Dr. Rebecca A. Masterson Profile

Dr. Rebecca A. Masterson

at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

SPIE Involvement:

Author

Publications (15)

Proceedings Article | 27 September 2023 Presentation

Status of the rocket experiment demonstration of a soft x-ray polarimeter (REDSoX)

Herman Marshall, Sarah Heine, Alan Garner, Rebecca Masterson, Ralf Heilmann

Proceedings Volume 12678, 1267813 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2677873

KEYWORDS: X-rays, Rockets, Polarimetry, Polarization, Mirrors, Spectroscopy, Reflectors, Prototyping, Polarization gratings, Modulation

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Proceedings Article | 12 July 2023 Open Access

Sampling strategies for rotating synthetic aperture space telescopes

Evan Kramer, Joseph Green, Rebecca Masterson, David Miller

Proceedings Volume 12777, 127770A (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2688799

KEYWORDS: Design and modelling, Image resolution, Objectives, Angular momentum, Imaging systems, Telescopes, Space telescopes, Space operations, Astronomical imaging, Mirrors

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Optical imagery from space-based telescopes is one of the most valuable tools for understanding various large and small-scale processes on planetary bodies. Whether in orbit around the Earth or another body in the solar system, it is desirable to obtain the highest resolution imagery possible of the central body. The traditional approach to achieving higher resolution imagery is to increase the size of the optical payload’s aperture. However, larger aperture payloads become prohibitively difficult to manufacture and excessively expensive to design, build, launch, and operate. Application of rotating synthetic apertures (RSA), which is a form of dilute aperture imaging system, to space telescope designs have the potential to unlock the design space of low mass and cost, high resolution space telescopes. RSAs employ a high aspect ratio rectangular aperture that is spun about its principal optical axis. A complete image is formed after a 180° rotation during which multiple frames are acquired to fully sample the imaging system’s optical transfer function. The sampling strategy, which involves the number of individual frames captured and the rate of spin about the principal optical axis, is a function of the RSA’s aperture dimensions. The purpose of this work is twofold. First, an expression for resolution in reconstructed images is derived as a function of orbital altitude, RSA aperture dimensions, and amount of spatial oversampling of the target scene. This expression is used to predict potential science data return for a given orbit, RSA design, and sampling strategy. Second, a multi-objective optimization analysis is performed between reconstructed image resolution and optical telescope assembly (OTA) cost from which a Pareto frontier is defined. This analysis informs an ensuing discussion of optimal RSA aperture dimensions for achieving optimal conditions in resolution and cost. Additionally, the effects of different RSA aperture dimensions on sampling strategies are discussed. Based on these results and discussions, a high-level design for an RSA demonstration mission is proposed. Additional presentation content can be accessed on the supplemental content page.

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Proceedings Article | 29 August 2022 Presentation

Construction update on the Magellan LLAMAS integral field spectrograph

Robert Simcoe, Gabor Furesz, Rebecca Masterson, June Stenzel, Danielle Frostig, John Piortowski, Mark Egan, Andrew Malonis, Erik Hinrichsen, Michelle Gabutti, Cody Schneller, Sean MacBride, Rongmon Bordoloi, Michael McDonald

Proceedings Volume 12184, 121840D (2022) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2630489

KEYWORDS: Spectrographs, Spectrometers, Optical fibers, Telescopes, Microlens array, Fluctuations and noise, Commercial off the shelf technology, CCD cameras

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SPIE Journal Paper | 22 December 2021

Performance of a directly deposited optical blocking filter on x-ray CCDs: case study from the REgolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) experiment

Carolyn Thayer, Rebecca Masterson, Branden Allen, Kevin Ryu, Marshall Bautz, Solan Megerssa, Mark Chodas, David Guevel, Daniel Hoak, Jaesub Hong, Madeline Lambert, Jonathan Grindlay, Richard Binzel

JATIS, Vol. 7, Issue 04, 046001, (December 2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.10.1117/1.JATIS.7.4.046001

KEYWORDS: Charge-coupled devices, X-rays, X-ray optics, Sensors, Asteroids, Optical filters, X-ray imaging, High power microwaves, Spectroscopy, Environmental sensing

