84,107 research outputs found
Using ACIS on the Chandra X-ray Observatory as a particle radiation monitor
The Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) is one of two focal-plane
instruments on the Chandra X-ray Observatory. During initial radiation-belt
passes, the exposed ACIS suffered significant radiation damage from trapped
soft protons scattering off the x-ray telescope's mirrors. The primary effect
of this damage was to increase the charge-transfer inefficiency (CTI) of the
ACIS 8 front-illuminated CCDs. Subsequently, the Chandra team implemented
procedures to remove the ACIS from the telescope's focus during high-radiation
events: planned protection during radiation-belt transits; autonomous
protection triggered by an on-board radiation monitor; and manual intervention
based upon assessment of space-weather conditions. However, as Chandra's
multilayer insulation ages, elevated temperatures have reduced the
effectiveness of the on-board radiation monitor for autonomous protection. Here
we investigate using the ACIS CCDs themselves as a radiation monitor. We
explore the 10-year database to evaluate the CCDs' response to particle
radiation and to compare this response with other radiation data and
environment models.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures. To appear in Proc. SPIE vol. 773
FIREBALL: Detector, data acquisition and reduction
The Faint Intergalactic Redshifted Emission Balloon (FIREBALL) had its first scientific flight in June 2009. The instrument combines microchannel plate detector technology with fiber-fed integral field spectroscopy on an unstable stratospheric balloon gondola platform. This unique combination poses a series of calibration and data reduction challenges that must be addressed and resolved to allow for accurate data analysis. We discuss our approach and some of the methods we are employing to accomplish this task
Optical pumping NMR in the compensated semiconductor InP:Fe
The optical pumping NMR effect in the compensated semiconductor InP:Fe has
been investigated in terms of the dependences of photon energy (E_p), helicity
(sigma+-), and exposure time (tau_L) of infrared lights. The {31}P and {115}In
signal enhancements show large sigma+- asymmetries and anomalous oscillations
as a function of E_p. We find that (i) the oscillation period as a function of
E_p is similar for {31}P and {115}In and almost field independent in spite of
significant reduction of the enhancement in higher fields. (ii) A
characteristic time for buildup of the {31}P polarization under the light
exposure shows strong E_p-dependence, but is almost independent of sigma+-.
(iii) The buildup times for {31}P and {115}In are of the same order (10^3 s),
although the spin-lattice relaxation times (T_1) are different by more than
three orders of magnitude between them. The results are discussed in terms of
(1) discrete energy spectra due to donor-acceptor pairs (DAPs) in compensated
semiconductors, and (2) interplay between {31}P and dipolar ordered indium
nuclei, which are optically induced.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Physical Review
Using ACIS on the Chandra X-ray Observatory as a particle radiation monitor II
The Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer is an instrument on the Chandra X-ray
Observatory. CCDs are vulnerable to radiation damage, particularly by soft
protons in the radiation belts and solar storms. The Chandra team has
implemented procedures to protect ACIS during high-radiation events including
autonomous protection triggered by an on-board radiation monitor. Elevated
temperatures have reduced the effectiveness of the on-board monitor. The ACIS
team has developed an algorithm which uses data from the CCDs themselves to
detect periods of high radiation and a flight software patch to apply this
algorithm is currently active on-board the instrument. In this paper, we
explore the ACIS response to particle radiation through comparisons to a number
of external measures of the radiation environment. We hope to better understand
the efficiency of the algorithm as a function of the flux and spectrum of the
particles and the time-profile of the radiation event.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Proc. SPIE 8443, "Space
Telescopes and Instrumentation 2012: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
Lightness constancy: ratio invariance and luminance profile
The term simultaneous lightness constancy describes the capacity of the visual system to perceive equal reflecting
surfaces as having the same lightness despite lying in different illumination fields. In some cases, however, a
lightness constancy failure occurs; that is, equal reflecting surfaces appear different in lightness when differently illuminated. An open question is whether the luminance profile of the illumination edges affects simultaneous lightness constancy even when the ratio invariance property of the illumination edges is preserved. To explore this issue, we ran two experiments by using bipartite illumination displays. Both the luminance profile of an illumination edge and the luminance ratio amplitude between the illumination fields were manipulated. Results revealed that the simultaneous lightness constancy increases when the luminance profile of the illumination edge is gradual (rather than sharp) and homogeneous (rather than inhomogeneous), whereas it decreases when the luminance
ratio between the illumination fields is enlarged. The results are interpreted according to the layer decomposition
schema, stating that the visual system splits the luminance into perceived lightness and apparent illumination
components. We suggest that illumination edges having gradual and homogeneous luminance profiles facilitate
the luminance decomposition process, whereas wide luminance ratios impede it
Redefining A in RGBA: Towards a Standard for Graphical 3D Printing
Advances in multimaterial 3D printing have the potential to reproduce various
visual appearance attributes of an object in addition to its shape. Since many
existing 3D file formats encode color and translucency by RGBA textures mapped
to 3D shapes, RGBA information is particularly important for practical
applications. In contrast to color (encoded by RGB), which is specified by the
object's reflectance, selected viewing conditions and a standard observer,
translucency (encoded by A) is neither linked to any measurable physical nor
perceptual quantity. Thus, reproducing translucency encoded by A is open for
interpretation.
In this paper, we propose a rigorous definition for A suitable for use in
graphical 3D printing, which is independent of the 3D printing hardware and
software, and which links both optical material properties and perceptual
uniformity for human observers. By deriving our definition from the absorption
and scattering coefficients of virtual homogeneous reference materials with an
isotropic phase function, we achieve two important properties. First, a simple
adjustment of A is possible, which preserves the translucency appearance if an
object is re-scaled for printing. Second, determining the value of A for a real
(potentially non-homogeneous) material, can be achieved by minimizing a
distance function between light transport measurements of this material and
simulated measurements of the reference materials. Such measurements can be
conducted by commercial spectrophotometers used in graphic arts.
Finally, we conduct visual experiments employing the method of constant
stimuli, and derive from them an embedding of A into a nearly perceptually
uniform scale of translucency for the reference materials.Comment: 20 pages (incl. appendices), 20 figures. Version with higher quality
images: https://cloud-ext.igd.fraunhofer.de/s/pAMH67XjstaNcrF (main article)
and https://cloud-ext.igd.fraunhofer.de/s/4rR5bH3FMfNsS5q (appendix).
Supplemental material including code:
https://cloud-ext.igd.fraunhofer.de/s/9BrZaj5Uh5d0cOU/downloa
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