were only 181 in situ real-time wave observation networks nationwide (IOOS 2009). There has recently been interest in adding real-time wave measurement systems to already existing NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) stations. Several steps have already been taken in order to achieve this, such as integrating information from existing wave measurement buoys and initial testing of multiple different wave measurement systems (Heitsenrether et al. 2012). Since wave observations can be derived from high frequency water level changes, we will investigate water level sensors' capability to measure waves. Recently, CO-OPS has been transitioning to new microwave radar water level (MWWL) sensors which have higher resolution and theoretically a greater potential wave measurement capability than the acoustic sensors in stilling wells. In this study, we analyze the wave measurement capability of MWWL sensors at two high energy wave environments, Duck, NC and La Jolla, CA, and compare results to two "reference" sensors (A Nortek acoustic waves and currents profiler (AWAC) at Duck and a single point pressure sensor at La Jolla). A summary of results from the two field test sites will be presented, including comparisons of wave energy spectra, significant wave height, and peak period measured by the test MWWL sensors and both reference AWAC and pressure sensors. In addition, relationships between MWWL versus reference wave sensor differences and specific wave conditions will be discussed. Initial results from spectral analysis and the calculation of bulk wave parameters indicate that MWWL sensors set to the "NoFilter" processing setting can produce wave measurements capability that compare well to the two reference sensors. These results support continued development to enable the installation of MWWL sensors at CO-OPS locations as a method of measuring waves.

System for the design, manufacture, and testing of custom lenses with known amounts of high-order aberrations.

PubMed

Chernyak, Dimitri A; Campbell, Charles E

2003-11-01

Now that excimer laser systems can be programmed to correct complex aberrations of the eye on the basis of wave-front measurements, a method is needed to test the accuracy of the system from measurement through treatment. A closed-loop test method was developed to ensure that treatment plans generated by a wavefront measuring system were accurately transferred to and executed by the excimer laser. A surface was analytically defined, and a Shack-Hartmann-based wave-front system was used to formulate a treatment plan, which was downloaded to an excimer laser system. A plastic lens was ablated by the laser and then returned to the wave-front device, where it was measured and compared with the analytically defined wave-front surface. The two surfaces agreed up to 6th-order Zernike terms, validating the accuracy of the system.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-06-08

Scientists at Marshall's Adaptive Optics Lab demonstrate the Wave Front Sensor alignment using the Phased Array Mirror Extendible Large Aperture (PAMELA) optics adjustment. The primary objective of the PAMELA project is to develop methods for aligning and controlling adaptive optics segmented mirror systems. These systems can be used to acquire or project light energy. The Next Generation Space Telescope is an example of an energy acquisition system that will employ segmented mirrors. Light projection systems can also be used for power beaming and orbital debris removal. All segmented optical systems must be adjusted to provide maximum performance. PAMELA is an on going project that NASA is utilizing to investigate various methods for maximizing system performance.

CRIT II electric, magnetic, and density measurements within an ionizing neutral stream

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swenson, C. M.; Kelley, M. C.; Primdahl, F.; Baker, K. D.

1990-01-01

Measurements from rocket-borne sensors inside a high-velocity neutral barium beam show a-factor-of-six increase in plasma density in a moving ionizing front. This region was colocated with intense fluctuating electric fields at frequencies well under the lower hybrid frequency for a barium plasma. Large quasi-dc electric and magnetic field fluctuations were also detected with a large component of the current and the electric field parallel to B(0). An Alfven wave with a finite electric field component parallel to the geomagnetic field was observed to propagate along B(0), where it was detected by an instrumented subpayload.

Characterization and effects of cold fronts in the Colombian Caribbean Coast and their relationship to extreme wave events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Royero, J. C.; Otero, L. J.; Restrepo, J. C.; Ruiz, J.; Cadena, M.

2013-07-01

Extreme ocean waves in the Caribbean Sea are commonly related to the effects of storms and hurricanes during the months of June through November. The collapse of 200 m of the Puerto Colombia pier in March 2009 revealed the effects of meteorological phenomena other than storms and hurricanes that may be influencing the extreme wave regime in the Colombian Caribbean. The marked seasonality of these atmospheric fronts was established by analyzing the meteorological-marine reports of Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales of Colombia (IDEAM, based on its initials in Spanish) and Centro de Investigación en Oceanografía y Meteorología of Colombia (CIOH, based on its initials in Spanish). The highest occurrences were observed during the months of January, February, and March, with 6 fronts occurring per year. An annual trend was not observed, although the highest number of fronts occurred in 2010 (20 in total). An annual strong relationship between the maximum average wave values and the cold fronts, in the central zone of the Colombian Caribbean during the first three months of the year was established. In addition, the maximum values of the significant height produced by the passage of cold fronts during the last 16 yr were identified. Although the Colombian Caribbean has been affected by storms and hurricanes in the past, this research allows us to conclude that, there is a strong relationship between cold fronts and the largest waves in the Colombian Caribbean during the last 16 yr, which have caused damage to coastal infrastructure. We verified that the passage of a cold front corresponded to the most significant extreme wave event of the last two decades in the Colombian Caribbean, which caused the structural collapse of the Puerto Colombia pier, located near the city of Barranquilla, between 5 and 10 March 2009. This information is invaluable when evaluating average and extreme wave regimes for the purpose of informing the design of structures in this region of the Caribbean.

Ultrasonic monitoring of spontaneous imbibition experiments: Precursory moisture diffusion effects ahead of water front

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

David, Christian; Sarout, Joël.; Dautriat, Jérémie; Pimienta, Lucas; Michée, Marie; Desrues, Mathilde; Barnes, Christophe

2017-07-01

Fluid substitution processes have been investigated in the laboratory on 14 carbonate and siliciclastic reservoir rock analogues through spontaneous imbibition experiments on vertical cylindrical specimens with simultaneous ultrasonic monitoring and imaging. The motivation of our study was to identify the seismic attributes of fluid substitution in reservoir rocks and to link them to physical processes. It is shown that (i) the P wave velocity either decreases or increases when the capillary front reaches the Fresnel clearance zone, (ii) the P wave amplitude is systematically impacted earlier than the velocity is, (iii) this precursory amplitude decrease occurs when the imbibition front is located outside of the Fresnel zone, and (iv) the relative variation of the P wave amplitude is always much larger than that of the P wave velocity. These results suggest that moisture diffuses into the pore space ahead of the water front. This postulate is further supported by a quantitative analysis of the time evolution of the observed P wave amplitudes. In a sense, P wave amplitude acts as a precursor of the arrival of the capillary front. This phenomenon is used to estimate the effective diffusivity of moisture in the tested rocks. The effective moisture diffusivity estimated from the ultrasonic data is strongly correlated with permeability: a power law with exponent 0.96 predicts permeability from ultrasonic monitoring within a factor 3 without noticeable bias. When the effective diffusivity is high, moisture diffusion affects ultrasonic P wave attributes even before the imbibition starts and impacts the P wave reflectivity as evidenced by the variations recorded in the waveform coda.

Parameter Governing of Wave Resonance in Water Chamber and Its Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husain, F.; Alie, M. Z. M.; Rahman, T.

2018-04-01

It has become known that the oscillating water column (OWC) device is very popular as one of wave energy extraction facilities installed in coastal and ocean structures. However, it has not been clarified sufficiently how to obtain an effective cross section design of the structure until now. This paper describes theoretical procedure to yield effective cross section of water chamber type of sea wall, which is similar to the OWC type structure in relation to wave period or wave length. The water chamber type sea wall has a water chamber partitioned by a curtain wall installed in front of part of the structure. This type of sea wall also can be applied to extract wave power same as of OWC function. When the wave conditions on site are known, the dimensions especially the breadth of water chamber type sea wall can be determined.

Advanced Wireless Sensor Nodes - MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varnavas, Kosta; Richeson, Jeff

2017-01-01

NASA field center Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, AL), has invested in advanced wireless sensor technology development. Developments for a wireless microcontroller back-end were primarily focused on the commercial Synapse Wireless family of devices. These devices have many useful features for NASA applications, good characteristics and the ability to be programmed Over-The-Air (OTA). The effort has focused on two widely used sensor types, mechanical strain gauges and thermal sensors. Mechanical strain gauges are used extensively in NASA structural testing and even on vehicle instrumentation systems. Additionally, thermal monitoring with many types of sensors is extensively used. These thermal sensors include thermocouples of all types, resistive temperature devices (RTDs), diodes and other thermal sensor types. The wireless thermal board will accommodate all of these types of sensor inputs to an analog front end. The analog front end on each of the sensors interfaces to the Synapse wireless microcontroller, based on the Atmel Atmega128 device. Once the analog sensor output data is digitized by the onboard analog to digital converter (A/D), the data is available for analysis, computation or transmission. Various hardware features allow custom embedded software to manage battery power to enhance battery life. This technology development fits nicely into using numerous additional sensor front ends, including some of the low-cost printed circuit board capacitive moisture content sensors currently being developed at Auburn University.

Organic magnetic field sensor

DOEpatents

McCamey, Dane; Boehme, Christoph

2017-01-24

An organic, spin-dependent magnetic field sensor (10) includes an active stack (12) having an organic material with a spin-dependence. The sensor (10) also includes a back electrical contact (14) electrically coupled to a back of the active stack (12) and a front electrical contact (16) electrically coupled to a front of the active stack (12). A magnetic field generator (18) is oriented so as to provide an oscillating magnetic field which penetrates the active stack (12).

SDO AIA Observations of Large-Scale Coronal Disturbances in the Form of Propagating Fronts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nitta, Nariaki V.; Schrijver, Carolus J.; Title, Alan M.; Liu, Wei

2013-03-01

One of the most spectacular phenomena detected by SOHO EIT was the large-scale propagating fronts associated with solar eruptions. Initially these 'EIT' waves were thought to be coronal counterparts of chromospheric Moreton waves. However, different spatial and kinematic properties of the fronts seen in H-alpha and EUV images, and far more frequent occurrences of the latter have led to various interpretations that are still actively debated by a number of researchers. A major factor for the lack of closure was the various limitation in EIT data, including the cadence that was typically every 12 minutes. Now we have significantly improved data from SDO AIA, which have revealed some very interesting phenomena associated with EIT waves. However, the studies so far conducted using AIA data have primarily dealt with single or a small number of events, where selection bias and particular observational conditions may prevent us from discovering the general and true nature of EIT waves. Although automated detection of EIT waves was promised for AIA images some time ago, it is still not actually implemented in the data pipeline. Therefore we have manually found nearly 200 examples of large-scale propagating fronts, going through movies of difference images from the AIA 193 A channel up to January 2013. We present our study of the kinematic properties of the fronts in a subset of about 150 well-observed events in relation with other phenomena that can accompany EIT waves. Our emphasis is on the relation of the fronts with the associated coronal eruptions often but not always taking the form of full-blown CMEs, utilizing STEREO data for a subset of more than 80 events that have occurred near the limb as viewed from one of the STEREO spacecraft. In these events, the availability of data from the STEREO inner coronagraph (COR1) as well as from the EUVI allows us to trace eruptions off the solar disk during the times of our propagating fronts. The representative relations between the fronts and CMEs will be discussed in terms of the evolution of EIT waves observed in different channels of AIA, which provide information of the thermal properties of the fronts. Our study will further clarify the variety of solar eruptions and their associated manifestations in the corona.

5-D interpolation with wave-front attributes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Yujiang; Gajewski, Dirk

2017-11-01

Most 5-D interpolation and regularization techniques reconstruct the missing data in the frequency domain by using mathematical transforms. An alternative type of interpolation methods uses wave-front attributes, that is, quantities with a specific physical meaning like the angle of emergence and wave-front curvatures. In these attributes structural information of subsurface features like dip and strike of a reflector are included. These wave-front attributes work on 5-D data space (e.g. common-midpoint coordinates in x and y, offset, azimuth and time), leading to a 5-D interpolation technique. Since the process is based on stacking next to the interpolation a pre-stack data enhancement is achieved, improving the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of interpolated and recorded traces. The wave-front attributes are determined in a data-driven fashion, for example, with the Common Reflection Surface (CRS method). As one of the wave-front-attribute-based interpolation techniques, the 3-D partial CRS method was proposed to enhance the quality of 3-D pre-stack data with low S/N. In the past work on 3-D partial stacks, two potential problems were still unsolved. For high-quality wave-front attributes, we suggest a global optimization strategy instead of the so far used pragmatic search approach. In previous works, the interpolation of 3-D data was performed along a specific azimuth which is acceptable for narrow azimuth acquisition but does not exploit the potential of wide-, rich- or full-azimuth acquisitions. The conventional 3-D partial CRS method is improved in this work and we call it as a wave-front-attribute-based 5-D interpolation (5-D WABI) as the two problems mentioned above are addressed. Data examples demonstrate the improved performance by the 5-D WABI method when compared with the conventional 3-D partial CRS approach. A comparison of the rank-reduction-based 5-D seismic interpolation technique with the proposed 5-D WABI method is given. The comparison reveals that there are significant advantages for steep dipping events using the 5-D WABI method when compared to the rank-reduction-based 5-D interpolation technique. Diffraction tails substantially benefit from this improved performance of the partial CRS stacking approach while the CPU time is comparable to the CPU time consumed by the rank-reduction-based method.

The RF-powered surface wave sensor oscillator--a successful alternative to passive wireless sensing.

PubMed

Avramov, Ivan D

2004-09-01

A novel, passive wireless surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor providing a highly coherent measurand proportional frequency, frequency modulated (FM) with identification (ID) data and immune to interference with multiple-path signals is described. The sensor is appropriate for bandwidth-limited applications requiring high-frequency accuracy. It comprises a low-power oscillator, stabilized with the sensing SAW resonator and powered by the rectified radio frequency (RF) power of the interrogating signal received by an antenna on the sensor part. A few hundred microwatts of direct current (DC) power are enough to power the sensor oscillator and ID modulation circuit and achieve stable operation at 1.0 and 2.49 GHz. Reliable sensor interrogation was achieved over a distance of 0.45 m from a SAW-based interrogation unit providing 50 mW of continuous RF power at 915 MHz. The -30 to -35 dBm of returned sensor power was enough to receive the sensor signal over a long distance and through several walls with a simple superheterodyne FM receiver converting the sensor signal to a low measurand proportional intermediate frequency and retrieving the ID data through FM detection. Different sensor implementations, including continuous and pulsed power versions and the possibility of transmitting data from several measurands with a single sensor, are discussed.

Mesospheric front observations by the OH airglow imager carried out at Ferraz Station on King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula, in 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giongo, Gabriel Augusto; Valentin Bageston, José; Prado Batista, Paulo; Wrasse, Cristiano Max; Dornelles Bittencourt, Gabriela; Paulino, Igo; Paes Leme, Neusa Maria; Fritts, David C.; Janches, Diego; Hocking, Wayne; Schuch, Nelson Jorge

2018-02-01

The main goals of this work are to characterize and investigate the potential wave sources of four mesospheric fronts identified in the hydroxyl near-infrared (OH-NIR) airglow images, obtained with an all-sky airglow imager installed at Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station (EACF, as per its Portuguese acronym) located on King George Island in the Antarctic Peninsula. We identified and analyzed four mesospheric fronts in 2011 over King George Island. In addition, we investigate the atmospheric background environment between 80 and 100 km altitude and discuss the ducts and propagation conditions for these waves. For that, we used wind data obtained from a meteor radar operated at EACF and temperature data obtained from the TIMED/SABER satellite. The vertical wavenumber squared, m2, was calculated for each of the four waves. Even though no clearly defined duct (indicated by positive values of m2 sandwiched between layers above and below with m2 < 0) was found in any of the events, favorable propagation conditions for horizontal propagation of the fronts were found in three cases. In the fourth case, the wave front did not find any duct support and it appeared to dissipate near the zenith, transferring energy and momentum to the medium and, consequently, accelerating the wind in the wave propagation direction (near to south) above the OH peak (88-92 km). The likely wave sources for these four cases were investigated by using meteorological satellite images and in two cases we could find that strong instabilities were potential sources, i.e., a cyclonic activity and a large convective cloud cell. In the other two cases it was not possible to associate troposphere sources as potential candidates for the generation of such wave fronts observed in the mesosphere and secondary wave sources were attributed to these cases.

Interface fluctuations during rapid drainage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayaz, Monem; Toussaint, Renaud; Schäfer, Gerhard; Jørgen Måløy, Knut; Moura, Marcel

2017-04-01

We experimentally study the interface dynamics of an immiscible fluid as it invades a monolayer of saturated porous medium through rapid drainage. The seemingly stable and continuous motion of the interface at macroscale, involves numerous abrupt pore-scale jumps and local reconfigurations of the interface. By computing the velocity fluctuations along the invasion front from sequences of images captured at high frame rate, we are able to study both the local and global behavior. The latter displays an intermittent behavior with power-law distributed avalanches in size and duration. As the system is drained potential surface energy is stored at the interface up to a given threshold in pressure. The energy released generates elastic waves at the confining plate, which we detect using piezoelectric type acoustic sensors. By detecting pore-scale events emanating from the depinning of the interface, we look to develop techniques for localizing the displacement front. To assess the quality of these techniques, optical monitoring is done in parallel using a high speed camera.

An automatic holographic adaptive phoropter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amirsolaimani, Babak; Peyghambarian, N.; Schwiegerling, Jim; Bablumyan, Arkady; Savidis, Nickolaos; Peyman, Gholam

2017-08-01

Phoropters are the most common instrument used to detect refractive errors. During a refractive exam, lenses are flipped in front of the patient who looks at the eye chart and tries to read the symbols. The procedure is fully dependent on the cooperation of the patient to read the eye chart, provides only a subjective measurement of visual acuity, and can at best provide a rough estimate of the patient's vision. Phoropters are difficult to use for mass screenings requiring a skilled examiner, and it is hard to screen young children and the elderly etc. We have developed a simplified, lightweight automatic phoropter that can measure the optical error of the eye objectively without requiring the patient's input. The automatic holographic adaptive phoropter is based on a Shack-Hartmann wave front sensor and three computercontrolled fluidic lenses. The fluidic lens system is designed to be able to provide power and astigmatic corrections over a large range of corrections without the need for verbal feedback from the patient in less than 20 seconds.

IMAPS Device Packaging Conference 2017 - Engineered Micro Systems & Devices Track

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Varnavas, Kosta

2017-01-01

NASA field center Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, AL), has invested in advanced wireless sensor technology development. Developments for a wireless microcontroller back-end were primarily focused on the commercial Synapse Wireless family of devices. These devices have many useful features for NASA applications, good characteristics and the ability to be programmed Over-The-Air (OTA). The effort has focused on two widely used sensor types, mechanical strain gauges and thermal sensors. Mechanical strain gauges are used extensively in NASA structural testing and even on vehicle instrumentation systems. Additionally, thermal monitoring with many types of sensors is extensively used. These thermal sensors include thermocouples of all types, resistive temperature devices (RTDs), diodes and other thermal sensor types. The wireless thermal board will accommodate all of these types of sensor inputs to an analog front end. The analog front end on each of the sensors interfaces to the Synapse wireless microcontroller, based on the Atmel Atmega128 device. Once the analog sensor output data is digitized by the onboard analog to digital converter (A/D), the data is available for analysis, computation or transmission. Various hardware features allow custom embedded software to manage battery power to enhance battery life. This technology development fits nicely into using numerous additional sensor front ends, including some of the low-cost printed circuit board capacitive moisture content sensors currently being developed at Auburn University.

Spontaneous Wave Generation from Submesoscale Fronts and Filaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakespeare, C. J.; Hogg, A.

2016-02-01

Submesoscale features such as eddies, fronts, jets and filaments can be significant sources of spontaneous wave generation at the ocean surface. Unlike near-inertial waves forced by winds, these spontaneous waves are typically of higher frequency and can propagate through the thermocline, whereupon they break and drive mixing in the ocean interior. Here we investigate the spontaneous generation, propagation and subsequent breaking of these waves using a combination of theory and submesoscale resolving numerical models. The mechanism of generation is nearly identical to that of lee waves where flow is deflected over a rigid obstacle on the sea floor. Here, very sharp fronts and filaments of order 100m width moving in the submesoscale surface flow generate "surface lee waves" by presenting an obstacle to the surrounding stratified fluid. Using our numerical model we quantify the net downward wave energy flux from the surface, and where it is dissipated in the water column. Our results suggest an alternative to the classical paradigm where the energy associated with mixing in the ocean interior is sourced from bottom-generated lee waves.

Appearance of wavefront dislocations under interference among beams with simple wavefronts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angelsky, Oleg V.; Besaha, R. N.; Mokhun, Igor I.

1997-12-01

The appearance of wave front dislocations under interference among beams with simple wave fronts is considered. It is shown, that even two beams with the smooth wave fonts is possible the formation of dislocations screw type. The screw dislocations are formed in cross point of lines of equal amplitude of beams and minimum of an interference pattern.

Traveling waves in a spatially-distributed Wilson-Cowan model of cortex: From fronts to pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Jeremy D.; Ermentrout, Bard

2018-04-01

Wave propagation in excitable media has been studied in various biological, chemical, and physical systems. Waves are among the most common evoked and spontaneous organized activity seen in cortical networks. In this paper, we study traveling fronts and pulses in a spatially-extended version of the Wilson-Cowan equations, a neural firing rate model of sensory cortex having two population types: Excitatory and inhibitory. We are primarily interested in the case when the local or space-clamped dynamics has three fixed points: (1) a stable down state; (2) a saddle point with stable manifold that acts as a threshold for firing; (3) an up state having stability that depends on the time scale of the inhibition. In the case when the up state is stable, we look for wave fronts, which transition the media from a down to up state, and when the up state is unstable, we are interested in pulses, a transient increase in firing that returns to the down state. We explore the behavior of these waves as the time and space scales of the inhibitory population vary. Some interesting findings include bistability between a traveling front and pulse, fronts that join the down state to an oscillation or spatiotemporal pattern, and pulses which go through an oscillatory instability.

Ultrasonic wave-based structural health monitoring embedded instrument.

PubMed

Aranguren, G; Monje, P M; Cokonaj, Valerijan; Barrera, Eduardo; Ruiz, Mariano

2013-12-01

Piezoelectric sensors and actuators are the bridge between electronic and mechanical systems in structures. This type of sensor is a key element in the integrity monitoring of aeronautic structures, bridges, pressure vessels, wind turbine blades, and gas pipelines. In this paper, an all-in-one system for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) based on ultrasonic waves is presented, called Phased Array Monitoring for Enhanced Life Assessment. This integrated instrument is able to generate excitation signals that are sent through piezoelectric actuators, acquire the received signals in the piezoelectric sensors, and carry out signal processing to check the health of structures. To accomplish this task, the instrument uses a piezoelectric phased-array transducer that performs the actuation and sensing of the signals. The flexibility and strength of the instrument allow the user to develop and implement a substantial part of the SHM technique using Lamb waves. The entire system is controlled using configuration software and has been validated through functional, electrical loading, mechanical loading, and thermal loading resistance tests.

Guided wave and damage detection in composite laminates using different fiber optic sensors.

PubMed

Li, Fucai; Murayama, Hideaki; Kageyama, Kazuro; Shirai, Takehiro

2009-01-01

Guided wave detection using different fiber optic sensors and their applications in damage detection for composite laminates were systematically investigated and compared in this paper. Two types of fiber optic sensors, namely fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) and Doppler effect-based fiber optic (FOD) sensors, were addressed and guided wave detection systems were constructed for both types. Guided waves generated by a piezoelectric transducer were propagated through a quasi-isotropic carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminate and acquired by these fiber optic sensors. Characteristics of these fiber optic sensors in ultrasonic guided wave detection were systematically compared. Results demonstrated that both the FBG and FOD sensors can be applied in guided wave and damage detection for the CFRP laminates. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of guided wave signal captured by an FOD sensor is relatively high in comparison with that of the FBG sensor because of their different physical principles in ultrasonic detection. Further, the FOD sensor is sensitive to the damage-induced fundamental shear horizontal (SH(0)) guided wave that, however, cannot be detected by using the FBG sensor, because the FOD sensor is omnidirectional in ultrasound detection and, in contrast, the FBG sensor is severely direction dependent.

Propagation and dispersion of shock waves in magnetoelastic materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crum, R. S.; Domann, J. P.; Carman, G. P.

Previous studies examining the response of magnetoelastic materials to shock waves have predominantly focused on applications involving pulsed power generation, with limited attention given to the actual wave propagation characteristics. This study provides detailed magnetic and mechanical measurements of magnetoelastic shock wave propagation and dispersion. Laser generated rarefacted shock waves exceeding 3 GPa with rise times of 10 ns were introduced to samples of the magnetoelastic material Galfenol. The resulting mechanical measurements reveal the evolution of the shock into a compressive acoustic front with lateral release waves. Importantly, the wave continues to disperse even after it has decayed into anmore » acoustic wave, due in large part to magnetoelastic coupling. The magnetic data reveal predominantly shear wave mediated magnetoelastic coupling, and were also used to noninvasively measure the wave speed. The external magnetic field controlled a 30% increase in wave propagation speed, attributed to a 70% increase in average stiffness. Lastly, magnetic signals propagating along the sample over 20× faster than the mechanical wave were measured, indicating these materials can act as passive antennas that transmit information in response to mechanical stimuli.« less

Propagation and dispersion of shock waves in magnetoelastic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crum, R. S.; Domann, J. P.; Carman, G. P.; Gupta, V.

2017-12-01

Previous studies examining the response of magnetoelastic materials to shock waves have predominantly focused on applications involving pulsed power generation, with limited attention given to the actual wave propagation characteristics. This study provides detailed magnetic and mechanical measurements of magnetoelastic shock wave propagation and dispersion. Laser generated rarefacted shock waves exceeding 3 GPa with rise times of 10 ns were introduced to samples of the magnetoelastic material Galfenol. The resulting mechanical measurements reveal the evolution of the shock into a compressive acoustic front with lateral release waves. Importantly, the wave continues to disperse even after it has decayed into an acoustic wave, due in large part to magnetoelastic coupling. The magnetic data reveal predominantly shear wave mediated magnetoelastic coupling, and were also used to noninvasively measure the wave speed. The external magnetic field controlled a 30% increase in wave propagation speed, attributed to a 70% increase in average stiffness. Finally, magnetic signals propagating along the sample over 20× faster than the mechanical wave were measured, indicating these materials can act as passive antennas that transmit information in response to mechanical stimuli.

Propagation and dispersion of shock waves in magnetoelastic materials

DOE PAGES

Crum, R. S.; Domann, J. P.; Carman, G. P.; ...

2017-11-15

Previous studies examining the response of magnetoelastic materials to shock waves have predominantly focused on applications involving pulsed power generation, with limited attention given to the actual wave propagation characteristics. This study provides detailed magnetic and mechanical measurements of magnetoelastic shock wave propagation and dispersion. Laser generated rarefacted shock waves exceeding 3 GPa with rise times of 10 ns were introduced to samples of the magnetoelastic material Galfenol. The resulting mechanical measurements reveal the evolution of the shock into a compressive acoustic front with lateral release waves. Importantly, the wave continues to disperse even after it has decayed into anmore » acoustic wave, due in large part to magnetoelastic coupling. The magnetic data reveal predominantly shear wave mediated magnetoelastic coupling, and were also used to noninvasively measure the wave speed. The external magnetic field controlled a 30% increase in wave propagation speed, attributed to a 70% increase in average stiffness. Lastly, magnetic signals propagating along the sample over 20× faster than the mechanical wave were measured, indicating these materials can act as passive antennas that transmit information in response to mechanical stimuli.« less

Systems and Sensors for Debris-flow Monitoring and Warning

PubMed Central

Arattano, Massimo; Marchi, Lorenzo

2008-01-01

Debris flows are a type of mass movement that occurs in mountain torrents. They consist of a high concentration of solid material in water that flows as a wave with a steep front. Debris flows can be considered a phenomenon intermediate between landslides and water floods. They are amongst the most hazardous natural processes in mountainous regions and may occur under different climatic conditions. Their destructiveness is due to different factors: their capability of transporting and depositing huge amounts of solid materials, which may also reach large sizes (boulders of several cubic meters are commonly transported by debris flows), their steep fronts, which may reach several meters of height and also their high velocities. The implementation of both structural and non-structural control measures is often required when debris flows endanger routes, urban areas and other infrastructures. Sensor networks for debris-flow monitoring and warning play an important role amongst non-structural measures intended to reduce debris-flow risk. In particular, debris flow warning systems can be subdivided into two main classes: advance warning and event warning systems. These two classes employ different types of sensors. Advance warning systems are based on monitoring causative hydrometeorological processes (typically rainfall) and aim to issue a warning before a possible debris flow is triggered. Event warning systems are based on detecting debris flows when these processes are in progress. They have a much smaller lead time than advance warning ones but are also less prone to false alarms. Advance warning for debris flows employs sensors and techniques typical of meteorology and hydrology, including measuring rainfall by means of rain gauges and weather radar and monitoring water discharge in headwater streams. Event warning systems use different types of sensors, encompassing ultrasonic or radar gauges, ground vibration sensors, videocameras, avalanche pendulums, photocells, trip wires etc. Event warning systems for debris flows have a strong linkage with debris-flow monitoring that is carried out for research purposes: the same sensors are often used for both monitoring and warning, although warning systems have higher requirements of robustness than monitoring systems. The paper presents a description of the sensors employed for debris-flow monitoring and event warning systems, with attention given to advantages and drawbacks of different types of sensors. PMID:27879828

Optical calibration and test of the VLT Deformable Secondary Mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briguglio, Runa; Xompero, Marco; Riccardi, Armando; Andrighettoni, Mario; Pescoller, Dietrich; Biasi, Roberto; Gallieni, Daniele; Vernet, Elise; Kolb, Johann; Arsenault, Robin; Madec, Pierre-Yves

2013-12-01

The Deformable Secondary Mirror (DSM) for the VLT (ESO) represents the state-of-art of the large-format deformable mirror technology with its 1170 voice-coil actuators and its internal metrology based on actuator co-located capacitive sensors to control the shape of the 1.12m-diameter 2mm-thick convex shell. The present paper reports the results of the optical characterization of the mirror unit with the ASSIST facility located at ESO-Garching and executed in a collaborative effort by ESO, INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri and the DSM manufacturing companies (Microgate s.r.l. and A.D.S. International s.r.l.). The main purposes of the tests are the optical characterization of the shell flattening residuals, the corresponding calibration of flattening commands, the optical calibration of the capacitive sensors and the optical calibration of the mirror influence functions. The results are used for the optical acceptance of the DSM and to allow the next test phase coupling the DSM with the wave-front sensor modules of the new Adaptive Optics Facility (AOF) of ESO.

Using the Microsoft Kinect™ to assess 3-D shoulder kinematics during computer use.

PubMed

Xu, Xu; Robertson, Michelle; Chen, Karen B; Lin, Jia-Hua; McGorry, Raymond W

2017-11-01

Shoulder joint kinematics has been used as a representative indicator to investigate musculoskeletal symptoms among computer users for office ergonomics studies. The traditional measurement of shoulder kinematics normally requires a laboratory-based motion tracking system which limits the field studies. In the current study, a portable, low cost, and marker-less Microsoft Kinect™ sensor was examined for its feasibility on shoulder kinematics measurement during computer tasks. Eleven healthy participants performed a standardized computer task, and their shoulder kinematics data were measured by a Kinect sensor and a motion tracking system concurrently. The results indicated that placing the Kinect sensor in front of the participants would yielded a more accurate shoulder kinematics measurements then placing the Kinect sensor 15° or 30° to one side. The results also showed that the Kinect sensor had a better estimate on shoulder flexion/extension, compared with shoulder adduction/abduction and shoulder axial rotation. The RMSE of front-placed Kinect sensor on shoulder flexion/extension was less than 10° for both the right and the left shoulder. The measurement error of the front-placed Kinect sensor on the shoulder adduction/abduction was approximately 10° to 15°, and the magnitude of error is proportional to the magnitude of that joint angle. After the calibration, the RMSE on shoulder adduction/abduction were less than 10° based on an independent dataset of 5 additional participants. For shoulder axial rotation, the RMSE of front-placed Kinect sensor ranged between approximately 15° to 30°. The results of the study suggest that the Kinect sensor can provide some insight on shoulder kinematics for improving office ergonomics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vertical directivities of seismic arrays on the ground surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiraishi, H.; Asanuma, H.

2012-12-01

Microtremor survey method (MSM) is a technique to estimate subsurface velocity structures by inverting phase velocities of the surface waves in the microtremors. We can explorer the S-wave velocity structures at significantly lower expenses by the MSM than the conventional geophysical techniques because of its passive nature. Coherent waves across an array are identified in the MSM, and, therefore, all the existing velocity inversion methods have been deduced under an implicit assumption of horizontal velocity structure. However, it is expected that the development of the 3D inversion theory would drastically enhance applicability and reliability of the MSM. We, hence, investigated the characteristics of vertical directivities of the arrays deployed on the ground surface as an initial step for deriving the 3D MSM. We have firstly examined the response of an elemental two sensor array to which plane waves propagates from the deep crust with a certain angle of incident, and then examined the characteristics of several types of arrays, including triangular and circular arrays to clarify the characteristics of practical arrays. Real part of the complex coherence function, which has been derived to evaluate coherence of the Rayleigh wave between sensors for plane waves (Shiraishi et al., 2006), has been applied for this investigation. Our results showed that the directivity varies according to a parameter kr ( k : wave number, r : separation of the sensors ). A vertical directivity of two sensor array at kr = π shows a rotationally-symmetrical shape (Figure (a)). In contrast, an equilateral triangle array has a conspicuous directivity toward the vertical direction (cf. Figure (b)). This divergence suggests that the shape of the vertical directivity significantly depend on the geometry, and a sharp directivity toward just beneath the array can be realized by designing the vertical directivity. We concluded from this study that 3D MSM is feasible and further study to investigate measurement and processing theories will be made by the authors. An example of the vertical directivity at kr=π. Red circles represent the sensors.

Improving slowness estimate stability and visualization using limited sensor pair correlation on seismic arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibbons, Steven J.; Näsholm, S. P.; Ruigrok, E.; Kværna, T.

2018-04-01

Seismic arrays enhance signal detection and parameter estimation by exploiting the time-delays between arriving signals on sensors at nearby locations. Parameter estimates can suffer due to both signal incoherence, with diminished waveform similarity between sensors, and aberration, with time-delays between coherent waveforms poorly represented by the wave-front model. Sensor-to-sensor correlation approaches to parameter estimation have an advantage over direct beamforming approaches in that individual sensor-pairs can be omitted without necessarily omitting entirely the data from each of the sensors involved. Specifically, we can omit correlations between sensors for which signal coherence in an optimal frequency band is anticipated to be poor or for which anomalous time-delays are anticipated. In practice, this usually means omitting correlations between more distant sensors. We present examples from International Monitoring System seismic arrays with poor parameter estimates resulting when classical f-k analysis is performed over the full array aperture. We demonstrate improved estimates and slowness grid displays using correlation beamforming restricted to correlations between sufficiently closely spaced sensors. This limited sensor-pair correlation (LSPC) approach has lower slowness resolution than would ideally be obtained by considering all sensor-pairs. However, this ideal estimate may be unattainable due to incoherence and/or aberration and the LSPC estimate can often exploit all channels, with the associated noise-suppression, while mitigating the complications arising from correlations between very distant sensors. The greatest need for the method is for short-period signals on large aperture arrays although we also demonstrate significant improvement for secondary regional phases on a small aperture array. LSPC can also provide a robust and flexible approach to parameter estimation on three-component seismic arrays.

Method for simultaneously making a plurality of acoustic signal sensor elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryant, Timothy D. (Inventor); Wynkoop, Mark W. (Inventor); Holloway, Nancy M. H. (Inventor); Zuckerwar, Allan J. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

A fetal heart monitoring system preferably comprising a backing plate having a generally concave front surface and a generally convex back surface, and at least one sensor element attached to the concave front surface for acquiring acoustic fetal heart signals produced by a fetus within a body. The sensor element has a shape that conforms to the generally concave back surface of the backing plate. In one embodiment, the at least one sensor element comprises an inner sensor, and a plurality of outer sensors surrounding the inner sensor. The fetal heart monitoring system can further comprise a web belt, and a web belt guide movably attached to the web belt. The web belt guide being is to the convex back surface of the backing plate.

Method for Simultaneously Making a Plurality of Acoustic Signal Sensor Elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryant, Timothy D.; Wynkoop, Mark W.; Holloway, Nancy M. H.; Zuckerwar, Allan J.

2005-01-01

A fetal heart monitoring system preferably comprising a backing plate having a generally concave front surface and a generally convex back surface, and at least one sensor element attached to the concave front surface for acquiring acoustic fetal heart signals produced by a fetus within a body. The sensor element has a shape that conforms to the generally concave back surface of the backing plate. In one embodiment, the at least one sensor element comprises an inner sensor, and a plurality of outer sensors surrounding the inner sensor. The fetal heart monitoring system can further comprise a web belt, and a web belt guide movably attached to the web belt. The web belt guide being is to the convex back surface of the backing plate.

In-line optical fiber sensors based on cladded multimode tapered fibers.

PubMed

Villatoro, Joel; Monzón-Hernández, David; Luna-Moreno, Donato

2004-11-10

The use of uniform-waist cladded multimode tapered optical fibers is demonstrated for evanescent wave spectroscopy and sensors. The tapering is a simple, low-loss process and consists of stretching the fiber while it is being heated with an oscillating flame torch. As examples, a refractive-index sensor and a hydrogen sensor are demonstrated by use of a conventional graded-index multimode optical fiber. Also, absorbance spectra are measured while the tapers are immersed in an absorbing liquid. It is found experimentally that the uniform waist is the part of the taper that contributes most to the sensor sensitivity. The taper waist diameter may also be used to adjust the sensor dynamic range.

Passive Fetal Heart Monitoring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryant, Timothy D. (Inventor); Wynkoop, Mark W. (Inventor); Holloway, Nancy M. H. (Inventor); Zuckerwar, Allan J. (Inventor)

2004-01-01

A fetal heart monitoring system preferably comprising a backing plate having a generally concave front surface and a generally convex back surface, and at least one sensor element attached to the concave front surface for acquiring acoustic fetal heart signals produced by a fetus within a body. The sensor element has a shape that conforms to the generally concave back surface of the backing plate. In one embodiment, the at least one sensor element comprises an inner sensor, and a plurality of outer sensors surrounding the inner sensor. The fetal heart monitoring system can further comprise a web belt, and a web belt guide movably attached to the web belt. The web belt guide being is to the convex back surface of the backing plate.

Front-end ASICs for high-energy astrophysics in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gevin, O.; Limousin, O.; Meuris, A.

2016-07-01

In most of embedded imaging systems for space applications, high granularity and increasing size of focal planes justify an almost systematic use of integrated circuits. . To fulfill challenging requirements for excellent spatial and energy resolution, integrated circuits must fit the sensors perfectly and interface the system such a way to optimize simultaneously noise, geometry and architecture. Moreover, very low power consumption and radiation tolerance are mandatory to envision a use onboard a payload in space. Consequently, being part of an optimized detection system for space, the integrated circuit is specifically designed for each application and becomes an Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC). The paper focuses on mixed analog and digital signal ASICs for spectro-imaging systems in the keVMeV energy band. The first part of the paper summarizes the main advantages conferred by the use of front-end ASICs for highenergy astrophysics instruments in space mission. Space qualification of ASICs requires the chip to be radiation hard. The paper will shortly describe some of the typical hardening techniques and give some guidelines that an ASIC designer should follow to choose the most efficient technology for his project. The first task of the front-end electronics is to convert the charge coming from the detector into a voltage. For most of the Silicon detectors (CCD, DEPFET, SDD) this is conversion happens in the detector itself. For other sensor materials, charge preamplifiers operate the conversion. The paper shortly describes the different key parameters of charge preamplifiers and the binding parameters for the design. Filtering is generally mandatory in order to increase the signal to noise ratio or to reduce the duration of the signal. After a brief review on the main noise sources, the paper reviews noise-filtering techniques that are commonly used in Integrated circuits designs. The way sensors and ASICs are interconnected together plays a major role in the noise performances of the detection systems. The geometry of a sensor is therefore critical and drives the ASIC design. The second part of the paper takes the geometry of the detector as a story line to explore different kinds of ASIC structures and architectures. From the simple single-channel ASIC for CCDs to the most advanced 3D ASIC prototypes used to build dead-zone free imaging systems, the paper reports on different families of circuits for spectro-imaging systems. It emphasizes a variety of designer choices, all around the word, in different space missions.

Storms or cold fronts: what is really responsible for the extreme waves regime in the Colombian Caribbean coastal region?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otero, L. J.; Ortiz-Royero, J. C.; Ruiz-Merchan, J. K.; Higgins, A. E.; Henriquez, S. A.

2016-02-01

The aim of this study is to determine the contribution and importance of cold fronts and storms to extreme waves in different areas of the Colombian Caribbean in an attempt to determine the extent of the threat posed by the flood processes to which these coastal populations are exposed. Furthermore, the study wishes to establish the actions to which coastal engineering constructions should be subject. In the calculation of maritime constructions, the most important parameter is the height of the wave. For this reason, it is necessary to establish the design wave height to which a coastal engineering structure should be resistant. This wave height varies according to the return period considered. The significant height values for the areas focused on in the study were calculated in accordance with Gumbel's extreme value methodology. The methodology was evaluated using data from the reanalysis of the spectral National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) WAVEWATCH III® (WW3) model for 15 points along the 1600 km of the Colombian Caribbean coastline (continental and insular) between the years 1979 and 2009. The results demonstrated that the extreme waves caused by tropical cyclones and those caused by cold fronts have different effects along the Colombian Caribbean coast. Storms and hurricanes are of greater importance in the Guajira Peninsula (Alta Guajira). In the central area (consisting of Baja Guajira, and the cities of Santa Marta, Barranquilla, and Cartagena), the strong impact of cold fronts on extreme waves is evident. However, in the southern region of the Colombian Caribbean coast (ranging from the Gulf of Morrosquillo to the Gulf of Urabá), the extreme values of wave heights are lower than in the previously mentioned regions, despite being dominated mainly by the passage of cold fronts. Extreme waves in the San Andrés and Providencia insular region present a different dynamic from that in the continental area due to their geographic location. The wave heights in the extreme regime are similar in magnitude to those found in Alta Guajira, but the extreme waves associated with the passage of cold fronts in this region have lower return periods than those associated with the hurricane season.

Molecular dynamics simulation of shock-wave loading of copper and titanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolesta, A. V.; Fomin, V. M.