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Proceedings Article | 23 August 2021 Presentation + Paper

The Globe Orbiting Soft X-ray (GOSoX) polarimeter concept study

Herman Marshall, Sarah N. T. Heine, Rosemary Davidson, Alan Garner, Eric Gullikson, H. Moritz Günther, Christopher Leitz, Rebecca Masterson, Eric Miller, June Stenzel, William Zhang, Rozenn Boissay-Malaquin, Ilaria Caiazzo, Deepto Chakrabarty, Luigi Gallo, Ralf Heilmann, Jeremy Heyl, Erin Kara, Norbert Schulz

Proceedings Volume 11822, 118220O (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2596186

KEYWORDS: Space operations, X-rays, Charge-coupled devices, Polarimetry, Sensors, Mirrors, Polarization, Electronics, Calibration

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Proceedings Article | 13 December 2020 Presentation + Paper

A small satellite version of a broad-band soft x-ray polarimeter

Herman Marshall, Sarah N. Heine, Alan Garner, Eric Gullikson, H. Moritz Günther, Christopher Leitz, Rebecca Masterson, Eric Miller, William Zhang, Rozenn Boissay Malaquin, Ilaria Caiazzo, Deepto Chakrabarty, Rosemary Davidson, Luigi Gallo, Ralf Heilmann, Jeremy Heyl, Erin Kara, Alan Marscher, Norbert Schulz

Proceedings Volume 11444, 114442Y (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562811

KEYWORDS: Polarimetry, X-rays, Satellites, Polarization, Rockets, Optical design, Mirrors, X-ray detectors, Charge-coupled devices, CCD image sensors

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Proceedings Article | 13 December 2020 Paper

Status update of LLAMAS: a wide field-of-view visible passband IFU for the 6.5m Magellan telescopes

Gabor Furesz, Robert Simcoe, Mark Egan, Andrew Malonis, Rebecca Masterson, Joshua Brown, Gregory Cappiello, Christian Chesbrough, Kristin Clark, David Coppeta, Danielle Frostig, Michelle Gabutti, Samuel Halverson, Erik Hinrichsen, Sabrina Kahn, Madeline Lambert, Nathan Lourie, John Piotrowski, Christopher Semisch

Proceedings Volume 11447, 114470A (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562803

KEYWORDS: Spectrographs, Telescopes, Visible radiation, Optical fibers, Cameras, Solids, Microlens array, Spatial resolution, Photons, Imaging systems

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Proceedings Article | 13 December 2020 Paper

Stray light analysis and reduction for IFU spectrograph LLAMAS

Danielle Frostig, John Piotrowski, Kristin Clark, David Coppeta, Mark Egan, Gábor Fűrész, Michelle Gabutti, Rebecca Masterson, Andrew Malonis, Robert Simcoe

Proceedings Volume 11447, 114476E (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562999

KEYWORDS: Spectrographs, Stray light analysis, Stray light, Telescopes, Solids, Microlens array, Signal to noise ratio, Sensors, Light scattering, Light

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Proceedings Article | 18 July 2016 Paper

Directly-deposited blocking filters for high-performance silicon x-ray detectors

M. Bautz, S. Kissel, R. Masterson, K. Ryu, V. Suntharalingam

Proceedings Volume 9905, 99054C (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232905

KEYWORDS: X-rays, Charge-coupled devices, Contamination, Calibration, Absorption, Neon, Data modeling, Space operations, Mirrors, Optical filters

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Proceedings Article | 19 September 2014 Paper

Modeling the expected performance of the REgolith x-ray imaging spectrometer (REXIS)

Niraj Inamdar, Richard Binzel, Jae Sub Hong, Branden Allen, Jonathan Grindlay, Rebecca Masterson

Proceedings Volume 9222, 922207 (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2062202

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Asteroids, Calibration, X-rays, Sun, Charge-coupled devices, Error analysis, Spectroscopy, Data modeling, Solids

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Proceedings Article | 5 August 2014 Paper

Thermal design and performance of the REgolith x-ray imaging spectrometer (REXIS) instrument

Kevin Stout, Rebecca Masterson

Proceedings Volume 9150, 91501J (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2054995

