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Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences Laboratory (614)

Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences Laboratory (614)

Profile for James Butler

Title: Physical Scientist
Affiliation: NASA
Contact: E-mail
Office Phone: 301-614-5942
Fax: 301-614--6695

Profile

James J. Butler received the B.S. degree in physical chemistry from the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, in 1977 and the Ph.D. degree in physical chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1982. He is currently an optical physicist in the Code 614.4 Biospheric Sciences Branch at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), where he has been a research scientist since 1984. Since January 1995 and January 2003, he has performed the duties of EOS Calibration Scientist and of NASA’s representative to the NPOESS Joint Agency Requirements Group (JARG), respectively. Since June 2004, he has performed the duties of NASA’s Deputy Project Scientist for Instruments and Calibration within the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP). He also manages the NASA/GSFC diffuser calibration and radiometric calibration facilities. His previous research experience at NASA includes ground-based and balloon-borne lidar for the detection of stratospheric molecular and radical species and laser-induced fluorescence of molecules and radicals. As a research associate at the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), he conducted state-of-the-art measurements of the ionization and dissociation of state selected molecules, ions and radicals.


RESEARCH AREAS:
  • Electro-optics
  • Radiometry
  • Lidar
  • Spectroscopy
  • Remote Sensing,
  • Mass Spectrometry-Instrumentation and Data
  • Metrology


    • PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

  • 2005-present Principal Investigator for NASA’s GSFC Radiometric Calibration Facility Conduct research and provide calibration measurement services in radiance and Irradiance metrology to satellite, airborne, and ground based Earth and space remote sensing programs

  • 2004-present NPP Deputy Project Scientist for Instruments and Calibration

  • 2004-present Editor/Chair of SPIE Conference on Earth Observing Systems

  • 2003-present NASA Representative to the NPOESS Joint Applications Research Group

  • 1995-present EOS Calibration Scientist

  • 1999-present Member Organizing Committee/Session Chair of the Utah State University Calcon Conference

  • 1997-present Member Organizing Committee of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) Newrad Conference

  • 1996-1998 Board of Directors, Council for Optical Radiation Measurements

  • 1992-present Principal Investigator for NASA’s GSFC Diffuser Calibration Facility Conduct research and provide optical scatter measurement services to satellite, airborne, and ground based Earth and space remote sensing programs

  • 1992-1993 Member MODIS Technical Team

  • 1992-1995 Member Ozone Processing/Calibration Team

  • 1992-1995 Member TOMS EP and ADEOS Calibration Team

  • 1992-1994 Member MODIS Characterization Support Team/MODIS Algorithm Team

  • 1992-1994 Member MODIS Administrative Support Team

  • 1988-1992 Principal Scientist, Hughes STX (formerly STX), Lanham, MD Conducted research at NASA’s GSFC on balloon-borne lidar and lab-based laser measurements of OH fluorescence, ozone absorption, and the spectroscopy of atmospheric molecules and radicals.

  • 1986-1988 Scientist, STX Corporation (formerly SAR), Lanham, MD Conducted research at NASA’s GSFC on balloon-borne lidar and lab-based laser measurements of OH fluorescence, ozone absorption, and the spectroscopy of atmospheric molecules and radicals.

  • 1984-1986 Senior Member Technical Staff, Science Applications Research (SAR) Lanham, MD Conducted research at NASA’s GSFC on balloon-borne lidar and lab-based laser measurements of OH fluorescence, ozone absorption, and the spectroscopy of atmospheric molecules and radicals.

  • 1982-1984 Research Assistant, National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly NBS), Gaithersburg, MD Conducted research in photoelectron/photoion mass spectrometry

  • 1977-1982 Graduate Student, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

    • Book Chapters

    J.J. Butler, R.A. Barnes, and B.C. Johnson, “The Calibration and Characterization of Earth Remote Sensing and Environmental Monitoring Instruments,” Chapter 10 in The Practice of Optical Radiometry, Academic Press, pp. 453-534 (2005)

    Selected Publications

    Butler, J., S.J. Janz, B.C. Johnson, R.D. Saunders, J.W. Cooper, M.G. Kowalewski, and R.A. Barnes (2008). Calibration of a radiance standard for the NPP/OMPS instrument. In R. Meynart, S.P. Neeck, H. Shimoda, S. Habib (Ed.), Sensors, Systems, and Next Generation Satellites XII Proc. SPIE Int. Soc. Opt. Eng.
    10.1117/12/800194

    Georgiev, G., and J. Butler (2008). Laboratory-based bidirectional reflectance distribution functions of radiometric tarps. Appl. Opt., 47(18), 3313-3323
    10.1364/AO.47.003313

    Georgiev, G., C.K. Gatebe, J. Butler, and M.D. King (2008). BRDF of Salt Pan Regolith Samples. Proc. IGARSS, 4, IV-573 - IV-576
    10.1109/IGARSS.2008.4779786

    Georgiev, G., and J. Butler (2008). BRDF study of gray-scale Spectralon. In, Earth Observing Systems XIII San Diego, California: Proc. SPIE Int. Soc. Opt. Eng.

