Automated Performance Characterization of DSN System Frequency Stability Using Spacecraft Tracking Data

This software provides an automated capability to measure and qualify the frequency stability performance of the Deep Space Network (DSN) ground system, using daily spacecraft tracking data. The results help to verify if the DSN performance is meeting its specification, therefore ensuring commitments to flight missions; in particular, the radio science investigations. The rich set of data also helps the DSN Operations and Maintenance team to identify the trends and patterns, allowing them to identify the antennas of lower performance and implement corrective action in a timely manner. Unlike the traditional approach where the performance can only be obtained from special calibration sessions that are both time-consuming and require manual setup, the new method taps into the daily spacecraft tracking data. This new approach significantly increases the amount of data available for analysis, roughly by two orders of magnitude, making it possible to conduct trend analysis with good confidence. The software is built with automation in mind for end-to-end processing. From the inputs gathering to computation analysis and later data visualization of the results, all steps are done automatically, making the data production at near zero cost. This allows the limited engineering resource to focus on high-level assessment and to follow up with the exceptions/deviations. To make it possible to process the continual stream of daily incoming data without much effort, and to understand the results quickly, the processing needs to be automated and the data summarized at a high level. Special attention needs to be given to data gathering, input validation, handling anomalous conditions, computation, and presenting the results in a visual form that makes it easy to spot items of exception/ deviation so that further analysis can be directed and corrective actions followed

Shuttle charging by tether controlled electron beam

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95327/1/grl10600.pd

Robotic bronchoscopy for peripheral pulmonary lesions: A multicenter pilot and feasibility study (BENEFIT)

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPL) continues to present clinical challenges. Despite extensive experience with guided bronchoscopy, the diagnostic yield has not improved significantly. Robotic-assisted bronchoscopic platforms have been developed potentially to improve the diagnostic yield for PPL. Presently, limited data exist that evaluate the performance of robotic systems in live human subjects. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the safety and feasibility of robotic-assisted bronchoscopy in patients with PPLs? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a prospective, multicenter pilot and feasibility study that used a robotic bronchoscopic system with a mother-daughter configuration in patients with PPL 1 to 5 cm in size. The primary end points were successful lesion localization with the use of radial probe endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) imaging and incidence of procedure related adverse events. Robotic bronchoscopy was performed in patients with the use of direct visualization, electromagnetic navigation, and fluoroscopy. After the use of R-EBUS imaging, transbronchial needle aspiration was performed. Rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) was used on all cases. Transbronchial needle aspiration alone was sufficient when ROSE was diagnostic; when ROSE was not diagnostic, transbronchial biopsy was performed with the use of the robotic platform, followed by conventional guided bronchoscopic approaches at the discretion of the investigator. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients were enrolled at five centers. One patient withdrew consent, which left 54 patients for data analysis. Median lesion size was 23 mm (interquartile range, 15 to 29 mm). R-EBUS images were available in 53 of 54 cases. Lesion localization was successful in 51 of 53 patients (96.2%). Pneumothorax was reported in two of 54 of the cases (3.7%); tube thoracostomy was required in one of the cases (1.9 %). No additional adverse events occurred. INTERPRETATION: This is the first, prospective, multicenter study of robotic bronchoscopy in patients with PPLs. Successful lesion localization was achieved in 96.2% of cases, with an adverse event rate comparable with conventional bronchoscopic procedures. Additional large prospective studies are warranted to evaluate procedure characteristics, such as diagnostic yield. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT03727425; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov

Negative shuttle charging during TSS 1R

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95208/1/grl10553.pd

Design of a 3rd harmonic electron cyclotron emission diagnostic for ballooning mode fluctuations in PBX-M

A third harmonic electron cyclotron emission diagnostic using ultrawide bandwidth ( = 40 GHz) heterodyne receivers centered on 120 GHz with 14 channels per radial view is describecj for localized, long wavelength (5 % X s 50 cm), fast time response ( = 1 ps) fluctuation studies in the PBX-M tokamak. The optically gray emission signal will have a y ie/ne + (3/0)Te/Te dependence on temperature and density fluctuations where y S 1 and 1 _ P: 3 depending on local optical depth. Electron temperature fluctuation sensitivity is estimated to be 0.2 % se ' Te/Te s 2.9 % depending on local optical depth and fluctuation frequency in the 0.1-1 MHz range. Spatial resolution of approximately 3 cm radially and 5 cm vertically are estimated for 2 keV plasmas with low suprathermal electron emission

Shuttle charging by fixed energy beam emissions

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95359/1/grl10599.pd