4,963 research outputs found
A semi-empirical cellular automata model for wildfire monitoring from a geosynchronous space platform
The environmental and human impacts of wildfires have grown considerably in recent years due to an increase in their frequency and coverage. Effective wildfire management and suppression requires real-time data to locate fire fronts, model their propagation and assess the impact of biomass burning. Existing empirical wildfire models are based on fuel properties and meteorological data with inadequate spatial or temporal sampling. A geosynchronous space platform with the proposed set of high resolution infrared detectors provides a unique capability to monitor fires at improved spatial and temporal resolutions. The proposed system is feasible with state-of-the-art hardware and software for high sensitivity fire detection at saturation levels exceeding active flame temperatures. Ground resolutions of 100 meters per pixel can be achieved with repeat cycles less than one minute. Atmospheric transmission in the presence of clouds and smoke is considered. Modeling results suggest fire detection is possible through thin clouds and smoke. A semi-empirical cellular automata model based on theoretical elliptical spread shapes is introduced to predict wildfire propagation using detected fire front location and spread rate. Model accuracy compares favorably with real fire events and correlates within 2% of theoretical ellipse shapes. This propagation modeling approach could replace existing operational systems based on complex partial differential equations. The baseline geosynchronous fire detection system supplemented with a discrete-based propagation model has the potential to save lives and property in the otherwise uncertain and complex field of fire management
Experimental investigation of the performance of different modulation techniques under controlled FSO turbulence channel
This paper experimentally investigates and compares the performance of the free space optics system employing three different modulation schemes, on-off keying (OOK) with nonreturn- to-zero (NRZ) and return-to-zero (RZ) and the binary phase shift keying (BPSK) operating under the turbulent atmosphere. The received average signal is measured and used to characterize the strength of the turbulence. The experiment is performed with a temperature gradient of 4 degrees at a wind velocity of 4 m/s. The temperature gradient within the controlled channel results in turbulence of a log irradiance variance of 0.002, which is classified as a very weak turbulence. The received signal eye diagram and power histograms are presented and analyzed for performance evaluation of the selected modulation schemes in the weak turbulence model
The XMM-Newton serendipitous ultraviolet source survey catalogue
The XMM-Newton Serendipitous Ultraviolet Source Survey (XMM-SUSS) is a
catalogue of ultraviolet (UV) sources detected serendipitously by the Optical
Monitor (XMM-OM) on-board the XMM-Newton observatory. The catalogue contains
ultraviolet-detected sources collected from 2,417 XMM-OM observations in 1-6
broad band UV and optical filters, made between 24 February 2000 and 29 March
2007. The primary contents of the catalogue are source positions, magnitudes
and fluxes in 1 to 6 passbands, and these are accompanied by profile
diagnostics and variability statistics. The XMM-SUSS is populated by 753,578 UV
source detections above a 3 sigma signal-to-noise threshold limit which relate
to 624,049 unique objects. Taking account of substantial overlaps between
observations, the net sky area covered is 29-54 square degrees, depending on UV
filter. The magnitude distributions peak at 20.2, 20.9 and 21.2 in UVW2, UVM2
and UVW1 respectively. More than 10 per cent of sources have been visited more
than once using the same filter during XMM-Newton operation, and > 20 per cent
of sources are observed more than once per filter during an individual visit.
Consequently, the scope for science based on temporal source variability on
timescales of hours to years is broad. By comparison with other astrophysical
catalogues we test the accuracy of the source measurements and define the
nature of the serendipitous UV XMM-OM source sample. The distributions of
source colours in the UV and optical filters are shown together with the
expected loci of stars and galaxies, and indicate that sources which are
detected in multiple UV bands are predominantly star-forming galaxies and stars
of type G or earlier.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Development of coal combustion sensitivity tests for smoke detectors
"Standard smoldering and flaming combustion tests using small coal samples have been developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines as a method to evaluate the response of a smoke detector. The test provides a standard, easily reproducible smoke characteristic for coal smoldering and flaming combustion based upon a comparison of the smoke optical density and the response of a standard ionization chamber to the smoke. With these standard tests, the range of threshold limits for the response of a smoke detector and the detector's reliability can be evaluated for nearly identical smoke visibility and smoke physical characteristics. The detector's threshold response limits and reliability need to be well defined prior to the instrument's use as part of a mine fire warning system for improved mine safety." - NIOSHTIC-2NIOSHTIC no. 20039128199
JUNO Conceptual Design Report
The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is proposed to determine
the neutrino mass hierarchy using an underground liquid scintillator detector.