    Barnes, R., and J. Butler (2007). Modeling spectral effects in Earth-observing satellite instruments. Proc. SPIE Int. Soc. Opt. Eng., 6744, 21 pp

    Barnes, R., S.W. Brown, K.R. Lykke, G.T. Fraser, and J. Butler (2007). System-level pre-launch calibration of onboard solar diffusers. Proc. SPIE Int. Soc. Opt. Eng., 6677, 15 pp

    Butler, J., B.C. Johnson, J.P. Rice, S.W. Brown, and R.A. Barnes (2007). Validation of radiometric standards for the laboratory calibration of reflected-solar Earth-observing satellite instruments. Proc. SPIE Int. Soc. Opt. Eng., 6677, 13 pp

    Gatebe, C.K., J. Butler, J.W. Cooper, M. Kowalewski, and M.D. King (2007). Characterization of errors in the use of integrating-sphere systems in the calibration of scanning radiometers. Applied Optics, 46(31), 7640-7651

    Georgiev, G., and J. Butler (2007). Long-term calibration monitoring of Spectralon diffusers BRDF in the air-ultraviolet. Applied Optics, 46(32), 7892-7899

    Oudrari, H., X. Xiong, J. Butler, S. Xiong, and N. Che (2007). Sensitivity Study for Sensor Optical and Electric Crosstalk Based on Spectral Measurements: An Approach to Developmental Sensors Using Sensors Such As MODIS. Proc. IGARSS, 2856-2859

    Xiong, X., J. Butler, W.L. Barnes, and B. Guenther (2007). Sensor On-orbit Calibration and Characterization Using Spacecraft Maneuvers. Proc. IGARSS, 2256-2259

    Barnes, R., J.W. Cooper, J.E. Marketon, S.W. Brown, B.C. Johnson, and J. Butler (2006). Bandwidth and spectral stray light effects in the NASA GSFC Radiometric Calibration Facility primary transfer radiometer. Proc. SPIE Int. Soc. Opt. Eng., 6296, 14 pp

    Georgiev, G., C.K. Gatebe, J. Butler, and M.D. King (2006). Comparison between laboratory and airborne BRDF measurements for remote sensing. Proc. SPIE Int. Soc. Opt. Eng., 6296, 10 pp

    Butler, J., R.A. Barnes, and B.C. Johnson (2005). The Calibration and Characterization of Earth Remote Sensing and Environmental Monitoring Instruments. The Practice of Optical Radiometry, Chapter 10, 453-534

    Georgiev, G., and J. Butler (2005). Bidirectional reflectance distribution function and directional-hemispherical reflectance of a martian regolith simulant. Opt. Eng., 44(3), 11 pp

    Georgiev, G., and J. Butler (2005). The effect of speckle on BRDF measurements. Proc. SPIE, 5882(588203), 21-32

    Patt, F., R. Eplee, R.A. Barnes, G. Meister, and J. Butler (2005). Use of the moon as a calibration reference for NPP VIIRS. Proc. SPIE Int. Soc. Opt. Eng., 5882, 385-396

    Barnes, R., R.E. Eplee Jr., F. Patt, H.H. Kieffer, T.C. Stone, G. Meister, J. Butler, and C.R. McClain (2004). Comparison of SeaWiFS measurements of the Moon with the U.S. Geological Survey lunar model. Appl. Opt., 43(31), 5838-5854

    Butler, J., G. Meister, F. Patt, and R.A. Barnes (2004). Use of the Moon as a reference for satellite-based climate change measurements. Proc. SPIE Int. Soc. Opt. Eng., 5570, 328-341

    Butler, J., S.W. Brown, R.D. Saunders, B.C. Johnson, S.F. Biggar, E.F. Zalewski, B.L. Markham, P.N. Gracey, J.B. Young, and R.A. Barnes (2003). Radiometric measurement comparison on the integrating sphere source used to calibrate the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+). J. Res. Nat'l Inst. Standards Tech., 108(3), 199-228

    Butler, J., and R.A. Barnes (2003). The use of transfer radiometers in validating the visible to shortwave infrared calibrations of radiance sources used by instruments in NASA's Earth Observing System. Metrologia, 40(1), S70-S77

    Johnson, C.B., S.W. Brown, K.R. Lykke, C.E. Gibson, G. Fargion, G. Meister, S. Hooker, B.L. Markham, and J. Butler (2003). Comparison of cryogenic radiometry and thermal radiometry calibrations at NIST using multi-channel filter radiometers. Metrologia, 40, S216-S219

    Goddard Signature