Spectroradiometric calibration of the thematic mapper and multispectral scanner system

The results of an analysis that relates thematic mapper (TM) saturation level to ground reflectance, calendar date, latitude, and atmospheric condition is provided. A revised version of the preprint included with the last quarterly report is also provided for publication in the IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing

Spectroradiometric calibration of the Thematic Mapper and Multispectral Scanner system

The effects of the atmosphere on propagating radiation must be known in order to calibrate an in orbit sensor using ground based measurements. A set of model atmosphere parameters, applicable to the White Sands (New Mexico) area is defined with particular attention given to those parameters which are required as input to the Herman Code. The radial size distribution, refractive index, vertical distribution, and visibility of aerosols are discussed as well as the molecular absorbers in the visible and near IR wavelength which produce strong absorption lines. Solar irradiance is also considered

Spectroradiometric calibration of the Thematic Mapper and Multispectral Scanner system

The results of analyses of Thematic Mapper (TM) images acquired on July 8 and October 28, 1984, and of a check of the calibration of the 1.22-m integrating sphere at Santa Barbara Research Center (SBRC) are described. The results obtained from the in-flight calibration attempts disagree with the pre-flight calibrations for bands 2 and 4. Considerable effort was expended in an attempt to explain the disagreement. The difficult point to explain is that the difference between the radiances predicted by the radiative transfer code (the code radiances) and the radiances predicted by the preflight calibration (the pre-flight radiances) fluctuate with spectral band. Because the spectral quantities measured at White Sands show little change with spectral band, these fluctuations are not anticipated. Analyses of other targets at White Sands such as clouds, cloud shadows, and water surfaces tend to support the pre-flight and internal calibrator calibrations. The source of the disagreement has not been identified. It could be due to: (1) a computational error in the data reduction; (2) an incorrect assumption in the input to the radiative transfer code; or (3) incorrect operation of the field equipment

Spectroradiometric calibration of the Thematic Mapper and Multispectral Scanner system

The reduction of the data measured on July 8, 1984 at White Sands, New Mexico is summarized. The radiance incident at the entrance pupil of the LANDSAT 5 sensors have been computed for bands 1 to 4. When these are compared to the digital counts of the TM image, the ground based calibration for this sensor will be given. The image was received from Goddard SFC and is presently being analyzed

Spectroradiometric calibration of the thematic mapper and multispectral scanner system

The results obtained for the absolute calibration of TM bands 2, 3, and 4 are presented. The results are based on TM image data collected simultaneously with ground and atmospheric data at White Sands, New Mexico. Also discussed are the results of a moments analysis to determine the equivalent bandpasses, effective central wavelengths and normalized responses of the TM and MSS spectral bands; the calibration of the BaSO, plate used at White Sands; and future plans

Spectroradiometric calibration of the Thematic Mapper and multispectral scanner system

The eleventh quarterly report on Spectroradiometric Calibration of the Thematic Mapper (Contract NAS5-27832) discusses calibrations made at White Sands on 24 May 1985. An attempt is made to standardize test results. Critical values used in the final steps of the data reduction and the comparison of the results of the pre-flight and internal calibration (IC) data are summarized

Spectroradiometric calibration of the Thematic Mapper and Multispectral Scanner system

The newly built Caste spectropolarimeters gave satisfactory performance during tests in the solar radiometer and helicopter modes. A bandwidth normalization technique based on analysis of the moments of the spectral responsivity curves was used to analyze the spectral bands of the MSS and TM subsystems of LANDSAT 4 and 5 satellites. Results include the effective wavelength, the bandpass, the wavelength limits, and the normalized responsivity for each spectral channel. Temperature coefficients for TM PF channel 6 were also derived. The moments normalization method used yields sensor parameters whose derivation is independent of source characteristics (i.e., incident solar spectral irradiance, atmospheric transmittance, or ground reflectance). The errors expected using these parameters are lower than those expected using other normalization methods

Searching for the most powerful thermonuclear X-ray bursts with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory

We searched for thermonuclear X-ray bursts from Galactic neutron stars in all event mode data of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory collected until March 31, 2018. In particular, we are interested in the intermediate-duration bursts (shell flashes fueled by thick helium piles) with the ill-understood phenomenon of strong flux fluctuations. Nine such bursts have been discussed in the literature to date. Swift is particularly suitable for finding additional examples. We find and list a total of 134 X-ray bursts; 44 are detected with BAT only, 41 with XRT only, and 49 with both. Twenty-eight bursts involve automatic slews. We find 12 intermediate-duration bursts, all detected in observations involving automatic slews. Five show remarkably long Eddington-limited phases in excess of 200 s. Five show fluctuations during the decay phase; four of which are first discussed in the present study. We discuss the general properties of the fluctuations, considering also 7 literature cases. In general two types of fluctuations are observed: fast ones, with a typical timescale of 1 s and up and downward fluctuations of up to 70%, and slow ones, with a typical timescale of 1 min and only downward fluctuations of up to 90%. The latter look like partial eclipses because the burst decay remains visible in the residual emission. We revisit the interpretation of this phenomenon in the context of the new data set and find that it has not changed fundamentally despite the expanded data set. It is thought to be due to a disturbance of the accretion disk by outflowing matter and photons, causing obscuration and reflection due to Thompson scattering in an orbiting highly ionized cloud or structure above or below the disk. We discuss in detail the most pronounced burster SAX J1712.6-3739. One of the bursts from this source is unusual in that it lasts longer than 5600 s, but does not appear to be a superburst.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 29 pages, 12 figures. Version 2 has 3 bursts from IGR J17480-2446 re-identified to 2 from Swift J174805.3-244637 and 1 from EXO 1745-24

Dancing in the Streets - a design case study

How do you transform a city center at night to enhance the experience of residents and visitors and to combat the public’s fears over safety and security after dark? This challenge was set by the York City Council’s “Renaissance Project: Illuminating York,” and we took them up on it. We made it our goal to get pedestrians to engage with our interactive light installation—and to get them dancing without even realizing it. People out shopping or on their way to restaurants and nightclubs found themselves followed by ghostly footprints, chased by brightly colored butterflies, playing football with balls of light, or linked together by a “cat’s cradle” of colored lines. As they moved within the light projections, participants found that they were literally dancing in the street