IXPE Mission System Concept and Development Status

The Goal of the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Mi SMEX), is to expand understanding of high-energy astrophysical processes and sources, in support of NASAs first science objective in Astrophysics: Discover how the universe works. IXPE, an international collaboration, will conduct X-ray imaging polarimetry for multiple categories of cosmic X-ray sources such as neutron stars, stellar-mass black holes, supernova remnants and active galactic nuclei. The Observatory uses a single science operational mode capturing the X-ray data from the targets. The IXPE Observatory consists of spacecraft and payload modules built up in parallel to form the Observatory during system integration and test. The payload includes three X-ray telescopes each consisting of a polarization-sensitive, gas pixel X-ray detector, paired with its corresponding grazing incidence mirror module assembly (MMA). A deployable boom provides the correct separation (focal length) between the detector units (DU) and MMAs. These payload elements are supported by the IXPE spacecraft which is derived from the BCP-small spacecraft architecture. This paper summarizes the IXPE mission science objectives, updates the Observatory implementation concept including the payload and spacecraft ts and summarizes the mission status since last years conference

NASA Langley Scientific and Technical Information Output: 1998

This document is a compilation of the scientific and technical information that the Langley Research Center has produced during the calendar year 1998. Included are citations for Technical Publications, Conference Publications, Technical Memorandums, Contractor Reports, Journal Articles and Book Publications, Meeting Presentations, Technical Talks, and Patents

Air Force Institute of Technology Research Report 2018

This Research Report presents the FY18 research statistics and contributions of the Graduate School of Engineering and Management (EN) at AFIT. AFIT research interests and faculty expertise cover a broad spectrum of technical areas related to USAF needs, as reflected by the range of topics addressed in the faculty and student publications listed in this report. In most cases, the research work reported herein is directly sponsored by one or more USAF or DOD agencies. AFIT welcomes the opportunity to conduct research on additional topics of interest to the USAF, DOD, and other federal organizations when adequate manpower and financial resources are available and/or provided by a sponsor. In addition, AFIT provides research collaboration and technology transfer benefits to the public through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs). Interested individuals may discuss ideas for new research collaborations, potential CRADAs, or research proposals with individual faculty using the contact information in this document