2017-10-01

At extreme pressures and temperatures common materials form new dense phases with compacted atomic arrangements. By classical molecular dynamics simulation we observe that FCC copper undergo phase transformation to BCC structure. The transition occurs under shock wave loading at the pressures above 80 GPa and corresponding temperatures above 2000 K. We calculate phase diagram, show that at these pressures and low temperature FCC phase of copper is still stable and discuss the thermodynamic reason for phase transformation at high temperature shock wave regime. Titanium forms new hexagonal phase at high pressure as well. We calculate the structure of shock wave in titanium and observe that shock front splits in three parts: elastic, plastic and phase transformation. The possibility of using a phase transition behind a shock wave with further unloading for designing nanocrystalline materials with a reduced grain size is also shown.

Solar tomography adaptive optics.

PubMed

Ren, Deqing; Zhu, Yongtian; Zhang, Xi; Dou, Jiangpei; Zhao, Gang

2014-03-10

Conventional solar adaptive optics uses one deformable mirror (DM) and one guide star for wave-front sensing, which seriously limits high-resolution imaging over a large field of view (FOV). Recent progress toward multiconjugate adaptive optics indicates that atmosphere turbulence induced wave-front distortion at different altitudes can be reconstructed by using multiple guide stars. To maximize the performance over a large FOV, we propose a solar tomography adaptive optics (TAO) system that uses tomographic wave-front information and uses one DM. We show that by fully taking advantage of the knowledge of three-dimensional wave-front distribution, a classical solar adaptive optics with one DM can provide an extra performance gain for high-resolution imaging over a large FOV in the near infrared. The TAO will allow existing one-deformable-mirror solar adaptive optics to deliver better performance over a large FOV for high-resolution magnetic field investigation, where solar activities occur in a two-dimensional field up to 60'', and where the near infrared is superior to the visible in terms of magnetic field sensitivity.

Measurement of the shock front velocity produced in a T-tube

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Djurović, S.; Mijatović, Z.; Vujičić, B.

2015-01-15

A set of shock front velocity measurements is described in this paper. The shock waves were produced in a small electromagnetically driven shock T-tube. Most of the measurements were performed in hydrogen. The shock front velocity measurements in other gases and the velocity of the gas behind the shock front were also analyzed, as well as the velocity dependence on applied input energy. Some measurements with an applied external magnetic field were also performed. The used method of shock front velocity is simple and was shown to be very reliable. Measured values were compared with the calculated ones for themore » incident and reflected shock waves.« less

Ocean wave generation by collapsing ice shelves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macayeal, D. R.; Bassis, J. N.; Okal, E. A.; Aster, R. C.; Cathles, L. M.

2008-12-01

The 28-29 February, 2008, break-up of the Wilkins Ice Shelf, Antarctica, exemplifies the now-familiar, yet largely unexplained pattern of explosive ice-shelf break-up. While environmental warming is a likely ultimate cause of explosive break-up, several key aspects of their short-term behavior need to be explained: (1) The abrupt, near-simultaneous onset of iceberg calving across long spans of the ice front margin; (2) High outward drift velocity (about 0.3 m/s) of a leading phalanx of tabular icebergs that originate from the seaward edge of the intact ice shelf prior to break-up; (3) Rapid coverage of the ocean surface in the wake of this leading phalanx by small, capsized and dismembered tabular icebergs; (4) Extremely large gravitational potential energy release rates, e.g., up to 3 × 1010 W; (5) Lack of proximal iceberg-calving triggers that control the timing of break-up onset and that maintain the high break-up calving rates through to the conclusion of the event. Motivated by seismic records obtained from icebergs and the Ross Ice Shelf that show hundreds of micro- tsunamis emanating from near the ice shelf front, we re-examine the basic dynamic features of ice- shelf/ocean-wave interaction and, in particular, examine the possibility that collapsing ice shelves themselves are a source of waves that stimulate the disintegration process. We propose that ice-shelf generated surface-gravity waves associated with initial calving at an arbitrary seed location produce stress perturbations capable of triggering the onset of calving on the entire ice front. Waves generated by parting detachment rifts, iceberg capsize and break-up act next to stimulate an inverted submarine landslide (ice- slide) process, where gravitational potential energy released by upward movement of buoyant ice is radiated as surface gravity waves in the wake of the advancing phalanx of tabular icebergs. We conclude by describing how field research and remote sensing can be used to test the various conjectures about ice- shelf/wave interaction that appear to be at play during ice-shelf disintegration.

Development of a Corrosion Sensor for AN Aircraft Vehicle Health Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, D. A.; Price, D. C.; Edwards, G. C.; Batten, A. B.; Kolmeder, J.; Muster, T. H.; Corrigan, P.; Cole, I. S.

2010-02-01

A Rayleigh-wave-based sensor has been developed to measure corrosion damage in aircraft. This sensor forms an important part of a corrosion monitoring system being developed for a major aircraft manufacturer. This system measures the corrosion rate at the location of its sensors, and through a model predicts the corrosion rates in nearby places on an aircraft into which no sensors can be placed. In order to calibrate this model, which yields corrosion rates rather than the accumulated effect, an absolute measure of the damage is required. In this paper the development of a surface wave sensor capable of measuring accumulated damage will be described in detail. This sensor allows the system to measure material loss due to corrosion regardless of the possible loss of historical corrosion rate data, and can provide, at any stage, a benchmark for the predictive model that would allow a good estimate of the accumulated corrosion damage in similar locations on an aircraft. This system may obviate the need for costly inspection of difficult-to-access places in aircraft, where presently the only way to check for corrosion is by periodic dismantling and reassembly.

Influence of temperature on linear stability in buoyancy-driven fingering of reaction-diffusion fronts.

PubMed

Levitán, D; D'Onofrio, A

2012-09-01

A vertical Hele-Shaw cell was used to study the influence of temperature on Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities on reaction-diffusion fronts. The propagation of the chemical front can thus be observed, and experimental results can be obtained via image treatment. A chemical front produced by the coupling between molecular diffusion and the auto-catalysis of the chlorite-tetrathionate reaction, descends through the cell, consuming the reactants below while the product is formed above. Buoyancy-driven instabilities are formed due to the density difference between reactants and products, and the front takes a fingering pattern, whose growth rate has temperature dependence. In this study, the effect of temperature on the linear regime of the instability (that is, when the effects of such instability start to appear) was analyzed. To measure the instability, Fourier transform analysis is performed, in order to obtain the different wave numbers and their power as a function of time. Thus, the growth rate for each wave number and the most unstable wave number is obtained for each of the temperatures under study. Based on repeated experiments, a decrease in the growth rate for the most unstable wave number can be observed with the increase of temperature.

Diffractive ρ and ϕ production at HERA using a holographic AdS/QCD light-front meson wave function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmady, Mohammad; Sandapen, Ruben; Sharma, Neetika

2016-10-01

We use an anti-de Sitter/quantum chromodynamics holographic light-front wave function for the ρ and ϕ mesons, in conjunction with the color glass condensate dipole cross section whose parameters are fitted to the most recent 2015 high precision HERA data on inclusive deep inelastic scattering, in order to predict the cross sections for diffractive ρ and ϕ electroproduction. Our results suggest that the holographic meson light-front wave function is able to give a simultaneous description of ρ and ϕ production data provided we use a set of light quark masses with mu ,d

Front acceleration by dynamic selection in Fisher population waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bénichou, O.; Calvez, V.; Meunier, N.; Voituriez, R.

2012-10-01

We introduce a minimal model of population range expansion in which the phenotypes of individuals present no selective advantage and differ only in their diffusion rate. We show that such neutral phenotypic variability (i.e., that does not modify the growth rate) alone can yield phenotype segregation at the front edge, even in absence of genetic noise, and significantly impact the dynamical properties of the expansion wave. We present an exact asymptotic traveling wave solution and show analytically that phenotype segregation accelerates the front propagation. The results are compatible with field observations such as invasions of cane toads in Australia or bush crickets in Britain.

On the relationship between satellite-retrieved surface temperature fronts and chlorophyll a in the western South Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saraceno, Martin; Provost, Christine; Piola, Alberto R.

2005-11-01

The time-space distribution of chlorophyll a in the southwestern Atlantic is examined using 6 years (1998-2003) of sea surface color images from Sea-viewing Wide Field of View Sensor (SeaWiFS). Chlorophyll a (chl a) distribution is confronted with sea surface temperature (SST) fronts retrieved from satellite imagery. Histogram analysis of the color, SST, and SST gradient data sets provides a simple procedure for pixel classification from which eight biophysical regions in the SWA are identified, including three new regions with regard to Longhurst (1998) work: Patagonian Shelf Break (PSB), Brazil Current Overshoot, and Zapiola Rise region. In the PSB region, coastal-trapped waves are suggested as a possible mechanism leading to the intraseasonal frequencies observed in SST and chl a. Mesoscale activity associated with the Brazil Current Front and, in particular, eddies drifting southward is probably responsible for the high chl a values observed throughout the Brazil Current Overshoot region. The Zapiola Rise is characterized by a local minimum in SST gradient magnitudes and shows chl a maximum values in February, 3 months later than the austral spring bloom of the surroundings. Significant interannual variability is present in the color imagery. In the PSB, springs and summers with high chl a concentrations seem associated with stronger local northerly wind speed, and possible mechanisms are discussed. Finally, the Brazil-Malvinas front is detected using both SST gradient and SeaWiFS images. The time-averaged position of the front at 54.2°W is estimated at 38.9°S and its alongshore migration of about 300 km.

An electrodynamic description of lightning return strokes and dart leaders: Guided wave propagation along conducting cylindrical channels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Borovsky, J.E.

1995-02-20

The return-stroke breakdown pulse and the dart leader are treated as electric waves guided by conducting lightning channels; such waves are launched when current is injected into a conducting channel (producing the dart leader) or when charge on a channel begins to drain to Earth (producing the return stroke). The guided waves are self-consistent solutions to the full set of Maxwell`s equations, obeying the physical boundary conditions for cylindrical channels. These waves are shown (1) to move with velocities substantially slower than c along the channel, (2) to push current inside the lightning channel, (3) to move charge and voltagemore » along the channel, and (4) to transport energy along and into the channel via Poynting flux. The velocity of a guided wave is a function of only three parameters: the channel radius r{sub ch}, the channel temperature T, and the risetime {triangle}t of the wave front. These velocities are found to fall in the range of velocities of return strokes and of dart leaders. The dart leader and the return stroke are caused by the same type of guided electromagnetic waves: the difference in velocity is owed mostly to the difference in channel temperature. In the case of the dart leader the waves deliver Poynting flux along the outside of the channel down from a thundercloud generator to the downward-propagating wave front. At the wave front of the dart leader the delivered energy goes into heating the channel and into storage in the form of E{sup 2}/8{pi} around the newly charged channel. In the case of the return stroke the Poynting flux is localized to the vicinity of the wave front where stored energy E{sup 2}/8{pi} is delivered radially inward onto the channel to heat the channel in the propagating front. The net result of a dart leader and return stroke is that charge is moved from the cloud to the ground and that energy is moved from the cloud onto the channel. 123 refs., 11 figs., 5 tabs.« less

The Belle II Silicon Vertex Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedl, M.; Ackermann, K.; Aihara, H.; Aziz, T.; Bergauer, T.; Bozek, A.; Campbell, A.; Dingfelder, J.; Drasal, Z.; Frankenberger, A.; Gadow, K.; Gfall, I.; Haba, J.; Hara, K.; Hara, T.; Higuchi, T.; Himori, S.; Irmler, C.; Ishikawa, A.; Joo, C.; Kah, D. H.; Kang, K. H.; Kato, E.; Kiesling, C.; Kodys, P.; Kohriki, T.; Koike, S.; Kvasnicka, P.; Marinas, C.; Mayekar, S. N.; Mibe, T.; Mohanty, G. B.; Moll, A.; Negishi, K.; Nakayama, H.; Natkaniec, Z.; Niebuhr, C.; Onuki, Y.; Ostrowicz, W.; Park, H.; Rao, K. K.; Ritter, M.; Rozanska, M.; Saito, T.; Sakai, K.; Sato, N.; Schmid, S.; Schnell, M.; Shimizu, N.; Steininger, H.; Tanaka, S.; Tanida, K.; Taylor, G.; Tsuboyama, T.; Ueno, K.; Uozumi, S.; Ushiroda, Y.; Valentan, M.; Yamamoto, H.

2013-12-01

The KEKB machine and the Belle experiment in Tsukuba (Japan) are now undergoing an upgrade, leading to an ultimate luminosity of 8×1035 cm-2 s-1 in order to measure rare decays in the B system with high statistics. The previous vertex detector cannot cope with this 40-fold increase of luminosity and thus needs to be replaced. Belle II will be equipped with a two-layer Pixel Detector surrounding the beam pipe, and four layers of double-sided silicon strip sensors at higher radii than the old detector. The Silicon Vertex Detector (SVD) will have a total sensitive area of 1.13 m2 and 223,744 channels-twice as many as its predecessor. All silicon sensors will be made from 150 mm wafers in order to maximize their size and thus to reduce the relative contribution of the support structure. The forward part has slanted sensors of trapezoidal shape to improve the measurement precision and to minimize the amount of material as seen by particles from the vertex. Fast-shaping front-end amplifiers will be used in conjunction with an online hit time reconstruction algorithm in order to reduce the occupancy to the level of a few percent at most. A novel “Origami” chip-on-sensor scheme is used to minimize both the distance between strips and amplifier (thus reducing the electronic noise) as well as the overall material budget. This report gives an overview on the status of the Belle II SVD and its components, including sensors, front-end detector ladders, mechanics, cooling and the readout electronics.

Linear quadratic Gaussian control of a deformable mirror adaptive optics system with time-delayed measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paschall, Randall N.; Anderson, David J.

1993-11-01

A linear quadratic Gaussian method is proposed for a deformable mirror adaptive optics system control. Estimates of system states describing the distortion are generated by a Kalman filter based on Hartmann wave front measurements of the wave front gradient.

Maximum likelihood phase-retrieval algorithm: applications.

PubMed

Nahrstedt, D A; Southwell, W H

1984-12-01

The maximum likelihood estimator approach is shown to be effective in determining the wave front aberration in systems involving laser and flow field diagnostics and optical testing. The robustness of the algorithm enables convergence even in cases of severe wave front error and real, nonsymmetrical, obscured amplitude distributions.

Dynamics of vapor emissions at wire explosion thresholda)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belony, Paul A.; Kim, Yong W.

2010-10-01

X-pinch plasmas have been actively studied in the recent years. Numerical simulation of the ramp-up of metallic vapor emissions from wire specimens shows that under impulsive Ohmic heating the wire core invariably reaches a supercritical state before explosion. The heating rate depends sensitively on the local wire resistance, leading to highly variable vapor emission flux along the wire. To examine the vapor emission process, we have visualized nickel wire explosions by means of shock formation in air. In a single explosion as captured by shadowgraphy, there usually appear several shocks with spherical or cylindrical wave front originating from different parts of the wire. Growth of various shock fronts in time is well characterized by a power-law scaling in one form or another. Continuum emission spectra are obtained and calibrated to measure temperature near the explosion threshold. Shock front structures and vapor plume temperature are examined.

Shaping Microwave Fields Using Nonlinear Unsolicited Feedback: Application to Enhance Energy Harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

del Hougne, Philipp; Fink, Mathias; Lerosey, Geoffroy

2017-12-01

Wave-front shaping has emerged over the past decade as a powerful tool to control wave propagation through complex media, initially in optics and more recently also in the microwave domain with important applications in telecommunication, imaging, and energy transfer. The crux of implementing wave-front shaping concepts in real life is often its need for (direct) feedback, requiring access to the target to focus on. Here, we present the shaping of a microwave field based on indirect, unsolicited, and blind feedback which may be the pivotal step towards practical implementations. With the example of a radio-frequency harvester in a metallic cavity, we demonstrate tenfold enhancement of the harvested power by wave-front shaping based on nonlinear signals detected at an arbitrary position away from the harvesting device.

Holographic nondestructive tests performed on composite samples of ceramic-epoxy-fiberglass sandwich structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurtz, R. L.; Liu, H. K.

1974-01-01

When a hologram storing more than one wave is illuminated with coherent light, the reconstructed wave fronts interfere with each other or with any other phase-related wave front derived from the illuminating source. This multiple wave front comparison is called holographic interferometry, and its application is called holographic nondestructive testing (HNDT). The theoretical aspects of HNDT techniques and the sensitivity of the holographic system to the geometrical placement of the optical components are briefly discussed. A unique HNDT system which is mobile and possesses variable sensitivity to stress amplitude is discribed, the experimental evidence of the application of this system to the testing of the hidden debonds in a ceramic-epoxy-fiberglass structure used for sample testing of the radome of the Pershing missile system is presented.

Traveling wave solutions in a chain of periodically forced coupled nonlinear oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duanmu, M.; Whitaker, N.; Kevrekidis, P. G.; Vainchtein, A.; Rubin, J. E.

2016-06-01

Motivated by earlier studies of artificial perceptions of light called phosphenes, we analyze traveling wave solutions in a chain of periodically forced coupled nonlinear oscillators modeling this phenomenon. We examine the discrete model problem in its co-traveling frame and systematically obtain the corresponding traveling waves in one spatial dimension. Direct numerical simulations as well as linear stability analysis are employed to reveal the parameter regions where the traveling waves are stable, and these waves are, in turn, connected to the standing waves analyzed in earlier work. We also consider a two-dimensional extension of the model and demonstrate the robust evolution and stability of planar fronts. Our simulations also suggest the radial fronts tend to either annihilate or expand and flatten out, depending on the phase value inside and the parameter regime. Finally, we observe that solutions that initially feature two symmetric fronts with bulged centers evolve in qualitative agreement with experimental observations of phosphenes.

Traveling wave solutions in a chain of periodically forced coupled nonlinear oscillators

DOE PAGES

Duanmu, M.; Whitaker, N.; Kevrekidis, P. G.; ...

2016-02-27

Artificial perceptions of light called phosphenes were motivated by earlier studies. We analyze traveling wave solutions in a chain of periodically forced coupled nonlinear oscillators modeling this phenomenon. We examine the discrete model problem in its co-traveling frame and systematically obtain the corresponding traveling waves in one spatial dimension. Direct numerical simulations as well as linear stability analysis are employed to reveal the parameter regions where the traveling waves are stable, and these waves are, in turn, connected to the standing waves analyzed in earlier work. We also consider a two-dimensional extension of the model and demonstrate the robust evolutionmore » and stability of planar fronts. Moreover, our simulations also suggest the radial fronts tend to either annihilate or expand and flatten out, depending on the phase value inside and the parameter regime. Finally, we observe that solutions that initially feature two symmetric fronts with bulged centers evolve in qualitative agreement with experimental observations of phosphenes.« less

Traveling wave solutions in a chain of periodically forced coupled nonlinear oscillators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duanmu, M.; Whitaker, N.; Kevrekidis, P. G.

Artificial perceptions of light called phosphenes were motivated by earlier studies. We analyze traveling wave solutions in a chain of periodically forced coupled nonlinear oscillators modeling this phenomenon. We examine the discrete model problem in its co-traveling frame and systematically obtain the corresponding traveling waves in one spatial dimension. Direct numerical simulations as well as linear stability analysis are employed to reveal the parameter regions where the traveling waves are stable, and these waves are, in turn, connected to the standing waves analyzed in earlier work. We also consider a two-dimensional extension of the model and demonstrate the robust evolutionmore » and stability of planar fronts. Moreover, our simulations also suggest the radial fronts tend to either annihilate or expand and flatten out, depending on the phase value inside and the parameter regime. Finally, we observe that solutions that initially feature two symmetric fronts with bulged centers evolve in qualitative agreement with experimental observations of phosphenes.« less

Rossby waves, extreme fronts, and wildfires in southeastern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reeder, Michael J.; Spengler, Thomas; Musgrave, Ruth

2015-03-01

The most catastrophic fires in recent history in southern Australia have been associated with extreme cold fronts. Here an extreme cold front is defined as one for which the maximum temperature at 2 m is at least 17°C lower on the day following the front. An anticyclone, which precedes the cold front, directs very dry northerlies or northwesterlies from the interior of the continent across the region. The passage of the cold front is followed by strong southerlies or southwesterlies. European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ERA-Interim Reanalyses show that this regional synoptic pattern common to all strong cold fronts, and hence severe fire conditions, is a consequence of propagating Rossby waves, which grow to large amplitude and eventually irreversibly overturn. The process of overturning produces the low-level anticyclone and dry conditions over southern Australia, while simultaneously producing an upper level trough and often precipitation in northeastern Australia.

Detonative propagation and accelerative expansion of the Crab Nebula shock front.

PubMed

Gao, Yang; Law, Chung K

2011-10-21

The accelerative expansion of the Crab Nebula's outer envelope is a mystery in dynamics, as a conventional expanding blast wave decelerates when bumping into the surrounding interstellar medium. Here we show that the strong relativistic pulsar wind bumping into its surrounding nebula induces energy-generating processes and initiates a detonation wave that propagates outward to form the current outer edge, namely, the shock front, of the nebula. The resulting detonation wave, with a reactive downstream, then provides the needed power to maintain propagation of the shock front. Furthermore, relaxation of the curvature-induced reduction of the propagation velocity from the initial state of formation to the asymptotic, planar state of Chapman-Jouguet propagation explains the observed accelerative expansion. Potential richness in incorporating reactive fronts in the description of various astronomical phenomena is expected. © 2011 American Physical Society

High-gain thompson-scattering X-ray free-electron laser by time-synchronic laterally tilted optical wave

DOEpatents

Chang, Chao; Tang, Chuanxiang; Wu, Juhao

2017-05-09

An improved optical undulator for use in connection with free electron radiation sources is provided. A tilt is introduced between phase fronts of an optical pulse and the pulse front. Two such pulses in a counter-propagating geometry overlap to create a standing wave pattern. A line focus is used to increase the intensity of this standing wave pattern. An electron beam is aligned with the line focus. The relative angle between pulse front and phase fronts is adjusted such that there is a velocity match between the electron beam and the overlapping optical pulses along the line focus. This allows one to provide a long interaction length using short and intense optical pulses, thereby greatly increasing the radiation output from the electron beam as it passes through this optical undulator.

Research progress of free space coherent optical communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Zhenkun; Ke, Xizheng

2018-02-01

This paper mainly introduces the research progress of free space coherent optical communication in Xi'an University of Technology. In recent years, the research on the outer modulation technology of the laser, free-space-to-fiber coupling technique, the design of transmitting and receiving optical antenna, adaptive optical technology with or without wave-front sensor, automatic polarization control technology, frequency stabilization technology, heterodyne detection technology and high speed signal processing technology. Based on the above related research, the digital signal modulation, transmission, detection and data recovery are realized by the heterodyne detection technology in the free space optical communication system, and finally the function of smooth viewing high-definition video is realized.

Phased Array Mirror Extendible Large Aperture (PAMELA) Optics Adjustment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

Scientists at Marshall's Adaptive Optics Lab demonstrate the Wave Front Sensor alignment using the Phased Array Mirror Extendible Large Aperture (PAMELA) optics adjustment. The primary objective of the PAMELA project is to develop methods for aligning and controlling adaptive optics segmented mirror systems. These systems can be used to acquire or project light energy. The Next Generation Space Telescope is an example of an energy acquisition system that will employ segmented mirrors. Light projection systems can also be used for power beaming and orbital debris removal. All segmented optical systems must be adjusted to provide maximum performance. PAMELA is an on going project that NASA is utilizing to investigate various methods for maximizing system performance.

An Update on the Role of Systems Modeling in the Design and Verification of the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muheim, Danniella; Menzel, Michael; Mosier, Gary; Irish, Sandra; Maghami, Peiman; Mehalick, Kimberly; Parrish, Keith

2010-01-01

The James Web Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, infrared-optimized space telescope scheduled for launch in 2014. System-level verification of critical performance requirements will rely on integrated observatory models that predict the wavefront error accurately enough to verify that allocated top-level wavefront error of 150 nm root-mean-squared (rms) through to the wave-front sensor focal plane is met. The assembled models themselves are complex and require the insight of technical experts to assess their ability to meet their objectives. This paper describes the systems engineering and modeling approach used on the JWST through the detailed design phase.

Comparison of performance of some common Hartmann-Shack centroid estimation methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thatiparthi, C.; Ommani, A.; Burman, R.; Thapa, D.; Hutchings, N.; Lakshminarayanan, V.

2016-03-01

The accuracy of the estimation of optical aberrations by measuring the distorted wave front using a Hartmann-Shack wave front sensor (HSWS) is mainly dependent upon the measurement accuracy of the centroid of the focal spot. The most commonly used methods for centroid estimation such as the brightest spot centroid; first moment centroid; weighted center of gravity and intensity weighted center of gravity, are generally applied on the entire individual sub-apertures of the lens let array. However, these processes of centroid estimation are sensitive to the influence of reflections, scattered light, and noise; especially in the case where the signal spot area is smaller compared to the whole sub-aperture area. In this paper, we give a comparison of performance of the commonly used centroiding methods on estimation of optical aberrations, with and without the use of some pre-processing steps (thresholding, Gaussian smoothing and adaptive windowing). As an example we use the aberrations of the human eye model. This is done using the raw data collected from a custom made ophthalmic aberrometer and a model eye to emulate myopic and hyper-metropic defocus values up to 2 Diopters. We show that the use of any simple centroiding algorithm is sufficient in the case of ophthalmic applications for estimating aberrations within the typical clinically acceptable limits of a quarter Diopter margins, when certain pre-processing steps to reduce the impact of external factors are used.

On nonstationarity and rippling of the quasiperpendicular zone of the Earth bow shock: Cluster observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobzin, V. V.; Krasnoselskikh, V. V.; Musatenko, K.; Dudok de Wit, T.

2008-09-01

A new method for remote sensing of the quasiperpendicular part of the bow shock surface is presented. The method is based on analysis of high frequency electric field fluctuations corresponding to Langmuir, upshifted, and downshifted oscillations in the electron foreshock. Langmuir waves usually have maximum intensity at the upstream boundary of this region. All these waves are generated by energetic electrons accelerated by quasiperpendicular zone of the shock front. Nonstationary behavior of the shock, in particular due to rippling, should result in modulation of energetic electron fluxes, thereby giving rise to variations of Langmuir waves intensity. For upshifted and downshifted oscillations, the variations of both intensity and central frequency can be observed. For the present study, WHISPER measurements of electric field spectra obtained aboard Cluster spacecraft are used to choose 48 crossings of the electron foreshock boundary with dominating Langmuir waves and to perform for the first time a statistical analysis of nonstationary behavior of quasiperpendicular zone of the Earth's bow shock. Analysis of hidden periodicities in plasma wave energy reveals shock front nonstationarity in the frequency range 0.33 fBi

A Quasi-periodic Fast-propagating Magnetosonic Wave Associated with the Eruption of a Magnetic Flux Rope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yuandeng; Liu, Yu; Song, Tengfei; Tian, Zhanjun

2018-01-01

Using high temporal and high spatial resolution observations taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we present a detailed observational analysis of a high-quality quasi-periodic fast-propagating (QFP) magnetosonic wave that was associated with the eruption of a magnetic flux rope and a GOES C5.0 flare. For the first time, we find that the QFP wave lasted for the entire flare lifetime rather than only during the rising phase of the accompanying flare, as reported in previous studies. In addition, the propagation of the different parts of the wave train showed different kinematics and morphologies. For the southern (northern) part, the speed, duration, and intensity variation are about 875 ± 29 (1485 ± 233) km s‑1, 45 (60) minutes, and 4% (2%), and their pronounced periods are 106 ± 12 and 160 ± 18 (75 ± 10 and 120 ± 16) s, respectively. It is interesting that the northern part of the wave train showed an obvious refraction effect when it passed through a region of strong magnetic field. The result of a periodicity analysis indicates that all of the periods of the QFP wave can be found in the period spectrum of the accompanying flare, suggesting their common physical origin. We propose that the quasi-periodic nonlinear magnetohydrodynamics process in the magnetic reconnection that produces the accompanying flare should be important in exciting a QFP wave, and the different magnetic distributions along different paths can account for the different speeds and morphology evolution of the wave fronts.

Detection and Characterization of Low Temperature Peat Fires during the 2015 Fire Catastrophe in Indonesia Using a New High-Sensitivity Fire Monitoring Satellite Sensor (FireBird)

PubMed Central

Atwood, Elizabeth C.; Englhart, Sandra; Lorenz, Eckehard; Halle, Winfried; Wiedemann, Werner; Siegert, Florian

2016-01-01

Vast and disastrous fires occurred on Borneo during the 2015 dry season, pushing Indonesia into the top five carbon emitting countries. The region was affected by a very strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate phenomenon, on par with the last severe event in 1997/98. Fire dynamics in Central Kalimantan were investigated using an innovative sensor offering higher sensitivity to a wider range of fire intensities at a finer spatial resolution (160 m) than heretofore available. The sensor is onboard the TET-1 satellite, part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) FireBird mission. TET-1 images (acquired every 2–3 days) from the middle infrared were used to detect fires continuously burning for almost three weeks in the protected peatlands of Sebangau National Park as well as surrounding areas with active logging and oil palm concessions. TET-1 detection capabilities were compared with MODIS active fire detection and Landsat burned area algorithms. Fire dynamics, including fire front propagation speed and area burned, were investigated. We show that TET-1 has improved detection capabilities over MODIS in monitoring low-intensity peatland fire fronts through thick smoke and haze. Analysis of fire dynamics revealed that the largest burned areas resulted from fire front lines started from multiple locations, and the highest propagation speeds were in excess of 500 m/day (all over peat > 2m deep). Fires were found to occur most often in concessions that contained drainage infrastructure but were not cleared prior to the fire season. Benefits of implementing this sensor system to improve current fire management techniques are discussed. Near real-time fire detection together with enhanced fire behavior monitoring capabilities would not only improve firefighting efforts, but also benefit analysis of fire impact on tropical peatlands, greenhouse gas emission estimations as well as mitigation measures to reduce severe fire events in the future. PMID:27486664

Detection and Characterization of Low Temperature Peat Fires during the 2015 Fire Catastrophe in Indonesia Using a New High-Sensitivity Fire Monitoring Satellite Sensor (FireBird).

PubMed

Atwood, Elizabeth C; Englhart, Sandra; Lorenz, Eckehard; Halle, Winfried; Wiedemann, Werner; Siegert, Florian

2016-01-01

Vast and disastrous fires occurred on Borneo during the 2015 dry season, pushing Indonesia into the top five carbon emitting countries. The region was affected by a very strong El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate phenomenon, on par with the last severe event in 1997/98. Fire dynamics in Central Kalimantan were investigated using an innovative sensor offering higher sensitivity to a wider range of fire intensities at a finer spatial resolution (160 m) than heretofore available. The sensor is onboard the TET-1 satellite, part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) FireBird mission. TET-1 images (acquired every 2-3 days) from the middle infrared were used to detect fires continuously burning for almost three weeks in the protected peatlands of Sebangau National Park as well as surrounding areas with active logging and oil palm concessions. TET-1 detection capabilities were compared with MODIS active fire detection and Landsat burned area algorithms. Fire dynamics, including fire front propagation speed and area burned, were investigated. We show that TET-1 has improved detection capabilities over MODIS in monitoring low-intensity peatland fire fronts through thick smoke and haze. Analysis of fire dynamics revealed that the largest burned areas resulted from fire front lines started from multiple locations, and the highest propagation speeds were in excess of 500 m/day (all over peat > 2m deep). Fires were found to occur most often in concessions that contained drainage infrastructure but were not cleared prior to the fire season. Benefits of implementing this sensor system to improve current fire management techniques are discussed. Near real-time fire detection together with enhanced fire behavior monitoring capabilities would not only improve firefighting efforts, but also benefit analysis of fire impact on tropical peatlands, greenhouse gas emission estimations as well as mitigation measures to reduce severe fire events in the future.

Infrasound signal detection and characterization using ground-coupled airwaves on a single seismo-acoustic sensor pair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKee, K. F.; Fee, D.; Haney, M. M.; Lyons, J. J.; Matoza, R. S.

2016-12-01

A ground-coupled airwave (GCA) occurs when an incident atmospheric pressure wave encounters the Earth's surface and part of the energy of the wave is transferred to the ground (i.e. coupled to the ground) as a seismic wave. This seismic wave propagates as a surface Rayleigh wave evidenced by the retrograde particle motion detected on a three-component seismometer. Acoustic waves recorded on a collocated microphone and seismometer can be coherent and have a 90-degree phase difference, predicted by theory and in agreement with observations. If the sensors are separated relative to the frequencies of interest, usually 10s to 100s of meters, then recorded wind noise becomes incoherent and an additional phase shift is present due to the separation distance. These characteristics of GCAs have been used to distinguish wind noise from other sources as well as to determine the acoustic contribution to seismic recordings. Here we aim to develop a minimalist infrasound signal detection and characterization technique requiring just one microphone and one three-component seismometer. Based on GCA theory, determining a source azimuth should be possible using a single seismo-acoustic sensor pair by utilizing the phase difference and exploiting the characteristic particle motion. We will use synthetic seismo-acoustic data generated by a coupled Earth-atmosphere 3D finite difference code to test and tune the detection and characterization method. The method will then be further tested using various well-constrained sources (e.g. Chelyabinsk meteor, Pagan Volcano, Cleveland Volcano). Such a technique would be advantageous in situations where resources are limited and large sensor networks are not feasible.

Peculiarity of convergence of shock wave generated by underwater electrical explosion of ring-shaped wire

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shafer, D.; Toker, G. R.; Gurovich, V. Tz.

2013-05-15

Nanosecond timescale underwater electrical wire explosions of ring-shaped Cu wires were investigated using a pulsed generator with a current amplitude up to 50 kA. It was shown that this type of wire explosion results in the generation of a toroidal shock wave (SW). Time- and space-resolved optical diagnostics were used to determine azimuthal uniformity of the shock wave front and its velocity. It was found that the shock wave preserves its circular front shape in the range of radii 50μm

Ionospheric Bow Wave Induced by the Moon Shadow Ship Over the Continent of United States on 21 August 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yang-Yi; Liu, Jann-Yenq; Lin, Charles Chien-Hung; Lin, Chi-Yen; Shen, Ming-Hsueh; Chen, Chieh-Hung; Chen, Chia-Hung; Chou, Min-Yang

2018-01-01

A moon shadow of the total solar eclipse swept through the continent of United States (CONUS) from west to east on 21 August 2017. Massive total electron content (integration of electron density from 0 km to 20,200 km altitude) observations from 2,255 ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System receivers show that the moon shadow ship generates a great ionospheric bow wave front which extends 1,500 km away from the totality path covering the entire CONUS. The bow wave front consists of the acoustic shock wave due to the supersonic/near-supersonic moon shadow ship and the significant plasma recombination due to the reduction in solar irradiation within the shadow area. The deep bow wave trough (-0.02 total electron content unit (1 TECU = 1016 el m-2) area) nearly coincides with the 100% obscuration moving along the totality path over the CONUS through the entire eclipse period. The supersonic moon shadow ship induces a bow wave crest in front of the ship ( 80% obscuration). It is the first time to find the acoustic shock wave-formed bow wave trough and crest near the totality.

Shock wave and flame front induced detonation in a rapid compression machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Qi, Y.; Xiang, S.; Mével, R.; Wang, Z.

2018-05-01

The present study focuses on one mode of detonation initiation observed in a rapid compression machine (RCM). This mode is referred to as shock wave and flame front-induced detonation (SWFID). Experimental high-speed imaging and two-dimensional numerical simulations with skeletal chemistry are combined to unravel the dominant steps of detonation initiation under SWFID conditions. It is shown that the interaction between the shock wave generated by the end-gas auto-ignition and the spherical flame creates a region of high pressure and temperature which enables the acceleration of the flame front and the detonation onset. The experimental observation lacks adequate spatial and temporal resolution despite good reproducibility of the detonation onset. Based on the numerical results, phenomenological interpretation of the event within the framework of shock wave refraction indicates that the formation of a free-precursor shock wave at the transition between regular and irregular refraction may be responsible for detonation onset. The present results along with previous findings on shock wave reflection-induced detonation in the RCM indicate that super-knock occurs after the interaction of the shock wave generated by end-gas auto-ignition with the RCM walls, preignition flame, or another shock wave.

Longitudinal nonlinear wave propagation through soft tissue.

PubMed

Valdez, M; Balachandran, B

2013-04-01

In this paper, wave propagation through soft tissue is investigated. A primary aim of this investigation is to gain a fundamental understanding of the influence of soft tissue nonlinear material properties on the propagation characteristics of stress waves generated by transient loadings. Here, for computational modeling purposes, the soft tissue is modeled as a nonlinear visco-hyperelastic material, the geometry is assumed to be one-dimensional rod geometry, and uniaxial propagation of longitudinal waves is considered. By using the linearized model, a basic understanding of the characteristics of wave propagation is developed through the dispersion relation and in terms of the propagation speed and attenuation. In addition, it is illustrated as to how the linear system can be used to predict brain tissue material parameters through the use of available experimental ultrasonic attenuation curves. Furthermore, frequency thresholds for wave propagation along internal structures, such as axons in the white matter of the brain, are obtained through the linear analysis. With the nonlinear material model, the authors analyze cases in which one of the ends of the rods is fixed and the other end is subjected to a loading. Two variants of the nonlinear model are analyzed and the associated predictions are compared with the predictions of the corresponding linear model. The numerical results illustrate that one of the imprints of the nonlinearity on the wave propagation phenomenon is the steepening of the wave front, leading to jump-like variations in the stress wave profiles. This phenomenon is a consequence of the dependence of the local wave speed on the local deformation of the material. As per the predictions of the nonlinear material model, compressive waves in the structure travel faster than tensile waves. Furthermore, it is found that wave pulses with large amplitudes and small elapsed times are attenuated over shorter spans. This feature is due to the elevated strain-rates introduced at the end of the structure where the load is applied. In addition, it is shown that when steep wave fronts are generated in the nonlinear viscoelastic material, energy dissipation is focused in those wave fronts implying deposition of energy in a highly localized region of the material. Novel mechanisms for brain tissue damage are proposed based on the results obtained. The first mechanism is related to the dissipation of energy at steep wave fronts, while the second one is related to the interaction of steep wave fronts with axons encountered on its way through the structure. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Minimal wave speed for a class of non-cooperative reaction-diffusion systems of three equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tianran

2017-05-01

In this paper, we study the traveling wave solutions and minimal wave speed for a class of non-cooperative reaction-diffusion systems consisting of three equations. Based on the eigenvalues, a pair of upper-lower solutions connecting only the invasion-free equilibrium are constructed and the Schauder's fixed-point theorem is applied to show the existence of traveling semi-fronts for an auxiliary system. Then the existence of traveling semi-fronts of original system is obtained by limit arguments. The traveling semi-fronts are proved to connect another equilibrium if natural birth and death rates are not considered and to be persistent if these rates are incorporated. Then non-existence of bounded traveling semi-fronts is obtained by two-sided Laplace transform. Then the above results are applied to some disease-transmission models and a predator-prey model.

Detailed study of upper mantle anisotropy in the upper mantle of eastern North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X.; Levin, V. L.; Li, Y.

2016-12-01

We collected observations of core-refracted shear waves on a 1300 km long array crossing the eastern part of the North American continent from James Bay to the Fundy Basin. We combine data from the Earthscope Transportable Array, Canadian and US permanent observatories, and the recently completed Earthscope FlexArray QMIII.Past studies found ample evidence for directional dependence (anisotropy) of seismic wave speed in the upper mantle of this region. However, to date the lateral spacing of seismic observatories made direct comparisons between anisotropic structure and tectonic divisions evident on the surface challenging. With instruments spacing 50 km, and less near major tectonic boundaries such as the Grenville Front and the Appalachian Front, we can discriminate between gradual changes in anisotropic properties due to asthenospheric flow variations, and abrupt and localized changes likely to arise from juxtaposition of distinct lithospheric blocks.To insure lateral consistency of measurements we selected core-refracted shear waves that were observed over the entire length of our array. Also, since directional dependence of splitting parameters is a well recognized signature of vertical changes in anisotropic properties we examine observations from different directions, and look for systematic changes.Most locations show evidence for some degree of splitting in observed shear waves. Delays between fast and slow components estimated using rotation-correlation method range from 0.3 to 1.5 s. At most sites delay values vary considerably between individual phases measured. Fast polarizations are predominantly NE-SW, which agrees with numerous past studies of the region. Systematic directional dependence of fast polarization is seen at all sites we studied. Furthermore, the values of fast polarization appear to be similar along the entire array for individual events but vary from event to event. Both of these observations are consistent with the previously proposed notion of layered anisotropy in the upper mantle of the North American continent. We find localized changes in splitting parameters at the Grenville Front. The Appalachian Front, or the internal divisions of the Appalachian Orogen do not have obvious changes in splitting parameters associated with them.

Subnanosecond measurements of detonation fronts in solid high explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheffield, S. A.; Bloomquist, D. D.; Tarver, C. M.

1984-04-01

Detonation fronts in solid high explosives have been examined through measurements of particle velocity histories resulting from the interaction of a detonation wave with a thin metal foil backed by a water window. Using a high time resolution velocity-interferometer system, experiments were conducted on three explosives—a TATB (1,3,5-triamino-trinitrobenzene)-based explosive called PBX-9502, TNT (2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene), and CP (2-{5-cyanotetrazolato} pentaamminecobalt {III} perchlorate). In all cases, detonation-front rise times were found to be less than the 300 ps resolution of the interferometer system. The thermodynamic state in the front of the detonation wave was estimated to be near the unreacted state determined from an extrapolation of low-pressure unreacted Hugoniot data for both TNT and PBX-9502 explosives. Computer calculations based on an ignition and growth model of a Zeldovich-von Neumann-Doering (ZND) detonation wave show good agreement with the measurements. By using the unreacted Hugoniot and a JWL equation of state for the reaction products, we estimated the initial reaction rate in the high explosive after the detonation wave front interacted with the foil to be 40 μs-1 for CP, 60 μs-1 for TNT, and 80 μs-1 for PBX-9502. The shape of the profiles indicates the reaction rate decreases as reaction proceeds.

Pressure wave propagation in fluid-filled co-axial elastic tubes. Part 1: Basic theory.

PubMed

Berkouk, K; Carpenter, P W; Lucey, A D

2003-12-01

Our work is motivated by ideas about the pathogenesis of syringomyelia. This is a serious disease characterized by the appearance of longitudinal cavities within the spinal cord. Its causes are unknown, but pressure propagation is probably implicated. We have developed an inviscid theory for the propagation of pressure waves in co-axial, fluid-filled, elastic tubes. This is intended as a simple model of the intraspinal cerebrospinal-fluid system. Our approach is based on the classic theory for the propagation of longitudinal waves in single, fluid-filled, elastic tubes. We show that for small-amplitude waves the governing equations reduce to the classic wave equation. The wave speed is found to be a strong function of the ratio of the tubes' cross-sectional areas. It is found that the leading edge of a transmural pressure pulse tends to generate compressive waves with converging wave fronts. Consequently, the leading edge of the pressure pulse steepens to form a shock-like elastic jump. A weakly nonlinear theory is developed for such an elastic jump.

