Daniel Ceperley

Advanced Power for Extreme Space Exploration! Consider submitting an abstract to this special session we are putting together at the AIAA SciTech 2025 Conference. Go to aiaa.org/SciTech to submit your abstract, and select “Other Topics in Aerospace Power Systems."

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Today marks a significant milestone for several of my colleagues (Steven Seida, Jody Verret, Richard Ely, Stephen Raif) and me. Earlier today, we received notice that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office awarded us a new patent (U.S. Patent 11,964,762 B2, “Collaborative 3D Mapping and Surface Registration”). This achievement has been four years in the making. Steven, Jody, Richard, and Stephen: Congrats! In summary, in this patent we outline novel, AI/ML-augmented algorithms and methods for intelligently generating multi-source, multi-spectral 3D point clouds and maps of virtually any object or structure, such as buildings and critical infrastructure. Additionally, our invention integrates the use of a swarm of autonomous drones to distribute and accelerate the scanning and mapping of 3D objects across complex indoor and outdoor environments. Upon receiving a task, for example, the drone swarm will strategize on the optimal approach to fulfill the objectives, dynamically allocating tasks to circumvent obstacles, physical or operational constraints, and avoid single points of failure. There are many potential applications for this technology, including conducting structural inspections, modeling, simulation, training, search and rescue operations, surveying, scientific research, security, and defense. #TeamNightwing #DefiningTheEdge #AI #Analytics #UAV #GEOINT

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Have (updated) thoughts about what the FCC should do on orbital debris/space sustainability? Let them know!

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Calling all space plasma physicists! Submit to ST2.5 "Wave-particle interactions in terrestrial and planetary radiation belts, magnetospheres and the solar wind" at EGU 2025 (https://www.egu25.eu/) https://lnkd.in/d4qkMDtv -O. Allanson, A. Artemyev, X. Zhang, E. Woodfield & D. Wang Do it by Wednesday, 15 January 2025, 13:00 CET! The generation of electromagnetic waves, their propagation in inhomogeneous plasmas, amplification and absorption by - and interactions with - charged particle populations (generally covered by the term “wave-particle interactions”), are key processes responsible for energy and momentum exchange between charged particles in absence of collisions. A new generation of spacecraft missions (PSP, Solar Orbiter, MAVEN, Juno, MMS, ERG/Arase) provide unique and detailed information about wave-particle interactions and their impact on microscopic plasma kinetics as well as the contribution to dynamics of macroscopic plasma systems. Observations of these missions show similarities and differences of wave-particle interactions in solar wind, radiation belts, and magnetospheres of different planets - driving rapid growth of new theoretical concepts, including effects of nonlinear and nonresonant interactions into more conventional quasi-linear models. This session aims to connect specialists focused on spacecraft observations of different aspects of wave-particle interactions in various space plasma systems, and specialists working on the next generation of theoretical and computational models incorporating nonlinear and nonresonant interaction effects. Solicited authors: Yoshizumi Miyoshi

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Finally received the certificate! I am very grateful to RTX Raytheon continual investment into its employees development. One step closer to my goal of becoming an AI/ML Leader! #AI, #ML, #leadership, Artificial Intelligence

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When I say i am a "certified Space, Cyber, and AI/ML Expert," I mean it. What certifies me? Among other things, my Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of California, Irvine. Yes, there is a difference between educational degrees and certifications. But I would make the argument that a Ph.D. level education goes way more in depth than any other level of degree program, as it terminates in the requirement of writing a dissertation containing original, publishable research. The Ph.D. student is also left to design, plan, and execute his or her research project from the start with almost no help from the thesis advisor. That is why I would very much make the claim that the PhD is singular among academic degrees in that it very much combines the aspects of a post-secondary education and a professional certification.

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Just published! - open-access summary of our discussion from a NASA meeting last summer on private astronaut missions. Our SMEs identified behavioral health and team-oriented knowledge gaps, countermeasure needs, and competencies to target for future R&D. Hopefully, this stimulates some thinking.

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Ambient Photonics is tackling the environmental impact of single-use batteries by developing miniature solar cells capable of harvesting energy in low-light conditions. With Americans discarding billions of batteries annually, many of which end up in landfills, Ambient Photonics aims to reduce this waste by offering a sustainable alternative. Their innovative technology, known as low-light photovoltaic slides, functions like traditional solar panels but in a much smaller form—about the size of a postage stamp or a dollar bill. These low-light solar cells are particularly effective indoors, making them ideal for powering everyday devices such as computer mice, keyboards, and remote controls. The versatility of the technology has already attracted interest from international companies, with a Japanese firm testing it for carbon dioxide sensors. Ambient Photonics has also secured a partnership with Google, although the specifics of their collaboration have yet to be disclosed. The company's approach not only addresses the environmental concerns associated with battery disposal but also introduces a practical solution that could significantly reduce the reliance on single-use batteries. By enabling devices to operate on harvested light, Ambient Photonics is pioneering a shift toward more sustainable energy sources for consumer electronics.

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Another journal paper on the same JASS issue: Identifying Cislunar Orbital Families via Machine Learning on Light Curves! This is a collaborative paper with GTRI that looked into ML for cislunar IOD. Specifically, we trained an ML classifier to predict the cislunar family from a light curve so the trained model can be used to constrain potential IOD search spaces to specific cislunar families. The primary contributions of this paper include the development of a simulation pipeline to generate high-fidelity simulations of cislunar light curves and a neural network model trained using the generated light curves dataset to classify the cislunar orbit family. Thank you, Greg Badura, for taking the lead on this exciting study! https://lnkd.in/esdnnC_U #cislunar #sda #ssa

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I'm excited to share this opportunity from MeOmics Precision Medicine Ltd as we seek collaborators for an innovative project in precision neurotechnologies. We're aiming to replace traditional animal models with advanced human cell-based neuronal networks and develop a closed-loop configuration with a computational interface. This project could redefine how we approach neurological treatments, and we're eager to connect with organizations and experts interested in participating in this transformative work. If this aligns with your interests or expertise, check out the details in the post below and let's explore how we can collaborate! #Neurotechnology #PrecisionMedicine #Collaboration #Innovation

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Check out our latest publication from the Electric Propulsion group at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, selected as an Editor's Pick! In the journal Physics of Fluids, Ioannis (Yiangos) Mikellides, Alejandro López Ortega, and Vernon Chaplin present a first-principles model for the anomalous momentum-transfer collision frequency of electrons in Hall thrusters. This work addresses a longstanding issue in predicting electron transport, a critical factor in understanding plasma behavior within thrusters. Traditionally, empirical fits to ion velocity data are used to infer electron transport, which limits predictive capabilities without extensive data. The new model proposed by Mikellides and his team shows excellent agreement with a wide range of empirical profiles derived from Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) measurements. These measurements span a 10-fold range in discharge power, different thruster sizes, operating conditions, and both unshielded and shielded magnetic field topologies. This advancement marks a significant step forward in understanding electron dynamics in Hall thrusters, paving the way for more accurate predictive models. Read the full publication here: https://lnkd.in/gfRBXdCx

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Great new paper providing another example of how JPL and NASA Earth science provides useful global insights into the past and present state of the planet, helping us better prepare for the future. #NASAearthscience #JPL #earthscience

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