CIRA annual report FY 2014/2015

Reporting period July 1, 2014-March 31, 2015

El urban sprawl : un modelo de urbanización insostenible

Tesi en modalitat de compendi de publicacions, amb diferents articles retallats per drets de l'editor.(English) he present thesis consists in a PhD thesis by compendium of publications. The general objective of the thesis is the analysis of the phenomenon of the Urban Sprawl, on a planetary scale, starting from the hypothesis that it is an unsustainable process. For the development, specific objectives were set that include the evolution of the research through a selection of 20 papers. The objectives are: a) Analyzing the Urban Sprawl urbanization model, by reviewing the specialized literature; b) Studying the genesis and evolution c) Quantify the Urban Sprawl from databases of local, regional and global, raising the question: is the Sprawl a phenomenon of planetary scope? d) Verify the hypothesis that in Europe, despite having a relatively dense metropolitan structure, there is a pronounced process of Urban Sprawl in the peripheries of large cities e) Define the “city” in the Sprawl era, defining urban and metropolitan systems based on morphological, economic and functional criteria f) Develop a methodology for the analysis of the internal structure of metropolises, capable of contrasting the degree of monocentrism and polycentrism of urban and metropolitan systems and verify the hypothesis that a higher degree of polycentrism reduces the degree of Sprawl (+ Polycentrism =-Sprawl) g) Apply this methodology to the analysis of specific cases, such as the Spanish urban system h) Apply the above methodology to analyze the efficiency in land consumption of the metropolitan systems of Madrid and Barcelona, Los Angeles and Chicago i) Analyze the process of urbanization through the land impacted by urbanization on a global scale, through images of night lights, delimiting metropolitan and megalopolitan areas and defining the different landscapes of human settlements j) Assess suitability of nighttime images to identify urban areas (in relation to rural settlements), and especially the Urban Sprawl, as well as, quantify the retrospective (and prospective) dynamics of the urbanization process (with special attention to China) k) Evaluate the climatic behavior of dispersed and low-density fabrics in comparison to the rest of urban and rural fabrics and uses; l) Study the daytime and nighttime Urban Heat Island (UHI), its spatial distribution and climatic performance of the different types of land covers; m) Study the urban factors that increase the adaptation of cities to global warming, specifically, urban parks as islands of cold in the context of the UHI n) Analyze the effects of heat waves on health, as well as the effect of urban greenery. The thesis, on the one hand, confirms the hypothesis of the unsustainability of the Urban Sprawl, since it implies a high consumption of land, in addition to generating unsustainable mobility. In the same way, it implies a fragmented and dispersed urbanization model, higher energy consumption and promotes social segregation. On the other hand, from the perspective of adaptation to climate change, the Urban Sprawl undoubtedly has a better performance, mainly due to the quality and quantity of green areas present in this type of urban fabric (absent in the central and dense city) and its proximity to those rural or forest areas, which are spaces that produce fresh air. The great challenge of spatial and urban planning is to stop this process of urban expansion without compromising the quality of life, comfort and human health. In this sense, it is necessary to proceed with a radical regeneration of the inherited urban fabrics. The compact city model cannot simply be considered the paradigm of sustainability. It must learn from the green spaces per inhabitant present in the Sprawl. Therefore, it can be concluded that green compactness is the new paradigm of 21st century cities.(Español) La tesis consiste en una tesis por compendio de publicaciones y el objetivo central es el análisis del fenómeno de la dispersión de la urbanización llamado Urban Sprawl a escala planetaria, partiendo de la hipótesis de que se trata de un proceso insostenible. Para el desarrollo de la misma se plantearon objetivos específicos que han sido desarrollados a través de artículos. Estos objetivos son: a) analizar el modelo del Urban Sprawl, mediante la revisión de la literatura especializada b) estudiar su génesis y evolución c) cuantificar el Urban Sprawl a partir de bases de datos de alcance local, regional y mundial, planteando la interrogante ¿es el Sprawl un fenómeno de alcance planetario? d) verificar la hipótesis de que en Europa, a pesar de tener una estructura metropolitana relativamente densa, existe un acusado proceso de Urban Sprawl en las periferias de las grandes ciudades e) delimitar la “ciudad” en la era del Sprawl, definiendo los sistemas urbanos y metropolitanos a partir de criterios morfológicos, económicos y funcionales f) desarrollar una metodología para el análisis de la estructura interna de las metrópolis, capaz de contrastar el grado de monocentrismo y policentrismo de los sistemas urbanos y metropolitanos y verificar la hipótesis de que un mayor grado de policentrismo atenúa el grado de Sprawl (+ Policentrismo = - Sprawl) g) aplicar dicha metodología al análisis de casos concretos, como es el sistema urbano español h) aplicar la anterior metodología para analizar la eficiencia en el consumo de suelo de los sistemas metropolitanos de Madrid y Barcelona, Los Ángeles y Chicago i) Analizar el proceso de urbanización a través del suelo impactado por la urbanización a escala mundial, por medio de imágenes de luces nocturnas, delimitando áreas metropolitanas y megalopolitanas a escala mundial y definiendo en las mismas los diferentes paisajes de los asentamientos humanos j) evaluar la capacidad de las luces nocturnas para identificar las áreas urbanas y muy especialmente el Urban Sprawl, así como cuantificar la dinámica retrospectiva (y prospectiva) del proceso de urbanización (con especial atención a China); k) evaluar el comportamiento climático de los tejidos dispersos y de baja densidad en comparación al resto de tejidos y usos urbanos y rurales; l) Estudiar la Isla de Calor Urbana (UHI) diurna y nocturna, su distribución espacial y comportamiento climático de los diferentes tipos de cubiertas de suelo; m) estudiar los factores urbanísticos que incrementan la adaptación de las ciudades al calentamiento global, específicamente, los parques urbanos como islas de frío en el contexto de la UHI; y n) analizar los efectos que tienen las olas de calor en la salud, así como el efecto del verde urbano. La tesis, por un lado, confirma la hipótesis de la insostenibilidad del Urban Sprawl, dado que implica un alto consumo de suelo, además de generar una movilidad insostenible. Del mismo modo, implica un modelo de urbanización fragmentado y disperso, un mayor consumo energético y promueve la segregación social. Por otro lado, desde la perspectiva de la adaptación al cambio climático, el Urban Sprawl tiene sin duda un mejor comportamiento, principalmente por la calidad y cantidad de espacio verde presente en este tipo de tejido urbano (ausente en la ciudad central y densa) y su proximidad a aquellas zonas rurales o forestales, que son espacios que producen aire fresco. El gran desafío de la planificación territorial y urbana es detener este proceso de expansión urbana sin comprometer la calidad de vida, el confort y la salud humana. En este sentido, es necesario proceder a una reforma radical de los tejidos urbanos heredados. El modelo de ciudad compacta no puede ser considerado simplemente el paradigma de la sostenibilidad. Debe aprender de la mayor cantidad de espacios verdes por habitante presente en el Sprawl. Por tanto, concluir que la compacidad verde es el nuevo paradigma de las ciudades del siglo XXI.Postprint (published version

Annual Research Report, 2010-2011

Annual report of collaborative research projects of Old Dominion University faculty and students in partnership with business, industry and government.https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/or_researchreports/1000/thumbnail.jp

Recent Advances in Image Restoration with Applications to Real World Problems

In the past few decades, imaging hardware has improved tremendously in terms of resolution, making widespread usage of images in many diverse applications on Earth and planetary missions. However, practical issues associated with image acquisition are still affecting image quality. Some of these issues such as blurring, measurement noise, mosaicing artifacts, low spatial or spectral resolution, etc. can seriously affect the accuracy of the aforementioned applications. This book intends to provide the reader with a glimpse of the latest developments and recent advances in image restoration, which includes image super-resolution, image fusion to enhance spatial, spectral resolution, and temporal resolutions, and the generation of synthetic images using deep learning techniques. Some practical applications are also included