Dynamics of Debris Supply and Removal from Coastal Cliffs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickson, M. E.; Vann Jones, E. C.; Payo, A.; Matsumoto, H.

2016-12-01

Progress in obtaining a morphodynamic understanding of rocky shores has been limited by slow rates of change and lack of preserved evidence of erosion processes. As a result we do not have a detailed understanding of the relative contributions of failure events across the magnitude-frequency spectrum. This talk describes field experiments, supported by simple stock-flow modelling, on a coastal cliff-face in eastern New Zealand. Key features of this site are that it is composed of near-homogenous rapidly eroding mudstone, and it is fronted by a wide intertidal rock platform that results in the cliff toe being exposed to waves every high tide. Several techniques were used to measure the cliff debris supply-removal system. Sediment traps at the cliff toe directly recorded rates of debris supply from the cliff-face at five discrete locations. Repeated high-resolution terrestrial laser scans over several consecutive low-tide stages documented changes in cliff-toe talus volumes along 50m of shoreline. Optical back-scatter sensors located on the rock shore platform in front of the cliff toe constrained the timing of talus-debris resuspension during tidal inundation of the cliff toe. Wave pressure gauges were used to characterise the wave field acting on the cliff. Results demonstrate that high-resolution (<5mm) laser scanning can meaningfully characterise rates of coastal cliff erosion at the very high-frequency low-magnitude end of the erosion spectrum. We find that rates of debris supply from the cliff face are dependent on the subaerial weathering system, in particular wetting and drying and associated expansion and contraction of clay minerals within the cliff rock. Rates of debris removal from the cliff toe depend on tide and wave conditions: even under low wave-energy conditions, waves at infragravity frequencies can access the cliff toe at high tide leading to sediment suspension. We explore the basic feedback structure of cliff, talus and debris removal using a simple stock-flow model, and discuss implications for progressive (ongoing) cliff erosion in the presence of an ever-widening shore platform.

Failure Waves in Glass and Ceramics under Shock Compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh Brar, N.

1999-06-01

The response of various types of glasses (fused silica, borosilicates, soda-lime, and lead filled) to shock wave loading, especially the failure of glass behind the shock wave through the ``so called" failure wave or front has been the subject of intense research among a number of investigators. The variations in material properties across this front include complete loss of tensile (spall) strength, loss in shear strength, reduction in acoustic impedance, and opacity to light. Both the Stress and velocity history from VISAR measurements have shown that the failure front propagates at a speed of 1.5 to 2.5 mm/s, depending on the peak shock stress level. The shear strength [τ = 1/2(σ_x-σ_y)] behind the failure front, determined using embedded transverse gauges, is found to decrease to about 2 GPa for soda-lime, borosilicate, and filled glasses. The optical (high-speed photography) observations also confirm the formation of failure front. There is a general agreement among various researchers on these observations. However, three proposed mechanisms for the formation of failure front are based on totally different formulations. The first, due to Clifton is based on the process of nucleation of local densification due to shock compression followed by shear failure around inhomogeneities resulting in phase boundary between the comminuted from the intact material. The second, proposed by Grady involves the transfer of elastic shear strain energy to dilatant strain energy as a result of severe microcracking originating from impact face. The third, by Espinosa and Brar proposes that the front is created through shear microcracks, which nucleate and propagate from the impact face, as originally suggested by Kanel. This mechanism is incorporated in multiple-plane model and simulations predict the increase in lateral stress and an observed reduction in spall strength behind the failure front. Failure front studies, in terms of loss of shear strength, have been recently extended to alumina and SiC ceramics by Bourne et. al.

Scatterometer capabilities in remotely sensing geophysical parameters over the ocean: The status and the possibilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, R. A.

1984-01-01

Extensive comparison between surface measurements and satellite Scatt signal and predicted winds show successful wind and weather analysis comparable with conventional weather service analyses. However, in regions often of the most interest, e.g., fronts and local storms, inadequacies in the latter fields leaves an inability to establish the satellite sensor capabilities. Thus, comparisons must be made between wind detecting measurements and other satellite measurements of clouds, moisture, waves or any other parameter which responds to sharp gradients in the wind. At least for the windfields and the derived surface pressure field analysis, occasional surface measurements are required to anchor and monitor the satellite analyses. Their averaging times must be made compatible with the satellite sensor measurement. Careful attention must be paid to the complex fields which contain many scales of turbulence and coherent structures affecting the averaging process. The satellite microwave system is capable of replacing the conventional point observation/numerical analysis for the ocean weather.

A Telescopic and Microscopic Examination of Acceleration in the June 2015 Geomagnetic Storm: Magnetospheric Multiscale and Van Allen Probes Study of Substorm Particle Injection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, D. N.; Jaynes, A. N.; Turner, D. L.; Nakamura, R.; Schmid, D.; Mauk, B. H.; Cohen, I. J.; Fennell, J. F.; Blake, J. B.; Strangeway, R. J.;

The Atacama B-Mode Search: CMB Polarimetry with Transition-Edge-Sensor Bolometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Essinger-Hileman, T.; Appel, J. W.; Beal, J. A.; Cho, H. M.; Fowler, J.; Halpern, M.; Hasselfield, M.; Irwin, K. D.; Marriage, T. A.; Niemack, M. D.; Page, L.; Parker, L. P.; Pufu, S.; Staggs, S. T.; Stryzak, O.; Visnjic, C.; Yoon, K. W.; Zhao, Y.

2009-12-01

The Atacama B-mode Search (ABS) experiment is a 145 GHz polarimeter designed to measure the B-mode polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at large angular scales. The ABS instrument will ship to the Atacama Desert of Chile fully tested and ready to observe in 2010. ABS will image large-angular-scale CMB polarization anisotropies onto a focal plane of 240 feedhorn-coupled, transition-edge sensor (TES) polarimeters, using a cryogenic crossed-Dragone design. The ABS detectors, which are fabricated at NIST, use orthomode transducers to couple orthogonal polarizations of incoming radiation onto separate TES bolometers. The incoming radiation is modulated by an ambient-temperature half-wave plate in front of the vacuum window at an aperture stop. Preliminary detector characterization indicates that the ABS detectors can achieve a sensitivity of 300 μK√s in the field. This paper describes the ABS optical design and detector readout scheme, including feedhorn design and performance, magnetic shielding, focal plane architecture, and cryogenic electronics.

Macro-mechanical modeling of blast-wave mitigation in foams. Part II: reliability of pressure measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Britan, A.; Liverts, M.; Shapiro, H.; Ben-Dor, G.

2013-02-01

A phenomenological study of the process occurring when a plane shock wave reflected off an aqueous foam column filling the test section of a vertical shock tube has been undertaken. The experiments were conducted with initial shock wave Mach numbers in the range 1.25le {M}_s le 1.7 and foam column heights in the range 100-450 mm. Miniature piezotrone circuit electronic pressure transducers were used to record the pressure histories upstream and alongside the foam column. The aim of these experiments was to find a simple way to eliminate a spatial averaging as an artifact of the pressure history recorded by the side-on transducer. For this purpose, we discuss first the common behaviors of the pressure traces in extended time scales. These observations evidently quantify the low frequency variations of the pressure field within the different flow domains of the shock tube. Thereafter, we focus on the fronts of the pressure signals, which, in turn, characterize the high-frequency response of the foam column to the shock wave impact. Since the front shape and the amplitude of the pressure signal most likely play a significant role in the foam destruction, phase changes and/or other physical factors, such as high capacity, viscosity, etc., the common practice of the data processing is revised and discussed in detail. Generally, side-on pressure measurements must be used with great caution when performed in wet aqueous foams, because the low sound speed is especially prone to this effect. Since the spatial averaged recorded pressure signals do not reproduce well the real behaviors of the pressure rise, the recorded shape of the shock wave front in the foam appears much thicker. It is also found that when a thin liquid film wet the sensing membrane, the transducer sensitivity was changed. As a result, the pressure recorded in the foam could exceed the real amplitude of the post-shock wave flow. A simple procedure, which allows correcting this imperfection, is discussed in detail.

Microstructure of wave propagation during combustion synthesis of advanced materials: Experiments and theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Stephen

Combustion synthesis (CS) is an attractive method for producing advanced materials, including ceramics, intermetallics, and composites. In this process, after initiation by an external heat source, a highly exothermic reaction propagates through the sample in a self-sustained combustion wave. The process offers the possibility of producing materials with novel structures and properties. At conventional magnifications and imaging rates, the combustion wave appears to propagate in a planar, steady manner. However, using higher magnifications (>400X) and imaging rates (1000 frames/sec), fluctuations in the shape and propagation of the combustion front were observed. These variations in local conditions (i.e., the microstructure of the combustion wave) can influence the microstructure and properties of materials produced by combustion synthesis. In this work, the microstructure of wave propagation during combustion synthesis is investigated experimentally and theoretically. Using microscopic high-speed imaging, the spatial and temporal fluctuations of the combustion front shape and propagation were investigated. New image analysis methods were developed to characterize the heterogeneity of the combustion front quantitatively. The initial organization of the reaction medium was found to affect the heterogeneity of the combustion wave. Moreover, at the microscopic level, two different regimes of combustion propagation were observed. In the quasihomogeneous mechanism, the microstructure of the combustion wave resembles what is viewed macroscopically, and steady, planar propagation is observed. In the relay-race mechanism, while planar at the macroscopic level, the combustion front profiles are irregularly shaped, with arc-shaped convexities and concavities at the microscopic level. Also, the reaction front propagates as a series of rapid jumps and hesitations. Based on the combustion wave microstructure, new criteria were developed to determine the boundaries between quasihomogeneous and relay-race mechanisms, as functions of the initial organization of the reaction medium (i.e. particle size and porosity). In conjunction with the experiments, a microheterogeneous cell model was developed that simulates the local propagation of the combustion wave. Accounting for the stochastically organized medium with non-uniform properties, calculated results for the microstructural parameters of the combustion wave, and their dependence on density and reactant particle size, were in good qualitative agreement with experimental data.

Wave-front propagation in a discrete model of excitable media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feldman, A. B.; Chernyak, Y. B.; Cohen, R. J.

1998-06-01

We generalize our recent discrete cellular automata (CA) model of excitable media [Y. B. Chernyak, A. B. Feldman, and R. J. Cohen, Phys. Rev. E 55, 3215 (1997)] to incorporate the effects of inhibitory processes on the propagation of the excitation wave front. In the common two variable reaction-diffusion (RD) models of excitable media, the inhibitory process is described by the v ``controller'' variable responsible for the restoration of the equilibrium state following excitation. In myocardial tissue, the inhibitory effects are mainly due to the inactivation of the fast sodium current. We represent inhibition using a physical model in which the ``source'' contribution of excited elements to the excitation of their neighbors decreases with time as a simple function with a single adjustable parameter (a rate constant). We sought specific solutions of the CA state transition equations and obtained (both analytically and numerically) the dependence of the wave-front speed c on the four model parameters and the wave-front curvature κ. By requiring that the major characteristics of c(κ) in our CA model coincide with those obtained from solutions of a specific RD model, we find a unique set of CA parameter values for a given excitable medium. The basic structure of our CA solutions is remarkably similar to that found in typical RD systems (similar behavior is observed when the analogous model parameters are varied). Most notably, the ``turn-on'' of the inhibitory process is accompanied by the appearance of a solution branch of slow speed, unstable waves. Additionally, when κ is small, we obtain a family of ``eikonal'' relations c(κ) that are suitable for the kinematic analysis of traveling waves in the CA medium. We compared the solutions of the CA equations to CA simulations for the case of plane waves and circular (target) waves and found excellent agreement. We then studied a spiral wave using the CA model adjusted to a specific RD system and found good correspondence between the shapes of the RD and CA spiral arms in the region away from the tip where kinematic theory applies. Our analysis suggests that only four physical parameters control the behavior of wave fronts in excitable media.

The Additional Error of Inertial Sensors Induced by Hypersonic Flight Conditions

PubMed Central

Karachun, Volodimir; Mel’nick, Viktorij; Korobiichuk, Igor; Nowicki, Michał; Szewczyk, Roman; Kobzar, Svitlana

2016-01-01

The emergence of hypersonic technology pose a new challenge for inertial navigation sensors, widely used in aerospace industry. The main problems are: extremely high temperatures, vibration of the fuselage, penetrating acoustic radiation and shock N-waves. The nature of the additional errors of the gyroscopic inertial sensor with hydrostatic suspension components under operating conditions generated by forced precession of the movable part of the suspension due to diffraction phenomena in acoustic fields is explained. The cause of the disturbing moments in the form of the Coriolis inertia forces during the transition of the suspension surface into the category of impedance is revealed. The boundaries of occurrence of the features on the resonance wave match are described. The values of the “false” angular velocity as a result of the elastic-stress state of suspension in the acoustic fields are determined. PMID:26927122

[Ballistocardiographic studies during the 4th expedition on the Saliut-6 orbital station].

PubMed

Baevskiĭ, R M; Funtova, I I

1982-01-01

This paper presents ballistocardiographic examinations of the Salyut-6 fourth expedition crew members who showed variations in both the shape and the amplitude of ballistocardiographic complexes. Ballistocardiograms (BCG) were recorded by means of a piezoelectric sensor with a sensitivity of 3 mV/cm x s-2. The sensor weight was 30 g. The sensor was attached to the upper part of the iliac bone, near the body mass center. During ballistocardiography the ballistic forces in the head-to-feet direction were recorded. The examinations were performed preflight and on mission days 46, 71, 98, 133, and 175. Hemodynamic specificities of the right and left heart were determined with the aid of the breath holding test. Measurements of BCG amplitudes were used to determine the kinetic effect of heart rate. The largest amplitude of BCG waves was seen on mission day 133. At this time period the systolic wave amplitude decreased during inhalation holding.

Significance and interest of dense seismic arrays for understanding the mechanics of clayey landslides: a test case of 150 nodes at Super-Sauze landslide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Provost, Floriane; Malet, Jean-Philippe; Hibert, Clément; Vergne, Jérôme

2017-04-01

Clayey landslides present various seismic sources generated by the slope deformation (rockfall, slidequakes, tremors, fluid transfers). However, the characterization of the micro-seismicity and the construction of advanced catalogs (classification of the seismic source, time, and location) are complex for such objects because of the variety of recorded signals, the low signal to noise ratios, the highly attenuating medium, and the small size of the object that limits the picking of the P and S-waves. A full understanding of the seismic sources is hence often difficult because of the few number of seismometers, the large distance source-to-sensor (> 50m) and because of the lack of a continous spatially distributed record of the slope deformation. Recent progress in the geophysical instrumentation allowed the deployment of a dense network of 150 ZLand nodes (Tesla Corp.) combined with a Ground-Based InSAR sensor (IDS, IBIS-FM) for a period of ca. 2 months at the Super-Sauze clayey landslide (South French Alps). The Zland nodes are vertical wireless seismometers with 12 days autonomy. Three nodes were co-located at 50 locations in the most active part of the landslide and above the main scarp with a sensor-to-sensor distance of ca. 50m and a sample frequency of 400Hz. The Ground-Based InSAR sensor was installed in front of the landslide at a distance of ca. 800m and acquired an image every 15 minutes. The seismic events are detected automatically based on their spectrogram content with Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) larger than 1.5 and automatically classified using the Random Forest algorithm. The landslide endogenous sources are then located by optimization of the inter-trace correlation of the first arrivals. This experiment aims to document the deformation of the landslide by combining surface and in depth information and provides a new insight into the seismic sources interpretation. The spatial distribution of the deformation is compared to the location of the endogenous seismic events in order to analyze seismic vs. aseismic deformation.

76 FR 53660 - Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Seat Belt Assemblies

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-29

... further require integration of electrical signals from existing front and side crash sensor information... require additional crash sensors for rollover and rear-end crash events for vehicles without such sensors. Crash imminent sensors, or sensors that detect an impending crash, may also be needed. It is also...

A practical implementation of wave front construction for 3-D isotropic media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, K.; Kendall, J.-M.

2008-06-01

Wave front construction (WFC) methods are a useful tool for tracking wave fronts and are a natural extension to standard ray shooting methods. Here we describe and implement a simple WFC method that is used to interpolate wavefield properties throughout a 3-D heterogeneous medium. Our approach differs from previous 3-D WFC procedures primarily in the use of a ray interpolation scheme, based on approximating the wave front as a `locally spherical' surface and a `first arrival mode', which reduces computation times, where only first arrivals are required. Both of these features have previously been included in 2-D WFC algorithms; however, until now they have not been extended to 3-D systems. The wave front interpolation scheme allows for rays to be traced from a nearly arbitrary distribution of take-off angles, and the calculation of derivatives with respect to take-off angles is not required for wave front interpolation. However, in regions of steep velocity gradient, the locally spherical approximation is not valid, and it is necessary to backpropagate rays to a sufficiently homogenous region before interpolation of the new ray. Our WFC technique is illustrated using a realistic velocity model, based on a North Sea oil reservoir. We examine wavefield quantities such as traveltimes, ray angles, source take-off angles and geometrical spreading factors, all of which are interpolated on to a regular grid. We compare geometrical spreading factors calculated using two methods: using the ray Jacobian and by taking the ratio of a triangular area of wave front to the corresponding solid angle at the source. The results show that care must be taken when using ray Jacobians to calculate geometrical spreading factors, as the poles of the source coordinate system produce unreliable values, which can be spread over a large area, as only a few initial rays are traced in WFC. We also show that the use of the first arrival mode can reduce computation time by ~65 per cent, with the accuracy of the interpolated traveltimes, ray angles and source take-off angles largely unchanged. However, the first arrival mode does lead to inaccuracies in interpolated angles near caustic surfaces, as well as small variations in geometrical spreading factors for ray tubes that have passed through caustic surfaces.

Polarization and wavelength diversities of Gulf Stream fronts imaged by AIRSAR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, J. S.; Jansen, R. W.; Marmorino, G. O.; Chubb, S. R.

1995-01-01

During the 1990 Gulf Stream Experiment, NASA/JPL AIRSAR imaged the north edge of the Gulf Stream near the coast of Virginia. Simultaneous in-situ measurements of currents, temperatures, salinities, etc. were made for several crossings of the north edge by the R/V Cape Henlopen. Measurements identified two fronts with shearing and converging flows. The polarimetric SAR images from the fronts showed two bright linear features. One of them corresponds to the temperature front, which separated the warm Gulf Stream water to the south from a cool, freshwater filament to the north. The other line, located about 8 km north of the temperature front, is believed to correspond to the velocity front between the filament and the slope water. At these fronts, wave-current interactions produced narrow bands of steep and breaking waves manifesting higher radar returns in polarimetric SAR images. In general, our AIRSAR imagery shows that the signal-to-clutter ratio of radar cross sections for the temperature front is higher than that of the velocity front. In this paper, we study the polarization and wavelength diversities of radar response of these two fronts using the P-, L-, and C-Band Polarimetric SAR data. The north-south flight path of the AIRSAR crossed the temperature front several times and provided valuable data for analysis. Three individual passes are investigated. We found that for the temperature front, the cross-pol (HV) responses are much higher than co-pol responses (VV and HH), and that P-Band HV has the highest signal to clutter ratio. For the velocity front, the ratio is the strongest in P-Band VV, and it is indistinguishable for all polarizations in C-Band. The radar cross sections for all three polarization (HH, HV, and VV) and for all three bands are modelled using an ocean wave model and a composite Bragg scattering model. In our initial investigations, the theoretical model agrees qualitatively with the AIRSAR observations.

A Catalog of Coronal "EIT Wave" Transients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, B. J.; Myers, D. C.

2009-01-01

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) data have been visually searched for coronal "EIT wave" transients over the period beginning from 1997 March 24 and extending through 1998 June 24. The dates covered start at the beginning of regular high-cadence (more than one image every 20 minutes) observations, ending at the four-month interruption of SOHO observations in mid-1998. One hundred and seventy six events are included in this catalog. The observations range from "candidate" events, which were either weak or had insufficient data coverage, to events which were well defined and were clearly distinguishable in the data. Included in the catalog are times of the EIT images in which the events are observed, diagrams indicating the observed locations of the wave fronts and associated active regions, and the speeds of the wave fronts. The measured speeds of the wave fronts varied from less than 50 to over 700 km s(exp -1) with "typical" speeds of 200-400 km s(exp -1).

Simulation study of axial ultrasound transmission in heterogeneous cortical bone model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takano, Koki; Nagatani, Yoshiki; Matsukawa, Mami

2017-07-01

Ultrasound propagation in a heterogeneous cortical bone was studied. Using a bovine radius, the longitudinal wave velocity distribution in the axial direction was experimentally measured in the MHz range. The bilinear interpolation and piecewise cubic Hermite interpolation methods were applied to create a three-dimensional (3D) precise velocity model of the bone using experimental data. By assuming the uniaxial anisotropy of the bone, the distributions of all elastic moduli of a 3D heterogeneous model were estimated. The elastic finite-difference time-domain method was used to simulate axial ultrasonic wave propagation. The wave propagation in the initial model was compared with that in the thinner model, where the inner part of the cortical bone model was removed. The wave front of the first arriving signal (FAS) slightly depended on the heterogeneity in each model. Owing to the decrease in bone thickness, the propagation behavior also changed and the FAS velocity clearly decreased.

Finite mode analysis through harmonic waveguides

PubMed

Alieva; Wolf

2000-08-01

The mode analysis of signals in a multimodal shallow harmonic waveguide whose eigenfrequencies are equally spaced and finite can be performed by an optoelectronic device, of which the optical part uses the guide to sample the wave field at a number of sensors along its axis and the electronic part computes their fast Fourier transform. We illustrate this process with the Kravchuk transform.

Nonlinear interaction of strong S-waves with the rupture front in the shallow subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sleep, N. H.

2017-12-01

Shallow deformation in moderate to large earthquakes is sometimes distributed rather than being concentrated on a single fault plane. Strong high-frequency S-waves interact with the rupture front to produce this effect. For strike-slip faults, the rupture propagation velocity is a fraction of the S-wave velocity. The rupture propagation vector refracts essentially vertically in the low (S-wave) velocity shallow subsurface. So does the propagation direction of S-waves. The shallow rupture front is essentially mode 3 near the surface. Strong S-waves arrive before the rupture front. They continue to arrive for several seconds in a large event. There are simple scaling relationships. The dynamic Coulomb stress ratio of horizontal stress on horizontal planes from S-waves is the normalized acceleration in g's. For fractured rock and gravel, frictional failure occurs when the normalized acceleration exceeds the effective coefficient of friction. Acceleration tends to saturate at that level as the anelastic strain rate increases rapidly with stress. For muddy materials, failure begins at a low normalized acceleration but increases slowly with dynamic stress. Dynamic accelerations sometimes exceed 1 g. In both cases, the rupture tip finds the shallow subsurface already in nonlinear failure down to a few to tens of meters depth. The material does not distinguish between S-wave and rupture tip stresses. Both stresses add to the stress invariant and hence to the anelastic strain rate tensor. Surface anelastic strain from fault slip is thus distributed laterally over a distance scaling to the depth of nonlinearity from S-waves. The environs of the fault anelastically accommodate the fault slip at depth. This process differs from blind faults where the shallow coseismic strain is mostly elastic and interseismic anelastic processes accommodate the long-term shallow deformation.

Method and apparatus for minimizing multiple degree of freedom vibration transmission between two regions of a structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silcox, Richard J. (Inventor); Fuller, Chris R. (Inventor); Gibbs, Gary P. (Inventor)

1992-01-01

Arrays of actuators are affixed to structural elements to impede the transmission of vibrational energy. A single pair is used to provide control of bending and extensional waves and two pairs are used to control torsional motion. The arrays are applied to a wide variety of structural elements such as a beam structure that is part of a larger framework that may or may not support a rigid or non-rigid skin. Electrical excitation is applied to the actuators that generate forces on the structure. These electrical inputs may be adjusted in their amplitude and phase by a controller in communication with appropriate vibrational wave sensors to impede the flow of vibrational power in all of the above mentioned wave forms beyond the actuator location. Additional sensor elements can be used to monitor the performance and adjust the electrical inputs to maximize the attenuation of vibrational energy.

Front end optimization for the monolithic active pixel sensor of the ALICE Inner Tracking System upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, D.; Aglieri Rinella, G.; Cavicchioli, C.; Chanlek, N.; Collu, A.; Degerli, Y.; Dorokhov, A.; Flouzat, C.; Gajanana, D.; Gao, C.; Guilloux, F.; Hillemanns, H.; Hristozkov, S.; Junique, A.; Keil, M.; Kofarago, M.; Kugathasan, T.; Kwon, Y.; Lattuca, A.; Mager, M.; Sielewicz, K. M.; Marin Tobon, C. A.; Marras, D.; Martinengo, P.; Mazza, G.; Mugnier, H.; Musa, L.; Pham, T. H.; Puggioni, C.; Reidt, F.; Riedler, P.; Rousset, J.; Siddhanta, S.; Snoeys, W.; Song, M.; Usai, G.; Van Hoorne, J. W.; Yang, P.

2016-02-01

ALICE plans to replace its Inner Tracking System during the second long shut down of the LHC in 2019 with a new 10 m2 tracker constructed entirely with monolithic active pixel sensors. The TowerJazz 180 nm CMOS imaging Sensor process has been selected to produce the sensor as it offers a deep pwell allowing full CMOS in-pixel circuitry and different starting materials. First full-scale prototypes have been fabricated and tested. Radiation tolerance has also been verified. In this paper the development of the charge sensitive front end and in particular its optimization for uniformity of charge threshold and time response will be presented.

Spin dynamics of qqq wave function on light front in high momentum limit of QCD: Role of qqq force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitra, A. N.

2008-04-01

The contribution of a spin-rich qqq force (in conjunction with pairwise qq forces) to the analytical structure of the qqq wave function is worked out in the high momentum regime of QCD where the confining interaction may be ignored, so that the dominant effect is Coulombic. A distinctive feature of this study is that the spin-rich qqq force is generated by a ggg vertex (a genuine part of the QCD Lagrangian) wherein the 3 radiating gluon lines end on as many quark lines, giving rise to a (Mercedes-Benz type) Y-shaped diagram. The dynamics is that of a Salpeter-like equation (3D support for the kernel) formulated covariantly on the light front, a la Markov-Yukawa Transversality Principle (MYTP) which warrants a 2-way interconnection between the 3D and 4D Bethe-Salpeter (BSE) forms for 2 as well as 3 fermion quarks. With these ingredients, the differential equation for the 3D wave function ϕ receives well-defined contributions from the qq and qqq forces. In particular a negative eigenvalue of the spin operator iσ1 · σ2 × σ3 which is an integral part of the qqq force, causes a characteristic singularity in the differential equation, signalling the dynamical effect of a spin-rich qqq force not yet considered in the literature. The potentially crucial role of this interesting effect vis-a-vis the so-called 'spin anomaly' of the proton, is a subject of considerable physical interest.

Theoretical modeling and design of photonic structures in zeolite nanocomposites for gas sensing. Part I: surface relief gratings.

PubMed

Cody, D; Naydenova, I

2017-12-01

The suitability of holographic structures fabricated in zeolite nanoparticle-polymer composite materials for gas sensing applications has been investigated. Theoretical modeling of the sensor response (i.e., change in hologram readout due to a change in refractive index modulation or thickness as a result of gas adsorption) of different sensor designs was carried out using Raman-Nath theory and Kogelnik's coupled wave theory. The influence of a range of parameters on the sensor response of holographically recorded surface and volume photonic grating structures has been studied, namely the phase difference between the diffracted and probe beam introduced by the grating, grating geometry, thickness, spatial frequency, reconstruction wavelength, and zeolite nanoparticle refractive index. From this, the optimum fabrication conditions for both surface and volume holographic gas sensor designs have been identified. Here, in part I, results from theoretical modeling of the influence of design on the sensor response of holographically inscribed surface relief structures for gas sensing applications is reported.

The Quantification and Evolution of Resilience in Integrated Coastal Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

for natural protection when protective beaches and sand dunes are destroyed or overtopped. Protects a beach or sand dune that fronts backshore from...dredged material on a beach, dune , barrier island, or sand berm located in the near- shore zone. Stabilize the location of an eroding beach, dune ...waves will erode beaches and dunes . Table 5. Components and processes that are part of an ecosystem restoration subsystem defined by an oyster

Multiple Spatial Frequencies Pyramid WaveFront Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ragazzoni, Roberto; Vassallo, Daniele; Dima, Marco; Portaluri, Elisa; Bergomi, Maria; Greggio, Davide; Viotto, Valentina; Gullieuszik, Marco; Biondi, Federico; Carolo, Elena; Chinellato, Simonetta; Farinato, Jacopo; Magrin, Demetrio; Marafatto, Luca

2017-11-01

A modification of the pyramid wavefront sensor is described. In this conceptually new class of devices, the perturbations are split at the level of the focal plane depending upon their spatial frequencies, and then measured separately. The aim of this approach is to increase the accuracy in the determination of some range of spatial frequency perturbations, or a certain classes of modes, disentangling them from the noise associated to the Poissonian fluctuations of the light coming from the perturbations outside of the range of interest or from the background in the pupil planes; the latter case specifically when the pyramid wavefront sensor is used with a large modulation. While the limits and the effectiveness of this approach should be further investigated, a number of variations on the concept are shown, including a generalization of the spatial filtering in the point-diffraction wavefront sensor. The simplest application, a generalization to the pyramid of the well-known spatially filtering in wavefront sensing, is showing promise as a significant limiting magnitude advance. Applications are further speculated in the area of extreme adaptive optics and when serving spectroscopic instrumentation where “light in the bucket” rather than Strehl performance is required.

How Reflected Wave Fronts Dynamically Establish Hooke's Law in a Spring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahy, Stephen; O'Riordan, John; O'Sullivan, Colm; Twomey, Patrick

2012-01-01

A simple benchtop experiment in which a moving cart collides with a fixed spring is described. Force-time and force-distance data recorded during the collision display the transit of compression wave fronts through the spring following impact. These data can be used by students to develop a computational model of the dynamics of this simple…

Optical analysis of laser systems using interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, V. K.; Liberman, I.; Lawrence, G.; Seery, B. D.

1980-06-01

It is noted that previous approaches of predicting focal spot parameters involved the digitization of interference patterns of the optical components and propagation of the complex amplitude and phase of the wave front throughout the system. The present paper describes an approach in which the computational procedure is extended to produce computer plots of the final emerging wave front. It is shown that this enables direct comparison with the experimentally produced wave front of the total system and makes possible the optical analysis, design, and possible optimization of laser systems. A description is given of the computational procedure and the Twyman-Green and Smartt IR interferometers constructed to verify this approach. Finally, consideration is given to the implications of the results.

Adaptive optics for array telescopes using piston-and-tilt wave-front sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wizinowich, P.; Mcleod, B.; Lloyd-Yhart, M.; Angel, J. R. P.; Colucci, D.; Dekany, R.; Mccarthy, D.; Wittman, D.; Scott-Fleming, I.

1992-01-01

A near-infrared adaptive optics system operating at about 50 Hz has been used to control phase errors adaptively between two mirrors of the Multiple Mirror Telescope by stabilizing the position of the interference fringe in the combined unresolved far-field image. The resultant integrated images have angular resolutions of better than 0.1 arcsec and fringe contrasts of more than 0.6. Measurements of wave-front tilt have confirmed the wavelength independence of image motion. These results show that interferometric sensing of phase errors, when combined with a system for sensing the wave-front tilt of the individual telescopes, will provide a means of achieving a stable diffraction-limited focus with segmented telescopes or arrays of telescopes.

Growth rates of the buoyancy-driven instability of an autocatalytic reaction front in a narrow cell

PubMed

Bockmann; Muller

2000-09-18

Experimental studies were performed on the buoyancy-driven instability of an autocatalytic reaction front in a quasi-2D cell. The unstable density stratification at an ascending front leads to convection that results in a fingerlike front deformation. The growth rates of the spatial modes of the instability are determined at the initial stage. A stabilization is found at higher wave numbers, while the system is unstable against low wave number perturbations. Whereas comparison with a reported model governed by Hele-Shaw flow fails, a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes model yields more satisfactory results. Still, present deviations suggest the presence of an additional mechanism that suppresses the growth.

Charged Particle Distribution near the Shock Front in a Glow Discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baryshnikov, A. S.; Basargin, I. V.; Bezverkhnii, N. O.; Bobashev, S. V.; Monakhov, N. A.; Popov, P. A.; Sakharov, V. A.; Chistyakova, M. V.

2018-02-01

The charged particle distribution near the front of a shock wave propagating in the glow discharge plasma has been investigated. It has been found that the ion concentration before the front varies nonmonotonically. Behind the shock front, the charged particle concentration varies smoothly in contrast to the neutral component density.

Wave refraction in negative-index media: always positive and very inhomogeneous.

PubMed

Valanju, P M; Walser, R M; Valanju, A P

2002-05-06

We present the first treatment of the refraction of physical electromagnetic waves in newly developed negative index media (NIM), also known as left-handed media (LHM). The NIM dispersion relation implies that group fronts refract positively even when phase fronts refract negatively. This difference results in rapidly dispersing, very inhomogeneous waves. In fact, causality and finite signal speed always prevent negative wave signal (not phase) refraction. Earlier interpretations of phase refraction as "negative light refraction" and "light focusing by plane slabs" are therefore incorrect, and published NIM experiments can be explained without invoking negative signal refraction.

Failure Waves in Cylindrical Glass Bars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cazamias, James U.; Bless, Stephan J.; Marder, Michael P.

1997-07-01

Failure waves, a propagating front separating virgin and comminuted material, have been receiving a fair amount of attention the last couple of years. While most scientists have been looking at failure waves in plate impact geometries, we have conducted a series of experiments on Pyrex bars. In this paper, we present two types of photographic data from a series of tests. A streak camera was used to determine velocities of the failure front as a function of impact stress. A polaroid camera and a flash lamp provide detailed pictures of the actual event. Attempts were made to observe failure waves in amorphous quartz and acrylic.

A CMOS Front-End With Integrated Magnetoresistive Sensors for Biomolecular Recognition Detection Applications.

PubMed

Costa, Tiago; Cardoso, Filipe A; Germano, Jose; Freitas, Paulo P; Piedade, Moises S

2017-10-01

The development of giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors has demonstrated significant advantages in nanomedicine, particularly for ultrasensitive point-of-care diagnostics. To this end, the detection system is required to be compact, portable, and low power consuming at the same time that a maximum signal to noise ratio is maintained. This paper reports a CMOS front-end with integrated magnetoresistive sensors for biomolecular recognition detection applications. Based on the characterization of the GMR sensor's signal and noise, CMOS building blocks (i.e., current source, multiplexers, and preamplifier) were designed targeting a negligible noise when compared with the GMR sensor's noise and a low power consumption. The CMOS front-end was fabricated using AMS [Formula: see text] technology and the magnetoresistive sensors were post-fabricated on top of the CMOS chip with high yield ( [Formula: see text]). Due to its low circuit noise (16 [Formula: see text]) and overall equivalent magnetic noise ([Formula: see text]), the full system was able to detect 250 nm magnetic nanoparticles with a circuit imposed signal-to-noise ratio degradation of only -1.4 dB. Furthermore, the low power consumption (6.5 mW) and small dimensions ([Formula: see text] ) of the presented solution guarantees the portability of the detection system allowing its usage at the point-of-care.

Wave-front singularities for two-dimensional anisotropic elastic waves.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Payton, R. G.

1972-01-01

Wavefront singularities for the displacement functions, associated with the radiation of linear elastic waves from a point source embedded in a finitely strained two-dimensional elastic solid, are examined in detail. It is found that generally the singularities are of order d to the -1/2 power, where d measures distance away from the front. However, in certain exceptional cases singularities of order d to the -n power, where n = 1/4, 2/3, 3/4, may be encountered.

Studying the effect of cracks on the ultrasonic wave propagation in a two dimensional gearbox finite element model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozevin, Didem; Fazel, Hossein; Cox, Justin; Hardman, William; Kessler, Seth S.; Timmons, Alan

2014-04-01

Gearbox components of aerospace structures are typically made of brittle materials with high fracture toughness, but susceptible to fatigue failure due to continuous cyclic loading. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) methods are used to monitor the crack growth in gearbox components. Damage detection methodologies developed in laboratory-scale experiments may not represent the actual gearbox structural configuration, and are usually not applicable to real application as the vibration and wave properties depend on the material, structural layers and thicknesses. Also, the sensor types and locations are key factors for frequency content of ultrasonic waves, which are essential features for pattern recognition algorithm development in noisy environments. Therefore, a deterministic damage detection methodology that considers all the variables influencing the waveform signature should be considered in the preliminary computation before any experimental test matrix. In order to achieve this goal, we developed two dimensional finite element models of a gearbox cross section from front view and shaft section. The cross section model consists of steel revolving teeth, a thin layer of oil, and retention plate. An ultrasonic wave up to 1 MHz frequency is generated, and waveform histories along the gearbox are recorded. The received waveforms under pristine and cracked conditions are compared in order to analyze the crack influence on the wave propagation in gearbox, which can be utilized by both active and passive SHM methods.

Analytical modeling and sensor monitoring for optimal processing of advanced textile structural composites by resin transfer molding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loos, Alfred C.; Macrae, John D.; Hammond, Vincent H.; Kranbuehl, David E.; Hart, Sean M.; Hasko, Gregory H.; Markus, Alan M.

1993-01-01

A two-dimensional model of the resin transfer molding (RTM) process was developed which can be used to simulate the infiltration of resin into an anisotropic fibrous preform. Frequency dependent electromagnetic sensing (FDEMS) has been developed for in situ monitoring of the RTM process. Flow visualization tests were performed to obtain data which can be used to verify the sensor measurements and the model predictions. Results of the tests showed that FDEMS can accurately detect the position of the resin flow-front during mold filling, and that the model predicted flow-front patterns agreed well with the measured flow-front patterns.

Individually Identifiable Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors, Tags and Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, Jacqueline H. (Inventor); Solie, Leland P. (Inventor); Tucker, Dana Y. G. (Inventor); Hines, Andrew T. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

A surface-launched acoustic wave sensor tag system for remotely sensing and/or providing identification information using sets of surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor tag devices is characterized by acoustic wave device embodiments that include coding and other diversity techniques to produce groups of sensors that interact minimally, reducing or alleviating code collision problems typical of prior art coded SAW sensors and tags, and specific device embodiments of said coded SAW sensor tags and systems. These sensor/tag devices operate in a system which consists of one or more uniquely identifiable sensor/tag devices and a wireless interrogator. The sensor device incorporates an antenna for receiving incident RF energy and re-radiating the tag identification information and the sensor measured parameter(s). Since there is no power source in or connected to the sensor, it is a passive sensor. The device is wirelessly interrogated by the interrogator.

Monitoring stage fright outside the laboratory: an example in a professional musician using wearable sensors.

PubMed

Kusserow, Martin; Candia, Victor; Amft, Oliver; Hildebrandt, Horst; Folkers, Gerd; Tröster, Gerhard

2012-03-01

We implemented and tested a wearable sensor system to measure patterns of stress responses in a professional musician under public performance conditions. Using this sensor system, we monitored the cellist's heart activity, the motion of multiple body parts, and their gradual changes during three repeated performances of a skill-demanding piece in front of a professional audience. From the cellist and her teachers, we collected stage fright self-reports and performance ratings that were related to our sensor data analysis results. Concomitant to changes in body motion and heart rate, the cellist perceived a reduction in stage fright. Performance quality was objectively improved, as technical playing errors decreased throughout repeated renditions. In particular, from performance 1 to 3, the wearable sensors measured a significant increase in the cellist's bowing motion dynamics of approximately 6% and a decrease in heart rate. Bowing motion showed a marginal correlation to the observed heart rate patterns during playing. The wearable system did not interfere with the cellist's performance, thereby allowing investigation of stress responses during natural public performances.

Switch-on Shock and Nonlinear Kink Alfvén Waves in Solar Polar Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVore, C. Richard; Karpen, Judith T.; Antiochos, Spiro K.; Uritsky, Vadim

2016-05-01

It is widely accepted that solar polar jets are produced by fast magnetic reconnection in the low corona, whether driven directly by flux emergence from below or indirectly by instability onset above the photosphere. In either scenario, twisted flux on closed magnetic field lines reconnects with untwisted flux on nearby open field lines. Part of the twist is inherited by the newly reconnected open flux, which rapidly relaxes due to magnetic tension forces that transmit the twist impulsively into the outer corona and heliosphere. We propose that this transfer of twist launches switch-on MHD shock waves, which propagate parallel to the ambient coronal magnetic field ahead of the shock and convect a perpendicular component of magnetic field behind the shock. In the frame moving with the shock front, the post-shock flow is precisely Alfvénic in all three directions, whereas the pre-shock flow is super-Alfvénic along the ambient magnetic field, yielding a density enhancement at the shock front. Nonlinear kink Alfvén waves are exact solutions of the time-dependent MHD equations in the post-shock region when the ambient corona is uniform and the magnetic field is straight. We have performed and analyzed 3D Cartesian and spherical simulations of polar jets driven by instability onset in the corona. The results of both simulations are consistent with the generation of MHD switch-on shocks trailed predominantly by incompressible kink Alfvén waves. It is noteworthy that the kink waves are irrotational, in sharp contrast to the vorticity-bearing torsional waves reported from previous numerical studies. We will discuss the implications of the results for understanding solar polar jets and predicting their heliospheric signatures. Our research was supported by NASA’s LWS TR&T and H-SR programs.

Advanced Wavefront Sensing and Control Testbed (AWCT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shi, Fang; Basinger, Scott A.; Diaz, Rosemary T.; Gappinger, Robert O.; Tang, Hong; Lam, Raymond K.; Sidick, Erkin; Hein, Randall C.; Rud, Mayer; Troy, Mitchell

2010-01-01

The Advanced Wavefront Sensing and Control Testbed (AWCT) is built as a versatile facility for developing and demonstrating, in hardware, the future technologies of wave front sensing and control algorithms for active optical systems. The testbed includes a source projector for a broadband point-source and a suite of extended scene targets, a dispersed fringe sensor, a Shack-Hartmann camera, and an imaging camera capable of phase retrieval wavefront sensing. The testbed also provides two easily accessible conjugated pupil planes which can accommodate the active optical devices such as fast steering mirror, deformable mirror, and segmented mirrors. In this paper, we describe the testbed optical design, testbed configurations and capabilities, as well as the initial results from the testbed hardware integrations and tests.

New Polymer Coatings for Chemically Selective Mass Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sims, S. C.; Wright, Cassandra; Cobb, J.; McCalla, T.; Revelle, R.; Morris, V. R.; Pollack, S. K.