KEYWORDS: Spectroscopy, Charge-coupled devices, Space operations, Electronics, Sensors, Thermal modeling, Coded apertures, Asteroids, X-rays, Sun

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The REgolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) instrument is a student collaboration instrument on the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission scheduled for launch in September 2016. The REXIS science mission is to characterize the elemental abundances of the asteroid Bennu on a global scale and to search for regions of enhanced elemental abundance. The thermal design of the REXIS instrument is challenging due to both the science requirements and the thermal environment in which it will operate. The REXIS instrument consists of two assemblies: the spectrometer and the solar X-ray monitor (SXM). The spectrometer houses a 2x2 array of back illuminated CCDs that are protected from the radiation environment by a one-time deployable cover and a collimator assembly with coded aperture mask. Cooling the CCDs during operation is the driving thermal design challenge on the spectrometer. The CCDs operate in the vicinity of the electronics box, but a 130 °C thermal gradient is required between the two components to cool the CCDs to -60 °C in order to reduce noise and obtain science data. This large thermal gradient is achieved passively through the use of a copper thermal strap, a large radiator facing deep space, and a two-stage thermal isolation layer between the electronics box and the DAM. The SXM is mechanically mounted to the sun-facing side of the spacecraft separately from the spectrometer and characterizes the highly variable solar X-ray spectrum to properly interpret the data from the asteroid. The driving thermal design challenge on the SXM is cooling the silicon drift detector (SDD) to below -30 °C when operating. A two-stage thermoelectric cooler (TEC) is located directly beneath the detector to provide active cooling, and spacecraft MLI blankets cover all of the SXM except the detector aperture to radiatively decouple the SXM from the flight thermal environment. This paper describes the REXIS thermal system requirements, thermal design, and analyses, with a focus on the driving thermal design challenges for the instrument. It is shown through both analysis and early testing that the REXIS instrument can perform successfully through all phases of its mission.

Proceedings Article | 24 July 2014 Paper

Development of CCDs for REXIS on OSIRIS-REx

Kevin Ryu, Barry Burke, Harry Clark, Renee Lambert, Peter O'Brien, Vyshnavi Suntharalingam, Christopher Ward, Keith Warner, Mark Bautz, Richard Binzel, Steven Kissel, Rebecca Masterson

Proceedings Volume 9144, 91444O (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2055260

KEYWORDS: Charge-coupled devices, X-rays, Aluminum, Silicon, Semiconducting wafers, X-ray imaging, Imaging systems, Absorption, Asteroids, Spectral resolution

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Proceedings Article | 24 July 2014 Paper

Engineering design of the Regolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) instrument: an OSIRIS-REx student collaboration

Michael Jones, Mark Chodas, Matthew Smith, Rebecca Masterson

Proceedings Volume 9144, 914453 (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2056903

KEYWORDS: Sensors, X-rays, Charge-coupled devices, Asteroids, Electronics, Space operations, Spectroscopy, Calibration, X-ray imaging, Coded apertures

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Proceedings Article | 27 September 2013 Paper

The REgolith X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) for OSIRIS-REx: identifying regional elemental enrichment on asteroids

Branden Allen, Jonathan Grindlay, Jaesub Hong, Richard Binzel, Rebecca Masterson, Niraj Inamdar, Mark Chodas, Matthew Smith, Marshall Bautz, Steven Kissel, Joel Villasenor, Miruna Oprescu, Nicholas Induni

Proceedings Volume 8840, 88400M (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2041715

KEYWORDS: Asteroids, Sensors, X-rays, Charge-coupled devices, Collimators, Coded apertures, Spatial resolution, Space operations, X-ray imaging, Spectroscopy

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Proceedings Article | 23 June 2006 Paper

Dynamic tailoring and tuning of structurally connected TPF interferometer

Rebecca Masterson, David Miller

Proceedings Volume 6271, 62710U (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.672664

KEYWORDS: Optical isolators, Interferometers, Performance modeling, Systems modeling, Mirrors, Integrated modeling, Control systems, Optimization (mathematics), Data modeling, Finite element methods

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Showing 5 of 15 publications

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