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Muehlner, D. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Muehlner, D. J..

A large-beam sky survey at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths made from balloon altitudes

A survey has been made of a quarter of the celestial sphere from balloon altitudes with a telescope having a 1.6-deg beamwidth and two spectral bands: 3-10 kaysers and 10-25 kaysers. The limiting sensitivity of the survey was 10,000 Jy. The galactic disk was detected from 358 to 45 deg galactic longitude. The total far-infrared flux from several regions on the galactic plane measured in this survey is 5-10 times larger than that observed by others using smaller beamwidths and small-amplitude spatial chopping, indicating that a substantial part of the emission comes from extended sources. Two other extended sources were also observed, one in the Cygnus region and the other a spur running off the galactic plane at 130 deg galactic longitude toward the north celestial pole. In addition, lower limits for the spectral index of interstellar dust emission are presented.

Owens, D. K.

Infrared heterodyne spectroscopy of atmospheric ozone

The absorption spectrum of atmospheric ozone is measured within a 1/cm region at 1100/cm, using an IR heterodyne detector (spectrometer with CO2 local oscillator) developed for astronomical work. Absorption spectra obtained by passing radiation from the tunable diode laser through an absorption cell, heterodyne spectra of atmospheric ozone, and a predicted atmospheric spectrum are compared. Water vapor absorbing in the region of interest (1100/cm) is also considered. Preliminary results encourage the use of diode laser local oscillators in tunable heterodyne detector systems for spectroscopy of atmospheric ozone and remote high-resolution spectroscopy of atmospheric constituents and pollutants.

Frerking, M. A.

Further measurements of the submillimeter background at balloon altitude.

Results of measurements of the far-infrared background radiation made with a balloon-borne radiometer at an altitude of 44 km. Equivalent blackbody temperatures were obtained for the background radiation in three bandwidths: 1 to 11.5 per cm, 1 to 13.5 per cm, and 1 to 18.5 per cm. The total measured flux in the largest of these bandwidths is dominated by the atmospheric emission by ozone and water. The data obtained confirm the results of prior flights, in particular, that a substantial amount, and perhaps all, of the radiation above 13 per cm is due to the atmosphere.

Muehlner, D. J.

Gravitation research

Balloon measurements were made of the far infrared background radiation. The radiometer used and its calibration are discussed. An electromagnetically coupled broadband gravitational antenna is also considered. The proposed antenna design and noise sources in the antenna are reviewed. A comparison is made between interferometric broadband and resonant bar antennas for the detection of gravitational wave pulses.

Weiss, R.