1997-01-01

There is a current need to develop sensitive and chemically specific sensors for the detection of nitric acid for in-situ measurements in the atmosphere. Polymer coatings have been synthesized and tested for their sensitivity and selectivity to nitric acid. A primary requirement for these polymers is detectability down to the parts per trillion range. The results of studies using these polymers as coatings for quartz crystal microbalances (QCM) and surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices will be presented.

Characterization of pixel sensor designed in 180 nm SOI CMOS technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benka, T.; Havranek, M.; Hejtmanek, M.; Jakovenko, J.; Janoska, Z.; Marcisovska, M.; Marcisovsky, M.; Neue, G.; Tomasek, L.; Vrba, V.

2018-01-01

A new type of X-ray imaging Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor (MAPS), X-CHIP-02, was developed using a 180 nm deep submicron Silicon On Insulator (SOI) CMOS commercial technology. Two pixel matrices were integrated into the prototype chip, which differ by the pixel pitch of 50 μm and 100 μm. The X-CHIP-02 contains several test structures, which are useful for characterization of individual blocks. The sensitive part of the pixel integrated in the handle wafer is one of the key structures designed for testing. The purpose of this structure is to determine the capacitance of the sensitive part (diode in the MAPS pixel). The measured capacitance is 2.9 fF for 50 μm pixel pitch and 4.8 fF for 100 μm pixel pitch at -100 V (default operational voltage). This structure was used to measure the IV characteristics of the sensitive diode. In this work, we report on a circuit designed for precise determination of sensor capacitance and IV characteristics of both pixel types with respect to X-ray irradiation. The motivation for measurement of the sensor capacitance was its importance for the design of front-end amplifier circuits. The design of pixel elements, as well as circuit simulation and laboratory measurement techniques are described. The experimental results are of great importance for further development of MAPS sensors in this technology.

Tunable modulation of refracted lamb wave front facilitated by adaptive elastic metasurfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shilong; Xu, Jiawen; Tang, J.

2018-01-01

This letter reports designs of adaptive metasurfaces capable of modulating incoming wave fronts of elastic waves through electromechanical-tuning of their cells. The proposed elastic metasurfaces are composed of arrayed piezoelectric units with individually connected negative capacitance elements that are online tunable. By adjusting the negative capacitances properly, accurately formed, discontinuous phase profiles along the elastic metasurfaces can be achieved. Subsequently, anomalous refraction with various angles can be realized on the transmitted lowest asymmetric mode Lamb wave. Moreover, designs to facilitate planar focal lenses and source illusion devices can also be accomplished. The proposed flexible and versatile strategy to manipulate elastic waves has potential applications ranging from structural fault detection to vibration/noise control.

Fluctuations uncover a distinct class of traveling waves

PubMed Central

Korolev, Kirill S.

2018-01-01

Epidemics, flame propagation, and cardiac rhythms are classic examples of reaction–diffusion waves that describe a switch from one alternative state to another. Only two types of waves are known: pulled, driven by the leading edge, and pushed, driven by the bulk of the wave. Here, we report a distinct class of semipushed waves for which both the bulk and the leading edge contribute to the dynamics. These hybrid waves have the kinetics of pushed waves, but exhibit giant fluctuations similar to pulled waves. The transitions between pulled, semipushed, and fully pushed waves occur at universal ratios of the wave velocity to the Fisher velocity. We derive these results in the context of a species invading a new habitat by examining front diffusion, rate of diversity loss, and fluctuation-induced corrections to the expansion velocity. All three quantities decrease as a power law of the population density with the same exponent. We analytically calculate this exponent, taking into account the fluctuations in the shape of the wave front. For fully pushed waves, the exponent is −1, consistent with the central limit theorem. In semipushed waves, however, the fluctuations average out much more slowly, and the exponent approaches 0 toward the transition to pulled waves. As a result, a rapid loss of genetic diversity and large fluctuations in the position of the front occur, even for populations with cooperative growth and other forms of an Allee effect. The evolutionary outcome of spatial spreading in such populations could therefore be less predictable than previously thought. PMID:29610340

Fluctuations uncover a distinct class of traveling waves.

PubMed

Birzu, Gabriel; Hallatschek, Oskar; Korolev, Kirill S

2018-04-17

Epidemics, flame propagation, and cardiac rhythms are classic examples of reaction-diffusion waves that describe a switch from one alternative state to another. Only two types of waves are known: pulled, driven by the leading edge, and pushed, driven by the bulk of the wave. Here, we report a distinct class of semipushed waves for which both the bulk and the leading edge contribute to the dynamics. These hybrid waves have the kinetics of pushed waves, but exhibit giant fluctuations similar to pulled waves. The transitions between pulled, semipushed, and fully pushed waves occur at universal ratios of the wave velocity to the Fisher velocity. We derive these results in the context of a species invading a new habitat by examining front diffusion, rate of diversity loss, and fluctuation-induced corrections to the expansion velocity. All three quantities decrease as a power law of the population density with the same exponent. We analytically calculate this exponent, taking into account the fluctuations in the shape of the wave front. For fully pushed waves, the exponent is -1, consistent with the central limit theorem. In semipushed waves, however, the fluctuations average out much more slowly, and the exponent approaches 0 toward the transition to pulled waves. As a result, a rapid loss of genetic diversity and large fluctuations in the position of the front occur, even for populations with cooperative growth and other forms of an Allee effect. The evolutionary outcome of spatial spreading in such populations could therefore be less predictable than previously thought. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

RF current distribution and topology of RF sheath potentials in front of ICRF antennae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colas, L.; Heuraux, S.; Brémond, S.; Bosia, G.

2005-08-01

The 2D (radial/poloidal) spatial topology of RF-induced convective cells developing radially in front of ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) antennae is investigated, in relation to the spatial distribution of RF currents over the metallic structure of the antenna. This is done via a Green's function, determined from the ICRF wave coupling equations, and well-suited to open field lines extending toroidally far away on both sides of the antenna. Using such formalism, combined with a full-wave calculation using the 3D antenna code ICANT (Pécoul S. et al 2000 Comput. Phys. Commun. 146 166-87), two classes of convective cells are analysed. The first one appears in front of phased arrays of straps, and depending on the strap phasing, its topology is interpreted using the poloidal profiles of either the RF current or the RF voltage of the strip line theory. The other class of convective cells is specific to antenna box corners and is evidenced for the first time. Based on such analysis, general design rules are worked out in order to reduce the RF-sheath potentials, which generalize those proposed in the earlier literature, and concrete antenna design options are tested numerically. The merits of aligning all strap centres on the same (tilted) flux tube, and of reducing the antenna box toroidal conductivity in its lower and upper parts, are discussed.

Optimal Control of a Surge-Mode WEC in Random Waves

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chertok, Allan; Ceberio, Olivier; Staby, Bill

2016-08-30

The objective of this project was to develop one or more real-time feedback and feed-forward (MPC) control algorithms for an Oscillating Surge Wave Converter (OSWC) developed by RME called SurgeWEC™ that leverages recent innovations in wave energy converter (WEC) control theory to maximize power production in random wave environments. The control algorithms synthesized innovations in dynamic programming and nonlinear wave dynamics using anticipatory wave sensors and localized sensor measurements; e.g. position and velocity of the WEC Power Take Off (PTO), with predictive wave forecasting data. The result was an advanced control system that uses feedback or feed-forward data from anmore » array of sensor channels comprised of both localized and deployed sensors fused into a single decision process that optimally compensates for uncertainties in the system dynamics, wave forecasts, and sensor measurement errors.« less

Design and laboratory testing of a prototype linear temperature sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dube, C. M.; Nielsen, C. M.

1982-07-01

This report discusses the basic theory, design, and laboratory testing of a prototype linear temperature sensor (or "line sensor'), which is an instrument for measuring internal waves in the ocean. The operating principle of the line sensor consists of measuring the average resistance change of a vertically suspended wire (or coil of wire) induced by the passage of an internal wave in a thermocline. The advantage of the line sensor over conventional internal wave measurement techniques is that it is insensitive to thermal finestructure which contaminates point sensor measurements, and its output is approximately linearly proportional to the internal wave displacement. An approximately one-half scale prototype line sensor module was teste in the laboratory. The line sensor signal was linearly related to the actual fluid displacement to within 10%. Furthermore, the absolute output was well predicted (within 25%) from the theoretical model and the sensor material properties alone. Comparisons of the line sensor and a point sensor in a wavefield with superimposed turbulence (finestructure) revealed negligible distortion in the line sensor signal, while the point sensor signal was swamped by "turbulent noise'. The effects of internal wave strain were also found to be negligible.

Characterization of a viscoelastic heterogeneous object with an effective model by nonlinear full waveform inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mesgouez, A.

2018-05-01

The determination of equivalent viscoelastic properties of heterogeneous objects remains challenging in various scientific fields such as (geo)mechanics, geophysics or biomechanics. The present investigation addresses the issue of the identification of effective constitutive properties of a binary object by using a nonlinear and full waveform inversion scheme. The inversion process, without any regularization technique or a priori information, aims at minimizing directly the discrepancy between the full waveform responses of a bi-material viscoelastic cylindrical object and its corresponding effective homogeneous object. It involves the retrieval of five constitutive equivalent parameters. Numerical simulations are performed in a laboratory-scale two-dimensional configuration: a transient acoustic plane wave impacts the object and the diffracted fluid pressure, solid stress or velocity component fields are determined using a semi-analytical approach. Results show that the retrieval of the density and of the real parts of both the compressional and the shear wave velocities have been carried out successfully regarding the number and location of sensors, the type of sensors, the size of the searching space, the frequency range of the incident plane pressure wave, and the change in the geometric or mechanical constitution of the bi-material object. The retrieval of the imaginary parts of the wave velocities can reveal in some cases the limitations of the proposed approach.

Spatial beam shaping for lowering the threshold energy for femtosecond laser pulse photodisruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Anja; Ripken, Tammo; Heisterkamp, Alexander

2011-10-01

High precision femtosecond laser surgery is achieved by focusing femtosecond (fs) laser pulses in transparent tissues to create an optical breakdown leading to tissue dissection through photodisruption. For moving applications in ophthalmology from corneal or lental applications in the anterior eye to vitreal or retinal surgery in the posterior eye the applied pulse energy needs to be minimized in order to avoid harm to the retina. However, the aberrations of the anterior eye elements cause a distortion of the wave front and consequently an increase in size of the irradiated area and a decrease in photon density in the focal volume. Therefore, higher pulse energy is required to still surpass the threshold irradiance. In this work, aberrations in an eye model consisting of a plano-convex lens for focusing and 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) in a water cuvette as eye tissue were corrected with a deformable mirror in combination with a Hartmann-Shack-sensor. The influence of an adaptive optics aberration correction on the pulse energy required for photodisruption was investigated. A reduction of the threshold energy was shown in the aberration-corrected case and the spatial confinement raised the irradiance at constant pulse energy. As less energy is required for photodisruption when correcting for wave front aberrations the potential risk of peripheral damage is reduced, especially for the retina during laser surgery in the posterior eye segment. This offers new possibilities for high precision fs-laser surgery in the treatment of several vitreal and retinal pathologies.

Amplitude and phase controlled adaptive optics system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, Ich; Ma, Sam

2006-06-01

An adaptive optics (AO) system is used to control the deformable mirror (DM) actuators for compensating the optical effects introduced by the turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere and distortions produced by the optical elements between the distant object and its local sensor. The typical AO system commands the DM actuators while minimizing the measured wave front (WF) phase error. This is known as the phase conjugator system, which does not work well in the strong scintillation condition because both amplitude and phase are corrupted along the propagation path. In order to compensate for the wave front amplitude, a dual DM field conjugator system may be used. The first and second DM compensate for the amplitude and the phase respectively. The amplitude controller requires the mapping from DM1 actuator command to DM2 intensity. This can be obtained from either a calibration routine or an intensity transport equation, which relates the phase to the intensity. Instead of a dual-DM, a single Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) may control the amplitude and phase independently. The technique uses the spatial carrier frequency and the resulting intensity is related to the carrier modulation, while the phase is the average carrier phase. The dynamical AO performance using the carrier modulation is limited by the actuator frequency response and not by the computational load of the controller algorithm. Simulation of the proposed field conjugator systems show significant improvement for the on-axis performance compared to the phase conjugator system.

An Integrated Gulf Coast Monitoring System Using Field, Remote Sensing and Model Results (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Sa, E. J.; Ko, D. S.; Stone, G.; Walker, N. D.

2010-12-01

The northern Gulf of Mexico is strongly influenced by the discharge of water, nutrients, dissolved and suspended particulate matter from the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River system, the largest in North America. It is also frequently impacted by energetic meteorological events that cause storm surge, high waves and affects water quality along its coastal waters. We describe the components of an integrated web-based Gulf Coast Information System (GCIS) (http://gulf-coast.lsu.edu) developed to serve remotely sensed products from a number of NASA satellite sensors such as the SeaWiFS and MODIS ocean color and the QuikSCAT wind sensors. GCIS also serves high-resolution nowcast and 48-hour forecast outputs (sea level variations, temperature, salinity and currents) from a 3-dimensional NCOM coastal circulation model for the coastal states of Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. The GCIS is coupled to the near real-time outputs of a field monitoring and satellite receiving system, the Wave-Current Information System (WAVCIS) (http://www.wavcis.lsu.edu) and Earth Scan Laboratory (ESL) (www.esl.lsu.edu), respectively that provide critical decision support during hurricanes to the Gulf Coast. We present results on the use of the combined field, satellite and model outputs to monitor the effects of fronts, hurricanes, oil spill and the potential to study longer term climate impacts along the Gulf coast.

Quasi-periodic Fast-mode Wave Trains Within a Global EUV Wave and Sequential Transverse Oscillations Detected by SDO-AIA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Wei; Ofman, Leon; Nitta, Nariaki; Aschwanden, Markus J.; Schrijver, Carolus J.; Title, Alan M.; Tarbell, Theodore D.

2012-01-01

We present the first unambiguous detection of quasi-periodic wave trains within the broad pulse of a global EUV wave (so-called EIT wave) occurring on the limb. These wave trains, running ahead of the lateral coronal mass ejection (CME) front of 2-4 times slower, coherently travel to distances greater than approximately solar radius/2 along the solar surface, with initial velocities up to 1400 kilometers per second decelerating to approximately 650 kilometers per second. The rapid expansion of the CME initiated at an elevated height of 110 Mm produces a strong downward and lateral compression, which may play an important role in driving the primary EUV wave and shaping its front forwardly inclined toward the solar surface. The wave trains have a dominant 2 minute periodicity that matches the X-ray flare pulsations, suggesting a causal connection. The arrival of the leading EUV wave front at increasing distances produces an uninterrupted chain sequence of deflections and/or transverse (likely fast kink mode) oscillations of local structures, including a flux-rope coronal cavity and its embedded filament with delayed onsets consistent with the wave travel time at an elevated (by approximately 50%) velocity within it. This suggests that the EUV wave penetrates through a topological separatrix surface into the cavity, unexpected from CME-caused magnetic reconfiguration. These observations, when taken together, provide compelling evidence of the fast-mode MHD wave nature of the primary (outer) fast component of a global EUV wave, running ahead of the secondary (inner) slow component of CME-caused restructuring.

Generalized self-similar unsteady gas flows behind the strong shock wave front

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogatko, V. I.; Potekhina, E. A.

2018-05-01

Two-dimensional (plane and axially symmetric) nonstationary gas flows behind the front of a strong shock wave are considered. All the gas parameters are functions of the ratio of Cartesian coordinates to some degree of time tn, where n is a self-similarity index. The problem is solved in Lagrangian variables. It is shown that the resulting system of partial differential equations is suitable for constructing an iterative process. ¢he "thin shock layer" method is used to construct an approximate analytical solution of the problem. The limit solution of the problem is constructed. A formula for determining the path traversed by a gas particle in the shock layer along the front of a shock wave is obtained. A system of equations for determining the first approximation corrections is constructed.

A Photographic Study of Combustion and Knock in a Spark-Ignition Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothrock, A M; Spencer, R C

1938-01-01

Report presents the results of a photographic study of the combustion in a spark-ignition engine using both Schlieren and flame photographs taken at high rates of speed. Although shock waves are present after knock occurs, there was no evidence of any type of sonic or supersonic compression waves existing in the combustion gases prior to the occurrence of knock. Artificially induced shock waves in the engine did not in themselves cause knock. The photographs also indicate that, although auto-ignition ahead of the flame front may occur in conjunction with knock, it is not necessary for the occurrence of knock. There is also evidence that the reaction is not completed in the flame front but continues for some time after the flame front has passed through the charge.

A Guided Wave Sensor Enabling Simultaneous Wavenumber-Frequency Analysis for Both Lamb and Shear-Horizontal Waves.

PubMed

Ren, Baiyang; Cho, Hwanjeong; Lissenden, Cliff J

2017-03-01

Guided waves in plate-like structures have been widely investigated for structural health monitoring. Lamb waves and shear horizontal (SH) waves, two commonly used types of waves in plates, provide different benefits for the detection of various types of defects and material degradation. However, there are few sensors that can detect both Lamb and SH waves and also resolve their modal content, namely the wavenumber-frequency spectrum. A sensor that can detect both waves is desirable to take full advantage of both types of waves in order to improve sensitivity to different discontinuity geometries. We demonstrate that polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) film provides the basis for a multi-element array sensor that detects both Lamb and SH waves and also measures their modal content, i.e., the wavenumber-frequency spectrum.

Front-end Electronics for Unattended Measurement (FEUM). Results of Prototype Evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conrad, Ryan C.; Keller, Daniel T.; Morris, Scott J.

2015-07-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) deploys unattended monitoring systems to provide continuous monitoring of nuclear material within safeguarded facilities around the world. As the number of unattended monitoring instruments increases, the IAEA is challenged to become more efficient in the implementation of those systems. In 2010, the IAEA initiated the Front-End Electronics for Unattended Measurement (FEUM) project with the goals of greater flexibility in the interfaces to various sensors and data acquisition systems, and improved capabilities for remotely located sensors (e.g., where sensor and front-end electronics might be separated by tens of meters). In consultation with the IAEA, amore » technical evaluation of a candidate FEUM device produced by a commercial vendor has been performed. This evaluation assessed the device against the IAEA’s original technical specifications and a broad range of important parameters that include sensor types, cable lengths and types, industrial electromagnetic noise that can degrade signals from remotely located detectors, and high radiation fields. Testing data, interpretation, findings and recommendations are provided.« less

Long wave infrared cavity-enhanced sensors using quantum cascade lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taubman, Matthew S.; Scott, David C.; Myers, Tanya L.; Cannon, Bret D.

2005-11-01

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are becoming well known as convenient and stable semiconductor laser sources operating in the mid- to long-wave infrared, and are able to be fabricated to operate virtually anywhere in the 3.5 to 25 micron region. This makes them an ideal choice for infrared chemical sensing, a topic of great interest at present, spanning at least three critical areas: national security, environmental monitoring and protection, and the early diagnosis of disease through breath analysis. There are many different laser-based spectroscopic chemical sensor architectures in use today, from simple direct detection through to more complex and highly sensitive systems. Many current sensor needs can be met by combining QCLs and appropriate sensor architectures, those needs ranging from UAV-mounted surveillance systems, through to larger ultra-sensitive systems for airport security. In this paper we provide an overview of various laser-based spectroscopic sensing techniques, pointing out advantages and disadvantages of each. As part of this process, we include our own results and observations for techniques under development at PNNL. We also present the latest performance of our ultra-quiet QCL control electronics now being commercialized, and explore how using optimized supporting electronics enables increased sensor performance and decreased sensor footprint for given applications.

Broadband high-frequency waves and intermittent energy conversion at dipolarization fronts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Cao, J.; Fu, H.; Wang, T.; Liu, W.; Yao, Z., Sr.

2017-12-01

Dipolarization front (DF) is a sharp boundary most probably separating the reconnection jet from the background plasma sheet. So far at this boundary, the observed waves are mainly in low-frequency range (e.g., magnetosonic waves and lower hybrid waves). Few high-frequency waves are observed in this region. In this paper, we report the broadband high-frequency wave emissions at the DF. These waves, having frequencies extending from the electron cyclotron frequency fce, up to the electron plasma frequency fpe, could contribute 10% to the in situ measurement of intermittent energy conversion at the DF layer. Their generation may be attributed to electron beams, which are simultaneously observed at the DF as well. Furthermore, we find intermittent energy conversion is primarily to the broadband fluctuations in the lower hybrid frequency range although the net energy conversion is small.

Wave combustors for trans-atmospheric vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menees, Gene P.; Adelman, Henry G.; Cambier, Jean-Luc; Bowles, Jeffrey V.

1989-01-01

The Wave Combustor is an airbreathing hypersonic propulsion system which utilizes shock and detonation waves to enhance fuel-air mixing and combustion in supersonic flow. In this concept, an oblique shock wave in the combustor can act as a flameholder by increasing the pressure and temperature of the air-fuel mixture and thereby decreasing the ignition delay. If the oblique shock is sufficiently strong, then the combustion front and the shock wave can couple into a detonation wave. In this case, combustion occurs almost instantaneously in a thin zone behind the wave front. The result is a shorter, lighter engine compared to the scramjet. This engine, which is called the Oblique Detonation Wave Engine (ODWE), can then be utilized to provide a smaller, lighter vehicle or to provide a higher payload capability for a given vehicle weight. An analysis of the performance of a conceptual trans-atmospheric vehicle powered by an ODWE is given here.

75 FR 4793 - Availability for Non-Exclusive, Exclusive, or Partially Exclusive Licensing of U.S. Provisional...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

... Partially Exclusive Licensing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Concerning Blast Wave Sensor AGENCY... ``Blast Wave Sensor,'' filed January 4, 2010. The United States Government, as represented by the... wave sensors and their use to detect blast induced pressure changes, and, in particular, a blast wave...

Two-zone elastic-plastic single shock waves in solids.

PubMed

Zhakhovsky, Vasily V; Budzevich, Mikalai M; Inogamov, Nail A; Oleynik, Ivan I; White, Carter T

2011-09-23

By decoupling time and length scales in moving window molecular dynamics shock-wave simulations, a new regime of shock-wave propagation is uncovered characterized by a two-zone elastic-plastic shock-wave structure consisting of a leading elastic front followed by a plastic front, both moving with the same average speed and having a fixed net thickness that can extend to microns. The material in the elastic zone is in a metastable state that supports a pressure that can substantially exceed the critical pressure characteristic of the onset of the well-known split-elastic-plastic, two-wave propagation. The two-zone elastic-plastic wave is a general phenomenon observed in simulations of a broad class of crystalline materials and is within the reach of current experimental techniques.

Evolution of offshore wind waves tracked by surface drifters with a point-positioning GPS sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, K.

2009-12-01

Wind-generated waves have been recognized as one of the most important factors of the sea surface roughness which plays crucial roles in various air-sea interactions such as energy, momentum, heat and gas exchanges. At the same time, wind waves with extreme wave heights representatively called as freak or rogue waves have been a matter of great concern for many people involved in shipping, fishing, constracting, surfing and other marine activities, because such extreme waves frequently affect on the marine activities and sometimes cause serious disasters. Nevertheless, investigations of actual conditions for the evolution of wind waves in the offshore region are less and sparse in contrast to dense monitoring networks in the coastal regions because of difficulty of offshore observation with high accuracy. Recently accurate in situ observation of offshore wind waves is getting possible at low cost owing to a wave height and direction sensor developed by Harigae et al. (2004) by installing a point-positioning GPS receiver on a surface drifting buoy. The point-positioning GPS sensor can extract three dimensional movements of the buoy excited by ocean waves with minimizing effects of GPS point-positioning errors through the use of a high-pass filter. Two drifting buoys equipped with the GPS-based wave sensor charged by solar cells were drifted in the western North Pacific and one of them continued to observe wind waves during 16 months from Sep. 2007. The RMSE of the GPS-based wave sensor was less than 10cm in significant wave height and about 1s in significant wave period in comparison with other sensors, i.e. accelerometers installed on drifting buoys of Japan Meteorological Agency, ultrasonic sensors placed at the Hiratsuka observation station of the University of Tokyo and altimeter of the JASON-1. The GPS-based wave buoys enabled us to detect freak waves defined as waves whose height is more than twice the significant wave height. The observation conducted by the wave buoys in 2007-2008 indicated a little more frequent occurrence of freak waves comparing with Forristall’s (1978) empirical formula and Naess’s (1985) distribution for a narrow-band Gaussian sea. Fig.1. Time series of the ratio of the significant wave height to the maximum wave height in 20 minutes sampling period observed by a drifting buoy with a GPS sensor

Failure waves in glass and ceramics under shock compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brar, N. S.

2000-04-01

The response of various types of glasses (fused silica, borosilicates, soda-lime, and lead filled) to shock wave loading, especially the failure of glass behind the shock wave through the "so called" failure wave or front, has been the subject of intense research among a number of investigators. The variations in material properties across this front include complete loss of tensile (spall) strength, loss in shear strength, reduction in acoustic impedance and opacity to light. Both the Stress and velocity history from VISAR measurements have shown that the failure front propagates at a speed of 1.5 to 2.5 mm/s, depending on the peak shock stress. The shear strength [τ=1/2(σ1-σ2)] behind the failure front, determined using embedded transverse gauges, is found to decrease to about 1 GPa for soda-lime, borosilicate, and filled glasses. Optical (high-speed photography) observations also confirm formation of this failure front. There is a general agreement among various researchers on these failure observations. However, three proposed mechanisms for the formation of failure front are based on totally different formulations. The first, due to Clifton, is based on the hypothesis of densification of glass under shock compression. Densification is followed by shear failure around inhomogeneities resulting in a phase boundary between the comminuted and the intact material. The second, proposed by Grady, involves the transfer of elastic shear strain energy to dilatant strain energy as a result of severe micro-cracking originating from impact. The third, by Espinosa and Brar, proposes that the front is created through shear micro-cracks, which nucleate and propagate from the impact face; as originally suggested by Kanel. This later mechanism is supported by the observed loss of shear strength of glass by Clifton et al. at shock stress above the threshold level. Espinosa has incorporated this mechanism in multiple-plane model and simulations predict the increase in lateral stress and an observed reduction in spall strength behind the failure front. Failure front studies, in terms of loss of shear strength, have been recently extended to alumina and SiC ceramics by Bourne et al.

Weakly and strongly coupled Belousov-Zhabotinsky patterns.

PubMed

Weiss, Stephan; Deegan, Robert D

2017-02-01

We investigate experimentally and numerically the synchronization of two-dimensional spiral wave patterns in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction due to point-to-point coupling of two separate domains. Different synchronization modalities appear depending on the coupling strength and the initial patterns in each domain. The behavior as a function of the coupling strength falls into two qualitatively different regimes. The weakly coupled regime is characterized by inter-domain interactions that distorted but do not break wave fronts. Under weak coupling, spiral cores are pushed around by wave fronts in the other domain, resulting in an effective interaction between cores in opposite domains. In the case where each domain initially contains a single spiral, the cores form a bound pair and orbit each other at quantized distances. When the starting patterns consist of multiple randomly positioned spiral cores, the number of cores decreases with time until all that remains are a few cores that are synchronized with a partner in the other domain. The strongly coupled regime is characterized by interdomain interactions that break wave fronts. As a result, the wave patterns in both domains become identical.

Weakly and strongly coupled Belousov-Zhabotinsky patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, Stephan; Deegan, Robert D.

2017-02-01

We investigate experimentally and numerically the synchronization of two-dimensional spiral wave patterns in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction due to point-to-point coupling of two separate domains. Different synchronization modalities appear depending on the coupling strength and the initial patterns in each domain. The behavior as a function of the coupling strength falls into two qualitatively different regimes. The weakly coupled regime is characterized by inter-domain interactions that distorted but do not break wave fronts. Under weak coupling, spiral cores are pushed around by wave fronts in the other domain, resulting in an effective interaction between cores in opposite domains. In the case where each domain initially contains a single spiral, the cores form a bound pair and orbit each other at quantized distances. When the starting patterns consist of multiple randomly positioned spiral cores, the number of cores decreases with time until all that remains are a few cores that are synchronized with a partner in the other domain. The strongly coupled regime is characterized by interdomain interactions that break wave fronts. As a result, the wave patterns in both domains become identical.

LightWAVE: Waveform and Annotation Viewing and Editing in a Web Browser.

PubMed

Moody, George B

2013-09-01

This paper describes LightWAVE, recently-developed open-source software for viewing ECGs and other physiologic waveforms and associated annotations (event markers). It supports efficient interactive creation and modification of annotations, capabilities that are essential for building new collections of physiologic signals and time series for research. LightWAVE is constructed of components that interact in simple ways, making it straightforward to enhance or replace any of them. The back end (server) is a common gateway interface (CGI) application written in C for speed and efficiency. It retrieves data from its data repository (PhysioNet's open-access PhysioBank archives by default, or any set of files or web pages structured as in PhysioBank) and delivers them in response to requests generated by the front end. The front end (client) is a web application written in JavaScript. It runs within any modern web browser and does not require installation on the user's computer, tablet, or phone. Finally, LightWAVE's scribe is a tiny CGI application written in Perl, which records the user's edits in annotation files. LightWAVE's data repository, back end, and front end can be located on the same computer or on separate computers. The data repository may be split across multiple computers. For compatibility with the standard browser security model, the front end and the scribe must be loaded from the same domain.

Amplitude-phase characteristics of electromagnetic fields diffracted by a hole in a thin film with realistic optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorofeyev, Illarion

2009-03-01

Characteristics of a quasi-spherical wave front of an electromagnetic field diffracted by a subwavelength hole in a thin film with real optical properties are studied. Related diffraction problem is solved in general by use of the scalar and vector Green's theorems and related Green's function of a boundary-value problem. Local phase deviations of a diffracted wave front from an ideal spherical front are calculated. Diffracted patterns are calculated for the coherent incident fields in case of holes array in a screen of perfect conductivity.

Theoretical Study of Monolayer and Double-Layer Waveguide Love Wave Sensors for Achieving High Sensitivity.

PubMed

Li, Shuangming; Wan, Ying; Fan, Chunhai; Su, Yan

2017-03-22

Love wave sensors have been widely used for sensing applications. In this work, we introduce the theoretical analysis of the monolayer and double-layer waveguide Love wave sensors. The velocity, particle displacement and energy distribution of Love waves were analyzed. Using the variations of the energy repartition, the sensitivity coefficients of Love wave sensors were calculated. To achieve a higher sensitivity coefficient, a thin gold layer was added as the second waveguide on top of the silicon dioxide (SiO₂) waveguide-based, 36 degree-rotated, Y-cut, X-propagating lithium tantalate (36° YX LiTaO₃) Love wave sensor. The Love wave velocity was significantly reduced by the added gold layer, and the flow of wave energy into the waveguide layer from the substrate was enhanced. By using the double-layer structure, almost a 72-fold enhancement in the sensitivity coefficient was achieved compared to the monolayer structure. Additionally, the thickness of the SiO₂ layer was also reduced with the application of the gold layer, resulting in easier device fabrication. This study allows for the possibility of designing and realizing robust Love wave sensors with high sensitivity and a low limit of detection.

Identification of moving sinusoidal wave loads for sensor structural configuration by finite element inverse method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, B.; Yu, S.

2018-03-01

In this paper, a beam structure of composite materials with elastic foundation supports is established as the sensor model, which propagates moving sinusoidal wave loads. The inverse Finite Element Method (iFEM) is applied for reconstructing moving wave loads which are compared with true wave loads. The conclusion shows that iFEM is accurate and robust in the determination of wave propagation. This helps to seek a suitable new wave sensor method.

Offshore Deterioration in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stattegger, K.; Unverricht, D.; Heinrich, C.

2016-02-01

The interplay of river, tide and wave forcing controls shape and sedimentation at the front of the Mekong Delta. Specific hydro- and morphodynamic conditions in the western subaqueous part of the asymmetric Mekong Delta generate a sand ridge - channel system (SRCS) which is unique in subaqueous delta formation. This large-scale morphological element extends 130 km along the delta front consisting of two sand ridges and two erosional channels. Three different zones within SRCS can be distinguished. The eastern initial zone stretches along delta slope and inner shelf platform southwest of the Bassac river mouth, the largest and westernmost distributary of the Mekong Delta. In the central zone SRCS covers the outer part of the subaqueous delta platform with a pronounced sand-ridge and erosional channel morphology. Cross-sections of the SRCS reveal an asymmetric shape including steeper ridge flanks facing into offshore direction. Channels incise down to 18.2 m water depth (wd) and 10.5 down the ridge top at the outer subaqueous delta platform, respectively. Towards the west the sand ridges pinch out while the two channels merge into one and form a giant erosional scour of up to 33 m wd within the subaqueous delta platform. In the western zone, the channel gets shallower and vanishes along the south-western edge of the subaqueous delta platform around Ca Mau Cape. Sediment transport from the Mekong River nourishes the sand ridges. In contrast, tide and wind-driven currents cut the erosional channels, which act also as fine-sediment conveyor from eroding headlands to the distal part of the delta front that is 200 km apart of the Bassac river mouth. SRCS in the subaqueous Mekong Delta is a relevant indicator of delta-front instability and erosion.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sano, Yukio; Abe, Akihisa; Tokushima, Koji

The aim of this study is to examine the difference between shock temperatures predicted by an equation for temperature inside a steady wave front and the Walsh-Christian equation. Calculations are for yttria-doped tetragonal zirconia, which shows an elastic-plastic and a phase transition: Thus the shock waves treated are multiple structure waves composed of one to three steady wave fronts. The evaluated temperature was 3350K at the minimum specific volume of 0.1175 cm{sup 3}/g (or maximum Hugoniot shock pressure of 140GPa) considered in the present examination, while the temperature predicted by the Walsh-Christian equation under identical conditions was 2657K. The causemore » of the large temperature discrepancy is considered to be that the present model treats nonequilibrium states inside steady waves.« less

A guided wave sensor enabling simultaneous wavenumber-frequency analysis for both lamb and shear-horizontal waves

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ren, Baiyang; Cho, Hwanjeong; Lissenden, Cliff J.

Guided waves in plate-like structures have been widely investigated for structural health monitoring. Lamb waves and shear horizontal (SH) waves, two commonly used types of waves in plates, provide different benefits for the detection of various types of defects and material degradation. However, there are few sensors that can detect both Lamb and SH waves and also resolve their modal content, namely the wavenumber-frequency spectrum. A sensor that can detect both waves is desirable to take full advantage of both types of waves in order to improve sensitivity to different discontinuity geometries. As a result, we demonstrate that polyvinylidene difluoridemore » (PVDF) film provides the basis for a multi-element array sensor that detects both Lamb and SH waves and also measures their modal content, i.e., the wavenumber-frequency spectrum.« less

A guided wave sensor enabling simultaneous wavenumber-frequency analysis for both lamb and shear-horizontal waves

DOE PAGES

Ren, Baiyang; Cho, Hwanjeong; Lissenden, Cliff J.

2017-03-01

Guided waves in plate-like structures have been widely investigated for structural health monitoring. Lamb waves and shear horizontal (SH) waves, two commonly used types of waves in plates, provide different benefits for the detection of various types of defects and material degradation. However, there are few sensors that can detect both Lamb and SH waves and also resolve their modal content, namely the wavenumber-frequency spectrum. A sensor that can detect both waves is desirable to take full advantage of both types of waves in order to improve sensitivity to different discontinuity geometries. As a result, we demonstrate that polyvinylidene difluoridemore » (PVDF) film provides the basis for a multi-element array sensor that detects both Lamb and SH waves and also measures their modal content, i.e., the wavenumber-frequency spectrum.« less

Multiple Waveband Temperature Sensor (MWTS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bandara, Sumith V.; Gunapala, Sarath; Wilson, Daniel; Stirbl, Robert; Blea, Anthony; Harding, Gilbert

2006-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the development of Multiple Waveband Temperature Sensor (MWTS). The MWTS project will result in a highly stable, monolithically integrated, high resolution infrared detector array sensor that records registered thermal imagery in four infrared wavebands to infer dynamic temperature profiles on a laser-irradiated ground target. An accurate surface temperature measurement of a target in extreme environments in a non-intrusive manner is required. The development challenge is to: determine optimum wavebands (suitable for target temperatures, nature of the targets and environments) to measure accurate target surface temperature independent of the emissivity, integrate simultaneously readable multiband Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors (QWIPs) in a single monolithic focal plane array (FPA) sensor and to integrate the hardware/software and system calibration for remote temperature measurements. The charge was therefore to develop and demonstrate a multiband infrared imaging camera with the detectors simultaneously sensitive to multiple distinct color bands for front surface temperature measurements Wavelength ( m) measurements. Amongst the requirements are: that the measurement system will not affect target dynamics or response to the laser irradiation and that the simplest criterion for spectral band selection is to choose those practically feasible spectral bands that create the most contrast between the objects or scenes of interest in the expected environmental conditions. There is in the presentation a review of the modeling and simulation of multi-wave infrared temperature measurement and also a review of the detector development and QWIP capacities.

Characteristics of offshore extreme wind-waves detected by surface drifters with a low-cost GPS wave sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, Kosei

Wind-generated waves have been recognized as one of the most important factors of the sea surface roughness which plays crucial roles in various air-sea interactions such as energy, mo-mentum, heat and gas exchanges. At the same time, wind waves with extreme wave heights representatively called as freak or rogue waves have been a matter of great concern for many people involved in shipping, fishing, constracting, surfing and other marine activities, because such extreme waves frequently affect on the marine activities and sometimes cause serious dis-asters. Nevertheless, investigations of actual conditions for the evolution of wind waves in the offshore region are less and sparse in contrast to dense monitoring networks in the coastal re-gions because of difficulty of offshore observation with high accuracy. Recently accurate in situ observation of offshore wind waves is getting possible at low cost owing to a wave height and di-rection sensor developed by Harigae et al. (2004) by installing a point-positioning GPS receiver on a surface drifting buoy. The point-positioning GPS sensor can extract three dimensional movements of the buoy excited by ocean waves with minimizing effects of GPS point-positioning errors through the use of a high-pass filter. Two drifting buoys equipped with the GPS-based wave sensor charged by solar cells were drifted in the western North Pacific and one of them continued to observe wind waves during 16 months from Sep. 2007. The RMSE of the GPS-based wave sensor was less than 10cm in significant wave height and about 1s in significant wave period in comparison with other sensors, i.e. accelerometers installed on drifting buoys of Japan Meteorological Agency, ultrasonic sensors placed at the Hiratsuka observation station of the University of Tokyo and altimeter of the JASON-1. The GPS-based wave buoys enabled us to detect freak waves defined as waves whose height is more than twice the significant wave height. The observation conducted by the wave buoys in 2007-2008 indicated a little more frequent occurrence of freak waves comparing with Forristall's (1978) empirical formula and Naess's (1985) distribution for a narrow-band Gaussian sea.

Long-period spectral features of the Sumatra-Andaman 2004 earthquake rupture process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clévédé, E.; Bukchin, B.; Favreau, P.; Mostinskiy, A.; Aoudia, A.; Panza, G. F.

2012-12-01

The goal of this study is to investigate the spatial variability of the seismic radiation spectral content of the Sumatra-Andaman 2004 earthquake. We determine the integral estimates of source geometry, duration and rupture propagation given by the stress glut moments of total degree 2 of different source models. These models are constructed from a single or a joint use of different observations including seismology, geodesy, altimetry and tide gauge data. The comparative analysis shows coherency among the different models and no strong contradictions are found between the integral estimates of geodetic and altimetric models, and those retrieved from very long period seismic records (up to 2000-3000 s). The comparison between these results and the integral estimates derived from observed surface wave spectra in period band from 500 to 650 s suggests that the northern part of the fault (to the north of 8°N near Nicobar Islands) did not radiate long period seismic waves, that is, period shorter than 650 s at least. This conclusion is consistent with the existing composite short and long rise time tsunami model: with short rise time of slip in the southern part of the fault and very long rise time of slip at the northern part. This complex space-time slip evolution can be reproduced by a simple dynamic model of the rupture assuming a crude phenomenological mechanical behaviour of the rupture interface at the fault scales combining an effective slip-controlled exponential weakening effect, related to possible friction and damage breakdown processes of the fault zone, and an effective linear viscous strengthening effect, related to possible interface lubrication processes. While the rupture front speed remains unperturbed with initial short slip duration, a slow creep wave propagates behind the rupture front in the case of viscous effects accounting for the long slip duration and the radiation characteristics in the northern segment.

Fronts and waves of actin polymerization in a bistability-based mechanism of circular dorsal ruffles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernitt, Erik; Döbereiner, Hans-Günther; Gov, Nir S.; Yochelis, Arik

2017-06-01

During macropinocytosis, cells remodel their morphologies for the uptake of extracellular matter. This endocytotic mechanism relies on the collapse and closure of precursory structures, which are propagating actin-based, ring-shaped vertical undulations at the dorsal (top) cell membrane, a.k.a. circular dorsal ruffles (CDRs). As such, CDRs are essential to a range of vital and pathogenic processes alike. Here we show, based on both experimental data and theoretical analysis, that CDRs are propagating fronts of actin polymerization in a bistable system. The theory relies on a novel mass-conserving reaction-diffusion model, which associates the expansion and contraction of waves to distinct counter-propagating front solutions. Moreover, the model predicts that under a change in parameters (for example, biochemical conditions) CDRs may be pinned and fluctuate near the cell boundary or exhibit complex spiral wave dynamics due to a wave instability. We observe both phenomena also in our experiments indicating the conditions for which macropinocytosis is suppressed.

Fronts and waves of actin polymerization in a bistability-based mechanism of circular dorsal ruffles

PubMed Central

Bernitt, Erik; Döbereiner, Hans-Günther; Gov, Nir S.; Yochelis, Arik

2017-01-01

During macropinocytosis, cells remodel their morphologies for the uptake of extracellular matter. This endocytotic mechanism relies on the collapse and closure of precursory structures, which are propagating actin-based, ring-shaped vertical undulations at the dorsal (top) cell membrane, a.k.a. circular dorsal ruffles (CDRs). As such, CDRs are essential to a range of vital and pathogenic processes alike. Here we show, based on both experimental data and theoretical analysis, that CDRs are propagating fronts of actin polymerization in a bistable system. The theory relies on a novel mass-conserving reaction–diffusion model, which associates the expansion and contraction of waves to distinct counter-propagating front solutions. Moreover, the model predicts that under a change in parameters (for example, biochemical conditions) CDRs may be pinned and fluctuate near the cell boundary or exhibit complex spiral wave dynamics due to a wave instability. We observe both phenomena also in our experiments indicating the conditions for which macropinocytosis is suppressed. PMID:28627511

Intracellular signal propagation in a two-dimensional autocatalytic reaction model.

