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Seidel, B. L.

Publications and source records attributed to Seidel, B. L..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Performance improvement of DSS-13 34-meter beam-waveguide antenna using the JPL microwave holography methodology

Described here is the application of the microwave holography technique to Deep Space Station (DSS) 13. The project goal of obtaining a rigging angle surface rms error of 0.43 mm or better was met. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory-developed holography algorithms enabled a reduction of the surface error of the DSS-13 antenna from the optically set 0.83 mm axial rms error down to 0.40 mm rms, providing an additional 4.1 dB of performance at 32 GHz.

Rochblatt, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Coronal Alfven waves detected by radio sounding during the solar occultations of the Helios spacecraft

The two Helios spacecraft underwent regular solar occultations during their extended missions from Dec 1974-Feb 1986 (Helios 1) and Jan 1976-Mar 1980 (Helios 2) thereby providing many opportunities for radio propagation experiments in the solar corona. On certain rare occasions over the course of these investigations, Faraday rotation measurements of the linearly polarized Helios signals could be recorded simultaneously at two widely-spaced ground stations. Many of these two-station measurement intervals display clear evidence of wave-like structures with quasi-periods of the order of a few minutes to a few hours. These structures are attributed to coronal Alfven waves. The radial propagation direction and velocity of these waves are estimated from a cross-correlation analysis of the data between the two stations. The majority of the waves appear to propagate away from the Sun, but about 30 percent of the cases indicate a propagation direction toward the Sun.

Bird, M. K.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The mean coronal magnetic field determined from Helios Faraday rotation measurements

Coronal Faraday rotation of the linearly polarized carrier signals of the Helios spacecraft was recorded during the regularly occurring solar occultations over almost a complete solar cycle from 1975 to 1984. These measurements are used to determine the average strength and radial variation of the coronal magnetic field at solar minimum at solar distances from 3-10 solar radii, i.e., the range over which the complex fields at the coronal base are transformed into the interplanetary spiral. The mean coronal magnetic field in 1975-1976 was found to decrease with radial distance according to r exp-alpha, where alpha = 2.7 + or - 0.2. The mean field magnitude was 1.0 + or - 0.5 x 10 to the -5th tesla at a nominal solar distance of 5 solar radii. Possibly higher magnetic field strengths were indicated at solar maximum, but a lack of data prevented a statistical determination of the mean coronal field during this epoch.

Patzold, M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Recovering Microwave Cross-Polarization Losses

Reception improved by adding normally discarded portion of signal. For signal enhancement, major and minor signals combined in slaved closedloop receiver channels. Both receiver channels served by common local oscillator controlled by phase-locked loop in main channel. 10-MHz intermediate-frequency (IF) signals of channels coherently summed. For polarization tracking, phasemeter added to measure phase difference between points A and B. With new circuit, low-level signal used at receiver to augment main signal.

Seidel, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

White-light and radio sounding observations of coronal transients

A concerted search for coronal transients was conducted with the 'Solwind' coronagraph during the solar occultations of the two Helios spacecraft in October/November 1979. The polarization angle and bandwidth of the linearly polarized S-band downlink signal were monitored at the three 64-m tracking stations of the NASA Deep Space Network to determine coronal Faraday rotation and spectral broadening. A one-to-one correspondence could be established between abrupt disturbances in the two signal parameters and the passage of a white-light transient through the signal ray path from spacecraft to earth. The white-light morphology and the additional information provided by the radio sounding coverage are presented for each of the five distinct events recorded. Although no specific example could be observed in sufficient detail in both white light and Faraday rotation to derive the small-scale magnetic structure, some qualitative descriptions of the orientation and rough estimates of the magnitude of the transient magnetic field could be made.

Bird, M. K.↗
NASA NTRS1984

DSN Microwave Antenna Holography

The DSN microwave antenna holography project will obtain three-dimensional pictures of the large DSN antenna surfaces. These pictures must be of suffi icient resolution to allow adjustment of the reflector panels to an rms surface of 0.5 mm (0.25 mm, goal). The major parameters and equations needed to define a holographic measurement system are outlined and then the proof of concept demonstration measurement that was made at DSS-43 (Australia) that resulted in contour maps with spatial resolution of 7 m in the aperture plane and resolution orthogonal to the aperture plane of 0.7 mm was discussed.

Rochblatt, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The Faraday rotation experiment

The magnetized plasma of the solar corona was remotely sounded using the Faraday rotation effect. The solar magnetic field together with the electrons of the coronal plasma cause a measurable Faraday rotation effect, since the radio waves of Helios are linearly polarized. The measurement is performed at the ground stations. Alfven waves traveling from the Sun's surface through the corona into interplanetary space are observed. Helios 2 signals penetrating through a region where coronal mass is ejected show wavelike structures.