It is located 53 km away from both Yangjiang and Taishan Nuclear Power Plants
in Guangdong, China. The experimental hall, spanning more than 50 meters, is
under a granite mountain of over 700 m overburden. Within six years of running,
the detection of reactor antineutrinos can resolve the neutrino mass hierarchy
at a confidence level of 3-4, and determine neutrino oscillation
parameters , , and to
an accuracy of better than 1%. The JUNO detector can be also used to study
terrestrial and extra-terrestrial neutrinos and new physics beyond the Standard
Model. The central detector contains 20,000 tons liquid scintillator with an
acrylic sphere of 35 m in diameter. 17,000 508-mm diameter PMTs with high
quantum efficiency provide 75% optical coverage. The current choice of
the liquid scintillator is: linear alkyl benzene (LAB) as the solvent, plus PPO
as the scintillation fluor and a wavelength-shifter (Bis-MSB). The number of
detected photoelectrons per MeV is larger than 1,100 and the energy resolution
is expected to be 3% at 1 MeV. The calibration system is designed to deploy
multiple sources to cover the entire energy range of reactor antineutrinos, and
to achieve a full-volume position coverage inside the detector. The veto system
is used for muon detection, muon induced background study and reduction. It
consists of a Water Cherenkov detector and a Top Tracker system. The readout
system, the detector control system and the offline system insure efficient and
stable data acquisition and processing.Comment: 328 pages, 211 figure
Imaging through obscurants using time-correlated single-photon counting in the short-wave infrared
Single-photon time-of-flight (ToF) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems have
emerged in recent years as a candidate technology for high-resolution depth imaging in
challenging environments, such as long-range imaging and imaging in scattering media.
This Thesis investigates the potential of two ToF single-photon depth imaging systems
based on the time-correlated single-photon (TCSPC) technique for imaging targets in
highly scattering environments. The high sensitivity and picosecond timing resolution
afforded by the TCSPC technique offers high-resolution depth profiling of remote targets
while maintaining low optical power levels. Both systems comprised a pulsed picosecond
laser source with an operating wavelength of 1550 nm, and employed InGaAs/InP SPAD
detectors. The main benefits of operating in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) band include
improved atmospheric transmission, reduced solar background, as well as increased laser
eye-safety thresholds over visible band sensors.
Firstly, a monostatic scanning transceiver unit was used in conjunction with a
single-element Peltier-cooled InGaAs/InP SPAD detector to attain sub-centimetre
resolution three-dimensional images of long-range targets obscured by camouflage
netting or in high levels of scattering media. Secondly, a bistatic system, which employed
a 32 × 32 pixel format InGaAs/InP SPAD array was used to obtain rapid depth profiles
of targets which were flood-illuminated by a higher power pulsed laser source. The
performance of this system was assessed in indoor and outdoor scenarios in the presence
of obscurants and high ambient background levels.
Bespoke image processing algorithms were developed to reconstruct both the depth and
intensity images for data with very low signal returns and short data acquisition times,
illustrating the practicality of TCSPC-based LiDAR systems for real-time image
acquisition in the SWIR wavelength region - even in the photon-starved regime.The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory ( Dstl) National PhD Schem
Low Power Wireless Smoke Alarm System in Home Fires
A novel sensing device for fire detection in domestic environments is presented.
The fire detector uses a combination of several sensors that not only detect smoke, but
discriminate between different types of smoke. This feature avoids false alarms and warns
of different situations. Power consumption is optimized both in terms of hardware and
software, providing a high degree of autonomy of almost five years. Data gathered from the
device are transmitted through a wireless communication to a base station. The low cost and
compact design provides wide application prospects
A feasibility study: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection utilization of infrared technologies for wildland fire suppression and management
NASA's JPL has completed a feasibility study using infrared technologies for wildland fire suppression and management. The study surveyed user needs, examined available technologies, matched the user needs with technologies, and defined an integrated infrared wildland fire mapping concept system configuration. System component trade-offs were presented for evaluation in the concept system configuration. The economic benefits of using infrared technologies in fire suppression and management were examined. Follow-on concept system configuration development and implementation were proposed
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