PubMed

Castiglione, F; Bernaschi, M; Succi, S; Heinrich, R; Kirschner, M W

2002-09-01

We study a simple reaction scheme in a two-dimensional lattice of particles or molecules with a refractory state. We analyze the dynamics of the propagating front as a function of physical-chemical properties of the host medium. The anisotropy of the medium significantly affects the smoothness of the wave front. Similarly, if particles or molecules may diffuse slowly to neighboring sites, then the front wave is more likely to be irregular. Both situations affect the ability of the whole system to relax to the original state, which is a required feature in the biological cells. Attempts to map this simple reaction scheme to reactions involved in the intracellular pathways suggest that, in some cases, signal transduction might take both connotation of a random walk and a propagating wave, depending on the local density of the medium. In particular, a sufficient condition for the appearance of waves in high-density regions of the media, is the existence of at least one autocatalytic reaction in the chain of reactions characterizing the pathway.

Rapid Assessment of Wave Height Transformation through a Tidal Inlet via Radar Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz Méndez, G.; Haller, M. C.; Raubenheimer, B.; Elgar, S.; Honegger, D.

2014-12-01

Radar has the potential to enable temporally and spatially dense, continuous monitoring of waves and currents in nearshore environments. If quantitative relationships between the remote sensing signals and the hydrodynamic parameters of interest can be found, remote sensing techniques can mitigate the challenges of continuous in situ sampling and possibly enable a better understanding of wave transformation in areas with strongly inhomogeneous along and across-shore bathymetry, currents, and dissipation. As part of the DARLA experiment (New River Inlet, NC), the accuracy of a rapid assessment of wave height transformation via radar remote sensing is tested. Wave breaking events are identified in the radar image time series (Catalán et al. 2011). Once the total number of breaking waves (per radar collection) is mapped throughout the imaging domain, radar-derived bathymetry and wave frequency are used to compute wave breaking dissipation (Janssen and Battjes 2007). Given the wave breaking dissipation, the wave height transformation is calculated by finding an inverse solution to the 1D cross-shore energy flux equation (including the effect of refraction). The predicted wave height transformation is consistent (correlation R > 0.9 and rmse as low as 0.1 m) with the transformation observed with in situ sensors in an area of complex morphology and strong (> 1 m/s) tidal currents over a nine-day period. The wave forcing (i.e., radiation stress gradients) determined from the remote sensing methodology will be compared with values estimated with in situ sensors. Funded by ONR and ASD(R&E)

Laser Light Scattering by Shock Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Panda, J.; Adamovsky, G.

1995-01-01

Scattering of coherent light as it propagates parallel to a shock wave, formed in front of a bluff cylindrical body placed in a supersonic stream, is studied experimentally and numerically. Two incident optical fields are considered. First, a large diameter collimated beam is allowed to pass through the shock containing flow. The light intensity distribution in the resultant shadowgraph image, measured by a low light CCD camera, shows well-defined fringes upstream and downstream of the shadow cast by the shock. In the second situation, a narrow laser beam is brought to a grazing incidence on the shock and the scattered light, which appears as a diverging sheet from the point of interaction, is visualized and measured on a screen placed normal to the laser path. Experiments are conducted on shocks formed at various free-stream Mach numbers, M, and total pressures, P(sub 0). It is found that the widths of the shock shadows in a shadowgraph image become independent of M and P(sub 0) when plotted against the jump in the refractive index, (Delta)n, created across the shock. The total scattered light measured from the narrow laser beam and shock interaction also follows the same trend. In the numerical part of the study, the shock is assumed to be a 'phase object', which introduces phase difference between the upstream and downstream propagating parts of the light disturbances. For a given shape and (Delta)n of the bow shock the phase and amplitude modulations are first calculated by ray tracing. The wave front is then propagated to the screen using the Fresnet diffraction equation. The calculated intensity distribution, for both of the incident optical fields, shows good agreement with the experimental data.

Determination of wave speed and wave separation in the arteries.

PubMed

Khir, A W; O'Brien, A; Gibbs, J S; Parker, K H

2001-09-01

Considering waves in the arteries as infinitesimal wave fronts rather than sinusoidal wavetrains, the change in pressure across the wave front, dP, is related to the change in velocity, dU, that it induces by the "water hammer" equation, dP=+/-rhocdU, where rho is the density of blood and c is the local wave speed. When only unidirectional waves are present, this relationship corresponds to a straight line when P is plotted against U with slope rhoc. When both forward and backward waves are present, the PU-loop is no longer linear. Measurements in latex tubes and systemic and pulmonary arteries exhibit a linear range during early systole and this provides a way of determining the local wave speed from the slope of the linear portion of the loop. Once the wave speed is known, it is also possible to separate the measured P and U into their forward and backward components. In cases where reflected waves are prominent, this separation of waves can help clarify the pattern of waves in the arteries throughout the cardiac cycle.

Control of her1 expression during zebrafish somitogenesis by a Delta-dependent oscillator and an independent wave-front activity

PubMed Central

Holley, Scott A.; Geisler, Robert; Nüsslein-Volhard, Christiane

2000-01-01

Somitogenesis has been linked both to a molecular clock that controls the oscillation of gene expression in the presomitic mesoderm (PSM) and to Notch pathway signaling. The oscillator, or clock, is thought to create a prepattern of stripes of gene expression that regulates the activity of the Notch pathway that subsequently directs somite border formation. Here, we report that the zebrafish gene after eight (aei) that is required for both somitogenesis and neurogenesis encodes the Notch ligand DeltaD. Additional analysis revealed that stripes of her1 expression oscillate within the PSM and that aei/DeltaD signaling is required for this oscillation. aei/DeltaD expression does not oscillate, indicating that the activity of the Notch pathway upstream of her1 may function within the oscillator itself. Moreover, we found that her1 stripes are expressed in the anlage of consecutive somites, indicating that its expression pattern is not pair-rule. Analysis of her1 expression in aei/DeltaD, fused somites (fss), and aei;fss embryos uncovered a wave-front activity that is capable of continually inducing her1 expression de novo in the anterior PSM in the absence of the oscillation of her1. The wave-front activity, in reference to the clock and wave-front model, is defined as such because it interacts with the oscillator-derived pattern in the anterior PSM and is required for somite morphogenesis. This wave-front activity is blocked in embryos mutant for fss but not aei/DeltaD. Thus, our analysis indicates that the smooth sequence of formation, refinement, and fading of her1 stripes in the PSM is governed by two separate activities. PMID:10887161

Micro-seismic measurements of cliff motion under wave impact and implications for the development of near-horizontal shore platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickson, Mark E.; Pentney, Rachael

2012-05-01

Few high-resolution measurements of process-form interactions have been taken on rock coasts, but recent studies in California have shown that portable seismometers enable useful proxy measurements of wave-energy delivery to cliffs. Here we describe measurements over 20 days of high frequency ground motion of cliffs formed in sedimentary (flysch) rocks at Okakari Point, north of Auckland, New Zealand. Three sensors were located in a shore-normal array inland from the cliff top and a fourth sensor was bolted to a ledge 2 m above the cliff toe. The nearshore wave field in front of the cliff and shore platform was monitored using a shore-normal array of 5 wave gauges. The instrumentation provided measurements of wave-energy delivery and consequent ground motion, including the first observations of motion at the top and bottom of cliffs. Results showed that horizontal ground motion is dominant at the cliff top, whereas vertical motion is dominant at the cliff toe. Power spectra show that several high frequency peaks occur in data from the cliff toe, whereas a single, broader peak frequency occurs at the cliff top resulting from signal modification as seismic waves pass through tens of metres of cliff rock. A 100 m wide shore platform at the cliff toe fundamentally controls the patterns of observed energy delivery. The shore platform is nearly horizontal, elevated close to high water level, and abruptly plunges into water > 10 m deep at its seaward edge. As expected, the magnitude of ground motion at all sensors is greatest during larger waves. Measurements further show that ground motion, both at the bottom and top of the cliff, is strongest at low tide and weakest at high tide. This observation is opposite to that noted at Santa Cruz, where ground motion was greatest at high tide. At Okakari Point the most significant high frequency ground motions occur at low tide when waves are forced to break (sometimes violently) against the seaward edge of the shore platform. Four distinctive frequency peaks between 1 and 50 Hz increase in magnitude as tidal stage drops, implying that wave breaking against the outside edge of the shore platform represents an important source of vibration. A detailed understanding of the energy source (e.g. short duration shock pressures) and rock resonance is not provided by this study. However, quantifying the spatial and temporal patterns of energy delivery places strong emphasis on the important role of shore platform geometry in filtering wave-energy delivery to the cliff. During the 20-day experiment most wave energy was delivered to the outside edge of the shore platform, not the cliff toe. The geomorphic role of high-frequency shaking from wave impacts remains to be clearly demonstrated, but if wave impacts are capable of eroding rock then the data from this study imply that under present conditions the outside edge of the shore platform may be subject to higher erosion rates than the cliff toe. It is possible that the shore platform is currently being destroyed rather than created, but a longer programme of measurements is required to test this notion.

Speed of fast and slow rupture fronts along frictional interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trømborg, Jørgen Kjoshagen; Sveinsson, Henrik Andersen; Thøgersen, Kjetil; Scheibert, Julien; Malthe-Sørenssen, Anders

2015-07-01

The transition from stick to slip at a dry frictional interface occurs through the breaking of microjunctions between the two contacting surfaces. Typically, interactions between junctions through the bulk lead to rupture fronts propagating from weak and/or highly stressed regions, whose junctions break first. Experiments find rupture fronts ranging from quasistatic fronts, via fronts much slower than elastic wave speeds, to fronts faster than the shear wave speed. The mechanisms behind and selection between these fronts are still imperfectly understood. Here we perform simulations in an elastic two-dimensional spring-block model where the frictional interaction between each interfacial block and the substrate arises from a set of junctions modeled explicitly. We find that material slip speed and rupture front speed are proportional across the full range of front speeds we observe. We revisit a mechanism for slow slip in the model and demonstrate that fast slip and fast fronts have a different, inertial origin. We highlight the long transients in front speed even along homogeneous interfaces, and we study how both the local shear to normal stress ratio and the local strength are involved in the selection of front type and front speed. Last, we introduce an experimentally accessible integrated measure of block slip history, the Gini coefficient, and demonstrate that in the model it is a good predictor of the history-dependent local static friction coefficient of the interface. These results will contribute both to building a physically based classification of the various types of fronts and to identifying the important mechanisms involved in the selection of their propagation speed.

Stress measurements in Kuzbass mines using photoelastic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schastlivtsev, E.

1996-06-01

The basic amount of known measurements of stressed state in front of development workings' faces was carried out with the use of hydraulic sensors, which give an information about principal stresses without their separation. Besides, the availability of pipe-line and cumbersome equipment make more complicated and sometimes impossible the process of stresses' measurements during works in mining process. In our opinion, the borehole and photoelastic sensors at high degree satisfy with the conditions of stresses' measurements in front of mining workings' faces. The principal idea of the method is in the usage of proper face advancing aiming the estimation of the field stresses in its neighborhood. Borehole and photoelastic sensors, fixed in the advanced boreholes, drilled from the active face react to the field change of stresses or deformation caused by working face advancing. While obtaining this information we may judge about the distribution of additional stresses in rock of face's neighborhood and concentration of stresses in front of face. The usage of cavity (because of face advancing) in the quality of disturbing influence in combination with the properties of ring photoelastic sensor to given an information about magnitude and direction of secondary principle stresses, permits us to obtain rather a simple and not labor consuming method of investigation of field additional stresses in the working's face neighborhood.

Stochastic optimal preview control of a vehicle suspension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzbanrad, Javad; Ahmadi, Goodarz; Zohoor, Hassan; Hojjat, Yousef

2004-08-01

Stochastic optimal control of a vehicle suspension on a random road is studied. The road roughness height is modelled as a filtered white noise stochastic process and a four-degree-of-freedom half-car model is used in the analysis. It is assumed that a sensor is mounted in the front bumper that measures the road irregularity at some distances in the front of the vehicle. Two other sensors also measure relative velocities of the vehicle body with respect to the unsprung masses in the vehicle suspension spaces. All measurements are assumed to be conducted in a noisy environment. The state variables of the vehicle system are estimated using a method similar to the Kalman filter. The suspension system is optimized by minimizing the performance index containing the mean-square values of body accelerations (including effects of heave and pitch), tire deflections and front and rear suspension rattle spaces. The effect of delay between front and rear wheels is included in the analysis. For stochastic active control with and without preview, the suspension performance and the power demand are evaluated and compared with those of the passive system. The results show that the inclusion of time delay between the front and rear axles and the preview information measured by the sensor mounted on the vehicle improves all aspects of the suspension performance, while reducing the energy consumption.

Advanced integrated safeguards using front-end-triggering devices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Howell, J.A.; Whitty, W.J.

This report addresses potential uses of front-end-triggering devices for enhanced safeguards. Such systems incorporate video surveillance as well as radiation and other sensors. Also covered in the report are integration issues and analysis techniques.

Projection lenses for high-resolution ablation with excimer lasers: high-performance, wide-field and high-UV laser power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlichting, Johannes; Winkler, Kerstin; Koerner, Lienhard; Schletterer, Thomas; Burghardt, Berthold; Kahlert, Hans-Juergen

2000-10-01

The productive and accurate ablation of microstructures demands the precise imaging of a mask pattern onto the substrate under work. The job can be done with high performance wide field lenses as a key component of ablation equipment. The image field has dimensions of 20 to 30 mm. Typical dimensions and accuracy of the microstructures are in the order of some microns. On the other hand, the working depth of focus (DOF) has to be in the order of some 10 microns to be successful on drilling through 20 to 50 μm substrates. All these features have to be reached under the conditions of high power laser UV light. Some design principles for such systems are applied, such as optimum number of elements, minimum tolerance sensitivity, material restrictions for the lens elements as well as mechanical parts (mounting), restrictions of possible power densities on lens surfaces (including ghosts), matched quality for the manufactures system. The special applications require appropriate performance criteria for theoretical calculation and measurements, which allow to conclude the performance of the application. The base is wave front calculation and measurement (using Shack- Hartmann sensor) in UV. Derived criteria are calculated and compared with application results.

eXtragalactic astronomy: the X-games of adaptive optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Olivier

2000-07-01

Observing active nuclei, Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies, starburst and merging galaxies, is both a challenge and a requirement for adaptive optics. It is a requirement, because models needed to explain the high infrared flux and the physics of these monsters need constraints that come, in part, from the fine details gleaned on high angular resolution images, and it is a challenge because, being distant, these objects are usually faint in apparent visual magnitude, meaning that the wavefront sensors have to operate in a photon starved regime. Many observations have been controversial in the past, and it is always difficult to tell an artifact such as astigmatism from an inner bar. The importance of observing the point spread function is therefore even more crucial than on bright objects, as PSF reconstruction methods 'a la Veran' break down when the photon noise dominates the statistics of the wave front, or when locking the loop on extended objects. Yet, while some cases have been controversial, some very clear and profound results have been obtained in the extragalactic domain, such as the detection of host galaxy to quasars and star formation studies. It turns out that the fundamental prerequisite to such success stories is a stable, well understood and well calibrated PSF.

Embedded fiber optic sensors for monitoring processing, quality and structural health of resin transfer molded components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keulen, C.; Rocha, B.; Yildiz, M.; Suleman, A.

2011-07-01

Due to their small size and flexibility fiber optics can be embedded into composite materials with little negative effect on strength and reliability of the host material. Fiber optic sensors such as Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) or Etched Fiber Sensors (EFS) can be used to detect a number of relevant parameters such as flow, degree of cure, quality and structural health throughout the life of a composite component. With a detection algorithm these embedded sensors can be used to detect damage in real time while the component remains in service. This paper presents the research being conducted on the use of fiber optic sensors for process and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of Resin Transfer Molded (RTM) composite structures. Fiber optic sensors are used at all life stages of an RTM composite panel. A laboratory scale RTM apparatus was developed with the capability of visually monitoring the resin filling process. A technique for embedding fiber optic sensors with this apparatus has also been developed. Both FBGs and EFSs have been embedded in composite panels using the apparatus. EFSs to monitor the fabrication process, specifically resin flow have been embedded and shown to be capable of detecting the presence of resin at various locations as it is injected into the mold. Simultaneously these sensors were multiplexed on the same fiber with FBGs, which have the ability to measure strain. Since multiple sensors can be multiplexed on a single fiber the number of ingress/egress locations required per sensor can be significantly reduced. To characterize the FBGs for strain detection tensile test specimens with embedded FBG sensors have been produced. These specimens have been instrumented with a resistive strain gauge for benchmarking. Both specimens and embedded sensors were characterized through tensile testing. Furthermore FBGs have been embedded into composite panels in a manner that is conducive to detection of Lamb waves generated with a centrally located PZT. To sense Lamb waves a high speed, high precision sensing technique is required to acquire data from embedded FBGs due to the high velocities and small strain amplitudes of these guided waves. A technique based on a filter consisting of a tunable FBG was developed. Since this filter is not dependant on moving parts, tests executed with this filter concluded with the detection of Lamb waves, removing the influence of temperature and operational strains. A damage detection algorithm was developed to detect and localize cracks and delaminations.

Electrostatic Accelerometer for the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On Mission (GRACE FO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perrot, Eddy; Boulanger, Damien; Christophe, Bruno; Foulon, Bernard; Liorzou, Françoise; Lebat, Vincent

2014-05-01

The GRACE FO mission, led by the JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), is an Earth-orbiting gravity mission, continuation of the GRACE mission, that will produce an accurate model of the Earth's gravity field variation providing global climatic data during five year at least. The mission involves two satellites in a loosely controlled tandem formation, with a micro-wave link, and optionally a laser link, measuring the inter-satellites distance variation. Non-uniformities in the distribution of the Earth's mass cause the distance between the two satellites to vary. This variation is measured to recover gravity, after subtracting the non-gravitational contributors, as the residual drag. ONERA (the French Aerospace Lab) is developing, manufacturing and testing electrostatic accelerometers measuring this residual drag applied on the satellites. The accelerometer is composed of two main parts: the Sensor Unit (including the Sensor Unit Mechanics - SUM - and the Front-End Electronic Unit - FEEU) and the Interface Control Unit. In the Accelerometer Core, located in the Sensor Unit Mechanics, the proof mass is levitated and maintained in a center of an electrode cage by electrostatic forces. Thus, any drag acceleration applied on the satellite involves a variation on the servo-controlled electrostatic suspension of the mass. The voltage on the electrodes providing this electrostatic force is the measurement output of the accelerometer. The Preliminary Design Review was achieved successfully on November 2013. The FEEU Engineering Model is under test. Preliminary results on electronic unit will be compared with the expected performance. The integration of the SUM Engineering Model and the first ground levitation of the proof-mass will be presented. The impact of the accelerometer defaults (geometry, electronic and parasitic forces) leads to bias, misalignment and scale factor error, non-linearity and noise. Some of these accelerometer defaults are characterized by tests with micro-gravity pendulum bench and with drops in ZARM catapult. The post-processing needed to achieve the performance, in particular with regards to the temperature stability, will be explained.

Status of Electrostatic Accelerometer Development for Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On Mission (GRACE FO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perrot, Eddy; Boulanger, Damien; Christophe, Bruno; Foulon, Bernard; Liorzou, Françoise; Lebat, Vincent; Huynh, Phuong-Anh

2015-04-01

The GRACE FO mission, led by the JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), is an Earth-orbiting gravity mission, continuation of the GRACE mission, which will produce an accurate model of the Earth's gravity field variation providing global climatic data during five years at least. The mission involves two satellites in a loosely controlled tandem formation, with a micro-wave link measuring the inter-satellites distance variation. Earth's mass distribution non-uniformities cause variations of the inter-satellite distance. This variation is measured to recover gravity, after subtracting the non-gravitational contributors, as the residual drag. ONERA (the French Aerospace Lab) is developing, manufacturing and testing electrostatic accelerometers measuring this residual drag applied on the satellites. The accelerometer is composed of two main parts: the Sensor Unit (including the Sensor Unit Mechanics - SUM - and the Front-End Electronic Unit - FEEU) and the Interface Control Unit - ICU. In the Accelerometer Core, located in the Sensor Unit Mechanics, the proof mass is levitated and maintained at the center of an electrode cage by electrostatic forces. Thus, any drag acceleration applied on the satellite involves a variation on the servo-controlled electrostatic suspension of the mass. The voltage on the electrodes providing this electrostatic force is the measurement output of the accelerometer. The impact of the accelerometer defaults (geometry, electronic and parasitic forces) leads to bias, misalignment and scale factor error, non-linearity and noise. Some of these accelerometer defaults are characterized by tests with micro-gravity pendulum bench on ground and with drops in ZARM catapult. The Critical Design Review was achieved successfully on September 2014. The Engineering Model (EM) was integrated and tested successfully, with ground levitation, drops, Electromagnetic Compatibility and thermal vacuum. The integration of the first Flight Model has begun on December 2014 and will be achieved on January 2015. The results of the Engineering Model tests and the status of the Flight Models will be presented.

Tests Results of the Electrostatic Accelerometer Flight Models for Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On Mission (GRACE FO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perrot, E.; Boulanger, D.; Christophe, B.; Foulon, B.; Lebat, V.; Huynh, P. A.; Liorzou, F.

2015-12-01

The GRACE FO mission, led by the JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), is an Earth-orbiting gravity mission, continuation of the GRACE mission, which will produce an accurate model of the Earth's gravity field variation providing global climatic data during five years at least. The mission involves two satellites in a loosely controlled tandem formation, with a micro-wave link measuring the inter-satellites distance variation. Earth's mass distribution non-uniformities cause variations of the inter-satellite distance. This variation is measured to recover gravity, after subtracting the non-gravitational contributors, as the residual drag. ONERA (the French Aerospace Lab) is developing, manufacturing and testing electrostatic accelerometers measuring this residual drag applied on the satellites. The accelerometer is composed of two main parts: the Sensor Unit (including the Sensor Unit Mechanics - SUM - and the Front-End Electronic Unit - FEEU) and the Interface Control Unit - ICU. In the Accelerometer Core, located in the Sensor Unit Mechanics, the proof mass is levitated and maintained at the center of an electrode cage by electrostatic forces. Thus, any drag acceleration applied on the satellite involves a variation on the servo-controlled electrostatic suspension of the mass. The voltage on the electrodes providing this electrostatic force is the output measurement of the accelerometer. The impact of the accelerometer defaults (geometry, electronic and parasitic forces) leads to bias, misalignment and scale factor error, non-linearity and noise. Some of these accelerometer defaults are characterized by tests with micro-gravity pendulum bench on ground and with drops in ZARM catapult. The Critical Design Review was achieved successfully on September 2014. The Engineering Model (EM) was integrated and tested successfully, with ground levitation, drops, Electromagnetic Compatibility and thermal vacuum. The integration of the two Flight Models was done on July 2015. The tests will be achieved from July to November 2015. The results of the Engineering Model and Flight Models tests will be presented.

NIMBUS-ERB instrument study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swedberg, J. L.; Maschhogg, R. H.

1982-01-01

Characterization studies were performed on flight spare ERB wide field of view Earth flux sensors. Field of view sensitivity profiles were determined for total energy sensors with and without painted baffles. Similarly, sensors with filter domes were also characterized in terms of field of view. The transient response of sensors with filter domes was determined for both long wave and short wave radiation. Long wave radiation interacts directly with the quartz dome causing undesired responses. While short wave radiation was shown not to interact with the domes, modules as a whole exhibited a secondary response to bursts of short wave radiation indicative of a heating mechanism. How the results of this characterization can or should be applied to the data emanating from these sensors on ERB-6 and 7 is outlined.

Patterns of spiral wave attenuation by low-frequency periodic planar fronts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de la Casa, Miguel A.; de la Rubia, F. Javier; Ivanov, Plamen Ch.

2007-03-01

There is evidence that spiral waves and their breakup underlie mechanisms related to a wide spectrum of phenomena ranging from spatially extended chemical reactions to fatal cardiac arrhythmias [A. T. Winfree, The Geometry of Biological Time (Springer-Verlag, New York, 2001); J. Schutze, O. Steinbock, and S. C. Muller, Nature 356, 45 (1992); S. Sawai, P. A. Thomason, and E. C. Cox, Nature 433, 323 (2005); L. Glass and M. C. Mackey, From Clocks to Chaos: The Rhythms of Life (Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1988); R. A. Gray et al., Science 270, 1222 (1995); F. X. Witkowski et al., Nature 392, 78 (1998)]. Once initiated, spiral waves cannot be suppressed by periodic planar fronts, since the domains of the spiral waves grow at the expense of the fronts [A. N. Zaikin and A. M. Zhabotinsky, Nature 225, 535 (1970); A. T. Stamp, G. V. Osipov, and J. J. Collins, Chaos 12, 931 (2002); I. Aranson, H. Levine, and L. Tsimring, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 1170 (1996); K. J. Lee, Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 2907 (1997); F. Xie, Z. Qu, J. N. Weiss, and A. Garfinkel, Phys. Rev. E 59, 2203 (1999)]. Here, we show that introducing periodic planar waves with long excitation duration and a period longer than the rotational period of the spiral can lead to spiral attenuation. The attenuation is not due to spiral drift and occurs periodically over cycles of several fronts, forming a variety of complex spatiotemporal patterns, which fall into two distinct general classes. Further, we find that these attenuation patterns only occur at specific phases of the descending fronts relative to the rotational phase of the spiral. We demonstrate these dynamics of phase-dependent spiral attenuation by performing numerical simulations of wave propagation in the excitable medium of myocardial cells. The effect of phase-dependent spiral attenuation we observe can lead to a general approach to spiral control in physical and biological systems with relevance for medical applications.

Wave activity in the neighborhood of the bowshock of Mars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sagdeev, R.Z.; Shapiro, V.D.; Shevchenko, V.I.

Plasma wave activity in the neighborhood of the Martial bow shock were measured for the first time by the Soviet spacecraft Phobos-2 in a wide frequency range from dc to 150 kHz. The wave activity varied in character as the spacecraft moved across different plasma regions: in the neighborhood of the Martian bow shock, inside the magnetosheath and in the tail region. In this paper the authors provide suggestions for the processes responsible for these plasma waves. The most interesting peculiarities of the wave activity around Mars is the sharp increase of wave intensity in the magnetosheath region. This increasemore » is attributed to two different physical mechanisms. High frequency waves are excited at the shock front due to currents flowing along the front; these ion acoustic waves are convected inside by the solar wind. The low frequency waves ({approximately}100 Hz) close to the inside boundary were, they believe, generated by heavy Martian ions diffusing through the planetopause into the magnetosheath.« less

Acoustic-wave sensor for ambient monitoring of a photoresist-stripping agent

DOEpatents

Pfeifer, K.B.; Hoyt, A.E.; Frye, G.C.

1998-08-18

The acoustic-wave sensor is disclosed. The acoustic-wave sensor is designed for ambient or vapor-phase monitoring of a photoresist-stripping agent such as N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP), ethoxyethylpropionate (EEP) or the like. The acoustic-wave sensor comprises an acoustic-wave device such as a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) device, a flexural-plate-wave (FPW) device, an acoustic-plate-mode (APM) device, or a thickness-shear-mode (TSM) device (also termed a quartz crystal microbalance or QCM) having a sensing region on a surface thereof. The sensing region includes a sensing film for sorbing a quantity of the photoresist-stripping agent, thereby altering or shifting a frequency of oscillation of an acoustic wave propagating through the sensing region for indicating an ambient concentration of the agent. According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the acoustic-wave device is a SAW device; and the sensing film comprises poly(vinylacetate), poly(N-vinylpyrrolidinone), or poly(vinylphenol). 3 figs.

Acoustic-wave sensor for ambient monitoring of a photoresist-stripping agent

DOEpatents

Pfeifer, Kent B.; Hoyt, Andrea E.; Frye, Gregory C.

1998-01-01

The acoustic-wave sensor. The acoustic-wave sensor is designed for ambient or vapor-phase monitoring of a photoresist-stripping agent such as N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP), ethoxyethylpropionate (EEP) or the like. The acoustic-wave sensor comprises an acoustic-wave device such as a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) device, a flexural-plate-wave (FPW) device, an acoustic-plate-mode (APM) device, or a thickness-shear-mode (TSM) device (also termed a quartz crystal microbalance or QCM) having a sensing region on a surface thereof. The sensing region includes a sensing film for sorbing a quantity of the photoresist-stripping agent, thereby altering or shifting a frequency of oscillation of an acoustic wave propagating through the sensing region for indicating an ambient concentration of the agent. According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the acoustic-wave device is a SAW device; and the sensing film comprises poly(vinylacetate), poly(N-vinylpyrrolidinone), or poly(vinylphenol).

Sniffing lung cancer related biomarkers using an oxidized graphene SAW sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xin-Fang; Zhang, Zheng-Wei; He, Yan-Lan; Liu, Yi-Xing; Li, Shuang; Fang, Jing-Yue; Zhang, Xue-Ao; Peng, Gang

2016-04-01

Decane is one of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human breath. Successful detection of decane in human breath has vast prospects for early lung cancer diagnosis. In this paper, a novel detecting device based on a filter surface acoustic wave (SAW) gas sensor is presented. SAW sensors coated with a thin oxidized graphene film were used to detect decane in parts per million (ppm) concentrations. Control and signal detection circuits were designed using a vector network analyzer with a detection resolution of insertion loss down to 0.0001 dB. The results showed that the SAW sensor could respond quickly with great sensitivity when exposed to 0.2 ppm decane. This device shows tremendous potential in medical diagnosis and environmental assessment.

Precision Targeting With a Tracking Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

automatic high- resolution mosaic generation, and automatic blink detection and tracking re-lock were also tested. The system has the potential to become an...structures can lead to earlier detection of retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Combined...optics systems sense perturbations in the detected wave-front and apply corrections to an optical element that flatten the wave-front and allow near

Experimental Investigation of Turbojet Thrust Augmentation Using an Ejector

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

mechanisms in which a particle can exchange energy. Thrust augmenting devices can be divided into two categories: ones that exchange net work or heat and...two categories from the energy equation discussion above. Thrust augmentation is achieved through turbulent entrainment where work and/or heat is...front sustained by compression waves from a trailing reaction zone. A deflagration wave is a subsonic flame front sustained by heat transfer

Processes affecting suspended sediment transport in the mid-field plume region of the Rhine River, Netherlands.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, R. P.; Rijnsburger, S.; Horner-Devine, A.; Souza, A. J.; Pietrzak, J.

2016-02-01

This work will describe dominant processes affecting suspended sediment transport along the Dutch coast, in the mid-field plume region of the Rhine River. We will present field observations from two long-term deployments conducted in the vicinity of the Sand Engine, a mega-nourishment experiment located 10 km north of the Rhine river mouth. To investigate the role of density stratification, winds, tides, waves and river plume processes on sediment transport, frames and moorings were deployed within the excursion of the tidal plume front generated by the freshwater outflow from the Rhine River for 4 and 6 weeks during years 2013 and 2014, respectively. The moorings were designed to measure vertical profiles of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and salinity, using arrays of CTDs and OBS sensors. Mean tidal velocities were measured using bottom-mounted ADCPs. The near-bed dynamics and the near-bottom sediment concentrations were measured as well using a set of synchronized ADVs and OBSs. By combining the two deployments we observe hydrodynamics and suspended sediment dynamics under a wide range of forcing conditions. Preliminary observations indicate that stratification is highly dependent on wind magnitude and direction, and its role is primarily identified as to induce significant cross-shore sediment transport product of the generation of cross-shore velocities due to the modification of the tidal ellipses and the passage of the surface plume front. The passage of the surface plume front generates strong offshore currents near the bottom, producing transport events that can be similar in magnitude to the dominant alongshore transport. Preliminary results also indicate that storms play an important role in alongshore transport primarily by wave-induced sediment resuspension, but as stratification is suppressed due to the enhancement of mixing processes, no significant cross-shore transport is observed during very energetic conditions.

Development of the Tropospheric Water Vapor and Cloud ICE (TWICE) Millimeter- and Sub-millimeter Wave Radiometer Instrument for 6U-Class Nanosatellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reising, S. C.; Kangaslahti, P.; Schlecht, E.; Bosch-Lluis, X.; Ogut, M.; Padmanabhan, S.; Cofield, R.; Chahat, N.; Brown, S. T.; Jiang, J. H.; Deal, W.; Zamora, A.; Leong, K.; Shih, S.; Mei, G.

2015-12-01

Measurements of upper-tropospheric water vapor and cloud ice at a variety of local times are critically needed to provide information not currently available from microwave sensors in sun-synchronous orbits. Such global measurements would enable increasingly accurate cloud and moisture simulations in global circulation models, improving both climate predictions and knowledge of their uncertainty. In addition, this capability would address the need for measurements of cloud ice particle size distribution and water content in both clean and polluted environments. Complementary measurements of aerosol pollution would allow investigation of its effects on cloud properties and climate. This is particularly important since the uncertainty in the aerosol effect on climate is at least four times as great as the uncertainty in greenhouse gas effects. To address this unmet need, a collaborative team among Colorado State University, Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Northrop Grumman Corporation is developing and fabricating the Tropospheric Water and Cloud ICE (TWICE) radiometer instrument. TWICE is designed with size, mass, power consumption and downlink data rate compatible with deployment aboard a 6U-Class nanosatellite. TWICE is advancing the state of the art of spaceborne millimeter- and submillimeter-wave radiometers by transitioning from Schottky mixer-based front ends to InP HEMT MMIC low-noise amplifier front ends, substantially reducing the radiometer's mass, volume and power consumption. New low-noise amplifiers and related front-end components are being designed and fabricated by JPL and Northrop Grumman based on InP HEMT MMIC technology up to 670 GHz. The TWICE instrument will provide 16 radiometer channels, including window frequencies near 240, 310 and 670 GHz to perform ice particle sizing and determine total ice water content, as well as four sounding channels each near 118 GHz for temperature sounding and near 183 GHz and 380 GHz for water vapor sounding during nearly all weather conditions, particularly useful in the upper troposphere in the presence of ice clouds.

A contactless ultrasonic surface wave approach to characterize distributed cracking damage in concrete.

PubMed

Ham, Suyun; Song, Homin; Oelze, Michael L; Popovics, John S

2017-03-01

We describe an approach that utilizes ultrasonic surface wave backscatter measurements to characterize the volume content of relatively small distributed defects (microcrack networks) in concrete. A simplified weak scattering model is used to demonstrate that the scattered wave field projected in the direction of the surface wave propagation is relatively insensitive to scatterers that are smaller than the propagating wavelength, while the scattered field projected in the opposite direction is more sensitive to sub-wavelength scatterers. Distributed microcracks in the concrete serve as the small scatterers that interact with a propagating surface wave. Data from a finite element simulation were used to demonstrate the viability of the proposed approach, and also to optimize a testing configuration to collect data. Simulations were validated through experimental measurements of ultrasonic backscattered surface waves from test samples of concrete constructed with different concentrations of fiber filler (0.0, 0.3 and 0.6%) to mimic increasing microcrack volume density and then samples with actual cracking induced by controlled thermal cycles. A surface wave was induced in the concrete samples by a 50kHz ultrasonic source operating 10mm above the surface at an angle of incidence of 9°. Silicon-based miniature MEMS acoustic sensors located a few millimeters above the concrete surface both behind and in front of the sender were used to detect leaky ultrasonic surface waves emanating from concrete. A normalized backscattered energy parameter was calculated from the signals. Statistically significant differences in the normalized backscattered energy were observed between concrete samples with varying levels of simulated and actual cracking damage volume. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of a finite outer scale on the measurement of atmospheric-turbulence statistics with a Hartmann wave-front sensor.

PubMed

Feng, Shen; Wenhan, Jiang

2002-06-10

Phase-structure and aperture-averaged slope-correlated functions with a finite outer scale are derived based on the Taylor hypothesis and a generalized spectrum, such as the von Kármán modal. The effects of the finite outer scale on measuring and determining the character of atmospheric-turbulence statistics are shown especially for an approximately 4-m class telescope and subaperture. The phase structure function and atmospheric coherent length based on the Kolmogorov model are approximations of the formalism we have derived. The analysis shows that it cannot be determined whether the deviation from the power-law parameter of Kolmogorov turbulence is caused by real variations of the spectrum or by the effect of the finite outer scale.

Electrostatic Accelerometer for the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On Mission (GRACE FO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebat, V.; Foulon, B.; Christophe, B.

2013-12-01

The GRACE FO mission, led by the JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), is an Earth-orbiting gravity mission, continuation of the GRACE mission, that will produce an accurate model of the Earth's gravity field variation providing global climatic data during five year at least. The mission involves two satellites in a loosely controlled tandem formation, with a micro-wave link measuring the inter-satellites distance variation. Non-uniformities in the distribution of the Earth's mass cause the distance between the two satellites to vary. This variation is measured to recover gravity, after subtracting the non-gravitational contributors, as the residual drag. ONERA (the French Aerospace Lab) is developing, manufacturing and testing electrostatic accelerometers measuring this residual drag applied on the satellites. The accelerometer is composed of two main parts: the Sensor Unit (including the Sensor Unit Mechanics and the Front-End Electronic Unit) and the Interface Control Unit. In the Accelerometer Core, located in the Sensor Unit Mechanics, the proof mass is levitated and maintained in a center of an electrode cage by electrostatic forces. Thus, any drag acceleration applied on the satellite involves a variation on the servo-controlled electrostatic suspension of the mass. The voltage on the electrodes providing this electrostatic force is the measurement output of the accelerometer. The impact of the accelerometer defaults (geometry, electronic and parasitic forces) leads to bias, misalignment and scale factor error, non-linearity and noise. Some of these accelerometer defaults are characterized by tests with micro-gravity pendulum bench and with drops in ZARM catapult. Besides, a thermal stability is needed for the accelerometer core and front-end electronics to avoid bias and scale factor variation, and reached by a thermal box designed by Astrium, spacecraft manufacturer. The accelerometers are designed to endure the launch vibrations and the thermal environment at ground and in orbit. As the measure must be accurate, no sliding of the core must appear in regard of the accelerometer external reference. To ensure the thermal core stability, the electrode cage of the core is made of glass material (ULE), which is very critical, in particular due to the free motion of the proof-mass during the launch. To assess the design of the accelerometer in particular the critical parts of the core, specific analysis is realized to ensure mechanical behavior. The design of electrostatic accelerometer of the GRACE Follow-On mission benefits of the GRACE heritage, GOCE launched in 2009 and MICROSCOPE which will be launched in 2016, including some improvement to improve the performance, in particular the thermal sensitivity of the measurements. The Preliminary Design Review of electronics was achieved successfully on July 2013, and the PDR of the whole instrument is forecasted on November 2013. The integration of the Engineering Model will begin on October 2013 and its status will be presented.

Upper ocean fine-scale features in synthetic aperture radar imagery. Part I: Simultaneous satellite and in-situ measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soloviev, A.; Maingot, C.; Matt, S.; Fenton, J.; Lehner, S.; Brusch, S.; Perrie, W. A.; Zhang, B.

2011-12-01

The new generation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites provides high resolution images that open new opportunities for identifying and studying fine features in the upper ocean. The problem is, however, that SAR images of the sea surface can be affected by atmospheric phenomena (rain cells, fronts, internal waves, etc.). Implementation of in-situ techniques in conjunction with SAR is instrumental for discerning the origin of features on the image. This work is aimed at the interpretation of natural and artificial features in SAR images. These features can include fresh water lenses, sharp frontal interfaces, internal wave signatures, as well as slicks of artificial and natural origin. We have conducted field experiments in the summer of 2008 and 2010 and in the spring of 2011 to collect in-situ measurements coordinated with overpasses of the TerraSAR-X, RADARSAT-2, ALOS PALSAR, and COSMO SkyMed satellites. The in-situ sensors deployed in the Straits of Florida included a vessel-mounted sonar and CTD system to record near-surface data on stratification and frontal boundaries, a bottom-mounted Nortek AWAC system to gather information on currents and directional wave spectra, an ADCP mooring at a 240 m isobath, and a meteorological station. A nearby NOAA NEXRAD Doppler radar station provided a record of rainfall in the area. Controlled releases of menhaden fish oil were performed from our vessel before several satellite overpasses in order to evaluate the effect of surface active materials on visibility of sea surface features in SAR imagery under different wind-wave conditions. We found evidence in the satellite images of rain cells, squall lines, internal waves of atmospheric and possibly oceanic origin, oceanic frontal interfaces and submesoscale eddies, as well as anthropogenic signatures of ships and their wakes, and near-shore surface slicks. The combination of satellite imagery and coordinated in-situ measurements was helpful in interpreting fine-scale features on the sea surface observed in the SAR images and, in some cases, linking them to thermohaline features in the upper ocean. Finally, we have been able to reproduce SAR signatures of freshwater plumes and sharp frontal interfaces interacting with wind stress, as well as internal waves by combining hydrodynamic simulations with a radar imaging algorithm. The modeling results are presented in a companion paper (Matt et al., 2011).

In Situ Guided Wave Structural Health Monitoring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, George; Tittmann, Bernhard R.

2011-01-01

Aircraft engine rotating equipment operates at high temperatures and stresses. Noninvasive inspection of microcracks in those components poses a challenge for nondestructive evaluation. A low-cost, low-profile, high-temperature ultrasonic guided wave sensor was developed that detects cracks in situ. The transducer design provides nondestructive evaluation of structures and materials. A key feature of the sensor is that it withstands high temperatures and excites strong surface wave energy to inspect surface and subsurface cracks. The sol-gel bismuth titanate-based surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor can generate efficient SAWs for crack inspection. The sensor is very thin (submillimeter) and can generate surface waves up to 540 C. Finite element analysis of the SAW transducer design was performed to predict the sensor behavior, and experimental studies confirmed the results. The sensor can be implemented on structures of various shapes. With a spray-coating process, the sensor can be applied to the surface of large curvatures. It has minimal effect on airflow or rotating equipment imbalance, and provides good sensitivity.

Slide-induced waves, seiching and ground fracturing caused by the earthquake of March 27, 1964 at Kenai Lake, Alaska: Chapter A in The Alaska earthquake, March 27, 1964: regional effects

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCulloch, David S.

