Monitoring of long-term land subsidence from 2003 to 2017 in coastal area of Semarang,Indonesia by SBAS DInSAR analyses using Envisat-ASAR,ALOS-PALSAR,and Sentinel-1A SAR data

Land subsidence is a critical issue that large cities located in coastal areas, such as Semarang, Indonesia, must address. The monitoring of land subsidence is vital for predicting and mitigating the disasters that such subsidence may cause. Therefore, an economical and effective monitoring method, which can continuously provide accurate measurements over extensive areas, is highly required. Differential Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) has the potential to be a powerful technique that can meet the above demands. Actually, DInSAR has been applied to monitor the subsidence in Semarang, but it was for a limited period before 2012.In order to clarify the transition of the long-term subsidence behavior in Semarang, the Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) method, which is one type of time-series DInSAR, is employed in this research. The sets of data of Envisat-ASAR (2003–2007), ALOS-PALSAR (2007–2011), and Sentinel-1A (2015–2017) are employed for the analyses. Then, the validity of the SBAS results is discussed from the viewpoints of both spatial distribution and temporal transition using GPS displacement measurement results and the geological conditions of the ground.On the other hand, as the lifespan of SAR satellites is commonly designed to be around 5–7?years, an appropriate method, which can connect the subsidence provided independently by the unlinked time-series data sets of the three different SAR satellite data, is required. This study uses the Hyperbolic Method (HM) to connect the above unlinked SBAS results. The HM is often used to fit the monitored subsidence in practice as a geotechnical engineering tool. Using this method, 14?years of the temporal behavior of the subsidence in Semarang is evaluated.It is found that the transition of the subsidence is different depending on the location, and that the subsidence rate is still increasing in the north and northeast parts of the coastal area. This study shows that SBAS DInSAR can be a useful tool for long-term continuous subsidence monitoring.     

Partially Ionized Plasmas in Astrophysics

Partially ionized plasmas are found across the Universe in many different astrophysical environments. They constitute an essential ingredient of the solar atmosphere, molecular clouds, planetary ionospheres and protoplanetary disks, among other environments, and display a richness of physical effects which are not present in fully ionized plasmas. This review provides an overview of the physics of partially ionized plasmas, including recent advances in different astrophysical areas in which partial ionization plays a fundamental role. We outline outstanding observational and theoretical questions and discuss possible directions for future progress.     

8"×8" full color cockpit display

The operation of active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs), the preferred flat-panel displays for avionic and aerospace applications, is explained. An 8-in.×8-in. full-color AMLCD designed for a military aircraft is described, as well as the principles of the p-i-n diode switch on which its design is based. The performance characteristics of the display are examined     

Optimal Utilization of Satellite Communication Systems through Supervisory Control

Users of satellite communication systems being designed are charcterized by diversity. System designers now have the capability of serving thousands of simultaneous users; the users need not all follow the same system parameters. Diversity and characteristics are shown, and an attempt is made to list all the parameters desired by users. Usage of satellite communications systems is projected to serve a maximum of 200 000 users by means of 10 multipurpose satellites. It is shown that a supervisory control system is necessary to achieve optimal utilization of the existing resources.     

Monopulse Radar Angle Tracking Accuracy with Sum Channel Limiting

The variance of angle tracking error is found for an amplitude-comparison form of monopulse radar when the sum channel contains a limiter prior to the angle error detector. The error expression is valid for any shape of transmitted pulse and any duration of range tracking gate but does assume matched filters in signal processing channels. The procedures used are rigorous and an example of results is worked out for the special case of a rectangular transmitted pulse envelope. It is shown, for rectangular pulses, that achievable angle tracking error variance with sum channel limiting is not more than 2.22 dB larger than the theoretical minimum for any processor and not more than 1.29 dB larger than a similar signal processor that uses a "linear" angle error detector. Results apply for large single-pulse signal-to-noise ratio.     

An extraterrestrial habitat on Earth: the algal mat of Don Juan [correction of Jaun] Pond.

On the edge of Don Juan Pond in the Wright Valley of Antarctica lies a mat of mineral and detritus cemented by organic matter. In spite of a CaCl2 concentration of about 33% (w/v), the mat contains Oscillatoria and other cyanobacteria, unicellular forms, colonial forms rich in carotenoids, and diatoms. Bacteria are rare; fungal filaments are not. Oscillatoria showed motility but only at temperatures <10 degrees C. Acetone extracts of the mat and nearby muds yielded visible spectra similar to those of laboratory grown O. sancta, with 50- to 70-fold molar ratio of chlorophyll a to b. Although rare, tardigrades were also found. The algal mat had enzymatic activities characteristic of peroxidase, catalase, dehydrogenase, and amylase. Cellulose, chitin, protein, lipid and ATP were present. Previously, algae in the Wright Valley have been described in melt water, not in the brine itself. Wright Valley has been used as a near sterile Martian model. It obviously contains an array of hardy terrestrial organisms.     

Multipath Angle Error Reduction Using Multiple-Target Methods

The usual methods of reducing multipath angle errors in monopulse tracking radar achieve only limited success because they do not attack the root of the problem. A more correct approach is to accept the multipath signal as a second target and utilize a two-target signal processor which angle tracks both wavefronts. The processor will decouple the return signals so that relatively interference-free data on both waves are obtained. In this paper a signal processor for separating signal from (N - 1) multipath components is developed. The processor is then specialized to the case of only one multipath signal and evaluated by a computer simulation. Data show that large improvements are possible as compared to the usual monopulse tracking system. In particular, the usual large bias errors at low elevation angles are eliminated. Tracking precision compares favorably with the theoretically best possible for two-target tracking systems.     

Radiation from accreting magnetized neutron stars

We review some recent developments in our understanding of accreting magnetized neutron stars. A brief summary of the observations is given, on which current phenomenological models are based. The main part of this paper is a discussion of recent work by several groups on the radiative transfer problem in a strong magnetic field and its application to models of the structure and properties of self-consistent neutron star polar cap emission regions. The assumptions and uncertainties involved are discussed, recent progress is evaluated, and current and future problems are indicated.Smithsonian Visiting Scientist, partially supported through NASA Grant NAGW-246, on leave from Max-Planck-Institut für Physik und Astrophysik MPA, Garching.     

Artifical plasma jet in the ionosphere

The PORCUPINE sounding rocket project provided the opportunity to study the dynamics of an artificially injected plasma beam in the near-Earth space. The structure of the plasma beam, its propagation across the magnetic field as well as the resulting wave phenomena will be discussed.