Volland, H.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Microwave holographic surface measurement of the Tidbinbilla 64-m antenna

The use of a holographic technique for accurately measuring the surface figure of the Tidbinbilla (Canberra, Australia) 64-m antenna is described. Described by Bennet et al. (1976) and Scott and Ryle (1977), the technique consists of measuring the complex far-field response of the antenna at a single frequency using a terrestrial, satellite-borne or celestial radiation source of small angular diameter. This two-dimensional pattern is then Fourier transformed to yield the complex illumination function across the antenna aperture; antenna surface deviations are manifested as phase fluctuations in this function. The speed and low cost of using the technique are real advantages where observing schedules with the telescopes are heavily subscribed. For the 64-m antenna, the unweighted rms surface deviation is found to be about 1.8 mm; when weighted by the radial amplitude taper it is about 1.1 mm. Two earlier estimates by other methods had yielded tolerances of about 1.2 mm rms and 1.1 mm rms. It is planned to use the technique to survey the 22-m antennas of the Australian Telescope accurate to approximately 0.1 mm rms near 10 Ghz.

Rahmat-Samii, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Helios Mission support

Ongoing Deep Space Network support of the Helios 1 spacecraft is described. In addition, planning for a Solar Corona Faraday Rotation Experiment during the December 1981 14th Helios 1 perihelion and subsequent solar conjunction phase is detailed.

Berman, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Possible evidence for coronal Alfven waves

A statistical ray analysis is used to analyze observed electron content and Faraday rotation fluctuations in the 2.29 GHz S band carrier signals of the two Helios spacecraft probing the magnetic and density structures of the solar corona inside 0.05 AU. It is found that (1) the observed Faraday rotation fluctuations cannot be due only to electron density fluctuations in the corona, unless the coronal magnetic field is about five times stronger than suggested by current estimates; and (2) the observed Faraday rotation fluctuations are consistent with the hypothesis that the sun radiates Alfven waves whose energies are great enough to heat and accelerate high-speed solar wind streams.

Hollweg, J. V.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Antenna feed for linear and circular polarization

Antenna system ransmits linearly-polarized microwave radio signal, yet circularly-polarized incoming signal is received without polarization-mismatch losses. Network uses only hybrid junctions, diplexer, and four-probe antenna; no waveguide switches are required. Other circuit arrangements are possible, using additional transmitters and receivers.

Bathker, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Receiving signals of any polarization

Two-channel detection accomodates linear, circular, and elliptical polarization in one receiving unit. Receiver employs orthomode transducer which breaks any type signal into one left and one right circular component. These are processed in separate receiver channels with equal time-delay, and then recombined for data extraction. System eliminates losses due to polarization mismatch.

Ohlson, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Antenna feed system for receiving circular polarization and transmitting linear polarization

An invention is described which provides for receiving a circularly polarized signal from an antenna feed connected to orthogonally spaced antenna elements. It also provides for transmitting a linearly polarized signal through the same feed without switches, and without suffering a 3 dB polarization mismatch loss, using an arrangement of hybrid junctions. The arrangement is comprised of two dividing hybrid junctions, each connected to a different pair of antenna elements and a summing hybrid junction. In one version, a receiver is connected to the summing hybrid junction directly. A diplexer is used to connect a transmitter to only one pair of antenna elements. In another version, designated left and right circularly polarized (LCP and RCP) transmitters are connected to the summing hybrid junction by separate diplexers, and separate LCP and RCP sensitive receivers are connected to the diplexers in order to transmit linearly polarized signals using all four antenna elements while receiving circularly polarized signals as before. An orthomode junction and horn antenna may replace the two dividing hybrid junctions and antenna feed.

Seidel, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Absolute flux density calibrations: Receiver saturation effects

The effect of receiver saturation was examined for a total power radiometer which uses an ambient load for calibration. Extension to other calibration schemes is indicated. The analysis shows that a monotonic receiver saturation characteristic could cause either positive or negative measurement errors, with polarity depending upon operating conditions. A realistic model of the receiver was made by using a linear-cubic voltage transfer characteristic. The evaluation of measurement error for this model provided a means for correcting radio source measurements.

Freiley, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Helios-1 Faraday rotation experiment - Results and interpretations of the solar occultations in 1975

The first of two solar occultations of the satellite Helios-1 in 1975 occurred in April when the satellite's ray path approached the west limb of the sun to a minimum distance of 1.63 solar radii. The second occultation took place in late August/early September when Helios-1 was totally eclipsed by the photosphere. Measurements of the polarization angle of the linearly polarized telemetry signal were performed with automatic tracking polarimeters at the 64 m Goldstone Tracking Station in California and also at the 100 m radio telescope in Effelsberg, West Germany. The coronal Faraday rotation as a function of the solar offset for both occultations is shown in graphs. The theoretical significance of the observations is investigated.

Volland, H.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Atmosphere of Jupiter from the Pioneer 11 S-band occultation experiment - Preliminary results

Two additional radio occultation measurements of the atmosphere of Jupiter were obtained with Pioneer 11. The entry measurement leads to a temperature profile that is substantially in agreement with those obtained with Pioneer 10, showing temperatures much higher than those derived from other observations. The exit measurement is not usable because of the discontinuous drift of the spacecraft auxiliary oscillator, presumably due to the trapped radiation belts of Jupiter. The combination of two Pioneer 10 measurements and one Pioneer 11 measurement yields an oblateness of 0.06496 at 1 millibar and 0.06547 at 160 millibars. Measurements in the Jovian ionosphere indicate a number of layers distributed over about 3000 kilometers, with a topside temperature of about 750 K.

Kliore, A.↗