1966-01-01

The March 27, 1964, earthquake dislodged slides from nine deltas in Kenai Lake, south-central Alaska. Sliding removed protruding parts of deltas-often the youngest parts-and steepened delta fronts, increasing the chances of further sliding. Fathograms show that debris from large slides spread widely over the lake floor, some reaching the toe of the opposite shore; at one place debris traveled 5,000 feet over the horizontal lake floor. Slides generated two kinds of local waves: a backfill and far-shore wave. Backfill waves were formed by water that rushed toward the delta to fill the void left by the sinking slide mass, overtopped the slide scrap, and came ashore over the delta. Some backfill waves had runup heights of 30 feet and ran inland more than 300 feet, uprooting and breaking off large trees. Far-shore waves hit the shore opposite the slides. They were formed by slide debris that crossed the lake floor and forced water ahead of it, which then ran up the opposite slope, burst above the lake surface, and struck the shore. One far-shore wave had a runup height of 72 feet. Kenai Lake was tilted and seiched; a power spectrum analysis of a limnogram shows a wave having the period of the calculated uninodal seiche (36 minutes) and several shorter period waves. In constricted and shallow reaches, waves caused by seiching had 20- and 30-foot runup heights. Deep lateral spreading of sediments toward delta margins displaced deeply driven railroad-bridge piles, and set up stress fields in the surface sediments which resulted in the formation of many shear and some tension fractures on the surface of two deltas.

Facies-dependent variations in sediment physical properties on the Mississippi River Delta Front, USA: evidence for depositional and post-depositional processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, J. E., IV; Bentley, S. J.; Courtois, A. J.; Obelcz, J.; Chaytor, J. D.; Maloney, J. M.; Georgiou, I. Y.; Xu, K.; Miner, M. D.

2017-12-01

Recent studies on Mississippi River Delta have documented sub-aerial land loss, driven in part by declining sediment load over the past century. Impacts of changing sediment load on the subaqueous delta are less well known. The subaqueous Mississippi River Delta Front is known to be shaped by extensive submarine mudflows operating at a range of temporal and spatial scales, however impacts of changing sediment delivery on mudflow deposits have not been investigated. To better understand seabed morphology and stratigraphy as impacted by plume sedimentation and mudflows, an integrated geological/geophysical study was undertaken in delta front regions offshore the three main passes of the Mississippi River Delta. This study focuses on stratigraphy and physical properties of 30 piston cores (5-9 m length) collected in June 2017. Coring locations were selected in gully, lobe and prodelta settings based on multibeam bathymetry and seismic profiles collected in mid-May 2017. Cores were analyzed for density, magnetic susceptibility, P-wave speed, and resistivity using a Geotek multi sensor core logger; here, we focus on density data. Core density profiles generally vary systematically across facies. Density profiles of gully cores are nearly invariant with some downward stepwise increases delineating units meters thick, and abundant gaps likely caused by gas expansion. Lobe cores generally have subtle downward increases in density, some stepwise density increases, and fewer gaps. Prodelta cores show more pronounced downward density increases, decimeter-scale peaks and valleys in density profiles, but stepwise increases are less evident. We hypothesize that density profiles in gully and lobe settings (uniform profiles except for stepwise increases) reflect remolding by mudflows, whereas density variations in prodelta settings instead reflect grain size variations (decimeter-scale) and more advanced consolidation (overall downward density increase) consistent with slower sediment deposition. These hypotheses will be evaluated by a more detailed study of seismic stratigraphy and core properties, including geochronology, grain size distribution and X-radiographic imaging, to further relate important sedimentary processes with resulting deposits.

Improved artificial bee colony algorithm for wavefront sensor-less system in free space optical communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Chaojun; Han, Xiang'e.

2015-10-01

Adaptive optics (AO) technology is an effective way to alleviate the effect of turbulence on free space optical communication (FSO). A new adaptive compensation method can be used without a wave-front sensor. Artificial bee colony algorithm (ABC) is a population-based heuristic evolutionary algorithm inspired by the intelligent foraging behaviour of the honeybee swarm with the advantage of simple, good convergence rate, robust and less parameter setting. In this paper, we simulate the application of the improved ABC to correct the distorted wavefront and proved its effectiveness. Then we simulate the application of ABC algorithm, differential evolution (DE) algorithm and stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm to the FSO system and analyze the wavefront correction capabilities by comparison of the coupling efficiency, the error rate and the intensity fluctuation in different turbulence before and after the correction. The results show that the ABC algorithm has much faster correction speed than DE algorithm and better correct ability for strong turbulence than SPGD algorithm. Intensity fluctuation can be effectively reduced in strong turbulence, but not so effective in week turbulence.

Technical instrumentation R&D for ILD SiW ECAL large scale device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balagura, V.

2018-03-01

Calorimeters with silicon detectors have many unique features and are proposed for several world-leading experiments. We describe the R&D program of the large scale detector element with up to 12 000 readout channels for the International Large Detector (ILD) at the future e+e‑ ILC collider. The program is focused on the readout front-end electronics embedded inside the calorimeter. The first part with 2 000 channels and two small silicon sensors has already been constructed, the full prototype is planned for the beginning of 2018.

Method of Laser Vibration Defect Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-04

415. In one embodiment, the frequencies from the reflected ultrasonic wave 430 are sensed and transformed to an electrical signal by transducer...actuator and sensor patches, respectively. Then, a process module loads sensor signal data to identify wave modes, determine the time of arrival of...conditions. An interrogation system includes at least one wave generator for generating a wave signal and optical fiber sensors applied to a structure

All-optical dynamic correction of distorted communication signals using a photorefractive polymeric hologram

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guoqiang; Eralp, Muhsin; Thomas, Jayan; Tay, Savaş; Schülzgen, Axel; Norwood, Robert A.; Peyghambarian, N.

2005-04-01

All-optical real-time dynamic correction of wave front aberrations for image transmission is demonstrated using a photorefractive polymeric hologram. The material shows video rate response time with a low power laser. High-fidelity, high-contrast images can be reconstructed when the oil-filled phase plate generating atmospheric-like wave front aberrations is moved at 0.3mm/s. The architecture based on four-wave mixing has potential application in free-space optical communication, remote sensing, and dynamic tracking. The system offers a cost-effective alternative to closed-loop adaptive optics systems.

Nuclear reactions in shock wave front during supernova events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lavrukhina, A. K.

1985-01-01

The new unique isotopic anomalous coponent of Xe(XeX) was found in the carbonaceous chondrites. It is enriched in light shielded isotopes (124Xe and 126Xe) and in heavy nonshielded isotopes (134Xe and 136Xe. All characteristics of Xe-X can be explained by a model of nucleosynthesis of the Xe isotopes in shock wave front passed through the He envelope during supernova events. The light isotopes are created by p process and the heavy isotopes are created by n process (slow r process). They were captured with high temperature carbon grains condensing by supernova shock waves.

Experimental investigation on the characteristics of supersonic fuel spray and configurations of induced shock waves.

PubMed

Wang, Yong; Yu, Yu-Song; Li, Guo-Xiu; Jia, Tao-Ming

2017-01-05

The macro characteristics and configurations of induced shock waves of the supersonic sprays are investigated by experimental methods. Visualization study of spray shape is carried out with the high-speed camera. The macro characteristics including spray tip penetration, velocity of spray tip and spray angle are analyzed. The configurations of shock waves are investigated by Schlieren technique. For supersonic sprays, the concept of spray front angle is presented. Effects of Mach number of spray on the spray front angle are investigated. The results show that the shape of spray tip is similar to blunt body when fuel spray is at transonic region. If spray entered the supersonic region, the oblique shock waves are induced instead of normal shock wave. With the velocity of spray increasing, the spray front angle and shock wave angle are increased. The tip region of the supersonic fuel spray is commonly formed a cone. Mean droplet diameter of fuel spray is measured using Malvern's Spraytec. Then the mean droplet diameter results are compared with three popular empirical models (Hiroyasu's, Varde's and Merrigton's model). It is found that the Merrigton's model shows a relative good correlation between models and experimental results. Finally, exponent of injection velocity in the Merrigton's model is fitted with experimental results.

Experimental investigation on the characteristics of supersonic fuel spray and configurations of induced shock waves

PubMed Central

Wang, Yong; Yu, Yu-song; Li, Guo-xiu; Jia, Tao-ming

2017-01-01

The macro characteristics and configurations of induced shock waves of the supersonic sprays are investigated by experimental methods. Visualization study of spray shape is carried out with the high-speed camera. The macro characteristics including spray tip penetration, velocity of spray tip and spray angle are analyzed. The configurations of shock waves are investigated by Schlieren technique. For supersonic sprays, the concept of spray front angle is presented. Effects of Mach number of spray on the spray front angle are investigated. The results show that the shape of spray tip is similar to blunt body when fuel spray is at transonic region. If spray entered the supersonic region, the oblique shock waves are induced instead of normal shock wave. With the velocity of spray increasing, the spray front angle and shock wave angle are increased. The tip region of the supersonic fuel spray is commonly formed a cone. Mean droplet diameter of fuel spray is measured using Malvern’s Spraytec. Then the mean droplet diameter results are compared with three popular empirical models (Hiroyasu’s, Varde’s and Merrigton’s model). It is found that the Merrigton’s model shows a relative good correlation between models and experimental results. Finally, exponent of injection velocity in the Merrigton’s model is fitted with experimental results. PMID:28054555

High-frequency shear-horizontal surface acoustic wave sensor

DOEpatents

Branch, Darren W

2013-05-07

A Love wave sensor uses a single-phase unidirectional interdigital transducer (IDT) on a piezoelectric substrate for leaky surface acoustic wave generation. The IDT design minimizes propagation losses, bulk wave interferences, provides a highly linear phase response, and eliminates the need for impedance matching. As an example, a high frequency (.about.300-400 MHz) surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducer enables efficient excitation of shear-horizontal waves on 36.degree. Y-cut lithium tantalate (LTO) giving a highly linear phase response (2.8.degree. P-P). The sensor has the ability to detect at the pg/mm.sup.2 level and can perform multi-analyte detection in real-time. The sensor can be used for rapid autonomous detection of pathogenic microorganisms and bioagents by field deployable platforms.

High-frequency shear-horizontal surface acoustic wave sensor

DOEpatents

Branch, Darren W

2014-03-11

A Love wave sensor uses a single-phase unidirectional interdigital transducer (IDT) on a piezoelectric substrate for leaky surface acoustic wave generation. The IDT design minimizes propagation losses, bulk wave interferences, provides a highly linear phase response, and eliminates the need for impedance matching. As an example, a high frequency (.about.300-400 MHz) surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducer enables efficient excitation of shear-horizontal waves on 36.degree. Y-cut lithium tantalate (LTO) giving a highly linear phase response (2.8.degree. P-P). The sensor has the ability to detect at the pg/mm.sup.2 level and can perform multi-analyte detection in real-time. The sensor can be used for rapid autonomous detection of pathogenic microorganisms and bioagents by field deployable platforms.

Understanding plume splitting of laser ablated plasma: A view from ion distribution dynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Jian; Li, Xingwen; Wei, Wenfu

2013-11-15

Plume splitting in low-pressure ambient air was understood in view of ion distribution dynamics from the laser ablated Al plasma (1064 nm 0.57 J/mm{sup 2}) by combining fast photography and spatially resolved spectroscopy. In the beginning, the spectral lines were mainly from the Al III ion. Then, the Bragg peak in stopping power of the ambient gas to Al III could be the dominant reason for the enhanced emission from the fast moving part, and the recombination of Al III to Al I-II ions near the target surface was response to the radiations from the slow moving/stationary part. As themore » ambient gas pressure increased, stopping distances of the Al III decreased, and radiation from the air ions became pronounced. The laser shadowgraph image at 1100 Pa indicated that the shock wave front located between the fast moving and slow moving parts. Electron densities of the fast moving plasma, which peaked at the plasma front, were on the order of 10{sup 16} cm{sup −3}, and the electron temperatures were 2–3 eV.« less

Behavior of piezoelectric wafer active sensor in various media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamas, Tuncay

The dissertation addresses structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques using ultrasonic waves generated by piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) with an emphasis on the development of theoretical models of standing harmonic waves and guided waves. The focal objective of the research is to extend the theoretical study of electro-mechanical coupled PWAS as a resonator/transducer that interacts with standing and traveling waves in various media through electro-mechanical impedance spectroscopy (EMIS) method and guided wave propagation. The analytical models are developed and the coupled field finite element analysis (CF-FEA) models are simulated and verified with experiments. The dissertation is divided into two parts with respect to the developments in EMIS methods and GWP methods. In the first part, analytical and finite element models have been developed for the simulation of PWAS-EMIS in in-plane (longitudinal) and out-of-plane (thickness) mode. Temperature effects on free PWAS-EMIS are also discussed with respect to the in-plane mode. Piezoelectric material degradation on certain electrical and mechanical properties as the temperature increases is simulated by our analytical model for in-plane circular PWAS-EMIS that agrees well with the sets of experiments. Then the thickness mode PWAS-EMIS model was further developed for a PWAS resonator bonded on a plate-like structure. The latter analytical model was to determine the resonance frequencies for the normal mode expansion method through the global matrix method by considering PWAS-substrate and proof mass-PWAS-substrate models. The proof mass concept was adapted to shift the systems resonance frequencies in thickness mode. PWAS in contact with liquid medium on one of its surface has been analytically modeled and simulated the electro-mechanical response of PWAS with various liquids with different material properties such as the density and the viscosity. The second part discusses the guided wave propagation in elastic structures. The feature guided waves in thick structures and in high frequency range are discussed considering weld guided quasi-Rayleigh waves. Furthermore, the weld guided quasi Rayleigh waves and their interaction with damages in thick plates and thick walled pipes are examined by the finite element models and experiments. The dissertation finishes with a summary of contributions followed by conclusions, and suggestions for future work.

Initiation and structures of gaseous detonation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasil'ev, A. A.; Vasiliev, V. A.

2018-03-01

The analysis of the initiation of a detonation wave (DW) and the emergence of a multi-front structure of the DW-front are presented. It is shown that the structure of the DW arises spontaneously at the stage of a strong overdriven of the wave. The hypothesis of the gradual enhancement of small perturbations on an initially smooth initiating blast wave, traditionally used in the numerical simulation of multi-front detonation, does not agree with the experimental data. The instability of the DW is due to the chemical energy release of the combustible mixture Q. A technique for determining the Q-value of mixture was proposed, based on reconstruction of the trajectory of the expanding wave from the position of the strong explosion model. The wave trajectory at the critical initiation of a multifront detonation in a combustible mixture is compared with the trajectory of an explosive wave from the same initiator in an inert mixture whose gas-dynamic parameters are equivalent to the parameters of the combustible mixture. The energy release of a mixture is defined as the difference in the joint energy release of the initiator and the fuel mixture during the critical initiation and energy release of the initiator when the blast wave is excited in an inert mixture. Observable deviations of the experimental profile of Q from existing model representations were found.

From the paddle to the beach - A Boussinesq shallow water numerical wave tank based on Madsen and Sørensen's equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orszaghova, Jana; Borthwick, Alistair G. L.; Taylor, Paul H.

2012-01-01

This article describes a one-dimensional numerical model of a shallow-water flume with an in-built piston paddle moving boundary wavemaker. The model is based on a set of enhanced Boussinesq equations and the nonlinear shallow water equations. Wave breaking is described approximately, by locally switching to the nonlinear shallow water equations when a critical wave steepness is reached. The moving shoreline is calculated as part of the solution. The piston paddle wavemaker operates on a movable grid, which is Lagrangian on the paddle face and Eulerian away from the paddle. The governing equations are, however, evolved on a fixed mapped grid, and the newly calculated solution is transformed back onto the moving grid via a domain mapping technique. Validation test results are compared against analytical solutions, confirming correct discretisation of the governing equations, wave generation via the numerical paddle, and movement of the wet/dry front. Simulations are presented that reproduce laboratory experiments of wave runup on a plane beach and wave overtopping of a laboratory seawall, involving solitary waves and compact wave groups. In practice, the numerical model is suitable for simulating the propagation of weakly dispersive waves and can additionally model any associated inundation, overtopping or inland flooding within the same simulation.

Multi Reflection of Lamb Wave Emission in an Acoustic Waveguide Sensor

PubMed Central

Schmitt, Martin; Olfert, Sergei; Rautenberg, Jens; Lindner, Gerhard; Henning, Bernd; Reindl, Leonhard Michael

2013-01-01

Recently, an acoustic waveguide sensor based on multiple mode conversion of surface acoustic waves at the solid—liquid interfaces has been introduced for the concentration measurement of binary and ternary mixtures, liquid level sensing, investigation of spatial inhomogenities or bubble detection. In this contribution the sound wave propagation within this acoustic waveguide sensor is visualized by Schlieren imaging for continuous and burst operation the first time. In the acoustic waveguide the antisymmetrical zero order Lamb wave mode is excited by a single phase transducer of 1 MHz on thin glass plates of 1 mm thickness. By contact to the investigated liquid Lamb waves propagating on the first plate emit pressure waves into the adjacent liquid, which excites Lamb waves on the second plate, what again causes pressure waves traveling inside the liquid back to the first plate and so on. The Schlieren images prove this multi reflection within the acoustic waveguide, which confirms former considerations and calculations based on the receiver signal. With this knowledge the sensor concepts with the acoustic waveguide sensor can be interpreted in a better manner. PMID:23447010

Multi reflection of Lamb wave emission in an acoustic waveguide sensor.

PubMed

Schmitt, Martin; Olfert, Sergei; Rautenberg, Jens; Lindner, Gerhard; Henning, Bernd; Reindl, Leonhard Michael

2013-02-27

Recently, an acoustic waveguide sensor based on multiple mode conversion of surface acoustic waves at the solid-liquid interfaces has been introduced for the concentration measurement of binary and ternary mixtures, liquid level sensing, investigation of spatial inhomogenities or bubble detection. In this contribution the sound wave propagation within this acoustic waveguide sensor is visualized by Schlieren imaging for continuous and burst operation the first time. In the acoustic waveguide the antisymmetrical zero order Lamb wave mode is excited by a single phase transducer of 1 MHz on thin glass plates of 1 mm thickness. By contact to the investigated liquid Lamb waves propagating on the first plate emit pressure waves into the adjacent liquid, which excites Lamb waves on the second plate, what again causes pressure waves traveling inside the liquid back to the first plate and so on. The Schlieren images prove this multi reflection within the acoustic waveguide, which confirms former considerations and calculations based on the receiver signal. With this knowledge the sensor concepts with the acoustic waveguide sensor can be interpreted in a better manner.

Vela X: A plerion or part of a shell?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvaramadze, V. V.

1998-03-01

An analysis of the radio, optical, and X-ray observations of the supernova remnant (SNR) in Vela has led us to conclude that the radio source Vela X is part of the SNR shell. The high brightness of this radio source is assumed to be a result of the interaction of dome-shaped deformations (bubbles) on the SNR shell, which gives rise to bright radio filaments. The deformations could be produced by Richtmaier-Meshkov's instability, which develops during the impulsive acceleration of a shell of gas (swept up from the interstellar medium by the wind from a presupernova) by a shock wave (generated by a supernova explosion). The brightest radio filament and the X-ray jet extending along it are shown to be located in the region of interaction of two prominent bubbles on the SNR shell. We conclude that the X-ray jet, like Vela X, is part of the shell, and that it has its origin in the Mach reflection of two semispherical shock waves. Our estimate of the plasma temperature behind the front of the Mach wave matches the jet temperature. We also show that the large spread in the estimates of the spectral index for Vela X could be caused by the instrumental effect which arises during observations of extended radio sources with a nonuniform surface-brightness distribution.

Remote Sensing Characteristics of Wave Breaking Rollers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haller, M. C.; Catalan, P.

2006-12-01

The wave roller has a primary influence on the balances of mass and momentum in the surf zone (e.g. Svendsen, 1984; Dally and Brown, 1995; Ruessink et al., 2001). In addition, the roller area and its angle of inclination on the wave front are important quantities governing the dissipation rates in breaking waves (e.g Madsen et al., 1997). Yet, there have been very few measurements published of individual breaking wave roller geometries in shallow water. A number of investigators have focused on observations of the initial jet-like motion at the onset of breaking before the establishment of the wave roller (e.g. Basco, 1985; Jansen, 1986), while Govender et al. (2002) provide observations of wave roller vertical cross-sections and angles of inclination for a pair of laboratory wave conditions. Nonetheless, presently very little is known about the growth, evolution, and decay of this aerated region of white water as it propagates through the surf zone; mostly due to the inherent difficulties in making the relevant observations. The present work is focused on analyzing observations of the time and space scales of individual shallow water breaking wave rollers as derived from remote sensing systems. Using a high-resolution video system in a large-scale laboratory facility, we have obtained detailed measurements of the growth and evolution of the wave breaking roller. In addition, by synchronizing the remote video with in-situ wave gages, we are able to directly relate the video intensity signal to the underlying wave shape. Results indicate that the horizontal length scale of breaking wave rollers differs significantly from the previous observations of Duncan (1981), which has been a traditional basis for roller model parameterizations. The overall approach to the video analysis is new in the sense that we concentrate on individual breaking waves, as opposed to the more commonly used time-exposure technique. In addition, a new parameter of interest, denoted Imax, is introduced based on the envelope of the intensity signal. The parameter is shown to be much less sensitive to trailing wave breaking foam, which typically corrupts time-exposure data. In the present work this parameter is shown to provide high-resolution information regarding the onset of wave breaking and the spatial evolution of the wave roller. Ongoing work will attempt to relate the shoreward transformation of the intensity maximum and the geometric characteristics of the wave roller to the spatial distribution of wave breaking dissipation. Finally, we will compare wave breaking characteristics as imaged by two separate remote sensors. Synoptic images from both video and microwave radar remote sensors were obtained in September of 2005 at Duck, NC. This combination of the two observing systems will allow direct quantitative comparisons between the two imaging mechanisms and lead to a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of both for nearshore research and observational remote sensing.

Switchable and Tunable Bulk Acoustic Wave Devices Based on Ferroelectric Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansour, Almonir

The explosive development of personal communications systems, navigation, satellite communications as well as personal computer and data processing systems together with the constant demand for higher speeds and larger bandwidths has driven fabrication technology to its limits. This, in turn, necessitates the development of novel functional materials for the fabrication of devices with superior performance and higher capacity at reduced manufacturing costs. Ferroelectric materials such as barium strontium titanate (BST) and strontium titanium oxide (STO) have received more attention by researchers and industry because of their field-induced piezoelectric property. This property gives these types of ferroelectric materials the ability to be switchable and tunable in the presence of an electric field. These features have allowed the ferroelectric materials to be used in many applications such as non-volatile memory and DRAMs, sensors, pyroelectric detectors, and tunable microwave devices. Therefore, with the ever increasing complexity in RF front-end receivers, and the demand for services (which in turn requires more functionalities), ferroelectric bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators and filters that are intrinsically switchable and tunable promise to reduce the size and complexity of component parts. In this work, we present the design, fabrication and experimental evaluation of switchable and tunable thin film bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators, filters and duplexers for radio frequency (RF) applications. The switchability and tunability of these devices come from utilizing the electrostrictive effect of ferroelectric materials such as barium strontium titanate (BST) with the application of an external DC-bias voltage. The BAW resonators, filters and duplexers in this work were fabricated on different substrates as solidly mounted resonator (SMR) structure with number of periodic layers of silicon dioxide and tantalum oxide as a Bragg reflector in order to acoustically isolate the resonator from the damping effect of the substrate, enhancing the quality factor and temperature compensation.

Thermal dephasing in second-harmonic generation of an amplified copper-vapor laser beam in beta barium borate.

PubMed

Prakash, Om; Dixit, Sudhir Kumar; Bhatnagar, Rajiva

2005-03-20

The conversion efficiency in second-harmonic generation of an amplified beam in a master-oscillator power amplifier copper-vapor laser (CVL) is lower than that of the oscillator beam alone. This lower efficiency is often vaguely attributed to wave-front degradation in the amplifier. We investigate the role of wave-front degradation and thermal dephasing in the second-harmonic generation of a CVL from a beta-barium borate crystal. Choosing two beams with constant intrapulse divergence, one from a generalized diffraction filtered resonator master oscillator alone and other obtained by amplifying oscillator by use of a power amplifier, we show that at low flux levels the decrease in efficiency is due to wave-front degradation. At a fundamental power above the critical power for thermal dephasing, the decrease is due to increased UV absorption and consequent thermal dephasing. Thermal dephasing is higher for the beam with the lower coherence width.

Actuation stability test of the LISA pathfinder inertial sensor front-end electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mance, Davor; Gan, Li; Weber, Bill; Weber, Franz; Zweifel, Peter

In order to limit the residual stray forces on the inertial sensor test mass in LISA pathfinder, √ it is required that the fluctuation of the test mass actuation voltage is within 2ppm/ Hz. The actuation voltage stability test on the flight hardware of the inertial sensor front-end electronics (IS FEE) is presented in this paper. This test is completed during the inertial sensor integration at EADS Astrium Friedrichshafen, Germany. The standard measurement method using voltmeter is not sufficient for verification, since the instrument low frequency √ fluctuation is higher than the 2ppm/ Hz requirement. In this test, by using the differential measurement method and the lock-in amplifier, the actuation stability performance is verified and the quality of the IS FEE hardware is confirmed by the test results.

Piping inspection carriage having axially displaceable sensor

DOEpatents

Zollinger, W.T.; Treanor, R.C.

1994-12-06

A pipe inspection instrument carriage is described for use with a pipe crawler for performing internal inspections of piping surfaces. The carriage has a front leg assembly, a rear leg assembly and a central support connecting the two assemblies and for mounting an instrument arm having inspection instruments. The instrument arm has a Y-arm mounted distally thereon for axially aligning the inspection instrumentation and a mounting block, a linear actuator and axial movement arm for extending the inspection instruments radially outward to operably position the inspection instruments on the piping interior. Also, the carriage has a rotation motor and gear assembly for rotating the central support and the front leg assembly with respect to the rear leg assembly so that the inspection instruments azimuthally scan the piping interior. The instrument carriage allows performance of all piping inspection operations with a minimum of moving parts, thus decreasing the likelihood of performance failure. 4 figures.

SALT, a dedicated readout chip for high precision tracking silicon strip detectors at the LHCb Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bugiel, Sz.; Dasgupta, R.; Firlej, M.; Fiutowski, T.; Idzik, M.; Kuczynska, M.; Moron, J.; Swientek, K.; Szumlak, T.

2016-02-01

The Upstream Tracker (UT) silicon strip detector, one of the central parts of the tracker system of the modernised LHCb experiment, will use a new 128-channel readout ASIC called SALT. It will extract and digitise analogue signals from the UT sensors, perform digital signal processing and transmit a serial output data. The SALT is being designed in CMOS 130 nm process and uses a novel architecture comprising of analog front-end and fast (40 MSps) ultra-low power (<0.5 mW) 6-bit ADC in each channel. The prototype ASICs of important functional blocks, like analogue front-end, 6-bit SAR ADC, PLL, and DLL, were designed, fabricated and tested. A prototype of an 8-channel version of the SALT chip, comprising all important functionalities was also designed and fabricated. The architecture and design of the SALT, together with the selected preliminary tests results, are presented.

Piping inspection carriage having axially displaceable sensor

DOEpatents

Zollinger, William T.; Treanor, Richard C.

1994-01-01

A pipe inspection instrument carriage for use with a pipe crawler for performing internal inspections of piping surfaces. The carriage has a front leg assembly, a rear leg assembly and a central support connecting the two assemblies and for mounting an instrument arm having inspection instruments. The instrument arm has a y-arm mounted distally thereon for axially aligning the inspection instrumentation and a mounting block, a linear actuator and axial movement arm for extending the inspection instruments radially outward to operably position the inspection instruments on the piping interior. Also, the carriage has a rotation motor and gear assembly for rotating the central support and the front leg assembly with respect to the rear leg assembly so that the inspection instruments azimuthally scan the piping interior. The instrument carriage allows performance of all piping inspection operations with a minimum of moving parts, thus decreasing the likelihood of performance failure.

Experimental Studies on Wave Interactions of Partially Perforated Wall under Obliquely Incident Waves

PubMed Central

Lee, Jong-In; Kim, Young-Taek; Shin, Sungwon

2014-01-01

This study presents wave height distribution in terms of stem wave evolution phenomena on partially perforated wall structures through three-dimensional laboratory experiments. The plain and partially perforated walls were tested to understand their effects on the stem wave evolution under the monochromatic and random wave cases with the various wave conditions, incident angle (from 10 to 40 degrees), and configurations of front and side walls. The partially perforated wall reduced the relative wave heights more effectively compared to the plain wall structure. Partially perforated walls with side walls showed a better performance in terms of wave height reduction compared to the structure without the side wall. Moreover, the relative wave heights along the wall were relatively small when the relative chamber width is large, within the range of the chamber width in this study. The wave spectra showed a frequency dependency of the wave energy dissipation. In most cases, the existence of side wall is a more important factor than the porosity of the front wall in terms of the wave height reduction even if the partially perforated wall was still effective compared to the plain wall. PMID:25254260

Experimental studies on wave interactions of partially perforated wall under obliquely incident waves.

PubMed

Lee, Jong-In; Kim, Young-Taek; Shin, Sungwon

2014-01-01

This study presents wave height distribution in terms of stem wave evolution phenomena on partially perforated wall structures through three-dimensional laboratory experiments. The plain and partially perforated walls were tested to understand their effects on the stem wave evolution under the monochromatic and random wave cases with the various wave conditions, incident angle (from 10 to 40 degrees), and configurations of front and side walls. The partially perforated wall reduced the relative wave heights more effectively compared to the plain wall structure. Partially perforated walls with side walls showed a better performance in terms of wave height reduction compared to the structure without the side wall. Moreover, the relative wave heights along the wall were relatively small when the relative chamber width is large, within the range of the chamber width in this study. The wave spectra showed a frequency dependency of the wave energy dissipation. In most cases, the existence of side wall is a more important factor than the porosity of the front wall in terms of the wave height reduction even if the partially perforated wall was still effective compared to the plain wall.

Water-level measurements in Dauphin Island, Alabama, from the 2013 Hurricane Season

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dickhudt, Patrick J.; Sherwood, Christopher R.; DeWitt, Nancy T.

2015-01-01

This report describes the instrumentation, field measurements, and processing methods used by the U.S. Geological Survey to measure atmospheric pressure, water levels, and waves on Dauphin Island, Alabama, in 2013 at part of the Barrier Island Evolution Research project. Simple, inexpensive pressure sensors mounted in shallow wells were buried in the beach and left throughout the hurricane season. Additionally, an atmospheric pressure sensor was mounted on the porch of a private residence to provide a local atmospheric pressure measurement for correcting the submerged pressure records.

Holographic leaky-wave metasurfaces for dual-sensor imaging.

PubMed

Li, Yun Bo; Li, Lian Lin; Cai, Ben Geng; Cheng, Qiang; Cui, Tie Jun

2015-12-10

Metasurfaces have huge potentials to develop new type imaging systems due to their abilities of controlling electromagnetic waves. Here, we propose a new method for dual-sensor imaging based on cross-like holographic leaky-wave metasurfaces which are composed of hybrid isotropic and anisotropic surface impedance textures. The holographic leaky-wave radiations are generated by special impedance modulations of surface waves excited by the sensor ports. For one independent sensor, the main leaky-wave radiation beam can be scanned by frequency in one-dimensional space, while the frequency scanning in the orthogonal spatial dimension is accomplished by the other sensor. Thus, for a probed object, the imaging plane can be illuminated adequately to obtain the two-dimensional backward scattered fields by the dual-sensor for reconstructing the object. The relativity of beams under different frequencies is very low due to the frequency-scanning beam performance rather than the random beam radiations operated by frequency, and the multi-illuminations with low relativity are very appropriate for multi-mode imaging method with high resolution and anti- noise. Good reconstruction results are given to validate the proposed imaging method.

Magneto-Optic Field Coupling in Optical Fiber Bragg Gratings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carman, Gregory P. (Inventor); Mohanchandra, Panduranga K. (Inventor); Emmons, Michael C. (Inventor); Richards, William Lance (Inventor)

2016-01-01

The invention is a magneto-optic coupled magnetic sensor that comprises a standard optical fiber Bragg grating system. The system includes an optical fiber with at least one Bragg grating therein. The optical fiber has at least an inner core and a cladding that surrounds the inner core. The optical fiber is part of an optical system that includes an interrogation device that provides a light wave through the optical fiber and a system to determine the change in the index of refraction of the optical fiber. The cladding of the optical fiber comprises at least a portion of which is made up of ferromagnetic particles so that the ferromagnetic particles are subject to the light wave provided by the interrogation system. When a magnetic field is present, the ferromagnetic particles change the optical properties of the sensor directly.

Optimal Magnetic Sensor Vests for Cardiac Source Imaging

PubMed Central

Lau, Stephan; Petković, Bojana; Haueisen, Jens

2016-01-01

Magnetocardiography (MCG) non-invasively provides functional information about the heart. New room-temperature magnetic field sensors, specifically magnetoresistive and optically pumped magnetometers, have reached sensitivities in the ultra-low range of cardiac fields while allowing for free placement around the human torso. Our aim is to optimize positions and orientations of such magnetic sensors in a vest-like arrangement for robust reconstruction of the electric current distributions in the heart. We optimized a set of 32 sensors on the surface of a torso model with respect to a 13-dipole cardiac source model under noise-free conditions. The reconstruction robustness was estimated by the condition of the lead field matrix. Optimization improved the condition of the lead field matrix by approximately two orders of magnitude compared to a regular array at the front of the torso. Optimized setups exhibited distributions of sensors over the whole torso with denser sampling above the heart at the front and back of the torso. Sensors close to the heart were arranged predominantly tangential to the body surface. The optimized sensor setup could facilitate the definition of a standard for sensor placement in MCG and the development of a wearable MCG vest for clinical diagnostics. PMID:27231910

Analyzing and Post-modelling the High Speed Images of a Wavy Laser Induced Boiling Front

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matti, R. S.; Kaplan, A. F. H.

The boiling front in laser materials processing like remote fusion cutting, keyhole welding or drilling can nowadays be recorded by high speed imaging. It was recently observed that bright waves flow down the front. Several complex physical mechanisms are associated with a stable laser-induced boiling front, like beam absorption, shadowing, heating, ablation pressure, fluid flow, etc. The evidence of dynamic phenomena from high speed imaging is closely linked to these phenomena. As a first step, the directly visible phenomena were classified and analyzed. This has led to the insight that the appearance of steady flow of the bright front peaks is a composition of many short flashing events of 20-50 μs duration, though composing a rather constant melt film flow downwards. Five geometrical front shapes of bright and dark domains were categorized, for example long inclined dark valleys. In addition, the special top and bottom regions of the front are distinguished. As a second step, a new method of post-modelling based on the greyscale variation of the images was applied, to approximately reconstruct the topology of the wavy front and subsequently to calculate the absorption across the front. Despite certain simplifications this kind of analysis provides a variety of additional information, including statistical analysis. In particular, the model could show the sensitivity of front waves to the formation of shadow domains and the robustness of fiber lasers to keep most of an irradiated steel surface in an absorptivity window between 35 to 43%.

Characterization Test Report for the Mnemonics-UCS Wireless Surface Acoustic Wave Sensor System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duncan, Joshua J.; Youngquist, Robert C.

2013-01-01

The scope of this testing includes the Surface Acoustic Wave Sensor System delivered to KSC: two interrogator (transceiver) systems, four temperature sensors, with wooden mounting blocks, two antennas, two power supplies, network cables, and analysis software. Also included are a number of additional temperature sensors and newly-developed hydrogen sensors

Wearable sensor glove based on conducting fabric using electrodermal activity and pulse-wave sensors for e-health application.

PubMed

Lee, Youngbum; Lee, Byungwoo; Lee, Myoungho

2010-03-01

Improvement of the quality and efficiency of health in medicine, both at home and the hospital, calls for improved sensors that might be included in a common carrier such as a wearable sensor device to measure various biosignals and provide healthcare services that use e-health technology. Designed to be user-friendly, smart clothes and gloves respond well to the end users for health monitoring. This study describes a wearable sensor glove that is equipped with an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor, pulse-wave sensor, conducting fabric, and an embedded system. The EDA sensor utilizes the relationship between drowsiness and the EDA signal. The EDA sensors were made using a conducting fabric instead of silver chloride electrodes, as a more practical and practically wearable device. The pulse-wave sensor measurement system, which is widely applied in oriental medicinal practices, is also a strong element in e-health monitoring systems. The EDA and pulse-wave signal acquisition module was constructed by connecting the sensor to the glove via a conductive fabric. The signal acquisition module is then connected to a personal computer that displays the results of the EDA and pulse-wave signal processing analysis and gives accurate feedback to the user. This system is designed for a number of applications for the e-health services, including drowsiness detection and oriental medicine.

Observations with the ROWS instrument during the Grand Banks calibration/validation experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vandemark, D.; Chapron, B.

1994-01-01

As part of a global program to validate the ocean surface sensors on board ERS-1, a joint experiment on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland was carried out in Nov. 1991. The principal objective was to provide a field validation of ERS-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) measurement of ocean surface structure. The NASA-P3 aircraft measurements made during this experiment provide independent measurements of the ocean surface along the validation swath. The Radar Ocean Wave Spectrometer (ROWS) is a radar sensor designed to measure direction of the long wave components using spectral analysis of the tilt induced radar backscatter modulation. This technique greatly differs from SAR and thus, provides a unique set of measurements for use in evaluating SAR performance. Also, an altimeter channel in the ROWS gives simultaneous information on the surface wave height and radar mean square slope parameter. The sets of geophysical parameters (wind speed, significant wave height, directional spectrum) are used to study the SAR's ability to accurately measure ocean gravity waves. The known distortion imposed on the true directional spectrum by the SAR imaging mechanism is discussed in light of the direct comparisons between ERS-1 SAR, airborne Canadian Center for Remote Sensing (CCRS) SAR, and ROWS spectra and the use of the nonlinear ocean SAR transform.

Phase and amplitude wave front sensing and reconstruction with a modified plenoptic camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Chensheng; Ko, Jonathan; Nelson, William; Davis, Christopher C.

2014-10-01

A plenoptic camera is a camera that can retrieve the direction and intensity distribution of light rays collected by the camera and allows for multiple reconstruction functions such as: refocusing at a different depth, and for 3D microscopy. Its principle is to add a micro-lens array to a traditional high-resolution camera to form a semi-camera array that preserves redundant intensity distributions of the light field and facilitates back-tracing of rays through geometric knowledge of its optical components. Though designed to process incoherent images, we found that the plenoptic camera shows high potential in solving coherent illumination cases such as sensing both the amplitude and phase information of a distorted laser beam. Based on our earlier introduction of a prototype modified plenoptic camera, we have developed the complete algorithm to reconstruct the wavefront of the incident light field. In this paper the algorithm and experimental results will be demonstrated, and an improved version of this modified plenoptic camera will be discussed. As a result, our modified plenoptic camera can serve as an advanced wavefront sensor compared with traditional Shack- Hartmann sensors in handling complicated cases such as coherent illumination in strong turbulence where interference and discontinuity of wavefronts is common. Especially in wave propagation through atmospheric turbulence, this camera should provide a much more precise description of the light field, which would guide systems in adaptive optics to make intelligent analysis and corrections.

Use of atmospheric backscattering for adaptive formation of the initial wave front of a laser beam by the method of aperture sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordeev, E. V.; Kuskov, V. V.; Razenkov, I. A.; Shesternin, A. N.

2017-11-01

The quality of adaptive suppression of initial aberrations of the wave front of a main laser beam with the use of the method of aperture sensing by the signal of atmospheric backscattering of the additional (sensing) laser radiation at a different wavelength has been studied experimentally. It is shown that wavefront distortions of the main laser beam were decreased significantly during the setup operation.

Experimental results for correlation-based wavefront sensing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Poyneer, L A; Palmer, D W; LaFortune, K N

2005-07-01

Correlation wave-front sensing can improve Adaptive Optics (AO) system performance in two keys areas. For point-source-based AO systems, Correlation is more accurate, more robust to changing conditions and provides lower noise than a centroiding algorithm. Experimental results from the Lick AO system and the SSHCL laser AO system confirm this. For remote imaging, Correlation enables the use of extended objects for wave-front sensing. Results from short horizontal-path experiments will show algorithm properties and requirements.

Energy-flux characterization of conical and space-time coupled wave packets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lotti, A.; Couairon, A.; Faccio, D.; Trapani, P. Di

2010-02-01

We introduce the concept of energy density flux as a characterization tool for the propagation of ultrashort laser pulses with spatiotemporal coupling. In contrast with calculations for the Poynting vector, those for energy density flux are derived in the local frame moving at the velocity of the envelope of the wave packet under examination and do not need knowledge of the magnetic field. We show that the energy flux defined from a paraxial propagation equation follows specific geometrical connections with the phase front of the optical wave packet, which demonstrates that the knowledge of the phase fronts amounts to the measurement of the energy flux. We perform a detailed numerical study of the energy density flux in the particular case of conical waves, with special attention paid to stationary-envelope conical waves (X or O waves). A full characterization of linear conical waves is given in terms of their energy flux. We extend the definition of this concept to the case of nonlinear propagation in Kerr media with nonlinear losses.

Robustness of free and pinned spiral waves against breakup by electrical forcing in excitable chemical media.

PubMed

Phantu, Metinee; Sutthiopad, Malee; Luengviriya, Jiraporn; Müller, Stefan C; Luengviriya, Chaiya

2017-04-01

We present an investigation on the breakup of free and pinned spiral waves under an applied electrical current in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. Spiral fronts propagating towards the negative electrode are decelerated. A breakup of the spiral waves occurs when some segments of the fronts are stopped by a sufficiently strong electrical current. In the absence of obstacles (i.e., free spiral waves), the critical value of the electrical current for the wave breakup increases with the excitability of the medium. For spiral waves pinned to circular obstacles, the critical electrical current increases with the obstacle diameter. Analysis of spiral dynamics shows that the enhancement of the robustness against the breakup of both free and pinned spiral waves is originated by the increment of wave speed when either the excitability is strengthened or the obstacle size is enlarged. The experimental findings are reproduced by numerical simulations using the Oregonator model. In addition, the simulations reveal that the robustness against the forced breakup increases with the activator level in both cases of free and pinned spiral waves.

Monitoring of Soft Deposition Layers in Liquid-Filled Tubes with Guided Acoustic Waves Excited by Clamp-on Transducers.

PubMed

Tietze, Sabrina; Singer, Ferdinand; Lasota, Sandra; Ebert, Sandra; Landskron, Johannes; Schwuchow, Katrin; Drese, Klaus Stefan; Lindner, Gerhard

2018-02-09

The monitoring of liquid-filled tubes with respect to the formation of soft deposition layers such as biofilms on the inner walls calls for non-invasive and long-term stable sensors, which can be attached to existing pipe structures. For this task a method is developed, which uses an ultrasonic clamp-on device. This method is based on the impact of such deposition layers on the propagation of circumferential guided waves on the pipe wall. Such waves are partly converted into longitudinal compressional waves in the liquid, which are back-converted to guided waves in a circular cross section of the pipe. Validating this approach, laboratory experiments with gelatin deposition layers on steel tubes exhibited a distinguishable sensitivity of both wave branches with respect to the thickness of such layers. This allows the monitoring of the layer growth.

Evans functions and bifurcations of nonlinear waves of some nonlinear reaction diffusion equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Linghai

2017-10-01

The main purposes of this paper are to accomplish the existence, stability, instability and bifurcation of the nonlinear waves of the nonlinear system of reaction diffusion equations ut =uxx + α [ βH (u - θ) - u ] - w, wt = ε (u - γw) and to establish the existence, stability, instability and bifurcation of the nonlinear waves of the nonlinear scalar reaction diffusion equation ut =uxx + α [ βH (u - θ) - u ], under different conditions on the model constants. To establish the bifurcation for the system, we will study the existence and instability of a standing pulse solution if 0 < 2 (1 + αγ) θ < αβγ; the existence and stability of two standing wave fronts if 2 (1 + αγ) θ = αβγ and γ2 ε > 1; the existence and instability of two standing wave fronts if 2 (1 + αγ) θ = αβγ and 0 <γ2 ε < 1; the existence and instability of an upside down standing pulse solution if 0 < (1 + αγ) θ < αβγ < 2 (1 + αγ) θ. To establish the bifurcation for the scalar equation, we will study the existence and stability of a traveling wave front as well as the existence and instability of a standing pulse solution if 0 < 2 θ < β; the existence and stability of two standing wave fronts if 2 θ = β; the existence and stability of a traveling wave front as well as the existence and instability of an upside down standing pulse solution if 0 < θ < β < 2 θ. By the way, we will also study the existence and stability of a traveling wave back of the nonlinear scalar reaction diffusion equation ut =uxx + α [ βH (u - θ) - u ] -w0, where w0 = α (β - 2 θ) > 0 is a positive constant, if 0 < 2 θ < β. To achieve the main goals, we will make complete use of the special structures of the model equations and we will construct Evans functions and apply them to study the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of several eigenvalue problems associated with several linear differential operators. It turns out that a complex number λ0 is an eigenvalue of the linear differential operator, if and only if λ0 is a zero of the Evans function. The stability, instability and bifurcations of the nonlinear waves follow from the zeros of the Evans functions. A very important motivation to study the existence, stability, instability and bifurcations of the nonlinear waves is to study the existence and stability/instability of infinitely many fast/slow multiple traveling pulse solutions of the nonlinear system of reaction diffusion equations. The existence and stability of infinitely many fast multiple traveling pulse solutions are of great interests in mathematical neuroscience.

Applications of a nanocomposite-inspired in-situ broadband ultrasonic sensor to acousto-ultrasonics-based passive and active structural health monitoring.

PubMed

Liu, Menglong; Zeng, Zhihui; Xu, Hao; Liao, Yaozhong; Zhou, Limin; Zhang, Zhong; Su, Zhongqing

2017-07-01

A novel nanocomposite-inspired in-situ broadband ultrasonic sensor previously developed, with carbon black as the nanofiller and polyvinylidene fluoride as the matrix, was networked for acousto-ultrasonic wave-based passive and active structural health monitoring (SHM). Being lightweight and small, this kind of sensor was proven to be capable of perceiving strain perturbation in virtue of the tunneling effect in the formed nanofiller conductive network when acousto-ultrasonic waves traverse the sensor. Proof-of-concept validation was implemented, to examine the sensor performance in responding to acousto-ultrasonic waves in a broad frequency regime: from acoustic emission (AE) of lower frequencies to guided ultrasonic waves (GUWs) of higher frequencies. Results have demonstrated the high fidelity, ultrafast response and high sensitivity of the sensor to acousto-ultrasonic waves up to 400kHz yet with an ultra-low magnitude (of the order of micro-strain). The sensor is proven to possess sensitivity and accuracy comparable with commercial piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers, whereas with greater flexibility in accommodating curved structural surfaces. Application paradigms of using the sensor for damage evaluation have spotlighted the capability of the sensor in compromising "sensing cost" with "sensing effectiveness" for passive AE- or active GUW-based SHM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimating propagation velocity through a surface acoustic wave sensor

DOEpatents

Xu, Wenyuan; Huizinga, John S.

2010-03-16

Techniques are described for estimating the propagation velocity through a surface acoustic wave sensor. In particular, techniques which measure and exploit a proper segment of phase frequency response of the surface acoustic wave sensor are described for use as a basis of bacterial detection by the sensor. As described, use of velocity estimation based on a proper segment of phase frequency response has advantages over conventional techniques that use phase shift as the basis for detection.

An Effective Quality Control of Pharmacologically Active Volatiles of Houttuynia cordata Thunb by Fast Gas Chromatography-Surface Acoustic Wave Sensor.

PubMed

Oh, Se Yeon

2015-06-03

Fast gas chromatography-surface acoustic wave sensor (GC/SAW) has been applied for the detection of the pharmacological volatiles emanated from Houttuynia cordata Thunb which is from South Korea. H. cordata Thunb with unpleasant and fishy odors shows a variety of pharmacological activities such as anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and insect repellent. The aim of this study is to show a novel quality control by GC/SAW methodology for the discrimination of the three different parts of the plant such as leaves, aerial stems, and underground stems for H. cordata Thunb. Sixteen compounds were identified. β-Myrcene, cis-ocimene and decanal are the dominant volatiles for leaves (71.0%) and aerial stems (50.1%). While, monoterpenes (74.6%) are the dominant volatiles for underground stems. 2-Undecanone (1.3%) and lauraldehyde (3.5%) were found to be the characteristic components for leaves. Each part of the plant has its own characteristic fragrance pattern owing to its individual chemical compositions. Moreover, its individual characteristic fragrance patterns are conducive to discrimination of the three different parts of the plant. Consequently, fast GC/SAW can be a useful analytical method for quality control of the different parts of the plant with pharmacological volatiles as it provides second unit analysis, a simple and fragrant pattern recognition.

Active Hearing Mechanisms Inspire Adaptive Amplification in an Acoustic Sensor System.

PubMed

Guerreiro, Jose; Reid, Andrew; Jackson, Joseph C; Windmill, James F C

2018-06-01

Over many millions of years of evolution, nature has developed some of the most adaptable sensors and sensory systems possible, capable of sensing, conditioning and processing signals in a very power- and size-effective manner. By looking into biological sensors and systems as a source of inspiration, this paper presents the study of a bioinspired concept of signal processing at the sensor level. By exploiting a feedback control mechanism between a front-end acoustic receiver and back-end neuronal based computation, a nonlinear amplification with hysteretic behavior is created. Moreover, the transient response of the front-end acoustic receiver can also be controlled and enhanced. A theoretical model is proposed and the concept is prototyped experimentally through an embedded system setup that can provide dynamic adaptations of a sensory system comprising a MEMS microphone placed in a closed-loop feedback system. It faithfully mimics the mosquito's active hearing response as a function of the input sound intensity. This is an adaptive acoustic sensor system concept that can be exploited by sensor and system designers within acoustics and ultrasonic engineering fields.

Fuzzy Logic Based Autonomous Parallel Parking System with Kalman Filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panomruttanarug, Benjamas; Higuchi, Kohji

This paper presents an emulation of fuzzy logic control schemes for an autonomous parallel parking system in a backward maneuver. There are four infrared sensors sending the distance data to a microcontroller for generating an obstacle-free parking path. Two of them mounted on the front and rear wheels on the parking side are used as the inputs to the fuzzy rules to calculate a proper steering angle while backing. The other two attached to the front and rear ends serve for avoiding collision with other cars along the parking space. At the end of parking processes, the vehicle will be in line with other parked cars and positioned in the middle of the free space. Fuzzy rules are designed based upon a wall following process. Performance of the infrared sensors is improved using Kalman filtering. The design method needs extra information from ultrasonic sensors. Starting from modeling the ultrasonic sensor in 1-D state space forms, one makes use of the infrared sensor as a measurement to update the predicted values. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of sensor improvement.

Monitoring in situ in real time of resin infusion for thermoset composite structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faci, A.; Wang, P.; Cochrane, C.; Koncar, V.

2017-10-01

The presented work investigates changes in electrical resistance of embedded sensory yarns as a method to monitor the resin flow front position and curing degree of resin during manufacturing of composite structures by vacuum infusion technology. The sensor concept is based on Piezo-resistive sensors integrated to the flax fabric, having almost identical propriety and dimensions as the flax threads used for the production of reinforcements. In the first time sensors have been characterized and first measures of the resin infusion have been realized in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. Then, the measures in real time were realized with fibrous sensors added to the flax fabric (green composites) to monitor the flow front of resin. A large amount of data recorded, filtered, examined, analysed and processed in order to understand and to optimize the infusion and polymerization process.

Nonlinear self-sustained structures and fronts in spatially developing wake flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pier, Benoît; Huerre, Patrick

2001-05-01

A family of slowly spatially developing wakes with variable pressure gradient is numerically demonstrated to sustain a synchronized finite-amplitude vortex street tuned at a well-defined frequency. This oscillating state is shown to be described by a steep global mode exhibiting a sharp Dee Langer-type front at the streamwise station of marginal absolute instability. The front acts as a wavemaker which sends out nonlinear travelling waves in the downstream direction, the global frequency being imposed by the real absolute frequency prevailing at the front station. The nonlinear travelling waves are determined to be governed by the local nonlinear dispersion relation resulting from a temporal evolution problem on a local wake profile considered as parallel. Although the vortex street is fully nonlinear, its frequency is dictated by a purely linear marginal absolute instability criterion applied to the local linear dispersion relation.

NASA Tech Briefs, October 2005

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Topics covered include: Insect-Inspired Optical-Flow Navigation Sensors; Chemical Sensors Based on Optical Ring Resonators; A Broad-Band Phase-Contrast Wave-Front Sensor; Progress in Insect-Inspired Optical Navigation Sensors; Portable Airborne Laser System Measures Forest-Canopy Height; Deployable Wide-Aperture Array Antennas; Faster Evolution of More Multifunctional Logic Circuits; Video-Camera-Based Position-Measuring System; N-Type delta Doping of High-Purity Silicon Imaging Arrays; Avionics System Architecture Tool; Updated Chemical Kinetics and Sensitivity Analysis Code; Predicting Flutter and Forced Response in Turbomachinery; Upgrades of Two Computer Codes for Analysis of Turbomachinery; Program Facilitates CMMI Appraisals; Grid Visualization Tool; Program Computes Sound Pressures at Rocket Launches; Solar-System Ephemeris Toolbox; Data-Acquisition Software for PSP/TSP Wind-Tunnel Cameras; Corrosion-Prevention Capabilities of a Water-Borne, Silicone-Based, Primerless Coating; Sol-Gel Process for Making Pt-Ru Fuel-Cell Catalysts; Making Activated Carbon for Storing Gas; System Regulates the Water Contents of Fuel-Cell Streams; Five-Axis, Three-Magnetic-Bearing Dynamic Spin Rig; Modifications of Fabrication of Vibratory Microgyroscopes; Chamber for Growing and Observing Fungi; Electroporation System for Sterilizing Water; Thermoelectric Air/Soil Energy-Harvesting Device; Flexible Metal-Fabric Radiators; Actuated Hybrid Mirror Telescope; Optical Design of an Optical Communications Terminal; Algorithm for Identifying Erroneous Rain-Gauge Readings; Condition Assessment and End-of-Life Prediction System for Electric Machines and Their Loads; Lightweight Thermal Insulation for a Liquid-Oxygen Tank; Stellar Gyroscope for Determining Attitude of a Spacecraft; and Lifting Mechanism for the Mars Explorer Rover.

Parameterization of synoptic weather systems in the South Atlantic Bight for modeling applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xiaodong; Voulgaris, George; Kumar, Nirnimesh

2017-10-01

An event based, long-term, climatological analysis is presented that allows the creation of coastal ocean atmospheric forcing on the coastal ocean that preserves both frequency of occurrence and event time history. An algorithm is developed that identifies individual storm event (cold fronts, warm fronts, and tropical storms) from meteorological records. The algorithm has been applied to a location along the South Atlantic Bight, off South Carolina, an area prone to cyclogenesis occurrence and passages of atmospheric fronts. Comparison against daily weather maps confirms that the algorithm is efficient in identifying cold fronts and warm fronts, while the identification of tropical storms is less successful. The average state of the storm events and their variability are represented by the temporal evolution of atmospheric pressure, air temperature, wind velocity, and wave directional spectral energy. The use of uncorrected algorithm-detected events provides climatologies that show a little deviation from those derived using corrected events. The effectiveness of this analysis method is further verified by numerically simulating the wave conditions driven by the characteristic wind forcing and comparing the results with the wave climatology that corresponds to each storm type. A high level of consistency found in the comparison indicates that this analysis method can be used for accurately characterizing event-based oceanic processes and long-term storm-induced morphodynamic processes on wind-dominated coasts.

Born semantic: linking data from sensors to users and balancing hardware limitations with data standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buck, Justin; Leadbetter, Adam

2015-04-01

New users for the growing volume of ocean data for purposes such as 'big data' data products and operational data assimilation/ingestion require data to be readily ingestible. This can be achieved via the application of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Linked Data and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) standards to data management. As part of several Horizons 2020 European projects (SenseOCEAN, ODIP, AtlantOS) the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) are working on combining existing data centre architecture and SWE software such as Sensor Observation Services with a Linked Data front end. The standards to enable data delivery are proven and well documented1,2 There are practical difficulties when SWE standards are applied to real time data because of internal hardware bandwidth restrictions and a requirement to constrain data transmission costs. A pragmatic approach is proposed where sensor metadata and data output in OGC standards are implemented "shore-side" with sensors and instruments transmitting unique resolvable web linkages to persistent OGC SensorML records published at the BODC. References: 1. World Wide Web Consortium. (2013). Linked Data. Available: http://www.w3.org/standards/semanticweb/data. Last accessed 8th October 2014. 2. Open Geospatial Consortium. (2014). Sensor Web Enablement (SWE). Available: http://www.opengeospatial.org/ogc/markets-technologies/swe. Last accessed 8th October 2014.

Propagation of transition fronts in nonlinear chains with non-degenerate on-site potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiroky, I. B.; Gendelman, O. V.

2018-02-01

We address the problem of transition front propagation in chains with a bi-stable nondegenerate on-site potential and a nonlinear gradient coupling. For generic nonlinear coupling, one encounters a special regime of transitions, characterized by extremely narrow fronts, far supersonic velocities of the front propagation, and long waves in the oscillatory tail. This regime can be qualitatively associated with a shock wave. The front propagation can be described with the help of a simple reduced-order model; the latter delivers a kinetic law, which is almost not sensitive to the fine details of the on-site potential. Besides, it is possible to predict all main characteristics of the transition front, including its velocity, as well as the frequency and the amplitude of the oscillatory tail. Numerical results are in good agreement with the analytical predictions. The suggested approach allows one to consider the effects of an external pre-load, the next-nearest-neighbor coupling and the on-site damping. When the damping is moderate, it is possible to consider the shock propagation in the damped chain as a perturbation of the undamped dynamics. This approach yields reasonable predictions. When the damping is high, the transition front enters a completely different asymptotic regime of a subsonic kink. The gradient nonlinearity generically turns negligible, and the propagating front converges to the regime described by a simple exact solution for a continuous model with linear coupling.

An acousto-optic sensor based on resonance grating waveguide structure

PubMed Central

Xie, Antonio Jou; Song, Fuchuan; Seo, Sang-Woo

2014-01-01

This paper presents an acousto-optic (AO) sensor based on resonance grating waveguide structure. The sensor is fabricated using elastic polymer materials to achieve a good sensitivity to ultrasound pressure waves. Ultrasound pressure waves modify the structural parameters of the sensor and result in the optical resonance shift of the sensor. This converts into a light intensity modulation. A commercial ultrasound transducer at 20 MHz is used to characterize a fabricated sensor and detection sensitivity at different optical source wavelength within a resonance spectrum is investigated. Practical use of the sensor at a fixed optical source wavelength is presented. Ultimately, the geometry of the planar sensor structure is suitable for two-dimensional, optical pressure imaging applications such as pressure wave detection and mapping, and ultrasound imaging. PMID:25045203

The dynamics and spectral characteristics of the GPS TEC wave packets excited by the solar terminator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afraimovich, E. L.; Edemsky, I. K.; Voeykov, S. V.; Yasukevich, Y. V.; Zhivetiev, I. V.

2009-04-01

The great variety of solar terminator (ST) -linked phenomena in the atmosphere gave rise to a num¬ber of studies on the analysis of ionosphere parameter variations obtained by different ionosphere sounding methods. Main part of experimental data was obtained using methods for analyzing the spectrum of ionosphere parameter variations in separate local points. To identify ST-generated wave disturbances it is necessary to measure the dynamic and spectral characteristics of the wave disturbances and to compare it with spatial-temporal characteristics of ST. Using TEC measurements from the dense network of GPS sites GEONET (Japan), we have obtained the first GPS-TEC image of the space structure of medium-scale traveling wave packets (MS TWP) excited by the solar terminator. We use two known forms of the 2D GPS-TEC image for our presentation of the space structure of ST-generated MS TWP: 1) - the diagram "distance-time"; 2) - the 2D-space distribution of the values of filtered TEC series dI (λ, φ, t) on the latitude φ and longitude λ for each 30-sec TEC counts. We found that the time period and wave-length of ST-generated wave packets are about 10-20 min and 200-300 km, respectively. Dynamic images analysis of dI (λ, φ, t) gives precise estimation of velocity and azimuth of TWP wave front propagation. We use the method of determining velocity of traveling ionosphere disturbances (SADM-GPS), which take into account the relative moving of subionosphere points. We found that the velocity of the TWP phase front, traveling along GEONET sites, varies in accordance with the velocity of the ST line displacement. The space image of MS TWP manifests itself in pronounced anisotropy and high coherence over a long distance of about 2000 km. The TWP wave front extends along the ST line with the angular shift of about 20°. The hypothesis on the connection between the TWP generation and the solar terminator can be tested in the terminator local time (TLT) system: dT=TOBS-TST, where ТOBS is the observation time at the given point; TST is the arrival time of ST at the altitude of H over this point. The time delay dT of TWP appearance varies from 2.5 hrs at 30°N to 6 hrs at 45°N. We acknowledge the GEONET scientific group for providing GPS data used in this study. The work was supported by the SB RAS and FEB RAS collaboration project N 3.24, the RFBR-GFEN grant N 06-05-39026 and RFBR grant 07-05-00127.

Front-form spinors in the Weinberg-Soper formalism and generalized Melosh transformations for any spin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahluwalia, D.V.; Sawicki, M.

Using the Weinberg-Soper formalism we construct the front-form ([ital j],0)[direct sum](0,[ital j]) spinors. Explicit expressions for the generalized Melosh transformations up to spin two are obtained. The formalism, without explicitly invoking any wave equations, reproduces the spin-1/2 front-form results of Melosh, Lepage and Brodsky, and Dziembowski.

Numerical investigation of interactions of multiple spherical shock waves between themselves and with the underlying surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrushchenko, V. A.; Murashkin, I. V.; Shevelev, Yu. D.

2016-06-01

Within the investigation of various aspects of asteroid and comet danger and, in particular, the explosion of several fragments of meteoroids in the atmosphere above the Earth surface, the toy problem about four point explosions in the case of their special arrangement above the underlying surface is numerically solved. Complex interactions of primary and secondary shock waves between themselves, with the hard surface, and with tangential discontinuities are examined. The structure of flow inside gas regions disturbed by the explosions—the occurrence of eddy structures in them and the influence of reflected shocks waves on them—are investigated. The tendency of the external wave fronts of each explosion to form a unified front and the tendency of their internal hot domains to merge into a joined configuration (where the second process proceeds a little later than the first one) is revealed. This unified front and joined configuration are qualitatively identical to the external internal structure for the solitary explosion. The specially arranged explosions are chosen because the effects of multiple diffraction, interference, and, the main thing, cumulation of spherical waves are manifested more clearly in this caseTwo variants with different altitude of the explosions above the surface are calculated.

Vibration waveform effects on dynamic stabilization of ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Piriz, A. R.; Lucchio, L. Di; Rodriguez Prieto, G.

2011-08-15

An analysis of dynamic stabilization of Rayleigh-Taylor instability in an ablation front is performed by considering a general square wave for modulating the vertical acceleration of the front. Such a kind of modulation allows for clarifying the role of thermal conduction in the mechanism of dynamic stabilization. In addition, the study of the effect of different modulations by varying the duration and amplitude of the square wave in each half-period provides insight on the optimum performance of dynamic stabilization.

Diffractive Alvarez lens

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barton, Ian M.; Dixit, Sham N.; Summers, Leslie J.

2000-01-01

A diffractive Alvarez lens is demonstrated that consists of two separate phase plates, each having complementary 16-level surface-relief profiles that contain cubic phase delays. Translation of these two components in the plane of the phase plates is shown to produce a variable astigmatic focus. Both spherical and cylindrical phase profiles are demonstrated with good accuracy, and the discrete surface-relief features are shown to cause less than {lambda}/10 wave-front aberration in the transmitted wave front over a 40 mmx80 mm region. (c) 2000 Optical Society of America.

High power water load for microwave and millimeter-wave radio frequency sources

DOEpatents

Ives, R. Lawrence; Mizuhara, Yosuke M.; Schumacher, Richard V.; Pendleton, Rand P.

1999-01-01

A high power water load for microwave and millimeter wave radio frequency sources has a front wall including an input port for the application of RF power, a cylindrical dissipation cavity lined with a dissipating material having a thickness which varies with depth, and a rear wall including a rotating reflector for the reflection of wave energy inside the cylindrical cavity. The dissipation cavity includes a water jacket for removal of heat generated by the absorptive material coating the dissipation cavity, and this absorptive material has a thickness which is greater near the front wall than near the rear wall. Waves entering the cavity reflect from the rotating reflector, impinging and reflecting multiple times on the absorptive coating of the dissipation cavity, dissipating equal amounts of power on each internal reflection.

The wave-field from an array of periodic emitters driven simultaneously by a broadband pulse.

PubMed

Dixon, Steve; Hill, Samuel; Fan, Yichao; Rowlands, George

2013-06-01

The use of phased array methods are commonplace in ultrasonic applications, where controlling the variation of the phase between the narrowband emitters in an array facilitates beam steering and focusing of ultrasonic waves. An approach is presented here whereby emitters of alternating polarity arranged in a one-dimensional array are pulsed simultaneously, and have sufficiently wide, controlled bandwidth to emit a two-dimensional wave. This pulsed approach provides a rapid means of simultaneously covering a region of space with a wave-front, whereby any wave that scatters or reflects off a body to a detector will have a distinct arrival time and frequency. This is a general wave phenomenon with a potential application in radar, sonar, and ultrasound. The key result is that one can obtain a smooth, continuous wave-front emitted from the array, over a large solid angle, whose frequency varies as a function of angle to the array. Analytic and finite element models created to describe this phenomenon have been validated with experimental results using ultrasonic waves in metal samples.

Wave combustors for trans-atmospheric vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menees, Gene P.; Bowles, Jeffrey V.; Adelman, Henry G.; Cambier, Jean-Luc

1989-01-01

A performance analysis is given of a conceptual transatmospheric vehicle (TAV). The TAV is powered by a an oblique detonation wave engine (ODWE). The ODWE is an airbreathing hypersonic propulsion system which utilizes shock and detonation waves to enhance fuel-air mixing and combustion in supersonic flow. In this wave combustor concept, an oblique shock wave in the combustor can act as a flameholder by increasing the pressure and temperature of the air-fuel mixture, thereby decreasing the ignition delay. If the oblique shock is sufficiently strong, then the combustion front and the shock wave can couple into a detonation wave. In this case, combustion occurs almost instantaneously in a thin zone behind the wave front. The result is a shorter lighter engine compared to the scramjet. The ODWE-powered hypersonic vehicle performance is compared to that of a scramjet-powered vehicle. Among the results outlined, it is found that the ODWE trades a better engine performance above Mach 15 for a lower performance below Mach 15. The overall higher performance of the ODWE results in a 51,000-lb weight savings and a higher payload weight fraction of approximately 12 percent.

Theory of fiber-optic, evanescent-wave spectroscopy and sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messica, A.; Greenstein, A.; Katzir, A.

1996-05-01

A general theory for fiber-optic, evanescent-wave spectroscopy and sensors is presented for straight, uncladded, step-index, multimode fibers. A three-dimensional model is formulated within the framework of geometric optics. The model includes various launching conditions, input and output end-face Fresnel transmission losses, multiple Fresnel reflections, bulk absorption, and evanescent-wave absorption. An evanescent-wave sensor response is analyzed as a function of externally controlled parameters such as coupling angle, f number, fiber length, and diameter. Conclusions are drawn for several experimental apparatuses.

Shock wave interaction with L-shaped structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Richard C.

1993-12-01

This study investigated the interaction of shock waves with L-shaped structures using the CTH hydrodynamics code developed by Sandia National Laboratories. Computer models of shock waves traveling through air were developed using techniques similar to shock tube experiments. Models of L-shaped buildings were used to determine overpressures achieved by the reflecting shock versus angle of incidence of the shock front. An L-shaped building model rotated 45 degrees to the planar shock front produced the highest reflected overpressure of 9.73 atmospheres in the corner joining the two wings, a value 9.5 times the incident overpressure of 1.02 atmospheres. The same L-shaped building was modeled with the two wings separated by 4.24 meters to simulate an open courtyard. This open area provided a relief path for the incident shock wave, creating a peak overpressure of only 4.86 atmospheres on the building's wall surfaces from the same 1.02 atmosphere overpressure incident shock wave.

Transmission and reflection of charge-density wave packets in a quantum Hall edge controlled by a metal gate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuura, Masahiro; Mano, Takaaki; Noda, Takeshi; Shibata, Naokazu; Hotta, Masahiro; Yusa, Go

2018-02-01

Quantum energy teleportation (QET) is a proposed protocol related to quantum vacuum. The edge channels in a quantum Hall system are well suited for the experimental verification of QET. For this purpose, we examine a charge-density wave packet excited and detected by capacitively coupled front gate electrodes. We observe the waveform of the charge packet, which is proportional to the time derivative of the applied square voltage wave. Further, we study the transmission and reflection behaviors of the charge-density wave packet by applying a voltage to another front gate electrode to control the path of the edge state. We show that the threshold voltages where the dominant direction is switched in either transmission or reflection for dense and sparse wave packets are different from the threshold voltage where the current stops flowing in an equilibrium state.

Millimeter Wave Sensor For On-Line Inspection Of Thin Sheet Dielectrics

DOEpatents

Bakhtiari, Sasan; Gopalsami, Nachappa; Raptis, Apostolos C.

1999-03-23

A millimeter wave sensor is provided for non-destructive inspection of thin sheet dielectric materials. The millimeter wave sensor includes a Gunn diode oscillator (GDO) source generating a mill meter wave electromagnetic energy signal having a single frequency. A heater is coupled to the GDO source for stabilizing the single frequency. A small size antenna is coupled to the GDO source for transmitting the millimeter wave electromagnetic energy signal to a sample material and for receiving a reflected millimeter wave electromagnetic energy signal from the sample material. Ferrite circulator isolators coupled between the GDO source and the antenna separate the millimeter wave electromagnetic energy signal into transmitted and received electromagnetic energy signal components and a detector detects change in both amplitude and phase of the transmitted and received electromagnetic energy signal components. A millimeter wave sensor is provided for non-destructive inspection of thin sheet dielectric materials. The millimeter wave sensor includes a Gunn diode oscillator (GDO) source generating a mill meter wave electromagnetic energy signal having a single frequency. A heater is coupled to the GDO source for stabilizing the single frequency. A small size antenna is coupled to the GDO source for transmitting the millimeter wave electromagnetic energy signal to a sample material and for receiving a reflected millimeter wave electromagnetic energy signal from the sample material. Ferrite circulator isolators coupled between the GDO source and the antenna separate the millimeter wave electromagnetic energy signal into transmitted and received electromagnetic energy signal components and a detector detects change in both amplitude and phase of the transmitted and received electromagnetic energy signal components.

Stress Wave Source Characterization: Impact, Fracture, and Sliding Friction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLaskey, Gregory Christofer

Rapidly varying forces, such as those associated with impact, rapid crack propagation, and fault rupture, are sources of stress waves which propagate through a solid body. This dissertation investigates how properties of a stress wave source can be identified or constrained using measurements recorded at an array of sensor sites located far from the source. This methodology is often called the method of acoustic emission and is useful for structural health monitoring and the noninvasive study of material behavior such as friction and fracture. In this dissertation, laboratory measurements of 1--300 mm wavelength stress waves are obtained by means of piezoelectric sensors which detect high frequency (10 kHz--3MHz) motions of a specimen's surface, picometers to nanometers in amplitude. Then, stress wave source characterization techniques are used to study ball impact, drying shrinkage cracking in concrete, and the micromechanics of stick-slip friction of Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and rock/rock interfaces. In order to quantitatively relate recorded signals obtained with an array of sensors to a particular stress wave source, wave propagation effects and sensor distortions must be accounted for. This is achieved by modeling the physics of wave propagation and transduction as linear transfer functions. Wave propagation effects are precisely modeled by an elastodynamic Green's function, sensor distortion is characterized by an instrument response function, and the stress wave source is represented with a force moment tensor. These transfer function models are verified though calibration experiments which employ two different mechanical calibration sources: ball impact and glass capillary fracture. The suitability of the ball impact source model, based on Hertzian contact theory, is experimentally validated for small (˜1 mm) balls impacting massive plates composed of four different materials: aluminum, steel, glass, and PMMA. Using this transfer function approach and the two mechanical calibration sources, four types of piezoelectric sensors were calibrated: three commercially available sensors and the Glaser-type conical piezoelectric sensor, which was developed in the Glaser laboratory. The distorting effects of each sensor are modeled using autoregressive-moving average (ARMA) models, and because vital phase information is robustly incorporated into these models, they are useful for simulating or removing sensor-induced distortions, so that a displacement time history can be retrieved from recorded signals. The Glaser-type sensor was found to be very well modeled as a unidirectional displacement sensor which detects stress wave disturbances down to about 1 picometer in amplitude. Finally, the merits of a fully calibrated experimental system are demonstrated in a study of stress wave sources arising from sliding friction, and the relationship between those sources and earthquakes. A laboratory friction apparatus was built for this work which allows the micro-mechanisms of friction to be studied with stress wave analysis. Using an array of 14 Glaser-type sensors, and precise models of wave propagation effects and the sensor distortions, the physical origins of the stress wave sources are explored. Force-time functions and focal mechanisms are determined for discrete events found amid the "noise" of friction. These localized events are interpreted to be the rupture of micrometer-sized contacts, known as asperities. By comparing stress wave sources from stick-slip experiments on plastic/plastic and rock/rock interfaces, systematic differences were found. The rock interface produces very rapid (<1 microsecond) implosive forces indicative of brittle asperity failure and fault gouge formation, while rupture on the plastic interface releases only shear force and produces a source more similar to earthquakes commonly recorded in the field. The difference between the mechanisms is attributed to the vast differences in the hardness and melting temperatures of the two materials, which affect the distribution of asperities as well as their failure behavior. With proper scaling, the strong link between material properties and laboratory earthquakes will aid in our understanding of fault mechanics and the generation of earthquakes and seismic tremor.

Excimer laser-induced hydrohynamical effects and surface modifications on silicon carbide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolas, Gines; Autric, Michel

1996-04-01

The use of lasers in many applications requires an understanding and control of the fundamental processes involved during the laser radiation-material interaction. The importance and the duration of the phenomena involved (optical, thermal, mechanical, electromagnetic, radiative) depend on parameters such as the power density of the laser radiation, the nature and the surface morphology of the material, the surrounding gas and the wavelength of the radiation. A part of the incident energy is reflected by the surface, while the remaining quantity of this energy is absorbed by the material. This incident energy contributes to heating, melting, vaporization and plasma formation if the laser intensity is sufficiently high. The present study is devoted to the ceramic material irradiation in air by an excimer laser at a wavelength of 248 nm and a pulse duration of 20 ns. The objective is to understand the different phenomena induced by radiation and to improve mechanical properties of the surface. Presented results concern the dynamics of plasmas and shock waves, plus surface modifications (porosity, roughness, composition changes) on silicon carbide samples (SiC). A part of the study has resulted in the characterization of the flow created in front of the sample revealing different hydrodynamical regimes. Visualizations of the luminous plasma front and shock waves have been obtained using a fast electronic camera IMACON 790 and a ICCD camera. These optical devices have permitted us to observe simultaneously the formation and expansion of different fronts (plasma and shock waves) propagating into the surrounding gas. The results have been compared to the theory. Complex structures inside the plume have been observed inducing a turbulence phenomena some milliseconds after the irradiation. On the other hand, the surface morphology has been characterized by observations with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) showing important modifications of the morphology according to the energy density and number of pulses applied. A decrease of surface porosity is revealed using image processing technique. This improvement is accompanied with an increase of roughness which has been measured by mechanical profilometry and might be detrimental for friction applications. In addition, an analysis of the material in depth by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) has shown chemical composition changes (an increase in the percentage of silicon) in the zone irradiated.

Velocity Profile measurements in two-phase flow using multi-wave sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biddinika, M. K.; Ito, D.; Takahashi, H.; Kikura, H.; Aritomi, M.

2009-02-01

Two-phase flow has been recognized as one of the most important phenomena in fluid dynamics. In addition, gas-liquid two-phase flow appears in various industrial fields such as chemical industries and power generations. In order to clarify the flow structure, some flow parameters have been measured by using many effective measurement techniques. The velocity profile as one of the important flow parameter, has been measured by using ultrasonic velocity profile (UVP) technique. This technique can measure velocity distributions along a measuring line, which is a beam formed by pulse ultrasounds. Furthermore, a multi-wave sensor can measure the velocity profiles of both gas and liquid phase using UVP method. In this study, two types of multi-wave sensors are used. A sensor has cylindrical shape, and another one has square shape. The piezoelectric elements of each sensor have basic frequencies of 8 MHz for liquid phase and 2 MHz for gas phase, separately. The velocity profiles of air-water bubbly flow in a vertical rectangular channel were measured by using these multi-wave sensors, and the validation of the measuring accuracy was performed by the comparison between the velocity profiles measured by two multi-wave sensors.

CMOS sensors for atmospheric imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratlong, Jérôme; Burt, David; Jerram, Paul; Mayer, Frédéric; Walker, Andrew; Simpson, Robert; Johnson, Steven; Hubbard, Wendy

2017-09-01

Recent European atmospheric imaging missions have seen a move towards the use of CMOS sensors for the visible and NIR parts of the spectrum. These applications have particular challenges that are completely different to those that have driven the development of commercial sensors for applications such as cell-phone or SLR cameras. This paper will cover the design and performance of general-purpose image sensors that are to be used in the MTG (Meteosat Third Generation) and MetImage satellites and the technology challenges that they have presented. We will discuss how CMOS imagers have been designed with 4T pixel sizes of up to 250 μm square achieving good charge transfer efficiency, or low lag, with signal levels up to 2M electrons and with high line rates. In both devices a low noise analogue read-out chain is used with correlated double sampling to suppress the readout noise and give a maximum dynamic range that is significantly larger than in standard commercial devices. Radiation hardness is a particular challenge for CMOS detectors and both of these sensors have been designed to be fully radiation hard with high latch-up and single-event-upset tolerances, which is now silicon proven on MTG. We will also cover the impact of ionising radiation on these devices. Because with such large pixels the photodiodes have a large open area, front illumination technology is sufficient to meet the detection efficiency requirements but with thicker than standard epitaxial silicon to give improved IR response (note that this makes latch up protection even more important). However with narrow band illumination reflections from the front and back of the dielectric stack on the top of the sensor produce Fabry-Perot étalon effects, which have been minimised with process modifications. We will also cover the addition of precision narrow band filters inside the MTG package to provide a complete imaging subsystem. Control of reflected light is also critical in obtaining the required optical performance and this has driven the development of a black coating layer that can be applied between the active silicon regions.

Low Frequency Turbulence as the Source of High Frequency Waves in Multi-Component Space Plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khazanov, George V.; Krivorutsky, Emmanuel N.; Uritsky, Vadim M.

2011-01-01

Space plasmas support a wide variety of waves, and wave-particle interactions as well as wavewave interactions are of crucial importance to magnetospheric and ionospheric plasma behavior. High frequency wave turbulence generation by the low frequency (LF) turbulence is restricted by two interconnected requirements: the turbulence should be strong enough and/or the coherent wave trains should have the appropriate length. These requirements are strongly relaxed in the multi-component plasmas, due to the heavy ions large drift velocity in the field of LF wave. The excitation of lower hybrid waves (LHWs), in particular, is a widely discussed mechanism of interaction between plasma species in space and is one of the unresolved questions of magnetospheric multi-ion plasmas. It is demonstrated that large-amplitude Alfven waves, in particular those associated with LF turbulence, may generate LHW s in the auroral zone and ring current region and in some cases (particularly in the inner magnetosphere) this serves as the Alfven wave saturation mechanism. We also argue that the described scenario can playa vital role in various parts of the outer magnetosphere featuring strong LF turbulence accompanied by LHW activity. Using the data from THEMIS spacecraft, we validate the conditions for such cross-scale coupling in the near-Earth "flow-braking" magnetotail region during the passage of sharp injection/dipolarization fronts, as well as in the turbulent outflow region of the midtail reconnection site.

Characterization and Performance of a Liquid Hydrocarbon-Fueled Pulse Detonation Rocket Engine

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-12-01

head wall pressure (P3) and the two sensors at the end of the tube provided indication of detonation wave passage (Wave1 and Wave2 ). These data...wave speed using the time of passage at Wave1 and Wave2 and the user-defined value of the distance between each sensor (this distance varied slightly...for each tube extension). A detonation velocity of zero was returned for any event in which neither Wave1 or Wave2 sensed a pressure rise of

Amplitude and Wavelength Measurement of Sound Waves in Free Space using a Sound Wave Phase Meter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ham, Sounggil; Lee, Kiwon

2018-05-01

We developed a sound wave phase meter (SWPM) and measured the amplitude and wavelength of sound waves in free space. The SWPM consists of two parallel metal plates, where the front plate was operated as a diaphragm. An aluminum perforated plate was additionally installed in front of the diaphragm, and the same signal as that applied to the sound source was applied to the perforated plate. The SWPM measures both the sound wave signal due to the diaphragm vibration and the induction signal due to the electric field of the aluminum perforated plate. Therefore, the two measurement signals interfere with each other due to the phase difference according to the distance between the sound source and the SWPM, and the amplitude of the composite signal that is output as a result is periodically changed. We obtained the wavelength of the sound wave from this periodic amplitude change measured in the free space and compared it with the theoretically calculated values.

Co-evolution of upstream waves and accelerated ions at parallel shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujimoto, M.; Sugiyama, T.

2016-12-01

Shock waves in space plasmas have been considered as the agents for various particle acceleration phenomena. The basic idea behind shock acceleration is that particles are accelerated as they move back-and-forth across a shock front. Detailed studies of ion acceleration at the terrestrial bow shock have been performed, however, the restricted maximum energies attained prevent a straight-forward application of obtained knowledge to more energetic astrophysical situations. Here we show by a large-scale self-consistent particle simulation that the co-evolution of magnetic turbulence and accelerated ion population is the foundation for continuous operation of shock acceleration to ever higher energies. Magnetic turbulence is created by ions reflected back upstream of a parallel shock front. The co-evolution arises because more energetic ions excite waves of longer wavelengths, and because longer wavelength modes are capable of scattering (in the upstream) and reflecting (at the shock front) more energetic ions. Via carefully designed numerical experiments, we show very clearly that this picture is true.

Resent Status of ITER Equatorial Launcher Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takahashi, K.; Kajiwara, K.; Kasugai, A.

2009-11-26

The ITER equatorial launcher is divided into a front shield and a port plug. The front shield is composed of fourteen blanket shield modules so as to form three openings for the injection of mm-wave beams into plasma. Twenty-four waveguide transmission lines, internal shields, cooling pipes and so on are installed in the port plug. The transmission lines consist of the corrugated waveguides, miter bends and the free space propagation region utilizing two mirrors in front of the waveguide outlet. The analysis of mm-wave beam propagation in the region shows that the transmission efficiency more than 99.5% is attained. Themore » high power experiments of the launcher mock-up have been carried out and the measured field patterns at each mirror and the outlet of the launcher are agreed with the calculations. It is concluded that the transmission line components in the launcher mock-up are fabricated as designed and the present mm-wave design in the launcher is feasible.« less

Application of dynamic displacement current for diagnostics of subnanosecond breakdowns in an inhomogeneous electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Tao; Tarasenko, Victor F.; Zhang, Cheng; Burachenko, Alexandr G.; Rybka, Dmitry V.; Kostyrya, Igor'D.; Lomaev, Mikhail I.; Baksht, Evgeni Kh.; Yan, Ping

2013-05-01

The breakdown of different air gaps at high overvoltages in an inhomogeneous electric field was investigated with a time resolution of up to 100 ps. Dynamic displacement current was used for diagnostics of ionization processes between the ionization wave front and a plane anode. It is demonstrated that during the generation of a supershort avalanche electron beam (SAEB) with amplitudes of ˜10 A and more, conductivity in the air gaps at the breakdown stage is ensured by the ionization wave, whose front propagates from the electrode of small curvature radius, and by the dynamic displacement current between the ionization wave front and the plane electrode. The amplitude of the dynamic displacement current measured by a current shunt is 100 times greater than the SAEB. It is shown that with small gaps and with a large cathode diameter, the amplitude of the dynamic displacement current during a subnanosecond rise time of applied pulse voltage can be higher than 4 kA.

Modeling Impact-induced Failure of Polysilicon MEMS: A Multi-scale Approach.

PubMed

Mariani, Stefano; Ghisi, Aldo; Corigliano, Alberto; Zerbini, Sarah

2009-01-01

Failure of packaged polysilicon micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) subjected to impacts involves phenomena occurring at several length-scales. In this paper we present a multi-scale finite element approach to properly allow for: (i) the propagation of stress waves inside the package; (ii) the dynamics of the whole MEMS; (iii) the spreading of micro-cracking in the failing part(s) of the sensor. Through Monte Carlo simulations, some effects of polysilicon micro-structure on the failure mode are elucidated.

Photon-counting image sensors for the ultraviolet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, E. B.

1985-01-01

An investigation on specific performance details of photon counting, ultraviolet image sensors having 2-dimensional formats is reviewed. In one study, controlled experiments were performed which compare the quantum efficiencies, in pulse counting mode, of CsI photocathodes deposited on: (1) the front surface of a microchannel plate (MCP), (2) a solid surface in front of an MCP, and (3) an intensified CCD image sensor (ICCD) where a CCD is directly bombarded by accelerated photoelectrons. Tests indicated that the detection efficiency of the CsI-coated MCP at 1026 A is lower by a factor of 2.5 than that of the MCP with a separate, opaque CsI photocathode, and the detection efficiency ratio increases substantially at longer wavelengths (ratio is 5 at 1216 A and 20 at 1608 A).

Calibration of low-cost gas sensors for an urban air quality monitoring network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, A.; Kelley, C.; He, C.; Ghugare, P.; Lehman, A.; Benish, S.; Stratton, P.; Dickerson, R. R.; Zuidema, C.; Azdoud, Y.; Ren, X.

2017-12-01

In a warming world, environmental pollution may be exacerbated by anthropogenic activities, such as climate change and the urban heat island effect, as well as natural phenomena such as heat waves. However, monitoring air pollution at federal reference standards (approximately 1 part per billion or ppb for ambient ozone) is cost-prohibitive in heterogeneous urban areas as many expensive devices are required to fully capture a region's geo-spatial variability. Innovation in low-cost sensors provide a potential solution, yet technical challenges remain to overcome possible imprecision in the data. We present the calibrations of ozone and nitrous dioxide from a low-cost air quality monitoring device designed for the Baltimore Open Air Project. The sensors used in this study are commercially available thin film electrochemical sensors from SPEC Sensor, which are amperometric, meaning they generate current proportional to volumetric fraction of gas. The results of sensor calibrations in the laboratory and field are presented.

RF to millimeter wave integration and module technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vähä-Heikkilä, T.

2015-04-01

Radio Frequency (RF) consumer applications have boosted silicon integrated circuits (IC) and corresponding technologies. More and more functions are integrated to ICs and their performance is also increasing. However, RF front-end modules with filters and switches as well as antennas still need other way of integration. This paper focuses to RF front-end module and antenna developments as well as to the integration of millimeter wave radios. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed both Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) and Integrated Passive Devices (IPD) integration platforms for RF and millimeter wave integrated modules. In addition to in-house technologies, VTT is using module and component technologies from other commercial sources.

Non-LTE radiating acoustic shocks and Ca II K2V bright points

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlsson, Mats; Stein, Robert F.

1992-01-01

We present, for the first time, a self-consistent solution of the time-dependent 1D equations of non-LTE radiation hydrodynamics in solar chromospheric conditions. The vertical propagation of sinusoidal acoustic waves with periods of 30, 180, and 300 s is calculated. We find that departures from LTE and ionization recombination determine the temperature profiles of the shocks that develop. In LTE almost all the thermal energy goes into ionization, so the temperature rise is very small. In non-LTE, the finite transition rates delay the ionization to behind the shock front. The compression thus goes into thermal energy at the shock front leading to a high temperature amplitude. Further behind the shock front, the delayed ionization removes energy from the thermal pool, which reduces the temperature, producing a temperature spike. The 180 s waves reproduce the observed temporal changes in the calcium K line profiles quite well. The observed wing brightening pattern, the violet/red peak asymmetry and the observed line center behavior are all well reproduced. The short-period waves and the 5 minute period waves fail especially in reproducing the observed behavior of the wings.

Digital off-axis holographic interferometry with simulated wavefront.

PubMed

Belashov, A V; Petrov, N V; Semenova, I V

2014-11-17

The paper presents a novel algorithm based on digital holographic interferometry and being promising for evaluation of phase variations from highly noisy or modulated by speckle-structures digital holograms. The suggested algorithm simulates an interferogram in finite width fringes, by analogy with classical double exposure holographic interferometry. Thus obtained interferogram is then processed as a digital hologram. The advantages of the suggested approach are demonstrated in numerical experiments on calculations of differences in phase distributions of wave fronts modulated by speckle structure, as well as in a physical experiment on the analysis of laser-induced heating dynamics of an aqueous solution of a photosensitizer. It is shown that owing to the inherent capability of the approach to perform adjustable smoothing of compared wave fronts, the resulting difference undergoes noise filtering. This capability of adjustable smoothing may be used to minimize losses in spatial resolution. Since the method allows to vary an observation angle of compared wave fields, an opportunity to compensate misalignment of optical axes of these wave fronts arises. This feature can be required, for example, when using two different setups in comparative digital holography or for compensation of recording system displacements during a set of exposures in studies of dynamic processes.

Collective cell migration without proliferation: density determines cell velocity and wave velocity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tlili, Sham; Gauquelin, Estelle; Li, Brigitte; Cardoso, Olivier; Ladoux, Benoît; Delanoë-Ayari, Hélène; Graner, François

2018-05-01

Collective cell migration contributes to embryogenesis, wound healing and tumour metastasis. Cell monolayer migration experiments help in understanding what determines the movement of cells far from the leading edge. Inhibiting cell proliferation limits cell density increase and prevents jamming; we observe long-duration migration and quantify space-time characteristics of the velocity profile over large length scales and time scales. Velocity waves propagate backwards and their frequency depends only on cell density at the moving front. Both cell average velocity and wave velocity increase linearly with the cell effective radius regardless of the distance to the front. Inhibiting lamellipodia decreases cell velocity while waves either disappear or have a lower frequency. Our model combines conservation laws, monolayer mechanical properties and a phenomenological coupling between strain and polarity: advancing cells pull on their followers, which then become polarized. With reasonable values of parameters, this model agrees with several of our experimental observations. Together, our experiments and model disantangle the respective contributions of active velocity and of proliferation in monolayer migration, explain how cells maintain their polarity far from the moving front, and highlight the importance of strain-polarity coupling and density in long-range information propagation.

Multi-domain boundary element method for axi-symmetric layered linear acoustic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiter, Paul; Ziegelwanger, Harald

2017-12-01

Homogeneous porous materials like rock wool or synthetic foam are the main tool for acoustic absorption. The conventional absorbing structure for sound-proofing consists of one or multiple absorbers placed in front of a rigid wall, with or without air-gaps in between. Various models exist to describe these so called multi-layered acoustic systems mathematically for incoming plane waves. However, there is no efficient method to calculate the sound field in a half space above a multi layered acoustic system for an incoming spherical wave. In this work, an axi-symmetric multi-domain boundary element method (BEM) for absorbing multi layered acoustic systems and incoming spherical waves is introduced. In the proposed BEM formulation, a complex wave number is used to model absorbing materials as a fluid and a coordinate transformation is introduced which simplifies singular integrals of the conventional BEM to non-singular radial and angular integrals. The radial and angular part are integrated analytically and numerically, respectively. The output of the method can be interpreted as a numerical half space Green's function for grounds consisting of layered materials.

Transport of pollutants and sediment in the area of the Wave Hub (Celtic Sea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shapiro, Georgy; Huntley, David

2010-05-01

Ocean waves are a sustainable source of alternative energy that, if properly developed, will provide a quarter of current electricity demand and contribute to lowering the UK's reliance on fossil fuels. The UK government has given planning approval for a pilot power plant called the Wave Hub located in the eastern Celtic Sea off the Cornish north coast. The impact of a small number of devices on the physical environment is expected to be subtle outside the exclusion zone. However, such pilot projects are considered as the launching pad in the UK's ambitious programme to create a new wave energy industry. Large scale off-shore industrial activity can interact with the physical environment of the shelf sea in a two-fold manner: (i) the wave farm is affected by the waves, currents, variation in temperature and movements of sediment, and (ii) it can impact on the marine environment via a number of ways including release of dissolved and suspended matter during construction, operational and decommission stages of the project. These changes in the physical environment can then be translated into changes of the ecosystem and corresponding human activities. The Celtic Sea has a highly variable and complex thermal structure. In the spring and summer the water column becomes stratified due to solar heating of the surface layer, particularly in the areas of greater depth and/or low currents, where the turbulence is insufficient to mix the entire water column. Fronts form at the junctions of stratified and mixed water columns and these fronts generate currents which flow along the fronts. These frontal currents are subject to baroclinic instability and generate a whole set of mesoscale (i.e. comparable with the baroclinic Rossby radius) features such as eddies, filaments and mushroom currents, which are clearly seen on satellite images. Ecosystems are particularly concentrated in the vicinity of fronts so changes in frontal strength or location can have significant biological consequences. This paper presents some preliminary modelling results of a baseline study focussed on hind-cast and now-cast simulation of the 3D structure of temperature, salinity and current velocity in the area immediately adjacent to the location of the Wave Hub. Of the range of available 3D numerical models for shelf sea hydrodynamics, we have selected the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal Modelling System (POLCOMS). The POLCOMS has successfully been used in a number of coastal/shelf sea regions to simulate circulation of coastal waters. Modelling is carried out in the region of approximately 200x 200 km with the variable vertical resolution typically less than 2 m. Such parameters allow resololution of the formation of coastal density fronts both within and outside the wave shadow zone, expected to be of the order of tens of kilometres. The meteorological parameters are obtained from the publicly available NCEP re-analyses data base. These parameters include components of the wind velocity and the surface heat fluxes, air pressure at sea level; temperature and humidity in the low troposphere; precipitation and cloudiness. In this study, the transport of pollution is simulated by a number of passive drifters located at a certain depth at a number of locations including the central point of the Wave Hub. Sediment transport is modelled using the Engelund-Hansen algorithm taking the current velocities produced by the POLCOMS as an input parameter. The Celtic sea is a tidally dominated region, and the modelling is run both in full-forcing and in tide-only modes in order to assess effects of density fronts on the residual (tidally averaged) circulation pattern. The results show that the pollution pathways are very sensitive to the formation of temperature fronts. In some cases the passive traces move in nearly opposite directions when the effect of temperature fronts is disregarded. Sediment transport is highly non-uniform spatially with some four areas along the Cornish coast being particularly affected. Sediment transport is also sensitive to the neap-spring phase of the tidal cycle. Residual currents caused by the non-linear tidal stream rectification are comparable or slower (depending on location) than the density driven currents caused by formation of temperature fronts. Location of the Wave Hub is particularly prone to strong transport of suspended particulate matter subject to availability of sediment on the seabed. These preliminary results suggest that the region of the Celtic Sea where the proposed Wave Hub is sited is an excellent location for assessing potential impacts of wave energy extraction. The authors wish to thank D. L. Aleynik for his help in setting up the POLCOMS model and the PRIMaRE project for providing computing facilities.

Low-grazing angle laser scans of foreshore topography, swash and inner surf-zone wave heights, and mean water level: validation and storm response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brodie, K. L.; McNinch, J. E.; Forte, M.; Slocum, R.

2010-12-01

Accurately predicting beach evolution during storms requires models that correctly parameterize wave runup and inner surf-zone processes, the principle drivers of sediment exchange between the beach and surf-zone. Previous studies that aimed at measuring wave runup and swash zone water levels have been restricted to analyzing water-elevation time series of (1) the shoreward-most swash excursion using video imaging or near-bed resistance wires, or (2) the free water surface at a particular location on the foreshore using pressure sensors. These data are often compared with wave forcing parameters in deeper water as well as with beach topography observed at finite intervals throughout the time series to identify links between foreshore evolution, wave spectra, and water level variations. These approaches have lead to numerous parameterizations and empirical equations for wave runup but have difficulty providing adequate data to quantify and understand short-term spatial and temporal variations in foreshore evolution. As a result, modeling shoreline response and changes in sub-aerial beach volume during storms remains a substantial challenge. Here, we demonstrate a novel technique in which a terrestrial laser scanner is used to continuously measure beach and foreshore topography as well as water elevation (and wave height) in the swash and inner surf-zone during storms. The terrestrial laser scanner is mounted 2-m above the dune crest at the Field Research Facility in Duck, NC in line with cross-shore wave gauges located at 2-m, 3-m, 5-m, 6-m, and 8-m of water depth. The laser is automated to collect hourly, two-dimensional, 20-minute time series of data along a narrow swath in addition to an hourly three-dimensional laser scan of beach and dune topography +/- 250m alongshore from the laser. Low grazing-angle laser scans are found to reflect off of the surface of the water, providing spatially (e.g. dx <= 0.1 m) and temporally (e.g. dt = 3Hz) dense elevation data of the foreshore, swash, and inner-surf zone bore heights. Foreshore elevation precision is observed to be < 0.01m. Sea surface elevation data is confined to the breaking region and is more extensive in rough, fully-dissipative surf zones, with the fronts of breaking waves and dissipated bores resolved most clearly. Time series of swash front (runup) data will be compared with simultaneously collected video-imaged swash timestacks, and wave height data of the inner surf zone will be compared with wave data from an aquadopp in 2m of water depth. In addition, analysis of the water level time series data at 10 cm intervals across the profile enables reconstruction of the shoreline setup profile as well as cross-shore variations in 1D wave spectra. Foreshore beach morphology evolution is analyzed using both the 2D cross-shore profile data, as well as the 3D topographic data during multiple storm events. Potential sources of error in the measurements, such as shadowing of the wave troughs or reflectance off of wave spray is identified and quantified.

Longitudinally Jointed Edge-wise Compression Honeycomb Composite Sandwich Coupon Testing and FE Analysis: Three Methods of Strain Measurement, and Comparison

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farrokh, Babak; AbdulRahim, Nur Aida; Segal, Ken; Fan, Terry; Jones, Justin; Hodges, Ken; Mashni, Noah; Garg, Naman; Sang, Alex; Gifford, Dawn;

Converging Oceaniac Internal Waves, Somalia, Africa

NASA Image and Video Library

1988-10-03

The arculate fronts of these apparently converging internal waves off the northeast coast of Somalia (11.5N, 51.5E) probably were produced by interaction with two parallel submarine canyons off the Horn of Africa. Internal waves are packets of tidally generated waves traveling within the ocean at varying depths and are not detectable by any surface disturbance.

Observation of Wave Packet Distortion during a Negative-Group-Velocity Transmission

PubMed Central

Ye, Dexin; Salamin, Yannick; Huangfu, Jiangtao; Qiao, Shan; Zheng, Guoan; Ran, Lixin

2015-01-01

In Physics, causality is a fundamental postulation arising from the second law of thermodynamics. It states that, the cause of an event precedes its effect. In the context of Electromagnetics, the relativistic causality limits the upper bound of the velocity of information, which is carried by electromagnetic wave packets, to the speed of light in free space (c). In anomalously dispersive media (ADM), it has been shown that, wave packets appear to propagate with a superluminal or even negative group velocity. However, Sommerfeld and Brillouin pointed out that the “front” of such wave packets, known as the initial point of the Sommerfeld precursor, always travels at c. In this work, we investigate the negative-group-velocity transmission of half-sine wave packets. We experimentally observe the wave front and the distortion of modulated wave packets propagating with a negative group velocity in a passive artificial ADM in microwave regime. Different from previous literature on the propagation of superluminal Gaussian packets, strongly distorted sinusoidal packets with non-superluminal wave fronts were observed. This result agrees with Brillouin's assertion, i.e., the severe distortion of seemingly superluminal wave packets makes the definition of group velocity physically meaningless in the anomalously dispersive region. PMID:25631746

Using arm and hand gestures to command robots during stealth operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoica, Adrian; Assad, Chris; Wolf, Michael; You, Ki Sung; Pavone, Marco; Huntsberger, Terry; Iwashita, Yumi

2012-06-01

Command of support robots by the warfighter requires intuitive interfaces to quickly communicate high degree-offreedom (DOF) information while leaving the hands unencumbered. Stealth operations rule out voice commands and vision-based gesture interpretation techniques, as they often entail silent operations at night or in other low visibility conditions. Targeted at using bio-signal inputs to set navigation and manipulation goals for the robot (say, simply by pointing), we developed a system based on an electromyography (EMG) "BioSleeve", a high density sensor array for robust, practical signal collection from forearm muscles. The EMG sensor array data is fused with inertial measurement unit (IMU) data. This paper describes the BioSleeve system and presents initial results of decoding robot commands from the EMG and IMU data using a BioSleeve prototype with up to sixteen bipolar surface EMG sensors. The BioSleeve is demonstrated on the recognition of static hand positions (e.g. palm facing front, fingers upwards) and on dynamic gestures (e.g. hand wave). In preliminary experiments, over 90% correct recognition was achieved on five static and nine dynamic gestures. We use the BioSleeve to control a team of five LANdroid robots in individual and group/squad behaviors. We define a gesture composition mechanism that allows the specification of complex robot behaviors with only a small vocabulary of gestures/commands, and we illustrate it with a set of complex orders.

Using Arm and Hand Gestures to Command Robots during Stealth Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoica, Adrian; Assad, Chris; Wolf, Michael; You, Ki Sung; Pavone, Marco; Huntsberger, Terry; Iwashita, Yumi

2012-01-01

Command of support robots by the warfighter requires intuitive interfaces to quickly communicate high degree-of-freedom (DOF) information while leaving the hands unencumbered. Stealth operations rule out voice commands and vision-based gesture interpretation techniques, as they often entail silent operations at night or in other low visibility conditions. Targeted at using bio-signal inputs to set navigation and manipulation goals for the robot (say, simply by pointing), we developed a system based on an electromyography (EMG) "BioSleeve", a high density sensor array for robust, practical signal collection from forearm muscles. The EMG sensor array data is fused with inertial measurement unit (IMU) data. This paper describes the BioSleeve system and presents initial results of decoding robot commands from the EMG and IMU data using a BioSleeve prototype with up to sixteen bipolar surface EMG sensors. The BioSleeve is demonstrated on the recognition of static hand positions (e.g. palm facing front, fingers upwards) and on dynamic gestures (e.g. hand wave). In preliminary experiments, over 90% correct recognition was achieved on five static and nine dynamic gestures. We use the BioSleeve to control a team of five LANdroid robots in individual and group/squad behaviors. We define a gesture composition mechanism that allows the specification of complex robot behaviors with only a small vocabulary of gestures/commands, and we illustrate it with a set of complex orders.

Cavitation cluster dynamics in shock-wave lithotripsy: part 1. Free field.

PubMed

Arora, M; Junge, L; Ohl, C D

2005-06-01

The spatiotemporal dynamics of cavitation bubble growth and collapse in shock-wave lithotripsy in a free field was studied experimentally. The lithotripter was equipped with two independently triggerable layers of piezoceramics. The front and back layers generated positive pressure amplitudes of 30 MPa and 15 MPa, respectively, and -10 MPa negative amplitude. The time interval between the launch of the shock waves was varied from 0 and 0.1 s, covering the regimens of pulse-modification (regimen A, delay 0 to 4 micros), shock wave-cavitation cluster interaction (B, 4 micros to 64 micros) and shock wave-gas bubble interaction (C, 256 micros to 0.1 s). The time-integrated cavitation activity was most strongly influenced in regimen A and, in regimen B, the spatial distribution of bubbles was altered, whereas enhancement of cavitation activity was observed in regimen C. Quantitative measurements of the spatial- and time-integrated void fractions were obtained with a photographic and light-scattering technique. The preconditions for a reproducible experiment are explained, with the existence of two distinct types of cavitation nuclei, small particles suspended in the liquid and residuals of bubbles from prior cavitation clusters.

Detection of in-plane displacements of acoustic wave fields using extrinsic Fizeau fiber interferometric sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dhawan, R.; Gunther, M. F.; Claus, R. O.

1991-01-01

Quantitative measurements of the in-plane particle displacement components of ultrasonic surface acoustic wave fields using extrinsic Fizeau fiber interferometric (EFFI) sensors are reported. Wave propagation in materials and the fiber sensor elements are briefly discussed. Calibrated experimental results obtained for simulated acoustic emission events on homogeneous metal test specimens are reported and compared to previous results obtained using piezoelectric transducers.

Calibration of a shock wave position sensor using artificial neural networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Decker, Arthur J.; Weiland, Kenneth E.

1993-01-01

This report discusses the calibration of a shock wave position sensor. The position sensor works by using artificial neural networks to map cropped CCD frames of the shadows of the shock wave into the value of the shock wave position. This project was done as a tutorial demonstration of method and feasibility. It used a laboratory shadowgraph, nozzle, and commercial neural network package. The results were quite good, indicating that artificial neural networks can be used efficiently to automate the semi-quantitative applications of flow visualization.

Attenuation of the dynamic yield point of shocked aluminum using elastodynamic simulations of dislocation dynamics.

PubMed

Gurrutxaga-Lerma, Beñat; Balint, Daniel S; Dini, Daniele; Eakins, Daniel E; Sutton, Adrian P

2015-05-01

When a metal is subjected to extremely rapid compression, a shock wave is launched that generates dislocations as it propagates. The shock wave evolves into a characteristic two-wave structure, with an elastic wave preceding a plastic front. It has been known for more than six decades that the amplitude of the elastic wave decays the farther it travels into the metal: this is known as "the decay of the elastic precursor." The amplitude of the elastic precursor is a dynamic yield point because it marks the transition from elastic to plastic behavior. In this Letter we provide a full explanation of this attenuation using the first method of dislocation dynamics to treat the time dependence of the elastic fields of dislocations explicitly. We show that the decay of the elastic precursor is a result of the interference of the elastic shock wave with elastic waves emanating from dislocations nucleated in the shock front. Our simulations reproduce quantitatively recent experiments on the decay of the elastic precursor in aluminum and its dependence on strain rate.

Optimization of PZT ceramic IDT sensors for health monitoring of structures.

PubMed

Takpara, Rafatou; Duquennoy, Marc; Ouaftouh, Mohammadi; Courtois, Christian; Jenot, Frédéric; Rguiti, Mohamed

2017-08-01

Surface acoustic waves (SAW) are particularly suited to effectively monitoring and characterizing structural surfaces (condition of the surface, coating, thin layer, micro-cracks…) as their energy is localized on the surface, within approximately one wavelength. Conventionally, in non-destructive testing, wedge sensors are used to the generation guided waves but they are especially suited to flat surfaces and sized for a given type material (angle of refraction). Additionally, these sensors are quite expensive so it is quite difficult to leave the sensors permanently on the structure for its health monitoring. Therefore we are considering in this study, another type of ultrasonic sensors, able to generate SAW. These sensors are interdigital sensors or IDT sensors for InterDigital Transducer. This paper focuses on optimization of IDT sensors for non-destructive structural testing by using PZT ceramics. The challenge was to optimize the dimensional parameters of the IDT sensors in order to efficiently generate surface waves. Acoustic tests then confirmed these parameters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photographic laboratory studies of explosions.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamel, M. M.; Oppenheim, A. K.

1973-01-01

Description of a series of cinematographic studies of explosions made with a high-speed rotating-mirror streak camera which uses a high-frequency stroboscopic ruby laser as the light source. The results obtained mainly concern explosions initiated by focused laser irradiation from a pulsed neodymium laser in a detonating gas consisting essentially of an equimolar mixture of acetylene and oxygen at an initial pressure of 100 torr at room temperature. Among the most significant observations were observations of a spherical blast wave preceded by a Chapman-Jouguet detonation which is stabilized immediately after initiation, the merging of a spherical flame with a shock front of the blast wave in which the flame is propagating, the division of a spherical detonation front into a shock wave and flame, and the generation of shock waves by a network of spherical flames.

Turbulent premixed combustion in V-shaped flames: Characteristics of flame front

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kheirkhah, S.; Gülder, Ö. L.

2013-05-01

Flame front characteristics of turbulent premixed V-shaped flames were investigated experimentally using the Mie scattering and the particle image velocimetry techniques. The experiments were performed at mean streamwise exit velocities of 4.0, 6.2, and 8.6 m/s, along with fuel-air equivalence ratios of 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9. Effects of vertical distance from the flame-holder, mean streamwise exit velocity, and fuel-air equivalence ratio on statistics of the distance between the flame front and the vertical axis, flame brush thickness, flame front curvature, and angle between tangent to the flame front and the horizontal axis were studied. The results show that increasing the vertical distance from the flame-holder and the fuel-air equivalence ratio increase the mean and root-mean-square (RMS) of the distance between the flame front and the vertical axis; however, increasing the mean streamwise exit velocity decreases these statistics. Spectral analysis of the fluctuations of the flame front position depicts that the normalized and averaged power-spectrum-densities collapse and show a power-law relation with the normalized wave number. The flame brush thickness is linearly correlated with RMS of the distance between the flame front and the vertical axis. Analysis of the curvature of the flame front data shows that the mean curvature is independent of the experimental conditions tested and equals to zero. Values of the inverse of the RMS of flame front curvature are similar to those of the integral length scale, suggesting that the large eddies in the flow make a significant contribution in wrinkling of the flame front. Spectral analyses of the flame front curvature as well as the angle between tangent to the flame front and the horizontal axis show that the power-spectrum-densities feature a peak. Value of the inverse of the wave number pertaining to the peak is larger than that of the integral length scale.

The Formation and Early Evolution of a Coronal Mass Ejection and its Associated Shock Wave on 2014 January 8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Linfeng; Cheng, Xin; Shi, Tong; Su, Wei; Ding, M. D.

2016-08-01

In this paper, we study the formation and early evolution of a limb coronal mass ejection (CME) and its associated shock wave that occurred on 2014 January 8. The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images provided by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory disclose that the CME first appears as a bubble-like structure. Subsequently, its expansion forms the CME and causes a quasi-circular EUV wave. Interestingly, both the CME and the wave front are clearly visible at all of the AIA EUV passbands. Through a detailed kinematical analysis, it is found that the expansion of the CME undergoes two phases: a first phase with a strong but transient lateral over-expansion followed by a second phase with a self-similar expansion. The temporal evolution of the expansion velocity coincides very well with the variation of the 25-50 keV hard X-ray flux of the associated flare, which indicates that magnetic reconnection most likely plays an important role in driving the expansion. Moreover, we find that, when the velocity of the CME reaches ˜600 km s-1, the EUV wave starts to evolve into a shock wave, which is evidenced by the appearance of a type II radio burst. The shock’s formation height is estimated to be ˜0.2 R sun, which is much lower than the height derived previously. Finally, we also study the thermal properties of the CME and the EUV wave. We find that the plasma in the CME leading front and the wave front has a temperature of ˜2 MK, while that in the CME core region and the flare region has a much higher temperature of ≥8 MK.

Automated ocean color product validation for the Southern California Bight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Curtiss O.; Tufillaro, Nicholas; Jones, Burt; Arnone, Robert

2012-06-01

Automated match ups allow us to maintain and improve the products of current satellite ocean color sensors (MODIS, MERIS), and new sensors (VIIRS). As part of the VIIRS mission preparation, we have created a web based automated match up tool that provides access to searchable fields for date, site, and products, and creates match-ups between satellite (MODIS, MERIS, VIIRS), and in-situ measurements (HyperPRO and SeaPRISM). The back end of the system is a 'mySQL' database, and the front end is a `php' web portal with pull down menus for searchable fields. Based on selections, graphics are generated showing match-ups and statistics, and ascii files are created for downloads for the matchup data. Examples are shown for matching the satellite data with the data from Platform Eureka SeaPRISM off L.A. Harbor in the Southern California Bight.

Verification Test of the SURF and SURFplus Models in xRage: Part III Affect of Mesh Alignment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Menikoff, Ralph

The previous studies used an underdriven detonation wave in 1-dimension (steady ZND reaction zone profile followed by a scale-invariant rarefaction wave) for PBX 9502 as a verification test of the implementation of the SURF and SURFplus models in the xRage code. Since the SURF rate is a function of the lead shock pressure, the question arises as to the effect on accuracy of variations in the detected shock pressure due to the alignment of the shock front with the mesh. To study the effect of mesh alignment we simulate a cylindrically diverging detonation wave using a planar 2-D mesh. Themore » leading issue is the magnitude of azimuthal asymmetries in the numerical solution. The 2-D test case does not have an exact analytic solution. To quantify the accuracy, the 2-D solution along rays through the origin are compared to a highly resolved 1-D simulation in cylindrical geometry.« less

High-precision angle sensor based on a Köster’s prism with absolute zero-point

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ullmann, V.; Oertel, E.; Manske, E.

2018-06-01

In this publication, a novel approach will be presented to use a compact white-light interferometer based on a Köster’s prism for angle measurements. Experiments show that the resolution of this angle interferometer is in the range of a commercial digital autocollimator, with a focal length of f  =  300 mm, but with clearly reduced signal noise and without overshoot artifacts in the signal caused by digital filters. The angle detection of the reference mirror in the Köster’s interferometer is based on analysing the rotation angle of the fringe pattern, which is projected on a CMOS-matrix. The fringe pattern is generated by two displaced spherical wave fronts coming from one fiber-coupled white-light source and getting divided into a reference and a measurement beam by the Köster’s prism. The displacement correlates with the reference angle mirror in one linear direction and with the angle aberrations of the prism in the other orthogonal direction on the CMOS sensor. We will present the experimental and optical setup, the method and algorithms for the image-to-angle processing as well as the experimental results obtained in calibration and long-term measurements.

Origins of spectral broadening of incoherent waves: Catastrophic process of coherence degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, G.; Garnier, J.; Rumpf, B.; Fusaro, A.; Suret, P.; Randoux, S.; Kudlinski, A.; Millot, G.; Picozzi, A.

2017-08-01

We revisit the mechanisms underlying the process of spectral broadening of incoherent optical waves propagating in nonlinear media on the basis of nonequilibrium thermodynamic considerations. A simple analysis reveals that a prerequisite for the existence of a significant spectral broadening of the waves is that the linear part of the energy (Hamiltonian) has different contributions of opposite signs. It turns out that, at variance with the expected soliton turbulence scenario, an increase of the amount of disorder (incoherence) in the system does not require the generation of a coherent soliton structure. We illustrate the idea by considering the propagation of two wave components in an optical fiber with opposite dispersion coefficients. A wave turbulence approach to the problem reveals that the increase of kinetic energy in one component is offset by the negative reduction in the other component, so that the waves exhibit, as a general rule, virtually unlimited spectral broadening. More precisely, a self-similar solution of the kinetic equations reveals that the spectra of the incoherent waves tend to relax toward a homogeneous distribution in the wake of a front that propagates in frequency space with a decelerating velocity. We discuss this catastrophic process of spectral broadening in the light of different important phenomena, in particular supercontinuum generation, soliton turbulence, wave condensation, and the runaway motion of mechanical systems composed of positive and negative masses.

Optical mapping of Langendorff-perfused human hearts: establishing a model for the study of ventricular fibrillation in humans.

PubMed

Nanthakumar, Kumaraswamy; Jalife, José; Massé, Stéphane; Downar, Eugene; Pop, Mihaela; Asta, John; Ross, Heather; Rao, Vivek; Mironov, Sergey; Sevaptsidis, Elias; Rogers, Jack; Wright, Graham; Dhopeshwarkar, Rajesh

2007-07-01

Our objective was to establish a novel model for the study of ventricular fibrillation (VF) in humans. We adopted the established techniques of optical mapping to human ventricles for the first time to determine whether human VF is the result of wave breaks and singularity point formation and is maintained by high-frequency rotors and fibrillatory conduction. We describe the technique of acquiring optical signals in human hearts during VF, their characteristics, and the feasibility of possible analyses that could be performed to elucidate mechanisms of human VF. We used explanted hearts from five cardiomyopathic patients who underwent transplantation. The hearts were Langendorff perfused with Tyrode solution (95% O(2)-5% CO(2)), and the potentiometric dye di-4-ANEPPS was injected as a bolus into the coronary circulation. Fluorescence was excited at 531 +/- 20 nm with a 150-W halogen light source; the emission signal was long-pass filtered at 610 nm and recorded with a mapping camera. Fractional change of fluorescence varied between 2% and 12%. Average signal-to-noise ratio was 40 dB. The mean velocity of VF wave fronts was 0.25 +/- 0.04 m/s. Submillimetric spatial resolution (0.65-0.85 mm), activation mapping, and transformation of the data to phase-based analysis revealed reentrant, colliding, and fractionating wave fronts in human VF. On many occasions the VF wave fronts were as large as the entire vertical length (8 cm) of the mapping field, suggesting that there are a limited number of wave fronts on the human heart during VF. Phase transformation of the optical signals allowed the first demonstration ever of phase singularity point, wave breaks, and rotor formation in human VF. This method provides opportunities for potential analyses toward elucidation of the mechanisms of VF and defibrillation in humans.

Experimental investigation of detonation waves instabilities in liquid high explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sosikov, V. A.; Torunov, S. I.; Utkin, A. V.; Mochalova, V. M.; Rapota, D. Yu

2018-01-01

Experimental investigation of unstable detonation front structure in mixtures of liquid high explosives (nitromethane and FEFO—bis-(2-fluor-2.2-dinitroethyl)-formal) with inert diluents (acetone, methanol, DETA—diethylene triamine) has been carried out. Inhomogeneities have been registered by electro-optical camera NANOGATE 4BP allowing to make 4 frames with the exposure time 10 ns. According to experimental results the detonation front in nitromethane-acetone mixture is unstable. It is evident that pulsations on detonation front do not form spatial periodic structure and their dimensions differ several times. But mean longitudinal size of pulsation is about 500 μm at 20 wt% of acetone concentration. This means that the typical size of cell equals to reaction zone width. The same structure of cellular front have been registered in 70/30 FEFO-methanol mixture. Second kind of instability, failure waves, was observed in neat nitromethane at the free surface. In this case the stability loss result in turbulent flow which is clearly detected in the shots obtained. Adding small amount of DETA (0.5 wt%) results in disappearance of the failure waves and flow stabilization. The effect is caused by the fact that DETA sharply accelerates initial rate of chemical reaction because it is sensitizer for nitromethane.

Comparison of geometrical shock dynamics and kinematic models for shock-wave propagation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridoux, J.; Lardjane, N.; Monasse, L.; Coulouvrat, F.

2018-03-01

Geometrical shock dynamics (GSD) is a simplified model for nonlinear shock-wave propagation, based on the decomposition of the shock front into elementary ray tubes. Assuming small changes in the ray tube area, and neglecting the effect of the post-shock flow, a simple relation linking the local curvature and velocity of the front, known as the A{-}M rule, is obtained. More recently, a new simplified model, referred to as the kinematic model, was proposed. This model is obtained by combining the three-dimensional Euler equations and the Rankine-Hugoniot relations at the front, which leads to an equation for the normal variation of the shock Mach number at the wave front. In the same way as GSD, the kinematic model is closed by neglecting the post-shock flow effects. Although each model's approach is different, we prove their structural equivalence: the kinematic model can be rewritten under the form of GSD with a specific A{-}M relation. Both models are then compared through a wide variety of examples including experimental data or Eulerian simulation results when available. Attention is drawn to the simple cases of compression ramps and diffraction over convex corners. The analysis is completed by the more complex cases of the diffraction over a cylinder, a sphere, a mound, and a trough.

Methods for correcting tilt anisoplanatism in laser-guide-star-based multiconjugate adaptive optics.

PubMed

Ellerbroek, B L; Rigaut, F

2001-10-01

Multiconjugate adaptive optics (MCAO) is a technique for correcting turbulence-induced phase distortions in three dimensions instead of two, thereby greatly expanding the corrected field of view of an adaptive optics system. This is accomplished with use of multiple deformable mirrors conjugate to distinct ranges in the atmosphere, with actuator commands computed from wave-front sensor (WFS) measurements from multiple guide stars. Laser guide stars (LGSs) must be used (at least for the forseeable future) to achieve a useful degree of sky coverage in an astronomical MCAO system. Much as a single LGS cannot be used to measure overall wave-front tilt, a constellation of multiple LGSs at a common range cannot detect tilt anisoplanatism. This error alone will significantly degrade the performance of a MCAO system based on a single tilt-only natural guide star (NGS) and multiple tilt-removed LGSs at a common altitude. We present a heuristic, low-order model for the principal source of tilt anisoplanatism that suggests four possible approaches to eliminating this defect in LGS MCAO: (i) tip/tilt measurements from multiple NGS, (ii) a solution to the LGS tilt uncertainty problem, (iii) additional higher-order WFS measurements from a single NGS, or (iv) higher-order WFS measurements from both sodium and Rayleigh LGSs at different ranges. Sample numerical results for one particular MCAO system configuration indicate that approach (ii), if feasible, would provide the highest degree of tilt anisoplanatism compensation. Approaches (i) and (iv) also provide very useful levels of performance and do not require unrealistically low levels of WFS measurement noise. For a representative set of parameters for an 8-m telescope, the additional laser power required for approach (iv) is on the order of 2 W per Rayleigh LGS.

Statistical properties of the Strehl ratio as a function of pupil diameter and level of adaptive optics correction following atmospheric propagation.

PubMed

Shellan, Jeffrey B

2004-08-01

The propagation of an optical beam through atmospheric turbulence produces wave-front aberrations that can reduce the power incident on an illuminated target or degrade the image of a distant target. The purpose of the work described here was to determine by computer simulation the statistical properties of the normalized on-axis intensity--defined as (D/r0)2 SR--as a function of D/r0 and the level of adaptive optics (AO) correction, where D is the telescope diameter, r0 is the Fried coherence diameter, and SR is the Strehl ratio. Plots were generated of (D/r0)2 (SR) and sigmaSR/(SR), where (SR) and sigma(SR) are the mean and standard deviation, respectively, of the SR versus D/r0 for a wide range of both modal and zonal AO correction. The level of modal correction was characterized by the number of Zernike radial modes that were corrected. The amount of zonal AO correction was quantified by the number of actuators on the deformable mirror and the resolution of the Hartmann wave-front sensor. These results can be used to determine the optimum telescope diameter, in units of r0, as a function of the AO design. For the zonal AO model, we found that maximum on-axis intensity was achieved when the telescope diameter was sized so that the actuator spacing was equal to approximately 2r0. For modal correction, we found that the optimum value of D/r0 (maximum mean on-axis intensity) was equal to 1.79Nr + 2.86, where Nr is the highest Zernike radial mode corrected.

Determination and Control of Optical and X-Ray Wave Fronts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Young K.

1997-01-01

A successful design of a space-based or ground optical system requires an iterative procedure which includes the kinematics and dynamics of the system in operating environment, control synthesis and verification. To facilitate the task of designing optical wave front control systems being developed at NASA/MSFC, a multi-discipline dynamics and control tool has been developed by utilizing TREETOPS, a multi-body dynamics and control simulation, NASTRAN and MATLAB. Dynamics and control models of STABLE and ARIS were developed for TREETOPS simulation, and their simulation results are documented in this report.

Sandia technology & entrepreneurs improve Lasik

ScienceCinema

Neal, Dan; Turner, Tim

2018-05-11

Former Sandian Dan Neal started his company, WaveFront Sciences, based on wavefront sensing metrology technologies licensed from Sandia National Laboratories and by taking advantage of its Entrepreneurial Separation to Transfer Technology (ESTT) program. Abbott Medical Optics since acquired WaveFront and estimates that one million patients have improved the quality of their vision thanks to its products. ESTT is a valuable tool which allows Sandia to transfer technology to the private sector and Sandia employees to leave the Labs in order to start up new technology companies or help expand existing companies.

Microwave interferometry technique for obtaining gas interface velocity measurements in an expansion tube facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laney, C. C., Jr.

1974-01-01

A microwave interferometer technique to determine the front interface velocity of a high enthalpy gas flow, is described. The system is designed to excite a standing wave in an expansion tube, and to measure the shift in this standing wave as it is moved by the test gas front. Data, in the form of a varying sinusoidal signal, is recorded on a high-speed drum camera-oscilloscope combination. Measurements of average and incremental velocities in excess of 6,000 meters per second were made.

Sandia technology & entrepreneurs improve Lasik

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neal, Dan; Turner, Tim

2013-11-21

Former Sandian Dan Neal started his company, WaveFront Sciences, based on wavefront sensing metrology technologies licensed from Sandia National Laboratories and by taking advantage of its Entrepreneurial Separation to Transfer Technology (ESTT) program. Abbott Medical Optics since acquired WaveFront and estimates that one million patients have improved the quality of their vision thanks to its products. ESTT is a valuable tool which allows Sandia to transfer technology to the private sector and Sandia employees to leave the Labs in order to start up new technology companies or help expand existing companies.

The quality of our drinking water: aluminium determination with an acoustic wave sensor.

PubMed

Veríssimo, Marta I S; Gomes, M Teresa S R

2008-06-09

A new methodology based on an inexpensive aluminium acoustic wave sensor is presented. Although the aluminium sensor has already been reported, and the composition of the selective membrane is known, the low detection limits required for the analysis of drinking water, demanded the inclusion of a preconcentration stage, as well as an optimization of the sensor. The necessary coating amount was established, as well as the best preconcentration protocol, in terms of oxidation of organic matter and aluminium elution from the Chelex-100. The methodology developed with the acoustic wave sensor allowed aluminium quantitation above 0.07 mg L(-1). Several water samples from Portugal were analysed using the acoustic wave sensor, as well as by UV-vis spectrophotometry. Results obtained with both methodologies were not statistically different (alpha=0.05), both in terms of accuracy and precision. This new methodology proved to be adequate for aluminium quantitation in drinking water and showed to be faster and less reagent consuming than the UV spectrophotometric methodology.

Three-dimensional waveform sensitivity kernels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marquering, Henk; Nolet, Guust; Dahlen, F. A.

1998-03-01

The sensitivity of intermediate-period (~10-100s) seismic waveforms to the lateral heterogeneity of the Earth is computed using an efficient technique based upon surface-wave mode coupling. This formulation yields a general, fully fledged 3-D relationship between data and model without imposing smoothness constraints on the lateral heterogeneity. The calculations are based upon the Born approximation, which yields a linear relation between data and model. The linear relation ensures fast forward calculations and makes the formulation suitable for inversion schemes; however, higher-order effects such as wave-front healing are neglected. By including up to 20 surface-wave modes, we obtain Fréchet, or sensitivity, kernels for waveforms in the time frame that starts at the S arrival and which includes direct and surface-reflected body waves. These 3-D sensitivity kernels provide new insights into seismic-wave propagation, and suggest that there may be stringent limitations on the validity of ray-theoretical interpretations. Even recently developed 2-D formulations, which ignore structure out of the source-receiver plane, differ substantially from our 3-D treatment. We infer that smoothness constraints on heterogeneity, required to justify the use of ray techniques, are unlikely to hold in realistic earth models. This puts the use of ray-theoretical techniques into question for the interpretation of intermediate-period seismic data. The computed 3-D sensitivity kernels display a number of phenomena that are counter-intuitive from a ray-geometrical point of view: (1) body waves exhibit significant sensitivity to structure up to 500km away from the source-receiver minor arc; (2) significant near-surface sensitivity above the two turning points of the SS wave is observed; (3) the later part of the SS wave packet is most sensitive to structure away from the source-receiver path; (4) the sensitivity of the higher-frequency part of the fundamental surface-wave mode is wider than for its faster, lower-frequency part; (5) delayed body waves may considerably influence fundamental Rayleigh and Love waveforms. The strong sensitivity of waveforms to crustal structure due to fundamental-mode-to-body-wave scattering precludes the use of phase-velocity filters to model body-wave arrivals. Results from the 3-D formulation suggest that the use of 2-D and 1-D techniques for the interpretation of intermediate-period waveforms should seriously be reconsidered.